The expression that people adopt when they feel pity for someone
is an expression that is hard for them to replicate, if you ask them to.
They usually flutter their eyelids, lower their head, and say:
I don’t know what to say, courage, patience or something like that.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
I brought you an orange cake. I just baked it, it’s still warm.
I think it came out better than the last one.
You needn’t have gone to the trouble. Thank you very much.
I hope I'm not too late. I mean, have you had breakfast yet?
No, we haven’t had breakfast yet. The boy just woke up.
- Great. I hope you like it. - I'm sure it will be wonderful.
Thank you again for everything.
It’s nothing really. Is there any news?
Unfortunately not. Her condition is still critical.
- The doctors? - Still waiting. Like us.
I see.
I don’t know what to say. Have courage. Be patient.
- Have a good day. - Thank you. You too.
PITY
Your Honor, esteemed members of the jury, I hope that everything turns out well.
I hope that the pity the defendant asks of you will not become the grounds
for a life plagued by nightmares.
Look at him. Look into his eyes.
Please look at him closely.
Try to smell his mouth,
to feel his skin, the pores of his skin, still wet from his crocodile tears.
And now look at the victim’s husband.
Look into his eyes, his pupils, the whites of eyes are barely visible.
Listen to his heart.
It is no longer beating
because it simply stopped, when Anna’s heart stopped beating.
I delivered this in a steady voice, neither too loud nor too low,
then I turned up the volume and went on.
"Look at his tongue, which can no longer taste,
and his hands that have lost the sense of touch.
If your heart tells you to take pity on this killer,
just think of who will take pity on you,
when, by acquitting him, you will suffer for the rest of your life
from the worst torment of all.
The awful, relentless, unbearable, restless torment of sleepless nights.”
And then I thanked them. And then I took my seat.
22 years in prison.
He started crying and couldn’t stop. He was covered in snot.
You should have seen him.
My apologies for the delay, the traffic was terrible.
It’s OK.
We will talk again, tomorrow.
Here you go, all done.
The stain on your son’s jumper gave us a hard time but we got it out.
Good.
And I pressed your trousers without a crease, just as you asked.
Good. I brought you these as well.
How is your wife?
Unfortunately, the same.
- What do I owe you? - 42 euros.
Thank you.
When can I pick them up?
Normally in two days, but I will do my best to have them ready tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow morning. Thank you.
We both hope your wife gets better, my wife asks me about her every day.
She loves you both very much.
Thank you. Much appreciated.
- Goodbye. - Goodbye.
You can't imagine how sorry I feel for her, too.
She has lost her spirit after the accident.
She loved her very much.
She always slept by her side of the bed.
Sometimes she wakes me up in the night, with her crying.
I let her in the bedroom, but she just keeps on crying.
She goes over to the bed, to my wife’s side of the bed,
and puts her paw on the sheets.
Then she strokes the sheets. Like this.
The night of the accident she was running around in the house, barking like mad.
As if she had a bad premonition.
Are you sure you don’t want a Campari? A whiskey?
Yes, I’m sure.
And the boy is not doing well either.
Bring him along one day, we’ll go to the beach.
Yes...
I will.
All this is very hard for me, dad.
I can’t get it into my head that she may not recover.
I can't cope without her.
The sadness is unbearable.
My hands start shaking every afternoon,
and my hair is going white.
Look.
Your hair hasn't gone white at all. It’s in your head.
Yes.
I am very familiar with the route that my tears follow from my stomach up to my eyes.
They go through my lungs, then my oesophagus,
the carotid artery, ending up in my eyeballs.
I was at the garden center. I had a delivery planned for that time,
that's why I’m sure of the exact moment I was told.
A neighbor called you, if I remember correctly?
That's right.
The owner of the house next door.
He was surprised by the loud music, and the type of music.
He was lying on the floor.
Blood was running down his chest. A pool of blood all around him.
The music was very loud.
His chest was full of stab wounds.
I also remember the faint tracks of bicycle tires on the floor.
As if someone had driven through the blood on a bicycle.
He wasn't breathing.
Don’t worry. Everything will turn out well.
The bicycle belonging to the accused, his jacket, clothes and hair, they all match.
It is virtually impossible that he will be acquitted.
Your hair? Has it been white a long time?
No.
It happened right after our father’s death.
Overnight.
As you draw your last breath and alone, alone you die,
a thousand animals we shall slaughter, a thousand candles, a thousand candles…
- Do you need anything else? - No, thank you.
In the next few days, I'll be meeting the lady I was telling you about.
The one who will come and cook for us.
