Day of a Lion (2025) Movie Script
1
Welcome home, Piccola.
I really need to pee.
Do you want some tea?
Do you want some tea?
Three spoons of sugar, no milk,
no honey, no cream-- oh.
And you can skip that pitiful
little biscuit at the side
they serve
in Florence all the time.
Would you like
breakfast?
Breakfast?
They don't serve
that in Italy?
All cheese and wine.
I have patties.
Patties.
Um...
How was the ride?
A what?
This whole mess started
this morning when I realized
I'd forgotten
to pack my favorite hat.
-Your what?
-My hat.
-Rat?
-My hat.
-Your hat?
-Hat.
-A hat.
-You remember.
The big one. Borgogna.
Burgundy, the very red one.
Well, I was so sure
I'd put it in my bag,
but then when I opened it
at the train station...
You opened your
suitcase on the train?
No, not on the train.
-That is so dan--
-On the sidewalk.
-The sidewalk.
-The sidewalk.
Well, I didn't want
to get on the train
before finding my favorite hat.
So then I asked
the lead service attendant
if somebody might have
seen my favorite hat.
How would the red hat
get out of your luggage?
Who knows?
Pickpockets, the mafia,
a jealous neighbor.
It could have been anyone.
So, then,
as I rifled through my stuff
on the wet, dirty floor...
suddenly, this giant of a man
suddenly appears behind me.
A giant?
A man. A giant man.
Well, at first I thought
he was Russian.
Yes, so I thought.
He looks down at me
with his wild black beard,
and I'm already
completely out of my mind
because I can't find
my gorgeous hat.
So then I say to him
with my most charming,
most delightful little voice,
soft like honey, I say...
How was I to know
that this was the train driver?
So, shocked, I answered...
Wish I had
my dear Geronimo with me.
He would have helped me.
He's a good man.
He would have
stepped up and said...
Yes, I would have liked that.
Isn't it just lovely being me?
Yes.
Yes it is, indeed.
Wanda?
The tea's almost ready.
What is this?
What? I-- I don't see you.
Did you change the color?
-What color?
-Of the wall.
- The what?
- The wall. Jesus.
The wall is blue now.
I know.
What happened
to the bright yellow one?
Oh, you mean this terrible mix
of grey and orange?
Hm.
When did Papa
find the time to do this?
Wasn't he in bed all the time?
I mean, in his final days.
I mean,
he had to rest a lot, right?
I really like the new color.
It's very sweet.
Fits the spirit of the house.
Thank you.
That's why I changed it.
- You painted it?
- I did.
- Painted the walls blue?
- Mint.
- ]I don't like it.
- I don't care.
I don't mind.
Would you like me to leave?
-You just arrived.
-It makes leaving easier.
Of course
I don't want you to leave.
Well, I asked to come.
You did.
-I did.
-And I agreed.
That's right.
But you didn't invite me.
I didn't.
That was three months ago.
What?
We agreed that I would come by
three months ago.
So?
So perhaps
you've changed your mind.
Would you like me to leave?
I can just--
No, I don't want you to leave.
No?
- No.
- No?
Well, if you want me to stay...
-I want you to...
-If that's your wish...
-It is not my wish.
-...then of course I can stay
-for as long as you want me to.
-I want you to--
No. As long as you need me.
I feel like the fairy godmother.
Is it just fantastic to have
your bigger sister back home?
I should go.
No, I want you to stay, please.
Uh, well,
if you wanted me to stay,
you'd have told me
by now how you've been.
-I mean, how long has it been?
-Three...
-Months?
-...years.
Is your, uh,
painting still going well?
Did you finish
your studies in, um, Paris
-before father got, you know?
-Architecture.
Pardon?
I studied architecture,
not painting.
Well, it all involves colors.
Looks like a task for children,
doesn't it? But I digress.
It was nice.
Nice and enjoyable.
I learned a lot about
what I don't like.
I didn't get
exactly what I like,
but that is fine, too,
because now at least I know
what I'd like to have,
and that I don't have it yet.
But the way to achieve it
is easier because now,
I know what it would look...
if I hadn't learned
what I don't like at all.
Like, not at all, I wouldn't
know what to look for.
Or maybe I wouldn't look at all,
because I wouldn't know
that there's something
better out there
than the current state of mind.
The deadlock I was living in.
I learned...
how I don't like feeling.
But that's better than
not feeling anything at all.
It made me feel feelings.
And that is
most important, isn't it?
You look different. Heavier.
-Muscles are heavy.
-Fat is, too.
Looks lovely, though.
A little extra meat on a bone
never hurt no one, has it?
