DEKALOG: SEVEN
Screenplay by
Excuse me.
Yes?
I'd like to turn in my grade book.
Aren't you going to appeal?
It's your last year. They may be lenient.
Expelled is expelled.
Ten pages are missing.
I tore out the last two semesters.
- Your destination? - Canada.
- Who will you be staying with? - Friends.
Here's your passport.
You'll need the mother's consent for the child.
But is her passport ready?
Yes.
Once I have that consent...
You'll get the passport immediately.
Ania.
Anka!
Out of my way.
Ania.
Go away.
Mother.
You can't quiet her down. Go away.
Ania.
It's all right.
Did you dream about wolves?
My darling little daughter.
Didn't Mommy tell you there are no wolves?
All better now?
Feel better?
Back to sleep now.
Sweetheart...
Dad.
I can't stand it anymore. - There, there.
You cried out like that too when you were a baby.
But why does she tell her about wolves?
Don't you have to get up early?
There, there.
Listen.
Ania.
You're free now, Princess.
Do any of you remember the magic spell?
One, two, three...
open sesame!
You're all invited to the wedding celebration!
- Majka, are we hiding? - We're running away.
Shall we play a joke on Mommy?
I don't have a coat.
I brought one for you.
Excuse me.
My child's disappeared.
My daughter's disappeared.
Christ, don't you understand?
My child's disappeared.
Ania, shall we go for a ride?
On what?
Look.
Go on.
Did you kidnap me?
What?
You kidnapped me like in my book at home.
You're a big girl now, right?
Mommy says I am.
Exactly.
Look at me.
Mommy...
isn't your mother.
So I have no mommy?
Yes, you do.
Your real mommy is...
I'm your real mommy.
Yes, we do.
We have two.
Two tents and two mattresses.
Majka's gone to the mountains on a school trip.
Call next week, okay? Someone's just come in.
Ania?
Ewa.
Ania's disappeared.
- What is it? - I need to pee.
Go on.
Is that her?
Yes.
She always has to pee when she gets nervous.
What do you want?
May we come in?
- What do you want? - We've run away.
So?
Hi.
A lot has changed.
Yes. We haven't seen each other in...
Father died.
Three years ago.
And how are you?
I MAKE TEDDY BEARS
I make teddy bears.
What about your studies and plans and writing?
I gave it all up.
And what's this?
Something to eat? Some tea?
She's fallen asleep.
Maybe we should put her on the bed.
No, she's happy there. Just look at her.
Do you still think about me?
No.
I paid dearly for it, but that's all over now.
Do they know? - No.
I took her from the theater.
Mother was running around like crazy.
She tripped on a step and nearly fell down.
Why are you talking about her that way?
You should be pleased.
I think I've hated her for some time now.
You haven't changed.
It's always either/or. Nothing in the middle.
That's right.
I've taken Ania, and I'm not giving her back.
I've thought about this for three or four years.
I'm not the polite girl in the dark blue skirt anymore
who fell in love with her Polish teacher
because he spoke so differently from the others.
You still have lots of options.
You haven't stolen anything or killed anyone.
Can you steal what's really yours?
I don't know.
I guess not. - Then I haven't stolen anything.
That's a fact.
As for killing...
yes, I think I could kill her.
You don't know much about her.
I've learned a thing or two recently.
- Like what? - Why she is the way she is.
She couldn't have more children after I was born...
because of me, in a way.
But she always wanted more.
So when Ania was born... it explains a few things.
You agreed to the arrangement.
I was 16.
Joan of Arc wasn't much older.
So you kept saying.
They said they did it for me, so I could finish school.
Now I know they were really after the baby.
There was the scandal too.
She was the headmistress, I was a young teacher,
and you were a student.
But it all hinged on you.
You should have said you wanted the child to be ours,
but you said nothing.
I couldn't.
You couldn't?
You were involved too.
Mother told you to keep quiet
if you didn't want trouble for seducing a minor
and wanted to keep your job, right?
She told you that?
I overheard her talking to Father. You knew she'd do it.
She told your father that?
Yes.
Was she lying?
Yeah, a little.
I never knew it was possible in Poland
to just make a child officially someone else's.
It is.
You just have to know a doctor. That one didn't know anything.
I usually nap for an hour in the afternoon.
Go ahead.
No reason to change your routine.
