Young couple found dead in Army Museum's archives.
Entwined in each other's arms. - Cause of death, suffocation.
I want to feel myself again, by feeling someone else.
By feeling you.
Alessandra, my miracle!
You still haven't told me what you wanted to tell me outside the library.
I thought I was coming home. - No, George.
Forget it. I live here, alone.
He's not the one who should've been in prison.
Who then? - Jacques Marchoul.
You're beautiful when you are angry.
Keep looking. And... there we go.
George, Alfred. And who's that?
That's Thieu.
Christ, Thieu.
Are we an item now?
I don't know. Maybe. - Maybe we could share student digs?
Yeah.
Ruben, there's something I have to tell you first.
I'm pregnant.
It's Mario's. - What?
Are you serious? - Yes. But it doesn't matter, does it?
When were you planning on telling me?
It was just never the right time.
Never the right time? What about last night? Wasn't then a good time?
Sorry, Ruben. - I thought we had something.
But we have. It doesn't matter. - You're expecting someone else's child.
Congratulations on your daughter. - Thanks. She weighs 3 kg 9oo.
That's the end of the good life, pal.
Right, the public prosecutor is letting you go for now.
Mainly because it's a military case and not a civil one.
But you will have to come back in ten days.
You will be informed of the exact date and time via your lawyer.
OK? Right. If you could just sign here.
So we can go then? - Yes, for now.
If you could just sign there. - What about our archive file?
Pardon? - The file on his great-uncle.
That's been confiscated, miss.
It's part of the evidence. This is about state property.
The judge will decide at the appropriate time who it actually belongs to.
But the military archives are more or less sacrosanct.
My car? - It's been confiscated too, miss.
The judge will decide at the appropriate time what'll happen to it.
If you could sign this now please. I've got other things to do.
Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your day.
How could the twoof you be so stupid!
We found out what we needed to know. - What did you need to know? Tell me.
Thieu was in the Stalag too. We've got a photo...
I wish you luck with Thieu. Jesus!
Can we freshen up at your place first? - Yes, Alessandra.
What will we do about the car, Ruben? - Leave Ruben out of it, Mum!
I've brought some lavender soap, I know you like that.
I've got another surprise too.
Alessandra. Alessandra. I'm not coming with you.
I'm going to have a good think about last night and...
We'll see...
that usually means it's over, eh?
Oh, piss off! Collaborator!
What? - Collaborator!
I just want to think about it in peace. - Collaborator!
I don't think you realise what you're dolng.
Goon, go and have a shower. - Take it easy, in your condition.
CATANIA, SICILY
I've finished the shopping. Will you drive me up?
Take the car. I've still got some things to arrange.
I'll be home in time for dinner.
There's lots to do in the vineyard. Grapes don't pick themselves.
Calm down, take it easy! I'm trying to concentrate.
All in good time. Here, catch.
Flemish women...
All they think about is work. - Work, work.
It'd be a good idea if you were to think about work!
You're a lazy bastard. An incompetent, lazy bastard.
D'you think I'm going to waste my whole life in this backward hole?
I'm still young. I want to feel like I'm still alive!
Sicily's a beautiful country for a holiday but not to live in.
Anyway, oranges taste the same everywhere.
Come on darling, let's go.
George!
Bloody hell!
George, you should get that cough checked out.
It's not worth it. My whole body is buggered.
Eat.
You shouldn't be so despondent.
I haven't got much to look forward to. I'm 5o years old.
And I'm cutting the grass for the stinking rich.
I've lost everything. My job, my pension, my wife.
You've still got me. - Yes.
If I didn't have you and Martine, I'd have topped myself ages ago.
Don't say that.
Why don't you go and talk to Thieu? He was your friend, wasn't he?
Oh look, I bought that in Sicily for you!
Alessandra, have a look!
Ruben, call me, please.
Look at this, Alessandra. Look.
This little jacket. You were really small then.
How's Grandma? - I don't know.
I've tried phoning her but she's not answering.
We'll go and see her before we go to Thieu's.
It's a waste of time going to see Thieu. He never says a word.
We'll see.
I didn't know they'd locked you up.
Didn't Charlotte say?
Yes. Saying things wasn't a problem.
Saying everything, always.
Talking all bloody day until it drove you mad.
Thieu, did Charlotte ever tell you anything about Helena and Marchoul?
Did they have an affair while I was inside?
Look, an eagle.
If that Marchoul were to walk past, I'd kill him!
That name sounds familiar. - Of course it does.
The bastard was in the Stalag with us.
I've never been in a Stalag. - Oh come on, Thieu.
You were locked up, George. You've just said so yourself.
Think, Thieu. Marchoul, that Walloon.
He was in Eben-Emael with us. You remember him.
No. If you talk about people like that, then they really exist.