I hope she is nice. They told me she is an excellent cook.
I don’t want her to come.
We must take care of our diet.
You especially, you've been eating very badly lately.
There's no way she cooks better than mom.
There are two of us, my son and I.
My wife has been in a critical condition, in a coma, for some time now
and the doctors are not very encouraging.
I am very sorry to hear that.
We will mostly need you to cook and clean the house.
My son is old enough, so there's no need for you to be in-house.
- Would something like that interest you? - Certainly.
- Are you married? - Yes.
Fine.
I'm going to see a few more candidates,
and I will let you know in the next few days.
Thank you very much. I wish you courage,
patience and a speedy recovery for your wife.
You were outstanding today.
Thank you very much.
Your dad called me this morning,
I’m going over for bridge tonight. Why don’t you come along?
I’m not sure. Perhaps.
Would you rather go to the movies?
I think I’ll stay with the boy tonight.
Some other day, maybe.
You need to hold your nerve. I've told you before. And think positive.
You know, you really were outstanding today. Congratulations.
We’ll get together around ten, in case you change your mind.
Call me and I’ll pick you up in the car, if you're not in the mood to drive. OK?
OK. Thanks.
I’ll let you know.
Let's go!
- Pass. - Two.
- Pass. - OK.
I saw a great movie the other night. We must watch it all together sometime.
It was with a kid, about 8 or 9 years old,
very good looking, a blond boy,
whose father was a boxer, I mean he was a retired boxer,
who became a horse trainer.
The kid loves his father very much and they have a really good relationship,
a very close bond, father and son.
At some point, the father owes a lot of money
and decides to go back into the ring...
so he has more money for his son, T.J., that's the name of the boy.
But then his ex-wife comes back and tries to claim custody of the kid.
- Were they divorced? - Yes.
And in one fight, they punch him so hard that he dies,
and there's a chilling scene where the kid
is standing over his father’s body shouting:
“Wake up Champ, Wake up Champ!”
Because the kid thinks his father is asleep, but he's actually dead.
How old was the kid?
8 or 9. I already told you.
Such a good movie, very sad, a real tearjerker.
The kid cried really well,
so gracefully, it almost felt real.
Because most crying in movies is so fake,
it's almost ridiculous when someone starts crying in a movie.
Because you know that the person is not really crying.
And you know, crying is the most difficult thing for someone to fake.
He's lost a lot of weight, at least four or five kilos.
He just shuts himself in his office for hours at a time,
and he doesn't take calls, he instructs me not to put any calls through,
unless it's something really important.
He may be crying.
I don’t know, although I don’t think so.
I have to hang up now, it’s time for him to go to court.
Talk to you tomorrow. Bye.
I am off to court.
You can leave early, if you want.
Are you going straight to the hospital afterwards?
Yes.
I brought you this cross. For your wife.
It belonged to my mother.
Thank you.
...and whole mountains we shall swathe in black cloth...
This is the music that was playing during the murders.
Can you please scream?
Not now. Let me play the music first.
Now!
Louder!
As if someone is stabbing you!
Thank you.
You may go now.
- Who is it? - It’s the lawyer.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
I’m sorry for the inconvenience, could I take a look at the crime scene?
Yes. Please, come in.
We found him lying here.
The glass door was broken.
The killer's bicycle was abandoned over there.
The floor was full of blood.
The coroner’s report states that there were multiple stab wounds,
caused by a small pocket knife,
around 30 lesions.
The knife has been found. It has fingerprints on it.
Moreover, the defendant purchased the yellow
bicycle not long before the incident.
It is virtually impossible that he will be acquitted.
If it were me, if I had lost my own father in such cruel circumstances,
I wouldn't be able to bear it.
I would have given up.
I would have fallen into a depression or had a nervous breakdown.
I want you to know that I am here for you, for anything you may need.
Anything. I am serious.
To me, you are not just clients.
You are my brother and sister.
I say pain is pain and everyone needs a hug.
I brought you these.
You should have realized that it is not
appropriate to be playing cheerful melodies,
while we are going through this nightmare.
The neighbors will think we are happy that your mother could die at any moment.
As much as you don’t want to accept it, that is still a real danger.
Yesterday, I wrote a song for your mother, in the event of her death.
Do you want to hear it?
“As you draw your last breath,
And alone, Alone you die,
A thousand animals we shall slaughter, We, the ones who love you.
Sheep, dogs and birds,
Shall be shrouded, Shrouded in blood.
So everyone will know, How much we love you.
So everyone will know How much we love you.
Forty pine trees, forty pine trees shall be cut down.
A thousand candles, a thousand candles shall be blown out.