Not here.
I let him go.
Let him go where?
- Anywhere.
- Anywhere.
Where he can do
whatever he wants to do.
Where did he go?
Oh, he's out in the world,
living life.
-This is life.
-No, I mean life in freedom.
-What is this?
-Sugar.
-What did you do to him?
-A glorious life.
Dolly, what did you
do to him?
I opened it.
Opened the goddamn cage
and let him out.
Why?
To let him free.
-You killed him.
-I did not.
-You're a killer.
-A killer.
He was a goddamn bird.
Oh, now you're already
talking about him in the past.
Oh, please.
They're supposed to live
in the sky, not the ground.
They need the wind,
not the soil.
-They need a protected home.
-No, they don't.
- Theodore didn't.
- How would you know?
He was our bird.
He was a love bird.
And he will love the outside.
It just got too hard.
It took all my time
and attention and I...
You're such a drama queen.
I can't change
my mind about this,
but I truly believe
I did the right thing.
So you think
you did nothing wrong?
It's a bird that was rescued
from a painful life
and eventually,
pitiful death in a cage.
Rescued from me?
Don't you "Soso" me.
Let me get you some more tea.
Aren't they just adorable?
Look at their little hands
and their little, little noses.
I wish I had a nose like that.
I wish I had the same smile.
Do you think we're bad people?
Why, do you?
We haven't seen
each other for years.
Well, that alone
doesn't make us bad people.
We haven't talked
since father got sick.
-And...
-Well, we're all just
unfortunately busy women.
We don't have the luxury
of sitting at home
spinning our minds
about our lives
or what we'll cook for dinner
while we're waiting
for our wealthy husbands
to arrive home.
Sometimes
I find my mind wonder...
would you have come back for me?
I feel responsible, but I--
I can't stop
my train of thoughts
that you wouldn't have come
if it wasn't about father's
death, his inheritance.
I.. I-- I--
catch myself praying
that you came for me.
Inheritance?
I came just for you,
to support you
in your time of mourning.
I do not care at all,
like at all,
about any claim on the house.
You mean that old thing?
What would I even do with it?
I live in Italy now, remember?
What would you do with it?
Well, and I'm so impractical.
I could not care less about
how I'm looking
or what I'm wearing.
Can you imagine
there's women out there
who make a big fuss
about everything,
like the world
only shines for them.
The sun only shines for them.
Frankly,
I can't stand those women.
Terrible.
That's why I came here.
Because you hate
the women in Italy?
-No.
-Because you hate women?
-No. Uh, yes.
-I don't understand.
Well, the good thing is,
I brought us some treats.
Oh.
You know I don't drink.
It's my rule.
Well, rules are here
to be broken.
What else would we enjoy
breaking if not rules?
Promises?
Here is a toast.
Let's celebrate.
What for?
To our inheritance.
To your inheritance.
To father's corpse.
Well, in the past,
people would have
clearly appreciated
the power of the elder sibling.
So you mean.
Well, look up
any kingdom in history,
England, Sweden, Mongolia.
Mongolia was never a kingdom.
What I'm saying is,
they all gave their crown
to the elder sibling.
Well, unless it was a girl.
Well, lucky for us,
we didn't have a brother.
We'd have to kill him
to get our right to the crown.
You're right.
You're right,
you'd have to kill our brother
to get your right to the crown.
You're absolutely right.
I'm glad we weren't born
kings and queens.
Well, maybe not officially.
We're all queens.
In here. Right in here.
Which means you can decide
to live life to the fullest.
I'm not sure about that.
There's nothing
to be unsure about.
Life is a whirlwind.
And even
if you weren't born rich,
which most of us
weren't anyways...
you can decide
to live a rich life.
Behave like a queen,
and people
will treat you like one.
Boop!
You should be fine
taking a bath now.
Can't wait.
I feel all itchy and dirty.
Well, seems like
somebody forgot to pay the bill.
Just yesterday,
the water was still working
and the kitchen sink works. I--
I don't understand.
Do you understand?
Do I look like a water engineer?
You could wash
your hair in the sink.
With grease and kitchen soap?
Here, I'll fill
a tub of hot water.
Just wait, just wait here,
or the bedroom.
Where are you?
I'm on my way.
Shut up.
Look at you. You look beautiful.
Mm! Mm.
No, I'm serious.
No, no. Mm!
Oh...
Why did you come now?
Because you told me to.
But not now.
Holy, it's way too early.
They threw me out of the room.
They kicked me out
when you left.
I had nowhere else to go.
There was no water anymore.
Nobody had paid the bill.
