FILM 4
The day gives man food.
The night gives him hunger.
PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL No. 13
When did you hallucinate?
Yesterday.
For a long time?
I don’t remember.
-Has it begun? -Yes.
You’re having delusions.
A short but intense clouding of the consciousness.
Your brain is tired of fighting.
It’s a white flag.
You told me that I had time-- a year.
It depends on various factors.
Treatment.
Lifestyle.
You should seek treatment with us.
No. Out of the question.
Then prepare yourself.
The episodes will be more frequent…
the intervals between them shorter.
-Well, and then-- -Death.
A slow death.
With open eyes, yeah?
PERPHENAZINE
Get your affairs in order.
Do you feel it?
I love you.
Meglin didn’t pick the cases.
He went wherever they said.
Except for this case.
He made sure he got the assignment in Mikhailovsk.
-I asked him to. -How’s that?
Glukhoi compiled a database of missing children
covering the entire country.
Studying the material, I discovered that…
in Mikhailovsk, children went missing more often.
They’re all from troubled families. They’re around the same age.
When another one went missing, I went to Meglin.
And he decided to go there solely based on your intuition.
He said exactly the same thing.
Word for word.
Solely based on my intuition.
He wanted to check if I had the instinct.
MIKHAILOVSK MAYOR’S OFFICE
Did Vanya tell you where he was going that day?
Yes, in the morning!
He said, “Mom, I’ll be home early. I don’t want to go to the club.”
I said, “Why not? You have a memorial hike on the ninth.”
A barbecue!
A barbecue and a hike, and he didn’t want to go!
They made a man out of him there.
If he hadn’t skipped it, maybe this would’ve never happened.
It was Loshka who put him up to it!
It’s those guys from Moscow.
Bring me some water.
That’s Meglin.
There are no grounds on which to investigate these cases,
much less to connect them.
The children on your list are from troubled families.
Some ran away.
No bodies were found.
They have nothing in common.
-Did they have mutual friends? -It’s possible.
These two were in Romantic.
-They easily could’ve crossed paths there. -Romantic?
It’s a children’s hiking club-- our pride and joy.
-Who’s the leader of your pride and joy? -What are you saying?
No!
Romantic is 15 years old. It does so many good things!
They go on hikes, plant trees around the whole city.
Memorial barbecues. I know all about it. The name of the leader.
Anatoly Valeryanich Golovko.
A respected teacher in Russia.
Yes, these children…
He takes them off the streets and reunites them with their families.
Well meaning. Nothing more to say.
What, it’s that easy?
-Is that how you work? -Did you run a background check on him?
Yes, and I’m proud of it.
-What? -Water.
-Get out of here! -Yulia--
Can I have some water?
Thank you. My throat was dry.
Actually, we have a theory.
I’m sorry. What do you have?
There is one place that’s… a death trap.
The boys go there often.
I actually don’t think anyone killed them.
-Shall we look? -Of course.
Don’t cause a panic until you have to, right?
How many go missing every year in our country?
1,100 maybe, yeah? No big deal.
No bodies means they’re alive. That’s called total optimism.
So don’t lose hope,
comrades.
Shall we go?
GHOUL
-Don’t! -Where is it?
-I can’t! -Where is it?
Where is it? Give it to me! Give it to me. I’ll die.
I’ll die! I’ll die!
-Give it to me! I’ll die! -I can’t.
-Give it to me, bitch! -Let her go!
Let her go! Let her go!
Let her go!
Pasha! Don’t touch him!
Shut up!
-Pashenka! -Mama!
Pashenka!
Mommy!
Anatoly Valeryanich.
Can I take my knife home?
-And me! -Please, can I take it?
-What for? -To show Mama.
No, you can’t.
ROMANTIC POLICE
Here it is.
Local drunks have fallen off the cliffs a few times.
The boys are always hanging around here, even when we run them off.
See for yourself what kind of place it is.
I assume they fell off the cliff here.
There’s a whirlpool down there. No body whatsoever would surface.
-Does anyone have a long rope? -Do we have one?
Get it! Quickly!
Why do you need a rope?
I’ll go down there. Maybe I’ll find something interesting.
-Have you got a feeling? -Something like that.
Thanks.
Will you hold me?
-Sure! -Thanks!
I can see you’re the strongest one here.
There you go.
So, all six fell off the cliff?
Well, why not? This place is a death trap.
-Just hold on tight. -You bet!
My life is in your hands now, yeah?
-Yes. -Are you holding?
I’m pulling. Oops! All right. Now like this. One second.
Hold this.
That’s it.
