DMITRY LESNEVSKY PRESENTS
A FILM BY ANDREY ZVYAGINTSEV
THE BANISHMENT
I'll call a doctor.
No.
- Mark, you need a doctor. - Poke around and take the bullet out.
You hear me?
Take the bullet out and I'll leave.
I'll sleep a little...
and leave.
I don't want your family to see me.
Come on. Come on.
How are you?
- I'm leaving in a few days. - For long?
For two months.
Robert found me a job.
- Good money? - It's OK.
Maybe I'll finally buy a car.
Why don't you sell Dad's house? It's useless just standing there.
Maybe. Maybe not.
You want to go back there?
No.
I'm thirsty.
We'll be there soon, hang on.
Eva, come here.
What, Mum?
Take these to your room and put them on the bed.
- Then come right back. - OK.
Dad, where's the walnut garden?
Up there on the hill.
Will we go there after we get washed?
We'll go.
I want a nut from a tree.
They're probably not ripe yet.
They're more than ripe.
I want a nut from the tree.
Dad, why isn't the creek flowing?
God only knows.
Did it get dry?
It dried up.
It used to flow down here, under the house, and to the ravine.
Did you see it?
I saw it.
Give me an apple, Bunny.
My name is Eva.
I know, I named you myself.
You said Bunny.
That's because you're a bunny, a sunny bunny.
My sunshine.
I don't want to be Bunny, I want to be Eva.
OK, Eva, pass me an apple.
- You want an apple salad, don't you? - No, I don't want it.
Then what do you want?
Nothing.
I'm so sorry, Mummy. I won't do it again.
Don't say that, darling, it's not your fault.
What's happened, Vera?
What's happened?
Nothing.
I see.
Well, off to bed?
All right. Good night.
Dad, what's that smell in the house?
I don't know. what smell?
- Go to bed. - Good night.
Want a drink?
I'd love to get drunk.
Alex.
I'm expecting a child.
It's not yours.
Do you want a lift?
I know you.
You're Alexander.
I'm Max, Georgy's son.
Do you remember me?
I'm a postman in the city. I've been by your place.
No, I don't remember.
Excuse me, but I don't feel like talking.
- Hi. - Hi.
Hello.
Mark. I'm at the station. We need to talk.
Which station?
- Well, talk. - No, I'll come over.
It's too late for a train.
I'll find a car.
well, all right. I'll be downstairs in the bar.
No, make it the casino. It's next door.
I know.
Max, can I talk to you for a minute?
Yes.
Can I borrow your car until morning?
Of course. Take it.
Thank you.
Where should I drop it off? Over at your place?
Yes.
Just leave the keys in the glove compartment.
Alex.
Be quiet.
Hello, Victor.
It's Alexander.
Yes, we came yesterday.
Probably for a week or so...
Yes, as we agreed. Come today, at about five o'clock.
Yes, yes, sure.
Well, see you.
How do you like it here?
Has it changed much?
It seems the same as before.
Kir. Eva. Come here.
How long since you were last here? About ten years?
Twelve.
And how's Mark?
Do you see your brother?
He's fine.
And his family?
Does he at least see his children?
I don't know.
Your father missed them a lot.
Has he even seen your kids?
No.
You can't drag a word out of Mark either.
He comes, locks himself in the house, and sits like a hermit.
People were living, everything seemed fine
and just like that...
You never know what's waiting for you.
Dad, I want to sit with you.
Hang on a little, we'll be there soon.
We'll be there in three minutes.
You can go over there.
Kir, let's go, I want to introduce you to somebody.
What's his name?
No name. Maybe you'll give him one?
Can I ride him?
Not yet. Let him grow a little.
When will he be big enough?
I think by the next time you come here.
- You like it here, don't you? - Yes...
- Good boy. - Good boy.
Let's go over to my place.
Alex...
- I thought... - You thought nothing.
Listen, I really hoped you'd be able to...
Able to what? What?
Do you love him?
I don't know how to explain it to you.
You don't know?
Don't know how to explain it to me?
...27, 28, 29, 30. Ready or not, here I come!
- Eva's behind the tree! - That's not fair! You peeked!
I didn't!
- It's still not fair! - Get lost!
No hiding in the house, like we said.
Faina! Faina!
I'm first!
Go and look for Flora.
Flora will be ten soon,
Frida is eleven, Faina is twelve.
Mine wants more, but me...
Yeah, give him a son.
And how about you? Any plans?
You should. At least one more.
Three is a magic number.
Flora...
