Little limping chicken. How many feathers do you have?
I have twenty-four.
One, two, three and four.
Where are you?
Beatrice, where are you?
- Beatrice, is that you? - No.
Yes, it's you.
No, it's not me.
Beatrice!
Come, Mommy wants you.
- Come, Nicolino. - No, just you.
- Why? - Because Mommy said so.
Goddamn it!
Nicolino! What are you doing? Stop!
What are you doing? Just look at you.
Salvo, what's going on?
- Sorry, you know what he's like. - Don't worry about it.
Nicolino, here.
Here.
- Say thank you, you lout. - Thank you.
- Me, too. - No, we're going.
- Can I stay here with Nicolino? - No, later.
Let's go.
Stop here.
Daddy's here.
I can't see him, it's too far.
But he can see you. Always.
Say hello to him.
You too, Angela.
Mommy, can I go?
All right.
Run, Nicolino!
I'm happy, Beatrice.
Here, look at this,
I'll do a trick for you.
Look, look!
THE MIRACLE
EXCEPT FOR LAZARUS
DAY TWO
Mom!
You didn't turn on the water heater.
Carlo!
Come! Quick!
Is it dead?
Yes.
Did you kill it?
Yes.
What are you doing?
We'll throw it away.
The body of Christ.
- The body of Christ. - Sure... let's go, c'mon.
Don't worry, everything's all right.
You're worse than a kid, Marcello.
- What did you tell me? - That I'd bring you the money.
And did you?
I need a little more time, I've always paid you back.
This is the third time you've asked for more time.
And I gave it to you, you know why? Because I like you.
10 years a missionary in Africa, and now you piss it all on the slots.
It's a matter of principle, I can't excuse you because you're a priest.
- What will the others think? - I'm not asking for exceptions.
- You'll get it. - There you go.
At first, I thought it was a joke,
Votta kept saying that it was for real,
they showed me the analyses, the tests.
I picked it up, it's light
and it drips blood like a faucet.
- It's madness. - They'll find an explanation.
It's absurd. I mean, if it were water, but it's blood.
How is it possible?
In the end, they always find an explanation for these mysteries,
like with the Filipino faith healers.
- Why Filipino healers? - I was just saying.
You need to focus on the referendum now
and nothing else.
What if there weren't a scientific explanation?
You want to call in the National Security Authority?
It's a serpent's nest, would you show them something like this?
With the referendum coming up, tomorrow we'd find the news online.
You're right.
Mom, can you hear me?
Mom, try and move a finger.
Try to tell me.
I'm begging you.
Mom, can you feel the blood?
Can you feel it?
Give me a sign,
I know you can do it, come on.
I beg you, give me a sign.
Did you say something, Mom?
Did you say something?
I thought there was no one home.
Was it today?
Yes, we always do it on Wednesday.
Can't you come back tomorrow?
- Has something happened? - No, no.
It's just that today's a mess, Jolanda's coming late...
I'm really busy tomorrow,
and anyway she needs to be manipulated today.
Yes, of course.
All right then, come in.
Sandra, if you're busy, go, I'll take care of her.
No, I'm happy to stay.
Do you think she's improved a bit?
In what way?
Her face seems more reactive.
Yes, I don't know, maybe.
Her muscles are more toned, too.
I don't know...
her muscles have shrunk after years of paralysis.
But she has to be exercised every day.
Make sure you do.
Luciana, what the heck...
Knock it off with the vacuum cleaner.
- Where's Olga? - She went to pick up the children.
- Hi, Carlo. - Come, I want to show you something.
- No, let's go home. - Come.
- I'm not coming. - Then go to Marino in the car.
Is it really dead?
Yes.
- We killed it. - Shut up!
Did you kill it?
Yes.
What are you doing?
- Why did you take it? - Shut up.
Jolanda?
I'm leaving now, I'll be back around eleven.
You stay with Mom, as usual,
but if anything happens, call me immediately.
Okay, as usual.
See that thing? Don't touch it.
All right.
Bye.
Our goal has been reached,
the first cycle of vaccinations is complete.
Photo No.1.
And this we owe to your generosity.
Pointless to say, the mortality rate in Sudan is very high,
they need photovoltaic systems
to run the machines,
reanimation units, medicine...