So I prefer to keep quiet. D'you understand?
Look. Another eagle.
I've got to go, Thieu.
Say hello to Alfred.
Yeah.
Yeah. I'll do that. - I've still got it.
I've still got his letter. Tell him I haven't forgotten. I've still got it.
What?
Thieu, have you still got Alfred's letter?
Does that still exist?
What letter? - Alfred's.
I don't know any Alfred.
Thieu?
Thieu, Helena De Keyser is here. She's come to say hello.
Hi! Hello, Thieu! How are you?
Thieu, are you going to come and have a piece of cake?
Thieu. Charlotte told me that George came to see you.
What did he want?
Who? - George.
He's locked up. - George came to see you, Thieu!
When you were fishing by the ponds.
Did he say anything?
I don't know anything about it. And it's been going on far too long.
I don't want to know, it's far too dangerous.
Yes, but you can... - I don't want anything to do with it!
Why not? Is the truth so dangerous?
What are you keeping quiet? Who for? Can't you say, or don't you want to?
Helena?
Is it that difficult to just tell me what happened there? Please, you idiot!
Come on, come and have a piece of cake.
Isn't that one of Mario's shoes? - Yes.
Please tell me it ended up here by accident.
Mum. He's the father of my child. - I'm glad you realise.
I thought you'd forgotten. - Don't you start too.
D'you think it's normal to start seeing your daughter's ex-boyfriend?
I was sad. He comforted me.
I threw him out. There.
If you're pregnant your child is my child's aunt or uncle.
Don't be daft, Alessandra. I'm the grandmother. Here.
Mum, Mario!
Madam, I'm just saying, but 2o kg
really is the maximum you can take on an airplane.
What have I got with me? Only a couple of kilos more.
They won't worry about that. - You've got at least 1oo kg.
They'll never let you get away with that. I'm just saying.
Where are you going? - To Sicily. Via Rome,
the ferry to Palermo and then on a smaller boat to Catania.
It'll never arrive. - These are necessities.
Toys for my granddaughter. And clothes for me for all kinds of weather.
If I were you, I'd leave the big cases here. I'm just saying.
You're the taxi driver. Get in you car, start your car
and don't say another word, just drive me to the airport.
That's what I'd do if I were you. I'm just saying.
Door.
Martine! - Mum!
You've lost weight.
Hey, look, cheeky chops, look who's here!
Look who's here. - Oh, my little baby!
Hello, Martine. My little baby.
Let me see the little darling. Alessandra!
My little baby. My butterfly.
Is that all your luggage? Mum?
Yes. I thought it's always nice weather in Sicily, I'll just take my swimsuit.
How's Dad? - I don't know.
Not having him home wasn't nice of you.
It's not up to you, Martine. I lead my life and you lead yours.
How come Beppe isn't with you? - He had to work in the vineyard.
Work. I'm pleased to hear that.
Is he still so good-looking? - I'd rather he was uglier.
Does he chase other women? - No, Mum, he's too lazy for that.
The women chase him, but I'm not worried. Beppe won't cheat on me.
Men always cheat on their wives. - Do they?
Is that scientifically proven? - I know what I'm talking about.
Don't tar them all with the same brush. - But it's true, Martine.
Hmmm, Aglianico grapes.
Strong, dark fruit. Excellent quality! - We've planted a hectare.
And we're also going to make sangria using Nero d'Avola.
Sangria. Isn't that going against nature here in Sicily?
Give us some credit, Mum. We know what we're dolng.
Beppe is dolng really well.
Beppe is a loser. - Why do you use that word?
Loser. Why do you say that? - Because all men are.
You're being really negative again, Mum.
Why are you wearing shoes like that? - Mum! Beppe likes them.
Hello. - Hello.
Is she family? - She's an aunt.
Beppe will probably be in the workshop.
Let's go and see, eh?
Don't say anything!
Come on. Give her to me...
Dont' go, Martine! Don't go! Martine!
Grandma, it's Alessandra. Mum and I want to talk to you.
Can you please call us back? - Answer the phone, Mum. Please!
Phone the hospital, Alessandra. She's stubborn, so stubborn!
Could you tell me whether a Helena De Keyser has been admitted? De Keyser.
De Keyser. Honestly! - Right. OK.
Mum.
Mum!
It's so tidy in here.
Mum?
Where can she be? - She can't be far.
She can hardly walk. Mum?
Who are you going to phone?
Charlotte, is my mother there? No?
You haven't seen her or heard from her? No, no. It's OK.
The old oak.
Mum!
What's that?
Where d'you get that from? - I shot him with it.
Klaus? - Yes, Klaus.
Your grandfather. - My father.
Now you know everything. - That's really dangerous, Mum.
You should be careful with it, you could hurt yourself.