You thought, "Great. She's agreed to it all.
I don't have to worry."
Right.
I won't bother you for long.
Are you going away?
To Romania this summer.
Let me see. I haven't seen a passport in ages.
- Look. - What's that?
A doctor's certificate stating I gave birth to a child six years ago.
Your mother's willing to let the child go?
- Mother? - Yes, your mother.
She has to.
You'd never recognize her.
I never knew she could be so tender and loving.
She wasn't that way with me.
I'll tell you...
something I really shouldn't tell anyone.
When Ania was maybe six months old,
I came home early from camp.
They were always sending me off to camp.
I came home early and saw Mother...
feeding Ania.
- That's perfectly normal. - No.
Breast-feeding her.
- But she had no... - That's right.
But she gave Ania her breast, and Ania was sucking.
She won't let you go now.
What happened?
I just cut my finger.
Now it won't hurt anymore.
Sleep now.
Go to sleep, sweetie.
Sleep...
I'm going out. Keep an eye on her.
What are you going to do?
Call and torment Mom a bit.
Hold on.
Call from here.
No, not from here.
I'm sure they've called the police.
Your phone may be tapped. I'll call from a booth.
Shall I come? The phone booth's near the station.
And leave the child alone?
I'll read you something.
About your mother...
and your...
grandmother.
"An Italian film.
Mother and daughter.
Some scenes...
that I can sense around me."
- Hi! - Shh!
- You got the bears? - Yes.
Who's that?
My daughter.
Don't come by for a few days. There may be trouble.
Because of her?
Dad?
Yes.
She's with me.
- What are you planning? - Put Mother on.
Tell me.
You can't help me, Dad.
Mother couldn't stop crying.
She took a sedative. She may be asleep.
Who's that?
She's with me.
Dear God! She's with you.
Did you call the police?
Yes, but that's not important.
Where are you?
Call them back and tell them you found her.
That's the first thing.
Of course. Where are you?
We'll come get you. Stefan!
Well, where are you? We'll be right there.
I'm not telling you. You have to change everything.
What?
Change what? I don't understand.
Ania has to be mine.
Impossible.
She has to.
- Nobody knows anything. - I'll tell them all.
I can prove it. - You can't prove a thing.
I'm Ania's mother. It's on her birth certificate.
Only Jadwiga knows the truth, and she'll never tell.
Where are you? - Father knows too.
Your father knows nothing at all.
And Wojtek.
Don't count on Wojtek. I'll tell you more when I'm retired.
Listen carefully.
You stole my baby. It was all meant to be different.
You robbed me of my baby, of the fact I'm a mother.
Of love.
You robbed me of myself, of the two of you, of everything.
You have two hours to think it over. Then I'll give you instructions.
Call Majka.
She went out. She'll be back soon.
What woke you up? - I wake up often.
Majka told me today I don't have a mommy.
You got it all wrong. You have a mommy.
And a daddy?
A daddy too.
Majka told me today that you're my...
Aren't you sleepy anymore?
Want to see how I make teddy bears?
These here?
Yes.
Tell me something.
Did you know she was going to take her away?
No.
I don't have spots.
You do. Right here...
and here.
So I have spots. Fantastic!
- Are you a sorcerer? - Yes.
- You are? - No.
Yes, you are.
I used to be a sorcerer.
A powerful, terrible...
and wicked sorcerer.
- Wicked? - Wicked!
- You know any sorcerer tricks? - Sure do.
Like what?
- Why aren't you asleep? - She woke up.
Majka...
he says he's a sorcerer.
You're supposed to call me Mommy.
Say Mommy.
Mommy.
Ania, please.
Say Mommy.
You hear me?
Call Mommy "Mommy."
Please.
Please call me Mommy.
You hear me?
Call Mommy "Mommy."
Who?
Ah, yes. I recognize your voice.
No, it's all right.
I have no idea. I haven't seen her in six years.
All right. Sorry.
All right.
They're looking for you.
I know.
He doesn't know anything.
He was asleep.
We're disturbing lots of people. - They'll survive.
We know nothing about our own child...
who she knows, where she might go.
We lost her.
I never expected her to... - She loves Ania.
We have to give her back.
I can't.
Majka was always your little girl.
Ania was mine.
Majka could never be your little girl.
You demanded so much of her that she couldn't cope.