Hold on! Hold on to the captain. Or else you’ll go to prison.
He supposes boys have been falling off here for 10 years.
What do you suppose now, huh?
You psycho!
I’ll find you in your Moscow!
-Where are we going now? -To learn about Romantic.
“ROMANTIC” HIKING CLUB
ROMANTIC HIKING CLUB CITY OF MIKHAILOVSK
What’s the most important thing in our club?
The code.
On a hike, Kapustin refused to carry the backpack of a companion
who had an injured leg.
He decided to save his strength. He showed cowardice.
Hello.
He violated the code.
What should we do with him? I’m asking your opinion.
-Volodya. -Exclude him!
Kostya.
Exclude him without the right to forgiveness.
-Masha. -Exclude him.
-With the right to forgiveness. -What, Masha? Are you in love?
Jerk! And what if it were you?
I would’ve taken Vitka’s backpack. And you can leave the club with him.
-This isn’t your club. Got it? -Quiet!
I have one vote, like each of you.
If you decide to exclude Kapustin, then so be it.
But I’m asking you to think it over well.
Seryozha’s mother died. His father was killed.
He lives with his grandmother.
But his grandmother didn’t bring him to the club. The police did.
Because he stole in school, more than once.
Yes, he showed weakness.
And what should we do now-- kick him out into the street?
The code is important to us, but so are people.
Let’s vote.
Who votes to exclude Kapustin from the club?
Who votes to forgive him?
It’s unanimous.
Thank you.
Don’t tell me. Tell them.
And don’t make them regret it.
You’re free to go. Pasha.
Stay behind.
What happened?
All right. Go.
-Who are you? -We’re from the school board.
-This is all a waste. -What?
Your charade.
Don’t look here. You’re wasting time.
Aren’t you really from Moscow?
The whole club and I searched for each of these kids.
For several days.
Of course, I have some fault in this.
Not all of them could be saved, but I fought for each of them.
Several left.
Nonetheless, I think they’re alive.
If something happened to them, God forbid, we would’ve found them.
-Or they were hidden well. -I don’t even want to think about it.
Then no one will ever find them.
Let’s go. Mom?
Who’s there?
Come outside.
Stand there and don’t get involved.
Don’t pass out.
You won’t remember. And I want you to remember.
Touch them, and I’ll strangle you.
Everyone will say you hung yourself while you were drunk.
Do you understand?
I understand!
Come in. Don’t be scared.
Look at him. Drank himself into a stupor.
“I don’t want to live,” he says. “I’ll hang myself.”
Well?
-Are you ready? -Yes.
Why are you sure they’ll be here?
A park or an amusement park-- where else would kids be?
What, are we going to interrogate them? They won’t say anything.
Those who’ve been hurt will talk.
There’s the blond one.
-He’s in Romantic, yeah? -Yes.
-Hi. -Hi.
Are you going to have cotton candy?
-Make one, please. -Do you come here often?
Couple times.
Where’d you get the money? Steal it?
-What? -Where did you get the money?
-I-- -You what?
-I can’t talk. -Where’d you get it?
Get the cotton candy.
Well?
I… don’t remember a lot.
I passed out.
Tell us what you remember.
Do you remember better?
Sit down.
Change clothes.
It’s all your fault, you bastard! Stinking alcoholic!
-You’re never around! -Shut up!
-What do you mean shut up? -If you’d fed him right!
-What are you saying? -He has porridge sunup to sundown!
-Who feeds who around here? -Porridge is coming out of his ears!
I made some money and gave it to you. I said, “Buy the boy some sneakers.”
Where are the sneakers? Where’s the money? Slut!
When were you at the parents’ meeting?
Has he been gone long? Has he been gone long?
A day already.
He left in the morning and never returned.
Make the call.
This is the last time I’m helping you.
You higher-ups and your dogs. You won’t find anything. A dog won’t help.
Give me the bag.
-Should we release the dog? -One minute.
Munya, smell. Smell.
There you go! Good girl.
Munya, search. Search. Search.
Here.
What, is she hungry?
You need to feed the dog on time!
Why are you standing around staring? Everyone back!
Quickly!
Keep looking!
-How many children went missing? -Seven.
Seven.
One, two,
three, four,
five, six.
Seven!
What are you doing?
Or they were hidden well.
Then no one will ever find them.
The soil is fresh.
These are gallows! These are graves! It’s a cemetery.
He buried them under these birch trees they planted.
Where are your pills? Where are the pills?
Don’t be afraid. I’ll handle everything.
You’ll only pass out for a few seconds.
