Holy Lands (2018)

[bunniefuu]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

DAVID [VOICEOVER]:

Dad, I continue

to write to you in

spite of your silence,

so that the bond

won't be broken,

so that one day I won't

come upon a stranger

who might be my father, so

that I won't forget you.

Is it still a matter of anger?

Anger over my

forthright announcement?

A string of words which

changes the course of my life,

but not yours?

Do you not want to speak

with me, to hear my laughter?

Strangely, the less I see you,

the more I become like you.

I find you in mirrors.

I have your hair.

I have the warmth of

your hands in mine,

even in the middle of winter.

I surprise myself by wearing the

turtlenecks I hated as a child.

You know, the ones you always

wore when we lived in London?

I have the same bald

patch in my beard

when I go without shaving.

I hope the strange

adventure you're on

is bringing you happiness.

Raising pigs in Israel?

Couldn't you play golf

like everyone else?

Are you hoping to provoke

God, to get an answer?

I hope you'll find one

and come back to me.

Send my regards to your pigs.

You, who never let me have

so much as a goldfish.

I have an offer to make you.

I'm listening.

How about, instead of

watching your shitty play again,

you let a handsome man

take you to dinner?

That sounds awesome.

Let me know if you find any.

I should just leave

you here for that.

[CITY SOUNDS]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[DOORBELL]

How are you, sir?

Ah, Mr. Rosenmerck.

Mr. Rosenmerck?

How are you, sir?

Come on.

What?

We have a problem.

Yeah.

Mr. Rosenmerck?

Mr. Rosenmerck?

12 nipples, 13 piglets.

This one is the little one.

Yeah?

He's weak.

- Oh, he's weak?

- Yeah.

So wait a minute.

So, I still don't follow.

Uh... you want me to

give him the bottle?

Yes.

Uh.

OK.

OK.

I'll try it.

I mean, it's a

little ridiculous.

Yeah.

I shouted.

Still nothing.

I shouted.

I rang the doorbell.

And he just rocked his pig,

cradling it like a baby.

Can you imagine?

Pretending not to hear me?

I think the man's a degenerate.

Did you change it at the top?

Yes.

Are we going to start?

Scrub, scrub, Rivka.

You need more detergent.

RIVKA: I did that already.

Never going to

get this pig off me.

Do you think we should

just throw it all out?

Check the Torah.

Maybe one washing isn't enough.

- Dad, are we going to start?

- Yes.

OK.

So.

Dear Mr. Rosenmerck,

this is my third letter

to you regarding your pig farm.

- RIVKA: It's your second letter.

- Exactly.

He'll want to point out that

it's only my second letter,

which he can only do by

replying and acknowledging

- that he received my first one.

- Clever.

Very clever.

Yes, so please don't

make me explain my strategy

every other sentence.

[INAUDIBLE]

Ready.

This is my third letter to

you regarding your pig farm.

You want me to write it again?

No, I'm just starting again.

Oh, OK.

Hey.

Hey, what are you doing?

You can't wake me up

like this every night.

I can't take it.

Hey.

What... what are you doing?

I need my sleep.

I'm... I'm... I'm going to... hey.

Hey.

OK.

Oh, god.

Here.

Don't bite my toes.

Come on.

What does the snake represent?

Evil.

Yes.

And what else?

A penis?

That's not funny to me.

Pardon me.

Amos.

You have a reply

from the farmer.

Ah, good.

Shall we hear what

the miserable pig

- farmer has to say for himself?

- Yes.

- Yes, please.

- Yes, of course.

Dear Rabbi, I

have followed your...

MOSHE: You read very well, but

please pass it to Benjamin.

I put the pigs on stilts

like Hawaiian bungalows

over the ocean.

Never shall a hoof brush

the earth of the Holy Land,

except of course for

when you buy them from me

to chase off the t*rrorists.

In the New York Times last

month, I saw a [INAUDIBLE]

soldier with a pig on a leash.

And I must say, it discredits

your tough guy reputation.

MOSHE: OK.

Give it to me.

I am a man who is

respectful of religion,

although I don't

practice it myself.

I didn't mean to

offend you, though you

appear to mean to

offend me by calling

me a degenerate shegetz.

Oh.

MOSHE: Well, I had

to make him react.

Mind you, this will

not change the fact

that Israeli Jews are

gorging themselves on bacon,

and that I am a man who

sells it to them through one

restaurant alone in Tel Aviv.

Eggs and bacon, whether you

like it or not, are on the menu.

They're very popular.

So tell me, Mr. Rabbi,

what exactly is the story

behind the use for pig's blood?

You know, the one in which

bags of porcine blood

were hung in the city buses to

deter t*rrorists from blowing

themselves up, splashing

themselves with it,

making them impure,

barring them from paradise?

If you can secure me this

contract with public transport,

I won't have to sell

them any more bacon.

I figured that

giving your politics

being so different from

the other rabbis, you know,

your open mindedness and

all, you'd understand me.

As for the road, I will

continue to use it.

You can't prevent me

from practicing my trade.

What do we think of that?

Harry one, Rabbi zero.

Dr. Swimmen.

Dr. Swimmen!

Dr. Swimmen!

Dr. Swimmen!

Wait.

- Annabelle.

- Hi.

I wasn't expecting

you until tomorrow.

I know.

I need to talk to you.

What can I do for you?

I'm kind of in a jam.