What's happening with dinner?
- Vera? - Yes, everything's ready.
We just have to bring the table.
- Why aren't you hiding? - I am hiding.
Doesn't look like it.
You went too far.
I know.
- Don't you want to play? - I do. But not always.
Children, take your places at the dinner table.
Wanna go?
I like it more here.
- Do you like being by yourself? - Yeah.
Do you?
Sometimes.
When I'm angry at somebody.
Are you angry now?
- Yeah, I'm angry. - At who?
At my dad.
He hit my mum.
When do you like to be alone?
My dad never hits my mum.
But sometimes Mum really screams at him.
And what does he do?
He doesn't talk to her for a long time.
- Do you know why they do it? - I don't know.
I thought about it but I don't know.
- Let's go back. - All right.
It must be hard for your dad to be here alone.
He's not alone.
Besides, he sent me to the city. He said, "Go and spread your wings."
So, is it interesting being a postman?
Everything is interesting to me.
How do you mean "everything"? Have you tried a lot?
No, I mean in general.
What's going on?
Can you tell me, Alex?
Or you, Max?
I see.
You yourself know what is going on and nobody else.
Me?
I don't know.
But on the other hand, maybe I do.
I've always known it.
Yes, I know.
If you know and I don't know, then tell me.
If you were living here,
maybe I'd tell you something,
a speck...
Dad, when are we going home?
I don't know.
It's still early. Go and play with the others.
- I'm tired of playing. - Go and play.
How about that. She's tired.
Three daughters.
You might as well have three more wives.
Do you mind if I get drunk?
- Don't, Liza. I'll do it myself. - Vera, it's OK.
Look.
She can stand on her head
that way for an hour
if she wants.
- Dad, get up. - Yeah.
Everything's fine. Everything's under control.
- Dad, get up. - Kids, let's have some tea.
- Hello. - Hi.
- Let's meet.
- Where are you? - I'm at the station.
- Come on over here. - No, I won't.
- We have guests. - Georgy?
Yes, with Max. And Victor.
Take Georgy's car. Come on, I'm waiting for you.
Well, all right.
- Dad, who was it? - Uncle Robert. Remember him?
He's waiting for me at the station. It's business.
- Can I take your car? - The keys are in the ignition.
Why doesn't your friend come here?
He doesn't know the way.
- Dad, I want to go with you. - Let's go.
- I want to go too! - No, sweetie. You stay here.
I'll go anyway.
I said no.
What does he want?
- Who? - Uncle Robert.
Kir, we're really going to meet Uncle Mark, not Robert.
Then why did you say Robert first?
I had to.
Do you like him?
Who?
Uncle Robert.
Of course. We're friends. we work together. You know that.
And I hate him.
Hate him? Why?
He was at our house.
When?
When you went to make money.
Why didn't you tell me before?
I don't know.
Mum said she'd take us to the circus, but she changed her mind.
Nina took us there instead.
When we came back he was there.
I waited for you until morning.
You gambled until morning.
I couldn't find a car.
What happened?
Vera's pregnant. The child's not mine.
She told me yesterday.
What are you going to do?
I'm scared I'll kill her.
How far along is she?
I don't know. Probably two months.
My God.
What's going on, Mark? What is it with us?
What's going on is what's going on. It's a game.
You play what you're dealt.
I was sure she wanted to get rid of it, same as me.
And she's smiling. Can you imagine?
What should I do, Mark?
Whatever you do will be right.
If you want to kill, kill.
The gun's in the dresser upstairs.
Then that's right.
If you want to forgive, forgive.
Then that's right.
Just make a decision.
What decision, Mark?
I don't want to lose my kids like you.
I can't believe it's happening to me.
I didn't lose my kids.
I just got myself used to the idea that they don't exist.
But they do. They're alive.
And so?
- Don't you want to know how they are? - No.
- And that's right, is it? - That's right.
That's my lot.
No, I don't understand that.
Then be so kind as to accept it.
It's simple. It's either heads or tails.
I did gamble until morning
but I was waiting for you too.
- Take it. - No.
Take it. You'll need it.
So go to your boy.
He's wilting.
Are you sure?
Yes.
- About what? - That you aren't kidding yourself.
No.
And that's right?
Yeah, that's right.
Kir, let's go.
Are you sure you lost it here?
Yeah.
You left it at home.
Here it is. I've found it!
Mark smells the same as in the house.
Next time, you come to us. Any time.
Yes, find the time.
I'd be happy if you never left here.
