Beyond the Hills (După dealuri)

Beyond the hills

Stay there!

Voichita!

Come on, calm down.

Alina...

Alina, let me go. People are looking.

Did you write this?

No.

It looks like your writing.

No. Father put it up last year.

I've not told anyone yet. Don't start talking before I explain.

Why didn't you tell them?

Father was busy, I didn't get a chance to talk to him.

THIS IS THE HOUSE OF GOD

FORBIDDEN TO ANYBODY OF A DIFFERENT RELIGION

BELIEVE AND DON'T DOUBT

Look.

An electric candle.

Thanks, but we don't have electricity here.

I'll keep it anyway. It's pretty.

Is this all your stuff?

I gave the rest away.

Do you have suitcases?

I've got some big sacks there.

Want to lie down a bit?

No.

Let's go and wash, then.

- Can I help? - No.

It's been my duty since I came.

- What has? - Getting water.

We're very organised here.

In the morning, Papa tells each of us what to do,

and Mama helps us, if needed.

You call the priest 'Papa'?

When there are people around we also call him 'Father'.

That was done by a painter Papa brought for the Church.

It was more like a test.

We couldn't find enough money.

That's all he painted in the end.

Too bad.

May we be blessed.

God bless.

- Mama, this is Alina. - Welcome.

Sister Elisabeta.

Sister Pahomia.

- Sister Antonia. - Sister lustina.

Voichita, take this and go see Father in the church.

Will you stay with the girls?

Go on, nobody's going to bite her.

Bless me, Father.

Get some clay and stick it round the edges. Smoke is escaping.

OK.

Finish by tomorrow evening, Mr Dima's coming.

- Understand? - Yes.

What is it?

Papa, I wanted to ask you something.

So ask.

It's about Alina, who lives in Germany now.

My friend from the orphanage.

Hasn't she arrived?

Yes. She's in the kitchen, with Mama and the girls.

But she's...

How can I put this...

It's really tough for her there in Germany,

she's all alone with her thoughts.

She's so lonely. She doesn't even have a shoulder to cry on.

Is she a believer?

Well, she goes to church every now and then, but...

Does she go to confession?

I don't think so.

She's been in Germany for years.

So how does she expect to find peace if she doesn't go to confession or mass?

What she wants is not to be alone any more.

At the orphanage, we were together all the time. She's all alone now

and it's really tough for her.

You can be surrounded by all the people in the world,

but if you don't have God in your soul...

I told her, Papa, but...

she says I should go to her.

Otherwise she's afraid of what might happen.

She asked you to go?

Just until she gets over these thoughts and quiets down a bit.

I thought you'd chosen your path in life.

I have. I was telling you what she wants.

I'd come back as soon as she got better.

The way of Jesus is not like this.

You can't be His servant just from time to time.

Continuity is essential in our spiritual realm.

You can't stop for a break when you feel like it.

You understand?

Yes, Papa.

You see, the man who leaves is not the same when he returns.

Understand?

Yes, Papa.

Mr Valerica found a painter for the Church.

- How much? - 100 million.

We can't afford it now.

Should I ask Mr Dima?

- Ask him what? - About the painter.

Don't bother Mr Dima with this.

The construction is one thing, but to pay for the painting, too...

He'll send someone to lay cement tomorrow.

If he finds a spare car and if it's not too cold.

If it's cold, we'd better wait till it gets warmer.

We need it by Easter.

Of course.

If only God would send us good weather! Lord!

It's getting warmer.

Oh, and the gas cylinder is empty.

Change it when you take the food for the children.

We'll need money, Father.

Isn't there anything left?

No. I bought towels and chains for the dog. He keeps breaking them.

You'd better get padlocks to fix it.

I got padlocks, too.

Did those folks pay us for the borsh?

No.

Mr Valerica said now they want eggs, too.

How many will we take to the orphanage?

Pretty much all of them.

Tell them we'll give them eggs after Easter.

It's for Easter they need.

- We have to give to the children. - Of course.

Ask him.

And the gas cylinder?

Ask for it on credit. If not, we'll cook over a fire.

We don't even have much wood.

We'll take wood from the forest.

Papa, could Alina come to town with us?

She needs some documents.

Is there room in the car?

Yes, we can put the food in the trunk.

Are you changing your ID?

No. They're papers for working in Germany.

In Germany?

Well, I've never left the country,

but I don't regret it.

I'd go visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

But not the West.

I'll tell you why: the West has lost the true faith.

There's nothing sacred left.

Everything's allowed.

Men marry men, women marry women,

drugs everywhere.

Even the Church isn't what it used to be.

I'm all for tolerance, but within reason.

Do they have churches where you live?

- Yes. But not our kind. - Pardon?

They're not Orthodox.

For a true believer even entering a non-orthodox church is a sin.

But the poor people no longer think about this.

They go wherever they can, to earn money, for their kids.

Meanwhile, children grow up without mothers or fathers,

and we wonder why such terrible things happen.

Well, of course, there's nobody to guide these children,

to take them to church, to teach them good from evil.

So you couldn't go to confession...

You'd better come and confess, then.

It's Lent soon, so it's the right thing to do.

Come tomorrow morning.

When sins are forgiven, man finds peace. You'll see.

That's true.

Let's pray now.

You've got a fever.

You probably sat in a draught on the train.

I'd need a rub-down.

- I don't have any rubbing alcohol. - I do.

It's better on your bed.

- We're not sleeping together? - No.

Why not?

It's against monastery rules.

Why?

It's not right.

Lent is coming, you have to be careful.

That Antonia... Why was she staring at you?

- Was she staring? - Yes. As if... you know.

She wasn't really...

Are you two close friends?

I don't have close friends here.

We help each other, that's all.

Why did he ask me to confess?

It's good for you. It'll calm you.

God is good and forgives you

but you have to confess your sins first, so you can move on.

You have to tell everything at confession.

You told everything?

You don't give details, just which sins you committed.

- How old is Father? - Papa?

About 30 or so.

Don't call him 'Papa'.

They say Father saw an angel,

and that's why he became a monk.

Where did he see it?

He was working in a power plant

and an angel appeared.

What did it look like?

I don't know. He doesn't speak about such things with us.

It's been really hard without you, Voichita.

That's enough for now, I'm tired.

Put this on, don't catch cold.