You need to rest, Grandma. - I don't know enough yet.
Ruben and I discovered Thieu was in the Stalag too.
Yes, I know.
I've tried to talk to him but you can't get a sensible word out of him.
How's that Ruben of yours? - He's dumped me.
I told him I was pregnant and... Thanks for the good advice.
It was good advice.
I should have kept quiet. - Yeah.
I always kept quiet. Phone him. Fight for him.
What am I supposed to do with this, Mum? Shall I...
Hi, Ruben, it's Alessandra.
I'm off to see Thieu now but I'd really like to see you today.
Sorry.
Oh sorry! Sorry, Mum!
Here. - Thanks, Mum.
What a surprise! Miss Lecron, I assume.
Could you tell Mr Reeckmans that his old friend, Jacques Marchoul, is here?
George isn't here at the moment.
I know he's living here after his state-funded holiday.
He's not back from work yet. - He works, that's good.
I'll wait for him.
What can I offer you? - A smile, maybe.
I don't want any trouble here.
Is that clear, Mr Marchoul? - Very clear, miss.
You're looking good, Reeckmans.
Have a coffee with me?
I don't think we've got anything to say to each other.
Apart from that you're a bastard. - What are you? An innocent party?
So tell me. How come the court allows a bastard to go free
and puts an innocent man in prison?
Because the court's not fair. - You got caught out and I didn't.
George.
I'd prefer you to gooutside and argue, if that's what you're planning to do.
I'm not planning to do anything.
Goodnight, miss.
Do you really want to hit me, George? - If I had the strength, I'd kill you.
I didn't know you were in a bad way. - Shut your mouth!
We won the war so that noone would ever have to shut their mouth again.
I said to shut your mouth! - Take a look at yourself.
It's not a pretty sight. You always did have a big mouth. Eh, Reeckmans?
Always blaming others for your own misfortune.
You betrayed Alfred, your best friend.
What d'you mean, no?
Taking the last bit of freedom away from someone who's a prisoner
by keeping his girlfriend's letters from him, and destroying them,
what is that? Isn't that betraying him?
Or did you think Helena had written them to you? Then you took her from him too.
Although I've heard from her that you weren't much of a lover.
This one is for Alfred.
And this one for Helena.
And this one is for me!
We have to help Dad.
We can't. - Yes, we can.
You can do that. Only you.
You have to make things up with George. Have him back here.
This is his home. - I can't.
Can't you? - No.
Is it nice, living in this big house all by yourself?
You haven't even got a dog. Dad was your dog.
And you chased him away like some animal. He didn't deserve that.
Jacques Marchoul murdered.
Your father is a murderer. - No, what you've just said isn't fair.
Everyone knows Dad is too decent a man to be a murderer. You know that.
He... - No. Only you can help him.
Right. That's with regard to the spirits.
And then there's the offer from L'Imperatore to triple the sangria.
They're giving us two tankers as an incentive. At production price.
Decline the offer. - Pardon?
Did you hear what I said? Two tankers at production price, that's pure profit.
On each litre that is... - What did you just say to me?
That it's pure profit. - No, before that.
That there's an offer to triple the sangria import?
No, before that. You said, "Pardon? Did you hear what I said?"
You don't say something like that to me. OK?
Right, sangria is Spanish. D'you know what it means? A drain, on resources.
And I don't want a drain on resources at De Keyser.
Now both listen very carefully to me. I want you to do two things.
First, phone Italy and decline their offer. Sangria is rubbish.
They can drink it themselves. Or give it to their tourists.
Fancy importing sangria, Spanish sangria, from Italy!
Then go to Personnel and tell them your employment has been terminated.
That's not fair! - You can go.
Yes?
Hello, George.
They've found Marchoul's body. Did you do that?
Even if I had, I wouldn't care. - What are you trying to say?
Marchoul destroyed me, inside. In Germany. And later.
George, the truth? - Noone knows the truth.
The truth has even become unimportant.
You talk a lot, George, but you don't say very much.
We've had this discussion toooften. - Yes.
But it's always been unsatisfactory, with no answers.
I made a promise and I can't break it.
Yes. But tell me anyway, George.
Look outside. What do you see, George? Clouds.
Nothing else. And noone else. Noone will punish you, George.
D'you think I wouldn't be able to cope?
I'm...
I'm not a blank page, George.
I've got the death of two people on my conscience.
I murdered Klaus.
That nice German who was billeted with us.
And I allowed Charles to be executed.
Who took the blame for Klaus's murder instead of me, because he loved me.
And now it's your turn.
Do you know what I really feel for you? No, you don't have to answer.
I have always loved you.
I still do. Maybe even more than I used to.
But, over the years, something more has developed.
Respect. Deep respect.
I knew that you carried terrible pain around with you
and I'm afraid you've just told me.