I need to cancel

our session tomorrow

because I can't pay you.

But I know that if I

cancel now, I'm still going

to owe you for tomorrow anyway.

And why can't you pay?

My dad, he hasn't transferred

my money in nine weeks.

Your money or his?

Are we on the clock right now?

You're 34 years

old, Annabelle.

I'm also still a student.

Lots of us still are.

You guys left us

a shitty economy.

You know, I've been

thinking of getting

a skateboard to ride to work.

What?

You don't think I could

pull off a skateboard?

No.

You're probably right.

What a ridiculous thought.

I'm too old to pull

off a skateboard.

And you're too old

to have an allowance.

You'll come at 5:00

tomorrow, as per usual.

And once you get that

paycheck from that first job

you're going to start looking

for, you can pay me then.

Now hit that

pavement, Annabelle.

Thank you.

I will, as soon as I

get back from New York.

I'm visiting my mom.

She's paying for the

ticket, by the way.

What's this?

This is the name of an

excellent child psychiatrist.

He has great results

with adolescents

in just your situation.

So can you help me or not?

You've been there for three

hours, for crying out loud.

I tried everything,

your neighbor, Milad, that

grows cows, he will have to...

She raises.

Raises cows.

What?

Raises... I mean,

you don't grow cows.

Listen.

I'm talking English on

top of this telephone pole

with a place full of pigs.

Give me a break with

the grammar lessons.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

So what about this

neighbor that grows cows?

Doesn't want a wire that goes

through a land full of pigs

through his own farm.

These are religious Muslims.

And then the other way,

there is Mrs. Lapierre.

Miss Israel of

'65 or whatever.

She said that Nazareth

belongs to the Christians.

Jesus' land.

But she thinks you're nice.

I know that.

Um.

Yeah.

She comes over to my house.

She wants me to

take her to dinner.

She schleps through the mud here

with these high heeled shoes

just to give me these

baskets of fruit.

She's a fan.

I mean, is there any

other solution, or?

The only solution I

see is to go east where

there's the new settlement.

All the way down there?

Yep.

Oh, my god.

This is the right

time to invoke his name.

Do you have one of those, um...

like, one of those rooms where

you get to talk to each other?

Videos?

The thing, you know,

like a chat thing?

What do you they call it?

Chat?

Oh.

Uh.

FaceTime or Skype?

There you go.

In less than a minute,

you'll be talking to Monica.

Monica?

I don't want to

talk to my ex-wife.

Well, then why is she

the first in your contacts?

[PHONE RINGING]

Harry?

What are you doing on Skype?

Are you all right?

Sorry.

Is that a green juice?

You really are having

a crisis, aren't you?

Welcome to Skype, Harry.

Just another way for you to show

David that you can be in touch,

but you just don't want to.

Monica, you have to stop

talking for one minute.

You called me.

Maybe you had an intuition.

I'm having an MRI today.

I've been feeling

very dizzy, Harry.

You as well, uh.

Good luck with that.

And, uh, I'll talk to you soon.

Well, thanks for your concern.

You're a

hypochondriac, Monica.

- OK?

- Well, it's my turn.

Ignore our son, cut

off our daughter,

and dismiss me for your

ridiculous pig family?

Harry, Harry, you've

got to listen to me.

How do I shut her off?

Just press the button

with the phone on it.

Annabella's been trying

to get in touch with you.

What does it say about us

that our 34-year-old daughter

can't make her rent?

There are two

buttons with phones on.

One has red and one has green.

MONICA: Whatever we did,

this is how we raised her.

You can't just

[INAUDIBLE] overnight.

Speaking of purse strings,

you would not believe...

I had dinner with...

Well, I'm, uh.

I'm going to hang up now.

Um.

Bye-bye.

MONICA: You can't

believe her jewelry.

It's disgust... Harry?

assh*le.

God.

That woman.

MOSHE: Hang on.

I'll just get this.

Are you Rabbi Cattan?

Yes, I am, yeah.

Ah.

I was wondering,

are you planning

on sticking these f*cking

signs all over the city?

You must be the pig farmer.

Nice to meet you.

I'm not here to be nice.

I'm here to tell you, if

you don't stop harassing me,

I'm going to get

very, very angry.

Really, what are you

going to do, b*at me?

You're 100 years old.

100, huh?

You, my friend, are

three feet tall.

Are you finished?

Because my children

are waiting for me.

I am not finished.

This country has laws.

And you, my friend,

have no right

to tell me whether I can raise

pigs or f*cking alligators.

OK?

That's the government's job.

You're in a Jewish country.

You're aware of that?

You're aware that it's my

country as well, aren't you?

Yes, I am.

So why don't you

cleanse yourself

and stop humiliating us all

with your disgusting animals?

Cleanse yourself.

Get rid of the stupid

beard and the f*cking hat

and the coat when it's

98 degrees in the shade.

You look like you escaped a

f*cking mental ward, you moron.

Mr. Rosen...

Mr. Rosenmerck, come to Shabbat.

Shabbat this.

Prick.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

ANNABELLE [VOICEOVER]: Dad.

I can't seem to get

any news from you.

I think I'm beginning to

understand how David must feel.

I cried and cried over

my little wounded heart.

And for the first time,

you weren't there.

How could it be that the tears

I cry, when they evaporate,

end up in the same

clouds as the sea?

What have you done here?

ANNABELLE [VOICEOVER]: Or the

flushed water of a toilet.