And when your eyes are closed And your heartbeat has faded.
All together, All together we shall burn,
Every plant, Every plant in bloom.
Whole mountains we shall swathe, In black cloth.
So everyone will know, Everyone will know
How much we love you.
'Tis a pity that you died, While we are still among the living.
If only, If only you could come back
Come, come back to life
But that cannot happen, Not in a thousand years
But that cannot happen, Not in a thousand years.”
You're a bit sunburnt on your back.
My wife always used to apply the suntan lotion for me.
And now I can't reach by myself. I always miss some spots.
She always put suntan lotion on my legs and all over me, right before I left the house.
You should let me do it.
I don’t have a problem.
Ask me, if you like. It’s not a bad thing.
We’ll go somewhere nobody can see us, and I’ll put some sunscreen on you.
Niko, you are a true friend.
Of course I am.
I’m off. See you soon.
Hello?
Yes. Speaking.
When?
Yes.
She brought us an orange cake every day.
Sometimes she even brought dinner, and she was always asking after you.
- That’s very kind of her. - You know, it was all very hard.
I had to manage the house and the bills, the boy, work.
I seriously considered taking tranquilizers at some point, I was so stressed.
But then I would find strength by telling myself all this would pass.
And indeed it passed.
But let’s stop talking about this unpleasant business.
Now everything is back to normal and we're all together again, safe and healthy.
Would you like a slice of apple?
I don't remember the moment of the accident.
I only remember seeing my knee and thigh covered in blood
and I shouted, please someone help me, and then I fainted.
The doctors say that it is sheer luck that I didn't die instantly.
It was really a matter of a few millimeters.
You know what they say about seeing a tunnel with a light at the end?
Actually, it's true.
I did see a tunnel, and further away I could see something like a huge lamp,
not the sun, more like a street lamp...
and I could hear my husband’s and my son’s voices but I couldn't see them,
and my boy was saying to me, “Mom, do you have some water?”
and I would give him some, and he kept saying to me,
"No, Mom, this is warm. I want cold water, I’m thirsty."
He kept asking for water. I have no idea what that means.
- Could you not see the boy? - No, I could only hear him.
And the light at the end of the tunnel, I should point out that it wasn’t white.
It was blue. Bright blue.
I felt as if my hair was very long, it was heavy, like a great weight on my head,
and my body was very hard, even my tummy was hard, my breasts, my ears...
And then people stop pitying you. They get tired.
Or something else, something even more tragic, distracts them. Just like that.
- Am I hurting you? - No. You are perfect.
The doctor told me we won't have to do this for much longer.
He says I’m doing much better, and that my recovery is very impressive.
How long has it been since your last mammogram?
What do you mean?
I mean, when did you have your last mammogram?
You should have one once a year.
Breast cancer is no joke.
Sometimes a mastectomy can save lives, but sometimes not.
Please make an appointment as soon as possible.
First chance I get.
- Good morning! - Good morning.
- How are you? - Very well. You?
We are also well.
You have not brought us your wonderful cake since my wife came back.
We have missed it, both my son and I. He asks me all the time.
Oh, that's nice. I could bring one someday, if you want.
Could you bake one today and bring it to us?
I have no time today, but I can certainly bring you one sometime this week.
That’s very kind of you. Thank you. Have a good day.
- Good evening. - Good evening.
Give me a moment, I'm almost done and I’ll be right with you.
Take your time, I'm in no hurry. Just a couple of questions,
I won’t take much of your time.
My condolences.
Thank you very much.
I am at your disposal.
How would you describe your father? In a few words.
A very decent man. And a very good father.
He was quiet, he didn't get involved in any trouble.
He was also fair, easygoing. A perfectionist, but selfless.
Did he have any hobbies? Friends?
No, he was usually here, or at home. He really liked sports.
All kinds of sports.
He used to watch tennis, track, basketball, everything.
Did you do the flower arrangements for your father's funeral?
Yes. Tulips. He loved tulips.
He is studious, diligent,
he has a sensitive ear, he practices as much as he should.
I think he will do very well. There is no reason to worry.
His progress in these last few months is very impressive.
If he keeps this up until the exams, both his fugue and his sonata,
will be more than adequate.
I am worried because he's growing now but his fingers are not growing longer,
they are a bit short and thick,
and I know that to become a good pianist, he must have long fingers. Correct?
- Not necessarily. - May I see your fingers?
The other hand?
Yes.
Yours are much longer.
They are exactly the same length as your son’s. You shouldn’t worry.
Can we compare palms for a minute?
You are right.