Of course. Where else can you find such a sky?
Alexander, move out here for good.
No, I don't think so.
Bye.
Goodbye.
I forgot.
- Kir, aren't you tired? - I'm tired.
Go to bed.
When you're finished, I'd like to talk.
The water's very loud.
When you're finished, I'd like to talk to you.
I'm scared to talk to you.
I'm scared to talk too, but I think it's better to talk.
OK.
I know what kind of people you and your brother are.
- And what Kir will become. - Vera...
if you have any mercy for yourself,
then know that I have mercy for both of us.
Understand that.
Let me help my son and my daughter.
Let me help you.
This child...
- Alex... - I'm not interested in your child.
I want to know, what are you going to do with it?
We're strangers to each other.
You are a stranger, always have been...
and always will.
What is this nonsense?
Is it possible it needs to be that way?
Is it possible it has to be that way?
Vera, I don't want to shout at you.
I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to cause you pain.
I just want to know what you're going to do.
You're in trouble, Vera. Do you understand that?
You're tired.
Can you really be that tired?
And what are you going to do?
Sleep.
Hello.
All right, Vera, make us breakfast.
We'll eat together.
Be their mother and I'll be their father.
- Eva, give it to me. - I won't.
Hello? Speak.
- Long distance. Is this 32-1510? - Yes.
It disconnected.
Miss, where was the call from?
From the city. 615-3018. Would you like to call back?
- Hello? Are you there? - No, thank you.
Robert.
Dad, who was it?
Mark. Let's go.
Was Grandfather like Georgy?
What do you mean?
Well... so old?
No, he was younger.
And why did he die?
Everybody dies.
Why doesn't Grandfather's stone have writing like the others?
I don't know. It's probably what he wanted.
Hello.
Flora?
- No, it's Frida. - It's Kir. What are you doing?
Well, we're at home doing nothing.
- Can I talk to Flora? - Yes, hold on.
Flora!
Phone for you.
It's Kir.
Hello.
- Kir? - Hi, Flora.
Hi.
What are you doing?
Mum and Dad are going out and we're staying with Grandma.
Come over.
Who's is it?
It's Kir. Can they come to visit us?
Sure. Give me the phone.
Hi, Kir!
Listen, is your dad around? Put him on.
But I wanted to talk to Flora.
I'll just say a couple of words to him and give the phone back.
OK.
Dad, it's for you.
- Hello. - Hi, Alexanderl
Liza and I are going to the city. Do you need anything?
No, thank you.
The girls said that maybe Kir and Eva can come over to visit. We'd be happy.
I'll pick them up and bring them back tonight.
Or even tomorrow.
You and Vera can take a break from them.
What do you say?
Until tomorrow? I doubt it.
- So am I coming or not? - Hang on a second.
Kir, do you want to go visit Flora?
Yes.
Eva!
Yes, Daddy.
Do you want to go and visit the girls?
- Is Kir going? - I'm going.
- Hello, Victor. - I heard it all. I'm on my way.
Hello. Speak, please.
Excuse me, it seems I have the wrong number.
No. You just dialled a city number.
You can only make a local call directly from that line.
You can call the city on a pay phone at your train station,
or through an operator.
Then an operator, please.
Yes, hello?
Robert... it's Vera.
Vera, hello.
Is everything all right with you?
Yes.
I rang you earlier today. Nobody answered.
No one was here.
Are you sure everything's all right?
Yes. Sorry, I don't even know why I called.
Vera, take care of yourself.
Take care of your children.
Thank you, Robert.
Goodbye.
They won't be back for a while.
Let's go for a walk.
We need to decide something.
I don't want to talk about betrayal or anything like that.
I want to forget about all of this.
Let's get rid of it.
We have to do it, do you hear?
There are more important things.
Everything will be fine, Vera.
We'll start again.
We'll try.
Why aren't you answering?
Just do what you decided to do.
I can't wait any longer.
Hello.
Connect me with the city, please. 643-1606.
Yes, I'm waiting.
Hello. Mark, it's me.
If you know someone who does that, bring him here today.
Can you do that?
OK. I'm waiting.
- Hello. - Hi, it's me.
Yes, Mark.
I found two. The whole thing will take forty minutes.
She'll be back on her feet in about two days.
- In a month it will all be behind her. - OK.
Yes?
Hello, Dad, can we stay? It's so interesting here.
Uncle Victor can bring us back tomorrow.
- Is he already back? - Yes, he just got in.
Put him on.
Please, Dad! He's the one who offered.