Were you afraid I was going

to leave you, or something?

ANNABELLE [VOICEOVER]:

There ought

to be a doctor for sorrow.

Not a psychiatrist,

or an acupuncturist.

No soft science guru.

I mean a real doctor, the kind

who can identify the source

of my sorrow and disinfect it.

Hey, dad.

Yo, son.

DAVID: You look awesome.

ANNABELLE [VOICEOVER]: It

would sting, painfully.

And then it would be over.

Things smoothed with a

pink paste like candy,

or a marshmallow for

a toothless child.

And then my pain would be

smothered, rather than me.

You're the only one with whom

I can share my heartbreak.

Do you remember Esmeralda?

I must have been four years

old when I first loved a boy.

I told him, I love you, Tommy.

I want to be your girlfriend.

DOCTOR: And breathe.

ANNABELLE [VOICEOVER]: And he

said, I like Esmeralda more.

I walked out of the school.

I waited so the other

kids wouldn't see.

And I blew my nose

into your shirt

while I told you

of my heartbreak.

And hold your breath.

ANNABELLE [VOICEOVER]: Without

a word, you consoled me.

DOCTOR: And breathe.

ANNABELLE [VOICEOVER]: I

wolfed down a Belgian waffle

and we sang in the car.

I'm leaving Brussels

for New York.

This winter is just too cold.

I fear spring will

never come, that it's

a lost season, like the love

there used to be in my heart.

I've always tried to

think of my patients

as not having families.

No attachments.

No dependents.

No history.

I try to make them abstract.

Try to make them

cases to be tended to.

I try to look behind

the life in their faces.

Otherwise, I fall apart.

You understand?

Do you want me to

find another doctor?

No.

The first time we met, you

answered the door to Harry

and I. Here was the

handsome doctor.

I was the French intern.

You were barefoot, remember?

In that big apartment your

parents had on East 74th?

You saw Harry first.

He has a way to be seen first.

And it was already too late.

I knew I could not compete.

You were so sunny, so beautiful.

And I said to myself, this

woman will always be beautiful.

How much time do I have?

We can slow it down.

I'm asking for...

I'm asking for a number.

It's hard to say.

I'm not sure we should

go through chemo

to steal a few more months.

Tell me, Michel.

It will help me.

Having time to prepare is

a luxury, don't you think?

People live like they're

never going to die.

I want to take

advantage of that.

Hedge.

I want to turn wasted

time into precious time.

A year.

More or less.

One year, Monica.

[CITY SOUNDS]

Hey.

DAVID: Hey.

What's up?

Good to see you.

You're going in?

Come on.

Let's go.

Let's go.

There's mom.

That's the critic

from the Times.

assh*le.

[WOMAN VOCALIZING]

I'll be brief

and to the point.

You're a hopeless old schmuck.

Why don't you talk to your son?

Yell at him.

Have an argument.

Anything would be better

than a crotchety silence.

On the other hand,

I have to thank you.

I have been invited to

all the New York dinners

ever since you

started breeding pigs.

Every time I tell the

story, it's a hit.

Although I'm not sure

it's doing anything

to reduce anti-Semitism.

Dear Monica, you

call that brief?

Your letter was two pages long.

Now, if you'll excuse me,

I have serious work to do.

Dear Harry.

Raising pigs in Israel

doesn't make you a rebel.

It makes you a food

p*rn at the best.

You are the Larry

Flynt of bacon.

Harry Flynt in the Middle East.

Dear Monica.

Wearing high heels in

New York doesn't make you

Carrie Bradshaw.

You did manage to

raise a gay son

and an eternally

teenaged daughter

to avoid hearing

the word Granny.

But still.

Dear Harry, you missed the

premiere of David's play.

It's wonderful to

know that you have

kids that love you and is so

proud to have you as a mother.

You, on the other hand, are

getting a really bad rap.

You following me?

Uh.

No.

Where's that shitty

little bike of yours?

You going on a date?

I'm going to visit

my mother's grave.

I'm sorry.

Are you going on a date?

I'm going to see an

old rabbi friend of mine.

Mhm.

What do you, um, rabbis talk

about when you get together?

Torah.

Well, that sounds great.

DAVID: You do the first

bath and then another.

Don't leave them

in too long, OK?

This is going to

take us all day.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

When was the last

time you processed?

Years.

It's been years.

And they say

I'm the crazy one.

DAVID [VOICEOVER]:

Dear dad, Annabelle

finally found courage to develop

the picture she took on 9/11.

That day was the

first day I ever

made love with another man.

And it felt so right and

so wrong at the same time.

It's strange how human beings

confuse the world's stories

with their own, how

self-absorbed we

are even in the face of horror.

It felt like the

towers were my fault.

It felt as if my cries

and moans drowned out all

of the ones buried

in the asphalt.

As if my chest pressed against

the chest of another man

played a part in

this awful tragedy.

MONICA: Did you see?

BOTH: Mom!

I told her not to come in.

MONICA: Can you please?

Your eyes are all red

like those albino rabbits

that they sell in the pet store.

Yeah.

We were in the dark.

Did you see the Times?

DAVID: No.

Did you?

That prick pretended

to be asleep.

He has some very strong

opinions about your play.

It's nine in the morning.

So when do you think

the paper comes out?

ANNABELLE: I just

really wanted to spend

some time alone with David.

Well.