If we were able to put together 5,000 euros,
we could buy refrigerators, which are urgently needed.
Hi, Clelia, yeah, what is it?
Hi, Marcello.
Last time you spoke about photovoltaic systems too,
I asked you to tell me precisely
which solar panels you wanted to buy.
I did extensive research on the internet
and I discovered that there's new technology
capable of raising the energy efficiency of photovoltaic cells.
I also sent you an email but you didn't reply.
You're right.
It slipped my mind, I'll do it as soon as I get home.
Any news about the Marial mission?
You know, I sent a couple of emails...
I don't know, maybe I didn't understand because they're Belgian,
but it seems that your organization doesn't manage the mission.
There are many incongruencies with what you told us...
- Clelia, please. - Just a minute.
You're a whiz on the Internet, but we're talking about Father Marcello.
No, Marta, Clelia is right, it's only right.
You don't know how many con artists scam those who want to help others.
Come see me at the parish tomorrow
and I'll explain it all to you.
Can we do a wire transfer?
You know what happens to money in African banks, better in cash.
I had to make up the rest or we wouldn't have reached 5,000 euros.
I sold some of Dad's paintings, they were just gathering dust,
better that they go to someone in need.
But you shouldn't have, Mom, you've already given so much.
Take it. But call me sometimes.
Marcello!
Listen, I know everything, you're a con man!
I didn't say it in front of the others because of your poor mother!
But I went on Google Maps, on websites,
you made it all up, the NGO is Belgian.
You're a thief, they've never seen those poor women's money.
They've never heard of you!
Do you realize what you're imagining?
First you call me an asshole, an egotist,
then a narcissist, now a con man...
What's your problem with me?
I have no problem with you.
Then why do you keep bugging me? You even come to my mother's.
I've been putting up with you for months, but now it's harassment,
if you continue, I'll have to take legal action.
You, take legal action?
Me? Yes.
We were together for three months in high school, it was kid's stuff.
No, it wasn't just that,
you came all the way to Calabria that summer.
- To tell you I was becoming a priest. - Yeah, but something else happened.
What?
I've become a priest, try to understand, I have chosen God.
If you don't show me the mission documents, I'll call the police,
I'll have you put away.
Help! Police!
Help!
Get in, I'll show you the fucking documents!
It's ready.
My cousin Attilio is sending me his meat from Turin, really good.
I bought 50 kilos.
- 50 kilos of meat? - Yes.
It needs to be vacuum-packed with the machine,
then snap frozen, that's what Attilio says.
- Where's Marisa? - In there with the intern.
We can no longer eat the meat they sell in Rome,
it's full of garbage...
Alma.
Look.
She has tits at nine, does that seem normal to you?
It's the hormones from farmed meat.
I'm going to call Marisa.
My home is your home.
Sit down.
It's porn.
What are you doing, Marcello?
No, get off me.
What are you doing? Let go of me.
You want it?
No, please!
But why? Why are you doing this?
Please.
Get out!
Take it, get out!
Here, you want money, whore?
Take it!
Go away!
No one will be surprised
when they find the body of a little boy
with no flesh, in a corner.
Stupid! Moron!
Mom, Alma's scaring me!
Alma, eat.
Carlo, put that thing down, it's dirty.
Alfredo Franco is not dirty, he stinks, that's all.
Put him down. Alma, eat.
No, I want to be a vegetarian like Olga.
I said eat, sweetheart, don't piss me off.
Obey your mother.
Mom, what happens when you die?
Nothing.
Nothing happens, you sleep forever,
a very long sleep, like someone turned off the light.
You're too little to think of these things,
it's a long way off, you should be having fun.
So, why do we live if we have to die?
Ask your father.
Why do we live if we have to die?
Because life doesn't belong to you,
it's a gift that is given to you.
Finish your food.
Thank you, Olga.
You hear that, Dad?
Sole, do you have Father Marcello's number?
Who?
The priest who was close to my father when he was ill.
- We saw him in Africa, too, remember? - Yes.
- Do you have his number? - Yes.
- Can you give it to me? - Sure.
O Lord,
You made Yourself man for my love,
with Your life and Your death You have delivered me from evil.
You teach me the righteous path...
Hello?
Fabrizio!
Yes, the Prime Minister.
Now?
Can we do it tomorrow?