I'm fine with it but first I'll talk to Uncle Victor.
Uncle Victor, my dad wants to talk to you!
I'll be right there.
Hello, Alexander.
Give me that red piece.
Frida.
Read from here.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
"but have not love,
"I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
"And if I have prophetic powers,
"and understand all mysteries and knowledge,
"and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,
"but have not love, I am nothing.
"If I give away all I have,
"and if I deliver up my body to be burned,
"but have not love,
"I gain nothing.
"Love is patient and kind.
"Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude.
"It does not insist on its own way.
"It is not irritable or resentful.
"It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but with the truth.
"Love bears all things, believes all things,
"hopes all things, endures all things."
She'll sleep.
Sometimes she'll wake up, but not for long.
She has to stay in bed until Thursday. Then a month of rest.
I left some painkillers there. One pill after food.
No more than three times a day. If she has to, she can take two.
There are instructions there.
That seems to be it.
I'll be back soon.
Have you checked on her? How is she?
Sleeping.
She didn't make a sound
even though she can't stand pain.
Everything's fine. He gave her painkillers. Don't worry.
Don't you think I did the right thing, Mark?
Absolutely.
Let's have some coffee.
I don't like how she looks.
Calm down.
Go and look at her, please.
I don't know, I think everything's fine.
Maybe we should wake her?
Don't. Let her sleep.
I'll stay here.
I'll be in the kitchen.
Vera.
I'm terribly sorry.
Don't make me regret even more.
I made a mistake.
I know it.
Help me, Vera. Help me.
She's dying.
Pull yourself together.
She's dying.
- Who are you phoning? - A local doctor, an old friend of mine.
Why not an ambulance?
Are you out of your mind? Don't you understand the situation?
- Hello, Gherman? It's Mark. - To hell with the situation!
I need your help.
At my place.
Yes, here.
Come as soon as possible, friend.
A woman after an abortion. She's probably in a coma.
A few hours ago.
I'll be waiting.
He'll be here soon.
- Where? - The bedroom.
She needs a hospital. I'll call an ambulance.
- Let's take her ourselves. - No.
- Mark... - Why? What's the problem?
Believe me, it's better with an ambulance.
Mark, we need to talk.
She's dead.
I'll report it as heart failure.
I'm very sorry. My advice to you is to look after your brother.
He is your brother, isn't he?
Poor girl.
Alex...
Quiet, Alex, calm down...
- I have to tell you something. - Later.
It's important.
Nothing's important any more.
We need to iron out the formalities quickly.
Rumours fly around here before anything even happens.
Excuse me.
The simplest coffin.
The nightgown she is wearing.
No make-up.
Don't touch her at all.
The funeral is tomorrow at noon.
I want to see her.
I'll take you.
This way.
Start the car.
She wanted to stay here and I killed her.
- I killed my wife. - It was an accident.
What have I done?
Let's not talk about what's done, but what needs to be done.
What needs to be done?
To bury Vera.
Damn you, Mark.
Start the car.
Mark.
I have to get up tomorrow for a few hours.
That's out of the question.
Don't even think about calling an ambulance.
I won't go anyway.
I'll do what I have to do.
You owe me.
Fine.
You're the king of the castle.
Call my brother.
Don't say too much.
Mark needs you for a minute.
He's much worse than he thinks.
- Phone Victor and tell him... - I already have.
How are the kids?
They don't know anything yet.
That's right.
You have to tell them everything yourself.
Don't worry, I know what to do.
That's good.
Why didn't they tell me anything?
They had to have seen that something was wrong with her.
I tried to tell you before.
I have a feeling she died from something else.
Opiates. Very strong stuff.
A few tablets are enough never to wake up again.
It looks like she took them all.
Are you sure?
We could only say for sure after an autopsy.
- There won't be an autopsy. - Right.
There are some very general morphological changes.
The same as could have come from an overdose of anaesthesia.
But then it's odd that they didn't try to resuscitate her.
They were absolutely calm and said she would sleep.
That means everything was normal.
They did everything, woke her up, and made sure she was fine.
And later, she...
I don't know.
And one more thing.
I found it next to her.
It's a pregnancy test. On the other side.
Will you tell him?
No.
You can't get up.
Give me something so I can get through three hours.
- You are not allowed to get up. - Give me something.
- You don't understand the situation. - I just have to go.
Then I'll go with you.
No. It's our own business.
It's possible he'll need emergency help. I'll be here.
It's for Mark. Please take care of him.
Alex?
What are you doing here?