I want to spend time

with the two of you.

And I brought bagels.

MAN: Go.

HARRY: Good, good, good.

No.

Leave him alone.

When you go down, put your

hand behind the pinky.

Pocket towards me.

Look.

Once you play, the idea if

you catch on the ground,

your hand is here.

Why?

Why?

Because you can go in

and get it out and throw it

to where you have to throw it.

MAN: OK.

HARRY: If your hand is here...

Do you see any baseball at all?

Yeah, of course.

- Where?

- Sports channel.

ESPN.

The who?

- Sports channel.

- ESPN.

Oh.

On television.

Mr. Rosenmerck.

I noticed you have a special

affection for this pig.

So I took the liberty

of sewing him this.

HARRY: Oh, thank you.

Affection.

Um.

It's more like, you

know, his... his mother

deserted him as a child.

And, and... as a piglet...

You know, Harry, to

have affection for someone

is nothing to be ashamed of.

No, of course not.

Thank you so much.

Shut up.

You might have a girlfriend.

[KNOCKING]

HARRY: Come on in.

Oh.

Hello.

I'm [INAUDIBLE] of Nazareth.

HARRY: How do you do?

We haven't met in person.

But I've written to you.

You are Harry Rosenmurph, yes?

Yes, Rosenmerck.

Have a seat, please.

Thank you.

Um.

Can I offer you a drink?

Oh, thank you.

I'm fine.

I prefer not to indulge.

Ah.

Well then you defy

the stereotype.

Water?

That too is an indulgence.

Without a doubt,

among the finest gifts

the almighty has granted us.

Of course.

Yes.

Forgive me.

Rosenmert?

- Is that Belgian?

- Merck.

Rosenmerck.

It's Polish.

I'm Belgian.

Yes.

I could tell right away.

And if you'll please excuse me,

the mess here is my little pet

over there, Judas.

Judas?

You amuse yourself

mocking our religion?

Uh... no.

No.

That's not... not it at all.

It's just a long story.

What can I do for you, Father?

We want you to leave and

give back to the church

what rightly belongs to us.

What might that be?

This land.

According to various documents,

even the emotions that descend

upon me when I set foot

here, it's on this spot

that our savior,

Jesus Christ, left.

This place belongs to humanity.

You are living on the

remains of Jesus's home.

Can you feel it?

Don't you feel those vibrations?

Do you feel it, Mr. Rosenmert?

Rosenmerck.

And, uh, no.

You'll be receiving

a letter from the Pope,

who unlike you, doesn't see

this as a laughing matter.

He might come see you himself.

I'm getting a

little tired, so.

Maybe you can write this all

down and mail it to me, OK?

I have.

And you haven't replied.

We are already in motion.

We are going to change the world

by buying this plot of land

from you, Mr. Rosenmert.

Once upon a time,

there were the Jews,

the Muslims, the Pope, and me.

And they all

walked into this bar.

See, that's the

beginning of a joke.

You write me when you

get the punchline, OK?

You make yourself the

punchline, Mr. Rosenmauve.

You are the punchline.

I'll be back, because

God is within me.

And if Jesus makes his return,

it won't be in a pigsty.

[PIG SQUEALS]

Take this.

Mother?

MONICA: Yes.

This is your favorite.

It'll bring you luck.

All right.

I gotta go.

Kiss your father for me.

Don't you think it's time you

start kissing somebody else?

Get him to call David.

If you can, OK?

Slip this into the

Wailing Wall for me.

It's very important to me.

You know, Tinder is way more

effective than the Wailing

Wall, mom.

Just do it.

For me.

OK.

I will.

Oh, and hun?

Here.

I got... here.

- Just take this.

- It's OK, mom.

Dad's going to take care of...

Just... it's emergency

funds, because you never know.

OK.

Maybe buy some dresses.

Get drunk.

Find a husband.

Oh Jesus, mom.

Bye.

I gotta go.

Look how it is fat.

You know, I really, um, only

thought about the raising part.

I never thought too much

about the butchering.

It's going to be

a delicious ham.

HARRY: Let's just let them stay

here a little longer, because,

look.

The road is blocked.

We'll never make it

to the slaughterhouse.

So let him stay a

little bit, you know?

OK.

I'm going to the rabbi's house

tonight for Shabbat dinner.

Oh.

What do you bring,

uh, a rabbi, to dinner?

What do you bring?

I'm a Buddhist.

Why don't you just Google it?

[PIG SQUEALS]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

To make the

perfect cholent, you

begin with a kilo and a

half of spinach in a basin.

You wash it, chop it up.

And you fry it in a big pot.

As soon as it begins to

brown, you stir, stir, stir.

And you never stop so that

it browns without burning.

You have to be careful,

because this is an art.

When the spinach

is dark and crispy,

you pour in two liters of water,

a medium large onion, diced.

My aunt Eget used to put the

onion in before the water.

My mother didn't.

I didn't know there are two

schools of thought on that one.

Then you add three small cloves

of garlic, peeled and crushed.

Next, we add the spices,

a dozen fresh mint leaves,

chopped very, very fine.

Two spoonfuls of ground

cinnamon, salt and pepper.

As soon as the

ingredients begin to meld,

when it becomes a sort

of bubbling magma,

you add the meat.

Kosher, obviously.

A sliced cow foot is good.

A kilo of beef shoulder.

I like to add a

little veal myself.

It's my own personal touch.