Then a lot of people will be thanking you after I publish my book.
Sailors, astronauts,
pilots.
Are you ready?
Deep breath.
So, you followed my tracks, yeah?
You’re an old hack, huh? With a clever face.
Well?
-What are you taking? -I don’t know. Probably cognac.
I mean the pills.
Well? Should we take him in?
-Who? -Tolik.
Anatoly Valeryanich Golovko.
It’s not him. I was wrong. We have to keep looking.
Why are you--
What should we do with a child killer?
I’d give him to the parents.
Do you need something?
REMEMBER OUR FRIENDS
Anatoly Valeryanich, my dear! Look what I brought!
Excuse me, please.
A new Czech tent. We try our best to help the club.
And also a flag for Romantic’s 15th year.
Made according to your sketches.
“Romantic.”
It’s him. I know it and you know it. What are we waiting for?
We need to prove it to them-- the parents.
And you aren’t afraid that on this hike he’ll--
No.
He’s going to be scared now.
-Good-bye. -Good-bye.
-Wait for me. -Good-bye.
-We’ll be waiting. -Bye.
Rom, come on!
Faster!
Roma, be brave. Be brave.
Come on, come on.
Don’t be afraid!
Come on, come on. Be brave.
-Come on! -Be brave!
-He’s going to drown. -Let him manage on his own.
-Come on! -Well?
Are you a Romantic or a coward? Are you a man or a weakling?
Come on, come on!
Roma!
Hang on, Roma!
Swim this way! Come on!
Roma! Come on! Roma!
Roma! Swim this way!
-Come on, swim! -Come on!
Come on, swim!
Come on! Come on!
Come on, grab me. Roma.
-Hold on. -Come on. Hurry.
Good job, Roma!
Good job!
You’re a hero!
THANK YOU, TOLIK!
-If only there were more like him. -Thank you!
Good job, Tolik.
Tolik, you’re so sad today. What happened?
Children.
Remember this moment…
this evening.
This is real.
And all the rest…
Tolik…
I wish that you could be my papa.
I understand that it can’t be.
But I wish it could.
Hold me. Hold on.
Can you crawl through?
He got satisfaction out of what he did to those kids. He’s a sadist.
But you say these people can’t stop themselves.
Then why?
He only killed seven. There should’ve been more victims.
Or didn’t we find them all?
This is all the vestibule.
The sanctuary should be somewhere.
Anatoly Valeryanich, let the kids go. They’re tired.
Yes. Of course.
Everyone go home.
A big thank-you to everyone.
Fifteen years.
More than 100 hikes, and no one was ever hurt.
Not one scratch.
-I loved them. -You loved them?
You conducted these grand experiments
so that astronauts and submariners would be proud of the kids?
I didn’t want to kill anyone.
Not anyone.
I just read that strangulation can cause amnesia.
You did it so they wouldn’t remember what you did to them?
You saved them from juvenile hall and drugs and then killed them. Why?
I got carried away. I kept them in the noose too long.
What were you doing? “In the noose too long”?
Stop it.
I… For 20 years, I lived in hell.
I never wanted to be with women.
It didn’t work out with my wife.
This obsession started long ago, as a child.
Well, don’t worry, Tolik.
It doesn’t matter who it was.
He’s not here anymore. Our neighbor.
But, with the club, I wanted to protect the kids from everything.
And I was supposed to keep them away from that.
I couldn’t on my own. I couldn’t forget it all.
Are you ready?
Deep breath.
I tried, but I saw it all the time.
I wanted to stop. I wanted to kill myself.
I went into the woods and prepared a noose.
I… I couldn’t do it.
It was painful.
You don’t know what it’s like to be in pain your entire life.
Twenty years of pain.
Give me your hand.
Now that’s pain.
Real pain.
Leave. Why?
We don’t need you anymore.
We have everything we need.
What do we need? A rope? Yeah, Tolik?
I’m not leaving. I don’t agree. The parents should be his judge. Not you.
Get out.
Get out!
So, Tol?
Let’s be honest.
So what happened next was your idea?
Are you accusing me of something?
I’m just asking.
Meglin always did only what he thought was right.
The question is, did you consider this right?
Yes.
THANK YOU, TOLIK!
Son of a bitch!
Yeah! Burn him alive!
MOSCOW
I’ll be damned.
You missed me so much you didn’t even call.
Get out of here.
-Go on, get out of here. -What are you doing, idiot?
Go on. Outside. Go.
Where--
Yeah.
Training under Meglin has made you good with people.
You lucked out with your partner, yeah?
Is something wrong?
TROITSK