She knew she had to prove herself worthy of your love.
And that day you saw her in the bathroom
with traces of bandages around her belly,
in her sixth month, you started screaming.
I knew that something had snapped for good.
She just stood there, not saying a word.
Don't give me our family saga. I know it.
But you think Majka doesn't.
She does.
Stefan, she wants to take Ania away forever.
Take her away, you understand?
Far, far away.
Forever.
Where?
Canada.
She's cooked up some phony, made-up invitation.
Stefan, I thought to myself...
maybe we should let her go.
We'd keep the child with us and let her go off forever.
But she's planned it all very carefully.
They're both going.
We'll lose them both.
We have to find them.
Get someone to help us. - Who?
You used to know lots of people.
Not anymore. - Go wake up Grzegorz.
Stefan, I beg you.
Ania?
Anka, wake up!
There aren't any wolves.
It's all right now.
It's all right...
Can you go back to sleep?
It's all right now.
She stopped.
She screams like that almost every night.
It's been years now.
She dreams about something, but she's never said what.
I don't know what she's scared of.
Of what's to come.
If you plan to take her away... - Where?
Anywhere. Far away.
She won't be able to bear it...
all your shouting, your tugging at her, your hysterics.
She's too sensitive.
Seems you've gotten cold feet.
No, stay as long as you like.
I don't mean that.
You'll end up hurting the child.
She's your child too.
You should go back home.
I see.
She needs a normal home.
Her toys, her bed, her milk. Understand?
- I understand. - Understand what?
She needs her own home.
You're right.
I know a guy with a van. I'll go get him.
You'll be back home in Warsaw before dawn.
All right.
Go get him.
Or you two can stay here. I'll move out.
No, you're right.
Go get the van.
Anka, wake up. You hear me?
We're leaving. Get up and change your clothes.
Where's Wojtek?
Wojtek doesn't want us here.
He said to give you this.
I woke you up.
I'm sorry. This is all so ridiculous.
But you know how Ewa is.
She begged me to come see you.
I'm afraid.
This is all...
There isn't much I can do.
I could try and get an announcement
on TV tomorrow.
And we could hold the other passport, but that's all.
I apologize once again.
Did I wake the kids?
No, they're asleep.
I was afraid of this.
She took off.
What shall we do?
It's been two hours.
Two and a half, actually.
Listen to me.
Bring Ania back.
Your father will sell the car and his organs
and you can buy an apartment.
You can see Ania whenever you like.
You can take her out every Sunday
to the movies or wherever you like.
Ania will be mine and yours.
When I die, she'll be all yours.
Is there something else you want?
Yes, your notarized consent allowing Ania to go to Canada...
by tomorrow.
You got that?
- I beg you. I can't do that. - Then you'll never see us again.
Ania's asleep on my shoulder.
I don't care anymore.
I realized today...
she's the only person I have in this world.
I'll count to five. Either you agree or this is good-bye.
One... two...
three... four... five.
Majka, I agree.
I agree!
Majka, come back. I agree! You hear me?
I'm sorry. It's me... Wojtek.
Who?
Yes, it's me.
You lied to us before.
Yes, I did.
Is she there?
She was.
She's run off and taken the child with her.
Where is she?
She said she didn't care anymore.
She can't have gone far. I'll search to the left of the tracks.
You take the right. - Out by you?
Yes, around Józefow.
Want to float a twig in the water?
Go ahead.
Kiss me.
Harder.
Do you love me?
Yes.
- Nothing? - Nothing.
I'm afraid.
- It all went wrong. - Let's check the train stations.
It's Sunday. Trains aren't running yet.
Poor little Wojtek. Our family only brings you bad luck.
It's true.
I'll head toward Otwock.
Do that.
- When's the next train? - To where?
Doesn't matter. Anywhere.
In two hours. It's Sunday.
Man trouble?
Running away from a guy?
From everything.
Come inside.
It's warm, and I've got a blanket.
You can sleep.
Excuse me.
Have you seen a girl with a child?
A young girl with glasses and a big shoulder bag
and a six-year-old girl.
She was here, but she left about two hours ago.
Where did she go?
She asked about the road.
I don't know.
Ania!
Mommy!
My love.
My little darling.
My daughter.
Directed by
Cinematography by
Produced by
Music by
Art Direction by
Sound by
Edited by
Digital Restoration by