And then you set it on a low

heat for three to five hours,

the longer the better.

And you serve it up piping hot.

And you're in for a real treat.

[WHISPERING]

Rabbi?

Shabbat shalom,

Mr. Rosenmerck.

Rabbi.

Oh, shabbat shalom.

Here.

I bought you a, uh...

book basket.

MOSHE: That's very kind.

I wanted to play it, uh,

you know, kind of safe.

I'm supposed to

make a phone call.

And as you know, my

farm gets no reception.

So I was wondering, somewhere

where I could do it in private.

Sure.

Go in the back.

Do it in the garden.

Quickly though, because

shabbat's coming in.

You need to be off the phone.

Oh, well, it's a good thing

my phone plan is agnostic.

Um.

Mazel tov.

Monica.

You know, I got your message.

What... what's so very important

that I had to call right away?

What is it?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

HARRY: Oh.

OK.

Your children all right?

It's their mother.

She's a real ball buster.

I thought ball busters were

supposed to live forever.

Hey, Harry.

Simon, hey.

What's, uh... Simon...

MOSHE: You met my

eldest, Shimon?

ALL: Amen.

ALL: Shabbat shalom.

You ever tried cholent?

No, I don't believe I have.

It's better than it looks.

For sure.

I trust you.

It's very good.

Well.

Sometimes, our wall

seems to close in on us,

as though we built our own tomb.

Well.

I think we have too

many walls anyway.

You know, Harry,

to my office, I

see these divorcing couples,

these wounded women who

we think we're appeasing

by offering them money,

feel humiliated.

They ask for more because they

actually want something else,

something they can't express.

Because once you've lost it,

you know it's gone forever.

And the Palestinians

are a proud people.

But they seek to recover

something that is long dead...

the past.

Even if they had the

entire land of Israel,

they wouldn't be satisfied.

Do you think that's

enough politics?

Yeah.

It's getting a

little late, so, I...

- I thought I'd just head home.

- No.

You can't do that.

That's a disgrace.

What?

What, are you starting

with the pig stuff again?

No.

I mean, yes.

But no.

As a rabbi, I must

insist you don't drive.

HARRY: [PIG SNORTING IMPRESSION]

[CHILDREN LAUGHING]

Abraham, shh.

It's bedtime.

OK.

Good night.

Why do you let

them get like that?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

My son, Shimon, he's

going to be 18 next month.

He doesn't want to

study the Torah all day,

so he's going to join the

army, because this is Israel.

Yeah?

But he thinks that

in life, he should have

more choices than God or w*r.

You have a son, Mr. Rosenmerck?

I'm sorry.

But you're applying

to adopt alone.

And you've publicly

declared your h*m*.

So...

So?

Those conflict?

You travel a lot.

Your income statements show

professional instability.

I'm one of the more prominent

playwrights in the city.

There's also your

relationship with God.

My relationship with whom?

And again, your sexuality.

I'm sorry, Mr. Rosenmerck.

But your application is denied.

Hm.

So what you're saying is,

a h*m* playwright

is unfit for fatherhood.

That's not what I said.

I think that's

exactly what you said.

In fact, you could have

been a little less vulgar.

Thank you for your time, ma'am.

We'll have a baby, David.

I'll make sure of it.

Don't worry.

Really?

How's that?

I'll find one.

Or we'll steal

one from the park.

An ugly duckling no

one's going to miss.

Thank you.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIREN]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[PIG SQUEALS]

[PRAYER HORN]

[PHONE RINGING]

HARRY: Monica.

Harry?

Oh.

Did you call me

by mistake again?

HARRY: No, no, no.

I've been trying to

reach, uh, Annabelle.

She's not answering her phone.

I'm... I'm... I'm getting

a little worried.

You know, we had

some rocket fire.

Um, you know, I just hate

that she's alone, you know?

But... well, that doesn't

make any sense, because she

texted me yesterday.

So I know she's OK.

I'll call David

to see what's up.

Yeah.

OK.

Thanks.

Harry?

That... that fear, that

dread, when you haven't

heard from someone you love?

Yeah.

Two years before we

separated, you left for a week

with no explanation.

You just said you had to do it.

I thought if you were

cheating on me, you...

you would have come

up with a better

explanation, a real alibi.

And now I just need to know.

Will you tell me where you went?

So we can leave it in the past?

HARRY: Well, um, keep an eye out

for Annabelle for me, will you?

Monica.

Yeah?

HARRY: Is that, uh, Michel

taking good care of you?

Yes.

He's always been in love

with you, that son of a bitch.

Last call for jealousy.

Hey.

I'm sorry, I don't...

I don't speak Hebrew.

What are you doing here?

Why do you want to cross?

I just want to see.

Either you have a reason to be

there, or you're not crossing.

I thought I just

gave you a reason.

Who are you?

- Are you a journalist?

- No.

I'm not a journalist.

I just want to see for myself.

Look.

I spent my childhood

summers here, and I just...

Did we ruin your childhood

memories with our big,

mean, wall?

Yeah.

You did.

As a matter of fact, yeah.

I don't speak Hebrew, so...

What is your nationality?

American.

In this country, where no

one agrees about anything,

90% of actual Israelis

wanted this w*r

after a room of

dancing teenagers

were blown up in a nightclub.

We find a way to agree

about one matter.

Yeah, I remember that.

You remember reading about it.

You remember hearing about it.