Let's go to the house.
Hello.
Vera, just don't sleep.
Try not to sleep. Do you hear me?
I'll be there soon.
Leave the door open, understand?
Do you hear?
I'll be right there.
Vera! Vera!
Drink.
It's cold. I'll make some more.
Robert.
Promise you won't tell him.
Where are the children?
They're sleeping over at Nina's.
Robert.
Promise me.
I promise.
It's already dawn.
Thank you.
Mum, who was here?
- They brought a letter. - From Dad?
No.
From who?
Mummy, he tore off Linda's head!
Why did you do that?
I wanted to see what she had inside.
- And? - Nothing.
What did you think you'd see?
Mum, it's just a doll.
He also said that there wouldn't be clowns at the circus.
- I don't want it without clowns. - Don't lie!
- I said clowns weren't the best part - All right, go and play.
Hello.
Hi, it's Robert.
How are you?
Honestly, not great.
We were going to the circus but I started feeling sick.
I had to ask Nina to take the kids.
- Do you want me to come over? - You'll come over?
Yes.
The other day I lost the keys to my apartment.
The owner's on the other side of town.
I figured he's got a copy.
But I just couldn't remember his number.
It was in my phone book inside the flat.
So I went to the bar
and drank.
Then I drank some more.
And you found your keys at the bottom of your glass.
Exactly. How did you know?
- You're lying. - No, it's true.
I just remembered his number. It just popped up.
I've never lost my keys.
I envy you.
But you have time.
What's the matter, Vera?
Everything's fine. It'll pass in a minute.
You don't feel well?
Vera, maybe some water?
No, I'm already better.
Stay a bit if you can.
Until they get back.
I don't want to be alone.
OK.
I'll get up now and we'll have some coffee.
No, lie down. I'll do it.
Want to look at our photos?
- You haven't seen them, have you? - No.
There, on the bottom shelf.
That's his father.
There are the three of them -
father, Alex, and Mark.
This is Mark with his family.
This is my mum.
Here Eva's not even a year old.
And that's me before I got married.
See, everything is disorganised.
There's no time to deal with it.
This is Alex taking me home from the maternity ward.
Vera...
Why did you want to do that yesterday?
I'm scared.
I can't explain anything to him.
To Alex?
I'm pregnant.
Pregnant?
Excuse me, but the child... It's not Alex's?
It's his child.
And not his.
What do you mean?
It's his child, of course it's his. Who else's?
But not his, in the respect that our children are not ours.
Rather, not only ours.
Just like we're not our parents' children. Not only theirs.
Understand?
I wake up at night and can't sleep...
listening to how he breathes.
He only loves us for himself. Like things.
God, it's been years already living like that.
Why am I so lonely?
Why doesn't he talk to me any more like he used to?
Or maybe it just seemed like we were talking.
I won't be able to explain anything to him.
I have to do something.
If it continues like this everything will die.
I don't want to give birth to the dying.
We can live without dying.
There is this possibility.
- What possibility, Vera? - I don't know, but I know it exists.
And it's only possible together, one for another, together.
It's impossible one by one.
There's no point. It's a vicious circle.
How can I explain it to him,
so he can see what he's doing and understand?
Mum, we're back!
Why is he sitting here?
Why isn't he at his own house?
Kir, how can you behave like that?
Nina, I'll be right there.
Excuse me, Robert.
Don't worry.
I should probably go.
Give me 32-4311, please.
Hello, Victor, it's Alexander. How are you all doing?
I'll pick up my kids today.
Tell them when they wake up.
I'm calling from the city. I'll be there soon.
KONSTANTIN LAVRONENKO
MARIA BONNEVIE
ALEXANDER BALUYEV
DMITRY ULIANOV
DIRECTOR ANDREY ZVYAGINTSEV
PRODUCER DMITRY LESNEVSKY
CAMERA MIKHAIL KRITCHMAN R.G.C.
SCREENPLAY: OLEG NEGIN, ARTYOM MELKUMYAN, ANDREY ZVYAGINTSEV
BASED ON "THE LAUGHING MATTER" BY WILLIAM SARO YAN
ART DIRECTOR ANDREY PONKRATOV
MUSIC ANDREY DERGATCHEV, ARVO PART
COSTUMES ANNA BARTULI
MAKE-UP GALYA PONOMAREVA
EDITING ANNA MASS
SOUND ANDREY DERGATCHEV
PRODUCTION MANAGER ALEXANDER ZHIGUN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ELENA LOGINOVA