Postcards from Leningrad (Postales de Leningrado)

The time of year I enjoy the most is carnival...

...because when we dress up, it's as if we were hiding...

...and no one can catch us.

My cousin Teo is older, so he doesn't like to dress up.

He says the best thing you can do not to get caught...

...is never reveal your real name.

I love dressing up, and my favorite...

...costume is the "Invisible Man".

To tell you the truth, Teo also likes that costume...

...but, what he enjoys the most is to receive postcards...

...from Leningrad...

...which his Mom sends him.

POSTCARDS FROM LENINGRAD

That's me.

Teo said no one should know who I was...

...which is the first mistake I made in my life.

I was the first baby to be born on Mother's Day that year.

A bit later, everyone wanted to see me.

That's my Mom.

She's holding me for the first time.

I think she wants to tell me we have a problem.

But there was no time.

The nuns and town photographer have already arrived.

There was also fear for the first time.

Get closer and look into my eyes.

It's a look of terror.

I thought it was the nuns who frightened me.

But no. Look at my Mother's hand...

...she's also afraid.

She knows why we're both frightened.

But let's back up a bit, nine months into the past...

...when all of this began for me.

It was during the meeting between...

...the north- eastern front and Simon Bolivar front.

Jacinto, come here!

Those two in the back are my parents.

I don't exist yet, but sometime later...

...my gestation will occur.

At least that's what Teo calls it.

They' were always moving forward and hiding...

...yet behind them was the army who sought them out.

They looked for them in the mountains and towns...

...and now, with the photograph, they'd also look for me.

Surely someone from the army was seeing us in the newspaper.

That's why we ran away from the hospital.

I already had my first fake name.

Later on, we had many more names and costumes...

...so that we could hide.

Of all the costumes, my favorite were these.

Here, they called me "The Maicao Baby".

Here, I was "The Package".

And this one was the best. On that bus we became.

"The Invisible Man".

And now, I'll tell you how we managed to disappear.

Before I was born, the first one...

...who spoke of the "Invisible Man"...

...was my cousin Teo and, he did so the day Pedro was killed.

Come Pedro, Pedrito.

Pedrito come.

This is the communist barbarity.

Pedro, does it hurt?

Dearest Mom, it's me, Teo.

Today is December 31st and, we killed Pedro.

It was very fun.

I'd love to know when you're coming.

I'm wishing it's soon.

I hope you will keep sending postcards from Leningrad.

I love you, your son Teo.

- Who did I promise a pork leg to? - To me!

And this other one's for Juan.

Give me that. I'll cook that one.

Juan, my love, give me the pork leg.

What a leg!

Dad, what's the matter with you?

Kids, take your pork leg...

...carefully.

Look at the birdie!

Stop already. We're all going to eat it anyway.

But it's not the same if I roast it...

...rather than one of the little tikes.

Teo...

...be careful.

The Municipal Mayor wishes a Happy New Year...

...to all of El Boquete...

...who's been selected to keep this beautiful gift...

...until next year.

HAPPY 1966

Grandma.

Grandma.

Grandma.

Grandma, look at my pork leg!

She's also my Grandma.

Everyone said she was crazy because...

...she never stopped walking.

Stop there boy, that animal's already dead.

- But you said... - I said a few little holes.

Watch how it's done:

You take a few olives...

...a few capers.

You take four raisins...

...you put one...

...two...

...and the other two you eat.

Continue on your own, and I'll prepare the sauce.

Taste it.

You must season it each hour, so that it's tasty.

Seasoning is the most important thing when cooking a pork leg.

If not, it tastes as if you're eating fish.

Open the oven, Teo.

- What's wrong Teo? - You're talking to yourself.

I've told you that's called praying.

Leave the table cloth alone.

Where's this fabric from?

- I've told you already. - Tell me again.

This is a piece of fabric from your Mom's dress.

Didn't she take it when she went on her trip?

Come!

If you fix my hair for tonight, you'll earn two cents.

Grandma...

Yes?

Is it true that you're crazy?

What?

I said: Is it true that you're crazy?

A little bit.

What do crazy people do?

The same thing I do.

Cry?

When they're sad.

Tell them the snowman's going to melt.

I'm not crazy!

Teodardo!

Grandma, don't call me that. Teodardo is horrible.

Crazy, crazy.

Each day...

...Teo came up with three ways to prove he wasn't afraid.

Don't open your eyes.

Don't open them.

One...

...two...

...three.

Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.

Teo also repeated that...

...on the days when postcards from Leningrad arrived.

Those days, he would imagine that he was fighting...

...in the mountains...

...just as if he were one of them.

But, the truth is, that Teo doesn't know who they are.

Teo imagines that they go to the mountain...

...to get to Leningrad and, from there they...

...send their postcards.

But, I do know who they are.

The man with the radio is Gonzalo...

...but that's not his real name.

My Dad's behind them, and then there's my Mom.

The last one is Jacinto.

The man up front is Jesus.

That's Rosa and that's Cecilia.

Those names aren't real either.

The guy in the back, the last man...

...that's Raul.

How does it look, gringo?

They're all part of a movie that a gringo's shooting.

"National Liberation Armed Forces".

My Dad!

You are not my Dad.

- What's your name? - Teo, what about you?

Teo.

Really?

I'm your uncle. Do I resemble your Dad?

Yes.

Let's go to your Grandma's quickly.

Grandma's crazy.

No, Grandma's not crazy. She's sad.

Also.

Tell Grandpa that the bird's fallen out of the sky.

Grandpa!

Teo, what are you doing here?

I already gave you your pork leg.

- Shouldn't you be at Grandma's? - Grandma's crazy.

What's wrong? Is she gone again?

No, she's talking to herself...

...and says that birds no longer fly.

Besides, another Teo like me arrived.

Grandma?

We were surrounded and they killed many of us.

What have you heard from your brother?

The last time I saw him, he told me...

...he was coming to see the kid.

Isn't your pork leg alive and kicking?

Go shower, I will take care of it.

- Who's there? - You know.

Go shower and make sure you scrub.

Teo knew his Mom was in Leningrad already.

Since he couldn't remember her, he'd always imagine...

...her differently.

He received three postcards.

This one is his favorite.

He also likes this one...