You don't remember it.

If you cross to the

other side, you might not

be able to get back tonight.

You don't mind humiliating

entire families like that?

They are humiliated

because to them,

it's a wall of segregation.

To us, it's a wall

of protection.

Not humiliating.

Necessary for security.

OK.

Can I at least take

some pictures please?

For your Instagram?

No.

Move on.

ANNABELLE: Yeah.

OK.

I got it.

HARRY: Hey.

Look... look what they sent me.

Can you believe this?

They're demanding a

meeting at midnight.

Where?

Um.

Our Lady of the Big Fright

something or other church.

Uh, you know where it is?

Harry, I'm a rabbi.

I don't go into churches.

If you went into a

church eating parma ham,

would they cancel

each other out,

or would you go to hell twice?

Listen, why don't you

stop your stupid jokes.

Go home.

Forget about the priest.

He's... he's a fanatic.

He's not even a Catholic.

The actual priest in Nazareth

doesn't even speak to him

because last year

he tried to canonize

a pizza that he thought was in

the shape of the Virgin Mary.

Oh.

Interesting.

Yeah.

Harry.

HARRY: What?

Have you ever had chicken pox?

Yeah, when I was six.

Why?

Three of my children

have chicken pox.

My wife has taken the car to

the doctor's, and there's no one

to pick up Shaol from school.

I'm on my way.

Thank you.

And stay away from the church.

They'll try to crucify you.

Or convert you.

He says he doesn't know you.

Of course he knows me.

We see all kinds

of things these days.

I'm sorry, Mr?

Rosenmerck.

Look.

Didn't his father tell

you I was coming here?

He said an Ashkenazi was

coming, which is a bit vague.

But look how afraid the boy is?

I guess that's fine then.

Um.

I understand.

Thank you.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Harry, wait.

HARRY: Hey, hey.

You'll ruin his bandana.

Oy vey.

You promise not to

tell your father?

Promise.

OK.

HARRY: All right, boys.

That's enough.

We had a good time.

Get out of here, OK?

Hm?

I've called the cops.

Everyone knows you

don't have a telephone.

Well, everyone knows

that you're a fruitcake.

What does that mean?

It means you are nuts.

If I'm that crazy, then you'd

better hurry up and accept

our offer before you regret it.

Is that a thr*at?

I'm just a messenger.

God has asked you to leave.

Is he the same

one that notarized

the act to buy my farm?

It's not a farm.

This is the Lord's home.

Oh.

Why don't you put a

f*cking phone in it?

Move over with your dress.

Sorry.

Do you know what it's like, not

to know where the heck you are?

I mean, you had me nuts.

I called, didn't know if

you were OK, where you were.

What are you thinking about?

I wonder why we bury ourselves.

Why do we bury ourselves

when we're still alive, dad?

Your Esmeralda and Tony story.

You gotta let that go.

Look.

Anything that works

backwards is kind of stupid.

I also think that you have a

whole lot of beautiful stories

in front of you.

Beautiful.

They'll be there.

Anyway.

You're never going

to die, right dad?

No.

How could I?

You have years of therapy left.

You used to come here

to have lunch with me.

I always hoped you'd come one

day to show me your breasts.

And I'm here looking

at your tumor.

Do you find it sexy?

Come on.

I'll take you downstairs.

We have the best

sushi in Manhattan.

Everybody thinks they have

the best sushi in Manhattan,

and chiropractor.

We can't all have

the best, can we?

No.

But actually, mine is the best.

I'm sure it is.

Also happens to be

the best chiropractor.

He can fix your spine while

you're eating sashimi.

True talents.

OK.

Let's go.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

It feels like

I'm in a costume.

I used to dress up as a rabbi

before I became one, in truth.

You're going to become

what you should be.

And then the costume won't

feel like a costume anymore.

We're in costume until

we've found our way.

And that takes time, Shimon.

So don't worry.

ANNABELLE: Dad.

Wow.

That looks absolutely

perfect on you.

It fits like a glove.

I completely forgot there was

such a thing as winter here.

David asked me to...

Listen.

About the money.

It's OK, Dad.

I'm going to try on my own.

OK.

I really think that'll make

you much happier that way.

What about you?

Me, what?

Your pigs.

They're going to make you happy?

Yes.

They... they would make me

happy before I got sad.

OK.

You know, you

didn't stay very long.

For me.

And, uh... listen, Annabelle.

Uh.

Look after your

mother, will you?

What makes you say that?

Well, you know.

Children don't see

their parents aging.

I love you, baby.

You be careful.

So do you still not want

to know the child's gender?

No.

MONICA: Yes we do.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MAN [IN MOVIE]: Just trust me!

WOMAN [IN MOVIE]: I'm so afraid.

I... I can't.

MAN [IN MOVIE]: Fear is nothing.

This will make you feel alive.

In the movies, people are

always doing incredible things.

Jumping out of airplanes,

swimming with whales.

Like it's nothing at all.

And here I am.

I don't want to do any of that.

I just want to be with you and

David, see what happens next.

When is it happening?

The thing that happens next.

In a month, mom.

Don't worry.

You'll be here.

You'll see.

Shh.

Shh.

But seriously, mom.

You don't want to

do anything else?

Well, if I thought I

was going to die tomorrow,

I'd go see Mrs. Ozzo and tell

her what a bitch she was.

I mean, she was always telling

me that your... your drawings

were strange.

