Somewhere in Palilula (Undeva la Palilula)

SOMEWHERE IN PALILULA

Come on, I'm freezing!

Come on!

Welcome, doc.

Ilie sent me to greet you.

The motherfucking bozo.

He says he's busy with the funeral.

The ambulance is stuck

so I'm picking you up by train.

Gynecologist or what?

Pediatrician.

You are handsome

Really handsome.

Come on, "Philharmonic". Hit it!

What's a pediatrician doing in Palilula?

Think again.

You'll get robbed blind and eaten alive.

We don't need a pediatrician.

Don't you understand? It's a trap.

They'll corner you and eat you.

Don't go there! Just ride on.

Ride on to where Pantelica?

If you're going anyway, expect Hell.

And don't be surprised

if you grow a tail of your own.

What is it?

Mr. Popescu, God bless you.

Jump! Go with them!

They're going to Italy.

Join them! Go to Italy!

Shut up Pantelica!

Everybody's expecting him in Palilula.

Can't you see how handsome he is?

We've never had such a handsome one.

It was one winter afternoon in the '60s

that I first saw the lights of Palilula...

The town with no children...

Palilula, Palilula! Sweet terrible hell!

The love and shame of my youth!

My garbage dump...

Young, green, paradise-like...

I was young fresh out of med school.

I carried two suitcases full of books

that I never got to read.

I thought I'd stay there for three or four weeks.

I stayed there a lifetime.

It swallowed me like a frog swallows a fly.

It slowly digested me in its honey-soaked belly.

Ilie, where are you?

The doc is here!

What the hell are these morons doing here?

Nita, you asshole, didn't you see

this bunch of idiots gathering around?

What are you doing here?

It's not a puppet show!

Go away!

Let them watch, doc.

Shut up or you're out.

We're doing science here. We're cutting him up

and you're watching on like morons.

We're watching how you're cutting up Mr. Pantelica.

What's the patient's job? Why are you staring?

Have you forgotten the patient's job?

Let me tell you.

The patient's job is to lie down and suffer.

That's why he's sick in the first place.

Come over here and help! You hear me?

Who lit up the candles?

What's this? A church?

You lazy-bone rednecks...

Who's on duty today?

The Gynecology!

Weren't they on duty yesterday?

No! Yesterday it was Obstretics. Today's GYN.

GYN, move it! What the hell?

Why are you standing there, comrade?

Step aside, comrade!

What's up?

Are you standing in the way of the Party?

That's not good.

Who was the gentleman?

Comrade Trotsky.

Virgil Cringasu, chairman of the Party.

Tudorin the administrator. Ilie Tudorin.

Who are you? The young doctor, is it?

Good evening. My name is Serafim.

Welcome. We were expecting you.

Have you had dinner?

No I haven't, thank you.

I'd like to go to the headquarters.

Wait. Wait, wait.

For Pantelica's soul.

No, thanks... I don't...

Take a sip. It works up your appetite.

They're doing an autopsy on Pantelica.

They say he got mushroom poisoning.

Look!

The man with the cigarette is Dr. Predoleanu.

and the idiot next to him is Nita Leonardo.

What the hell should I write to dad?

The old man had asked for news

but I had no idea what to write.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

Come on boss, where were you?

Everyone's waiting for you!

Good evening.

Room No.3

GYNECOLOGY

Room No. 2

Postnatal ward

Mitica!

You just drink this...

...and you'll get on your feet.

Welcome to Palilula, doc.

Thanks, I don't drink.

Just a little for Pantelica's soul.

Welcome.

We were all waiting for you.

Poor Pantelica didn't live to see you.

He talked a lot about you.

How come? I never met him.

He knew you.

He was expecting you.

We all were.

Good evening.

I don't get it. What sort of maternity

hospital is this?

What sort? It's the Palilula maternity.

A quarantine in the middle of nowhere.

County people.

Drunk, lazy, sleeping in the ditch.

They check in for a free soup

and backgammon here.

We send them home on Saturday;

but on Monday they're back here.

You'll see that here, all sick people are bloody healthy.

They smoke all daylike hell

They claim to have tuberculosis

and want to be X-rayed daily.

Other than that, they're strong as horses.

We, the doctors, are the only sick ones.

Dr. Predoleanu, the forensic surgeon,

is the only one working hard here.

Trotsky, you son of a...

What the hell? Now?

Pista!

Call him up!

Pista, where are you?

Lock the warehouse or there'll be nothing left!

Pista, come here!

Get him!

Get him now!

Where were you, boss? I've been looking all over.

It's all Leana's fault.

And her fucking stew...

Let's eat and then you can check in.

You'll see the apartment I got you.

I need to speak to the manager or someone.

Come on boss, what are you talking about?

At this hour?

They're all busy with Pantelica. God rest his soul.

Mr. Ilie!

Long live our lazy bones!

Poor dad. If only he'd known

where my college money went.

What was he thinking?

What's up, boss? Are you asleep?

Let's go, the blizzard started.

What a twisted story.

Everything is a lie.

First get something to eat, then

we have a suite at the "Boema" for you.

Come quick!

This is Pantelica's office.

Leana, what now? A fucking stew.

She'll poison us all.

Here we used to gather and gossip with Pantelica,

no one could bother us,

Gogu, Mr. Bartolomeo, Predoleanu, Barza,

all of us.

A great man, Pantelica.

A scholar!

Kiki came from abroad sometimes and took photos.

How Pantelica would pat

that lamb and call it "baby"...

Mr. Ilie!

Mr. Ilie!

Hey, boss!

Boss!

Come on, they're taking Pantelica away.

What was wrong with my stew, Ilie?

Hey Leana!

Be careful, you might cut off the power again.

Fucking wires.

What are you doing!?

Smoking again?

Had I been asleep for minutes or days?

I didn't know.

I was so hungry, my stomach ached.

But it was not my fate to starve in Palilula.