But I still can't help you.
You've got to get out of here.
It's better here than in prison. My life is improving.
Come home, George. - I haven't got a home.
If you mean with you,
then let me remind you that you threw me out.
Mind you... I'd give anything to see my granddaughter.
I'm taking you home with me.
Come on. Now. Pack your things. Let's get out of here.
What exactly is going to happen, Dad? - There's going to be a celebration.
It's the opening of our new factory. - We should've been there ages ago.
Don't worry, George. They can't start without us.
Shall I drive faster? - No. Better.
Faster, in other words.
Dad.
Mrs De Keyser, friends,
today is a great day for our city.
Because we have all seen how a business
that played an important role in the local economy in the past
is now looking resolutely to the future.
And that will certainly be important for employment in the area.
But first and foremost it will... - I don't feel very well.
I can see. Let's get out of here.
And that is why, ladies and gentlemen, we're having this big celebration!
You're not too cold?
Or too hot?
Do you want some more cough syrup?
There's probably only muck in it.
I'm sorry. - What are you sorry about?
About everything I've done to you. All that stupidity.
And all a waste of time. - No.
No, George. No. No.
In life you learn.
But only, only if you really live.
And by the time you know how to live, life is over.
You haven't got rid of me yet. - No.
I've got a few more years to go yet. - Good.
Thieu, you're not drinking your coffee.
It's nice coffee. - It's Italian.
I can taste it, it's really nice.
Thieu, there's something we want to ask you.
You were in the Stalag with Alfred and George, weren't you?
George?
I don't know anyone called George.
Alessandra, there's no polnt, sweetheart.
Hello. I'm Ruben. Is Alessandra here by any chance?
Yes... - Alessandra, sorry.
Maybe we should...
Alfred?
Alfred. - I'm Ruben.
Come in. Come in. Finally!
Come with me. Come with me!
I kept it. Come on. Come on.
There. The bridge is finished.
Alfred.
Why, Thieu?
I kept it. I kept everything.
Noone else thought about dolng it. Noone.
People don't know what it's like, what war is like.
Not even those who were in it.
Because it is much, much, much worse than anyone can ever express.
Because it not only destroys the lives of those who die.
But alsoof those who survive.
Here, Cornelis, a Dutchman.
Dead.
A person's life didn't mean anything there, Alfred.
You know that.
Cornelis, the Dutchman, was slaughtered like a rabbit.
And George was angry because he thought you'd helped Cornelis.
This is your fault.
But you shouldn't have been angry with George, Alfred.
He was in love.
He was in love with you, Helena.
He read your letters but he couldn't help it.
My very, very dearest Alfred... - Because he was besotted with you.
How can you be angry with someone who is in love?
But Marchoul noticed. Marchoul noticed everything.
Marchoul wanted to destroy George.
And he told Alfred about the letters. That George hadn't passed them on.
Alfred, I know you don't like talking about Helena
but, before you get aggressive,
I'd like you to listen to me first.
I don't like seeing you pining away. Someone is dolng you a great wrong.
Your beloved girlfriend, Helena, does write you letters. Lots of letters.
But they don't reach you. D'you know why?
What d'you think?
Who does the mail? Who distributes the letters?
Your friend George.
Except... he reads the letters.
And he burns them, Alfred.
George wants to destroy you.
And you turned into an animal, Alfred.
I wished then that I were deaf and blind.
So I didn't have to see and hear what people could do to each other.
Take it easy! Calm down!
Marchoul's lying, Alfred! He's lying!
Marchoul meant to hit George.
But fate decided otherwise.
George!
The pulley could have hit anyone or anything.
But it hit you, Alfred.
Alfred.
And with your last breath you asked
your friend George to forgive you.
Forgive me, George! For what I did to you.
Of course. Of course, Alfred! - George.
It'll all be OK. We're going home soon.
Then you'll see Helena again.
And then you asked George
never to tell Helena what happened there.
Between the twoof you.
And you squeezed George's hand and asked him to promise.
And George promised.
Will you take good care of her?
Yes, I will.
I would have loved for us to have walked along the Great Wall of China
and seen the Himalayas and the Congo River.
You're going to see all that, Alfred. You're going to see all that!
Love her, George.
And then it was over.
Hele...
George.
I've still got it, Alfred. Your last letter.
This is the last one.
And I'm going to deliver it myself.
Sweet woodruff.
Also known as wild baby's breath. - Isn't it an aphrodisiac?
Maybe you can make a love elixir with it.
Maybe it works.
It works.
I will send you all the smells and flavours I find.
And you can make an elixir from them.
And we'll drink it.
When I get back.
Hello, George.
Say hello to Alfred up there. OK?
Toour secret gardens.
To Alfred and George.
To the journey, which should be more enjoyable than the destination.
To taste.