I mean, what kind

of person does that?

Seriously, mom, my

first grade teacher?

She was a terrible teacher.

She was a bitch.

She was so uninspiring.

She was a horrible teacher.

I think it damaged you.

What are you doing?

Going to see Mrs. Ozzo.

I've been holding that

resentment for years.

Mom!

Shh.

Sorry.

HARRY: Rabbi.

When are you going to

start letting me, you know,

have my ham in peace?

How many little piglets have

gone through your farm now,

do you think?

A couple hundred.

Why?

And that little Judas pig.

You... you like him a lot.

You treat him like a child.

Oh, yeah.

I like him very much.

How soon before you fry him

in his own fat and eat him?

Are you f*cking nuts?

I'm not going to eat him.

Just his family then.

You know, if you want

a shrink, they're

very easy to find in Israel.

That's really kind of you.

Some religions, they

ban the eating of pig

because it's a

cleanliness issue.

It's a hygiene thing.

But I have a different theory.

They're very close to us in DNA.

When that plane

crashed in the Andes,

and the survivors ate

the other passengers,

they said it tasted like pork.

If you singe your hair on

your arm, it tastes like pork.

And pigs themselves will

do anything to survive.

They'll eat their own garbage,

they'll eat their own sh*t.

They'll eat each other.

We don't need pigs

to remind ourselves

that we're human, to distinguish

ourselves from beasts.

I asked Hassan,

I said, why aren't

Muslims allowed to eat pigs?

What did he say?

Oh, he said that,

because God said so.

You Jews, you think too much.

No.

It's because Judaism is not

just a religion of faith.

It's a religion of questioning.

Hair or makeup.

Excuse me, are you...

the Richard Jacob that writes

those wonderful theater

reviews in the Times?

That's me.

That's what I thought.

You know, I was

sitting next to you

during David Rosen's

new production.

Oh, poor you.

No, no.

I love the play.

Yes, but, I... I...

found it really distracting

because of your snoring.

Yeah.

I fell asleep almost instantly.

Yes, you did.

Even before the curtain rose.

So I was really

surprised to see that you

could even review the play.

No need to undress

the fat girl to know she

can't get you hard.

That's for my son and for

all the beautiful fat girls

out there.

On behalf of them,

go f*ck yourself.

Jesus.

f*cking crazy bitch.

Look at me.

Psycho bitch.

MONICA: I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I have cancer.

I'm sorry.

Order more wine.

Listen, OK?

Please forgive me.

Please, understand.

Look.

I'm dying.

I'm dying.

And I just think it's

really bad to be mean.

Just don't be mean.

[MUSIC - JIMMY CLIFF, "MANY

RIVERS TO CROSS"]

[SINGING] Many rivers to cross.

But I can't seem to

find my way over.

Wandering, I am lost.

As I travel along

white cliffs of Dover.

The cliffs of Dover.

[SINGING] Many rivers to cross.

Many rivers to cross.

[SINGING] And it's only my

will that keeps me alive.

Yeah, brother.

[SINGING] I've been licked,

washed up for years.

Washed up for years.

[SINGING] And I merely

survive because of my pride.

BOTH: [SINGING]

And this loneliness

won't leave me alone.

It's such a drag

to be on your own.

On your own.

BOTH: [SINGING] My woman

left and she didn't say why.

Well, I guess I have to try.

Many rivers to cross...

[SINGING] But just

where to begin?

I'm playing for time.

There'll be times I find

myself thinking of committing

some dreadful crime.

Yes I've got many

rivers to cross,

but I can't seem to

find my way over.

Sick, twisted f*ck.

f*ck.

Sick.

Take me to that f*cking church.

Right now, Moshe.

Come on.

I'm not coming in.

Don't do something stupid.

I'll wait here.

I'll wait here.

Harry.

Harry.

Harry.

Come on.

Do you hear?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[WOMEN VOCALIZING]

At least put a shirt on

and join us for dessert.

It's my 40th birthday.

I can't.

It's been months since

you've left this apartment.

I'm writing and you know it.

Oh, yeah?

To whom?

That's not what I meant.

Go and see your mother,

at least, while she's here.

Look.

You can't tell me how

to deal with this.

Everyone reacts differently

when faced with death.

This isn't your death.

How narcissistic can you be?

This is her death.

She's as thin as a rail.

She is fading before our eyes.

Do you know what she asks me?

She wants me to keep bringing

your f*cking laundry, David.

That's the only way she knows

how to connect with you now.

Through your filth.

And you don't even

want to see her?

No one's asking you

to confront death.

She's a living woman.

She's here.

And she's fighting.

And you won't even see her.

This is just how

we are in our family.

I'm a prisoner to them.

They're a prisoner to me.

But we're family, in

spite of everything.

We're a family who never

touches each other.

We don't cook together.

We don't eat together.

We don't birth together.

We don't die together.

We write to each other.

We feel each other from afar.

LAWRENCE: That's

not your family.

That's your g*dd*mn father.

As soon as something scares you,

you'll run away from it all.

You keep away from

what displeases you,

what makes you uncomfortable.

You're hiding behind him.

And you're calling it love.

But he's not even here.

f*ck you.

Fine.

But if you don't go and face

your mother, I'll leave you.

Mazel.

I won't be able to come

tomorrow, you know that.

Yeah.

Yom Kippur.

Day of atonement.

Why do you say it like that?