All right.
- Hand me that sheet. - Sure.
- Have you redone the blood count? - Yes.
I knew it! The glucose levels have risen in the last two hours.
Like yesterday,
she's eaten her usual three o'clock cream doughnut.
See?
The blood values are changing continuously.
It's as if there were a person who's eating, digesting,
like you, like me,
as if they were alive.
- Yeah, alive, but where? - I don't know.
Maybe in a parallel universe.
We're done with the routine blood counts,
I can't make out any more than that.
General, in Phoenix they could map the DNA,
totally anonymously, in 24 hours.
We'd have all the information regarding the owner of the blood.
- No, I don't trust them. - But it's an anonymous sample.
Who says there isn't something anomalous about this DNA?
It might have genes different from ours, given the provenance.
- Hi, Mario. - Good morning.
- How are you? - All good, Prime Minister.
Marcello.
I'm sorry I'm late.
How long has it been since we've seen each other?
Since Africa, it must be two years, Prime Minister.
No, call me, Fabrizio, please.
Forgive me, I haven't even congratulated you.
I wanted to talk to you about something,
but first, tell me, how are you?
Me?
A bit worse for wear, I came back from Africa for health reasons.
- Nothing serious, I hope. - No, I take care. So, tell me.
I remembered the Mass you celebrated under that tree in Africa.
Was it a tamarind? With the cross hanging from the branches.
You said that to make a church you didn't need to build cathedrals,
just a little shade would do.
Prime Minister, what would you like to drink?
Have you eaten?
Fantastic, nor have I. Two vitello tonnatos, please.
Is that all right?
How they do it here is heavenly.
I'll get to the point.
What do you think about miracles?
- What do you mean? - Do you believe in miracles?
Are you worried about the referendum?
Judging by the polls, it'll take more than a miracle...
I'm serious,
you, as a man of faith, what's your stance on miracles?
The term "miracle" is one of the most abused in the world,
I avoid using it, I don't like it.
I think that miracles relieve us of responsibility.
If, however, you want to know what the Church thinks about them:
there is a superior order that is God's plan,
which at any moment can infringe on the laws of nature.
But if you want to know what I think
about those hordes of people who believe in stigmata,
in healing, who see the Holy Virgin in a sheep's belly...
- I feel pity for them. - I don't mean those miracles.
If it were something extraordinary,
bordering on farce,
but that has nothing to do with suggestion,
but that goes against all laws of nature...
A true miracle,
without a logical explanation.
What would you think?
Don't miracles diminish God's omnipotence?
I think of Jesus Christ,
31% of the gospels deal with his miracles,
and I think, but don't tell anyone,
He didn't like performing them,
He was forced to.
Why?
To convince the people of Palestine
the most revolutionary words were not sufficient,
it required a wizard's tricks.
If it were up to me, I'd take out all those chapters,
except for Lazarus.
But that's the way we're made,
God put doubt in our flesh,
it's not God who needs miracles, it's us.
A miracle is a sign of God's mercy and of our misery.
- Those with faith don't need them. - So, who are they for?
For those who don't have it,
or for those who are losing it.
Marcello, I have a favor to ask you.
- And now? - We'll cut it.
Olga?
Can you come here for a moment?
Yes, madam.
I need you, we have to cut this meat.
Give us a hand.
Shall we start?
Come.
I'm sorry to bother you like this.
I'm mortified,
but it's a matter of national security.
I need answers and maybe you can give them to me.
But I ask that you keep the secret.
I'm asking as a friend,
and, above all, as the head of the government.
Swear you will.
I swear.
Prime Minister, but...
you should have told me.
A priest?
Above all, he's a dear friend of mine,
as well as a person of faith and reason.
He'll keep the strictest confidentiality.
Before taking a decision, I need to understand.
Marcello? Are you all right?
Yes.
Let's get out of here.
Come.
What happened?
Thank you.
Rocco, let's take him away.
Take a look, can we treat him here?
Show me.
No, how can we? He needs stitches.
- No, I'm fine. - Yes, yes.
- We'll take him to Emergency. - Which one?
- At Terzo Laurentino. - I'm fine.
Yes, Father, but you'd better go,
it's nearby.
- Is that enough? - A bit more.
Enough.
Now let's pray, repeat after me.