No, it’s not people’s fault they have stopped pitying me.
It’s not their fault that they got tired,
or that something even more tragic has distracted them.
It’s my fault.
Here you go, your clothes are ready.
How is your wife?
We are losing all hope.
I am distraught. I don’t know what to do. I am desperate.
What do the doctors say?
The doctors are no longer encouraging.
The situation is critical. We are still waiting.
I understand. But I am sure that everything will turn out well in the end.
- How much do I owe you? - It’s 20 euros.
Thank you.
Please give my regards to your son. I hope your wife gets better.
Thank you.
Now the situation requires calmness. I have to keep my cool.
I must not give up now. I have to calm down and think.
- Who is it? - It’s the lawyer.
I am sorry I came unannounced. I would like to talk about the case.
Come in.
It is very hard to lose the person who gave you life.
They say it's even harder to lose a child,
but I would argue that it's just as hard to lose one’s child or one’s father.
And I would like emphasize that. They are both equally tragic, in my opinion.
Equally brutal. For instance, I have lost my mother.
And my wife is in a coma.
I am very sorry about your mother. And your wife.
You loved your father very much, didn’t you?
Very much.
He lived here? With you?
Yes.
His room is upstairs.
I have not touched it since he died.
I did not even put away his clothes.
I would really like you to show it to me, if you can, of course.
I would not under any circumstances wish to
upset you or put you in a difficult position.
Do you cry often?
Ever since he died, yes.
It was your job to appreciate all flowers equally,
but I found out that you had a particular fondness for tulips.
These are for you.
I didn’t have the honor to meet you while you were alive.
I would have liked that very much.
I am sure, if you were alive, we would have been two very good friends.
It is a pity you left us so early.
And it is an even greater pity, you had to leave us in such a cruel way.
I want to be able to cry so badly. My eyes and my cheeks feel bloated.
I brought you what you asked for.
I forgot how good it felt.
You know, they say it is dangerous when someone cannot cry.
Your eyes could explode. You could go blind.
Or the arteries in your head could burst.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
I spoke to your wife yesterday. She is back. All is well?
Here you go.
It’s 42 euros.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
Do you remember me? I live downstairs, with my wife and son. Remember me?
Yes, I remember you.
- Is your mother here? - Yes, she is.
- Can you get her for me? - Just a minute.
- Good morning. How are you? - Very well, and you?
Did you bake the cake, by any chance?
Unfortunately, I didn't have time.
You’ve baked it and you didn’t have time to bring it or you didn’t bake it at all?
I didn’t have time to bake one.
That’s OK. Tomorrow.
I was just wondering if you baked it or not, because I am going to the office soon,
and I wanted to know, if I should wait, in case you were baking it right now.
I mean, it would be a pity if you brought the cake just after I left.
Hence, I took the liberty of coming here.
You could bake one now. I can wait.
How much time would it take you? Could you do this for me?
Unfortunately I have to go.
When are you leaving?
Let’s go, Cookie. Let’s go!
Dad!
- I lost the dog. - Where did you lose her?
In the forest.
You remember how much I loved her, dad.
First of all, she’ll come back.
But, if not, after a while, you can get another one.
It won’t be the same.
It won’t be the same, but there’s nothing to be done now.
She’s a smart dog. She’ll be back.
I lost her somewhere here.
I should never have let her off the leash.
You go left. I'll go right.
Cookie!
I don’t know whether she’s dead or alive.
Don’t worry. She’ll come back.
Now, it calls for methodical planning, organization, dedication and hard work.
I hope everything goes well.
- May I sit down? - Of course.
- Do you have a relative in the hospital? - My sister.
- What’s wrong with her? - Peritonitis. She just had surgery.
- I wish her a speedy recovery. - Thank you.
My wife is in a coma.
She is doing badly. She is probably dying.
She’s only 45, young.
She also has breast cancer.
I have to go to her now.
I wish you the best.
Your Honor, esteemed Jury, there are a million yellow bicycles.
This in itself cannot be considered incriminating evidence.
My nephew owns a yellow bicycle.
Furthermore, his hair is the same color as the defendant’s.
He is not guilty, though.
Just as this child, standing right here in front of us, is not guilty,
this child, who has to stand here listening to all of us talking about,
bloods, knives, corpses.
All this cannot constitute anything but a misunderstanding,
the kind of terrible misunderstanding that is capable of stigmatizing a pure soul.
So let us stop, ladies and gentlemen, traumatizing this pure soul.
Let us put an end to this torment today.
Let us do that.
Not only for this innocent soul,
but also for ourselves.
Thank you.
PITY