Say it like what?

Why are you so damn paranoid?

Anyway, you're not well.

So, I won't encourage

you to fast.

Well, I won't.

No.

Hey, Moshe.

Um.

Thanks.

Oh, oh.

Mr. Rabbi.

Yes, Mr. Rosenmerck?

I was just wondering.

Does... does one have

to declare friendship,

as one would declare love?

I think so, Harry.

But with silence.

HARRY: Ah.

[DOORBELL]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[PRAYERS]

[HORN]

It's me.

MICHEL: Yes, Monica.

[DOOR KNOCKING]

MONICA: Are you alone?

Sure.

Come on in.

What's up?

You're out of breath.

You all right?

You'll never guess what I did.

Skydiving?

First I bought my

granddaughter gifts.

It's a girl.

No one knows, but I know.

Of course you know.

I bought her

everything a little girl

could dream of, from birth

to her 21st birthday.

So I'll always be here

as her fairy grandmother.

You'll always be

here, no matter what.

And Michel, I let

go of resentment.

I confronted every one I

should have, for years.

And how do you feel?

I feel alive.

I don't want my kids

to see me suffer.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MONICA [VOICEOVER]: My children,

I've had my share of sorrow

and I've had my share of joy.

When I became a mother, my life

took on an entirely different

meaning.

I've done everything I can to

leave you traces of who I am,

so that you can find the

pieces to your own puzzle.

I thought so many times

that I was leaving

too early, before I could

leave you an instruction

manual for happiness.

I thought I'd find

happiness for you.

It was my lifetime

quest, to find

the formula that would bestow

smiles on your faces, always.

HARRY: Dear David.

When the phone

rang, and Annabelle

told me of your

mother's passing,

I went to the bathroom.

I locked myself in.

And I sobbed.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MONICA [VOICEOVER]:

David, Annabelle,

the idea that your

names will keep

echoing in an empty

room reassures

me and crushes me at once.

When your father and I

parted, and you spent nights

at his house, I lay

myself in your beds

and imagined that I was stroking

your hair, hushing you to sleep

while you slept under his roof.

I imagined that

somehow, deep within,

you could feel it from afar,

and that it calmed you.

Surely, I was fooling myself.

And it was me who

fell asleep imagining

your warm bodies near my own.

HARRY [VOICEOVER]:

The last years

I cried went back to your

birth, and they ran with joy.

I didn't cry for my mother,

but, uh, I cried for yours.

MONICA [VOICEOVER]: Wherever it

is I'm going, I'll be with you.

And every night, you'll

feel my hand on your head.

That's a promise.

[PHONE RINGING]

Hello?

Annabelle?

David, open the door!

David, open the g*dd*mn door!

David, she's gone!

David, open this door!

I can't do this by myself!

Dave, she's gone!

Open the door!

Open the door!

DAVID: Jesus.

Annabelle.

Annabelle.

Your water's broken.

I... I...

HARRY [VOICEOVER]: We all have

strengths we're not aware of,

as well as sorrows.

Come on.

HARRY [VOICEOVER]: It's

to you whom I write,

it's to you I turn,

you to whom I haven't

spoken in more than six years.

One day, you become the

child of your children.

And that day has come.

I imagine your pain

and your remorse

at not having seen your

mother in her last few days.

I understand what you did.

I'm sorry.

HARRY [VOICEOVER]:

We can't accept

those we love are mortal.

I did the same thing with you.

I decided that none

of it was real,

that the David you imposed on

me only existed for others,

and that mine wasn't gone.

DAVID: Hi.

Hi.

HARRY [VOICEOVER]: In my

mind, David is married

to a beautiful blonde woman.

In my mind, David has a son

and I bounce him on my knee.

[INAUDIBLE]

HARRY [VOICEOVER]: In my

mind, David is a doctor.

And we play chess together.

I think I know what

makes him tick,

but he just beats me every time.

I don't know that deep within,

David is not so simple.

In my mind, David doesn't

kiss other men on the mouth.

My mind is full of

tears, regrets, and time

that's far too short.

I was angry with you.

And I'm still angry with you.

I'm angry with you that my

mother emerged from the camps

where my father d*ed,

that she carried me

in the face of horror, that

the sickly infant I was had

to struggle to survive and

that I then brought you

into this world so you could

stop everything right here, as

if you were giving

a reason to death

itself, to the end of our

family name, to the shadows.

But who gives a damn, right?

I mean, who cares about

the names, survivors.

They die too.

Everything comes to

an end, including me.

Especially me.

I'll be there Thursday

for the kaddish,

put the one I loved

into the ground,

and I'll protect

you and your sister

and the tallit of a father.

And soon, all three

of you, because Monica

isn't with us anymore, but

another has already arrived.

Forgive me, my son.

My silences.

David, they made

the sound of love.

[MUSIC - "SMILE"]

[SINGING] Smile though

your heart is aching.

Smile, even though

it's breaking.

When there are clouds in

the sky, you'll get by.

If you smile through your

fear and sorrow, smile,

and maybe tomorrow,

you'll see the sun

come shining through for you.

Light up your face

with gladness.

Hide every trace of sadness.

Although a tear may

be ever so near,

that's the time you

must keep on trying.

Smile.

What's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is still

worthwhile, if you just smile.

That's the time you

must keep on trying.

Smile, what's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is still

worthwhile if you just smile.

[MUSIC PLAYING]