Through the Black Glass (Сквозь черное стекло)

Nastya! How come you aren't in bed?

I'll go to bed in a second.

Is it true that... the leaves sound just like the sea?

Well, yes... it's similar.

Especially when it's windy.

Nastya... - Yes?

Did you decide?

Yes or no?

I haven't decided yet.

Not yet... - What do you mean, not yet?

Anya, Nastya, girls, stop babbling.

Let us sleep. Enough already.

Fine. We'll talk in the morning.

Are you going to Communion tomorrow?

Yes, of course.

Anna.

Blessed be God's servant, Anna,

in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Ekaterina.

Blessed be God's servant, Ekaterina,

in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Anna.

Blessed be God's servant, Anna,

in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Anastasia.

Blessed be God's servant, Anastasia,

in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thank you.

Nastya Ignateva, after breakfast,

you're to go to Ludmilla Petrovna's. Understand?

Yes, fine.

They were asking for you already, earlier.

Ludmilla herself was here,

looking for you.

Oh... Hold on a second.

Nastya...

Here.

Sit down for a minute.

Yes, yes, yes.

The regional boarding school for visually impaired women.

Associated with the convent for women,

The Holy... Yes, yes, yes. Correct.

Equal-to-apostles.

No, no, no. We're an independent decision-maker.

The convent only provides us with a procession.

And the building as well.

It belongs to them, but they also need a renovation done.

There shouldn't be any problems.

Yes, thank you very much. I'll be waiting for the document to arrive.

Nastiush...

Well? What have you decided?

Nastiush, it's Tuesday already. This can't be postponed any longer.

Why aren't you speaking?

I don't know, Ludmilla Petrovna.

I don't understand what I should do.

How can you possibly not understand?

Fine. Let's talk about this calmly, without nerves.

You need to have an operation done in Germany, right?

- Uh huh. - Uh huh...

And you have money for the treatment?

No, of course not. How could I?

How could you... And what has the commission's doctor told you?

Do you remember?

Another 12-18 months and it'll be too late for an operation, right?

Now tell me, what don't you understand here?

People are offering you money.

For the operation...

What don't you understand here, Nastya?!

But there are conditions. Why?

I don't know this person.

He's keeping his identity secret. Why?

Is that any way for a woman to get married?

Nastinka, do you know what rich people are like?

People of this caliber?

You can't just approach men like him.

He doesn't simply go to places.

He's got assistants... lawyers...

Ten different people.

Millions of beautiful girls want to be married to an oligarch,

but it doesn't work out for them.

But I've never dreamt of anything like that.

If he wants to do a good deed, God will repay him.

- Nastya! - Why would he impose conditions?

Nastenka, so he fell in love with you.

It happens.

A prince on a white horse showed up for you, girl!

And you're turning your nose up at him!

Understand this, this is your last chance to regain your sight.

A real chance.

I was going to apply as a novice nun at the convent...

What?! Nastya, you're 18 years old.

Do you understand that?

You've got your whole life in front of you,

you haven't seen anything yet. You haven't seen your own life yet.

And you want to lock yourself up between four falls?

Is that so? Nastya, come to your senses!

But on the other hand...

What if it's...

What if it's... fate.

Nastya... What if it's God.

Maybe He's...

sending you a miracle?

And you're refusing him?

That's a sin.

Do you think so?

I'm sure of it.

Nastiushenka, everything is going to work out for you.

Everything is going to work out. Just don't...

Just don't get upset. Okay, Nastya?

Don't get upset and everything will turn out great.

The most important thing is not to do anything stupid, girl.

Because if you say no to an opportunity like this one,

you'll spend the rest of your life regretting it.

Can I think about it a little bit more?

Just until morning?

Fine.

Until morning then. Right?

I understand...

Amen! Come in, Nastya.

Have a seat.

Have a seat, here.

There are cookies here. Have some.

Have you been to the ceremony today?

- Yes, I took communion. - I congratulate you.

Have some cookies, have some.

And I've been to the late service.

Can't seem to shake this disease.

Well? Have you made a decision?

No... Not yet...

The headmistress gave me until morning to think about it.

I asked her to.

She must've decided that

you're afraid to admit to yourself that you want it.

Maybe... Probably...

Everything I could've said to you, Nastya,

I already said.

I'm only a sinner myself, I could of course be wrong.

But if that's the case, I'll tell you one more thing.

God knows, I didn't want to say this to you.

But it seems that I have to.

Praise God.

Ten years ago...

You may not remember this.

Pelagia, an eldress of the church from Siberia,

arrived for a visit at our abbey.

I was with her at the temple, and suddenly she said to me:

"Well, Serafima, you have great power over the sisters,

and you'll have it for many years to come.

But you need to decide immediately

who it is that you're going to appoint as your successor,

who it is you'll be grooming for this role."

And I said to her:

"Pelagia, I think it's too early for me

to be looking for a successor."

And she says to me: "Not at all.

There's your successor, standing right in front of us.

The one taking communion...

she'll be your successor as abbess."

I said to her: "Pelagia, this girl is unable to see."

I thought that perhaps she hadn't noticed.

"I see that she's sightless," answered Pelagia.

"But she has abilities that few people are blessed with.

An inner gaze...

There stands a sprout, blessed by God himself.

God save her."

Yes, those were her exact words.

A sprout, blessed by God himself.

You were 8 years old at the time.

That's that, Nastya. Now you know.

Yesterday I spent a long time thinking of this.

Truly, the Lord granted you a special kind of destiny.

You grew up in the abbey.

A life of chastity, far away from the world.

At 18 you decided to become a novice nun.

And then you could've taken your final vows,

and become a bride of Christ.

But look what happened next.

The moment you made the decision

immediately, literally the next day,

a temptation appeared. And what a temptation.

The gift of sight, riches beyond anyone's dreams...

All the world's pleasures, but only if you leave the abbey.

Well? Isn't that a little strange?

Why does it have to be a temptation?

It might be God granting me a miracle, a miraculous cure.

Can't a man simply fall in love?

Marriage is sanctified by the church.

You see how started talking all of the sudden?

You already made up your mind, didn't you?

What's the sense in talking then? Talking is useless.

I don't want to be a blind cripple anymore!

I don't want to!

One can celebrate the Lord with seeing eyes as well.

Of course one can, Nastya.

But your path is a different path.

You can be like the Moscow matron, saintly and just.

She had her own path, I'll have my own.

Yes, of course. You'll have your own.

Well then...

Go in peace.