Where was I supposed to go?
But my sister is still in there.
Then let's go and say hello.
Oh. How would you like to die?
I'm too young
to think about that.
Well, if the answer
isn't cut into tiny pieces
with a dull knife
so the process is very slow,
very painful,
don't go in there.
I love your sister already.
She wouldn't be
the one to kill you.
I just need you to wait
for a few more days.
Days?
Where am I supposed to go?
I ju-- just haven't talked
with Wanda about it yet.
Okay, well,
what about the inheritance?
You said that
if there was a will,
your father
would have absolutamente
made you the only heir.
And if there was no will,
you would still
have received the house
because you are the eldest.
Yes, Geronimo,
yes, I know what I've said, but,
things turned out differently,
not like I expected.
I didn't find
the letter of inheritance yet,
which means that
the house is mine,
but I just didn't find
the time to tell her yet.
She's still so fragile.
She's still in mourning.
It's been-- it's been three
months since he passed away
and God knows why,
but she won't talk about it.
She's like
one of those stray dogs.
But it was her-- her father.
Mine, too.
-What?
-He was my father, too.
But you never really cared.
I did.
I-- I do care about
my sister now,
which-- which is why
I can't just storm in there
and take away her house.
I mean, she loves it.
God, she even painted
the walls blue.
You know,
we can't go back to Italy.
We have nowhere else to go,
our place is gone,
and money vanishes
like children in America.
Yes, yes, I know, I know that.
Amora, I-- I don't
understand this hesitancy.
You never really
cared about him.
-I did.
-It's okay.
I... Just not enough.
It's good to be home.
I just need
a few more hours.
Where would you like me to go?
Do you trust me?
I'm so ready for my footbath.
Who was at the door?
Uh, just, uh,
a confused neighbor.
Was it Tony? Laubner?
-No.
-Tony.
Did he say his name was Tony?
Tony Laubner?
-No.
-Dark eyes, violent hands?
No.
-Was it Mr. Schuller?
-Who?
Mr. Schuller,
father's friend from Vienna?
No.
They went
to elementary school together.
Nostalgia, hmm?
I always admired you.
Really?
You're beautiful.
-No, I'm not.
-Yes, you are.
-I'm ignorant.
-I'm ugly.
No.
No, you just admire my passion.
My passion to travel and...
my ignorance
towards the people I love.
That's nothing to be proud of.
-I'm...
-What?
Moins que rien.
-Wanda?
-What?
What does it mean?
-What?
-"Moins que rien."
Less than nothing.
Only sometimes I...
- What?
- I-- I--
-What? Tell me.
-Uh, I feel-- I--
Just tell me, Wanda.
I'm tired.
I'm tired of always playing nice
and pretending, you know?
I-- People play with me.
They play a mindless game
and they think
I don't know, but I do know.
I-- I know
when they play with me.
I feel I want to say something.
-What, now?
-No, not now.
-I mean in general.
-In general?
- I mean in a situation.
- In what situation?
It's just-- a situation.
-Like what?
-Just any situation.
Like when
you're tired of the day
and all you want to do
is eat dinner in silence,
but there are all these people
and they keep
talking and talking and talking
and-- and do you just
want to eat your dinner?
And there are all these voices
and they just don't stop
and all you want to say is...
But you keep quiet
and you keep playing nice,
and you keep
all this anger stored inside
for a much bigger event.
Release it.
What?
The anger.
No.
But you must.
- I must.
- You must.
It's your responsibility
to yourself, to life.
-No, I can't.
-Yes, you can.
-I can't.
-Yes.
How?
Howl.
Like a wolf. Howl.
No.
No, I can't.
- Yes, you can.
- No, I can't.
- Snap out of this.
- What?
This pitiful little
comfort zone you're sitting in.
I'm not comfortable.
You make me feel uneasy.
Good.
Yes. Roar like a bear.
-What was that?
-I-- Th--That was a bear.
That's not a bear.
That was not even a baby bear.
That was a kitten. Come on.
Now start moving.
Move your body to it.
It's like-- like dancing.
You have to feel it
in your whole body.
-I can't--
-Yes.
Now feel it, in here.
See, see.
It's like a dance, like a dance,
to the left, to the right.
-I deserve to be happy.
-You do.
No, say it.
I deserve to be happy.
-Mean it.
-I deserve to be happy.
Yes.
The bear inside of me.
Feel the wolf.
The bear.
-So what are you?
-I'm a bear.
-A bear.
-A bear.
-Yes.
-A bear.
What other animals are there?
Huh?
-What ar--
-Um, um, um, a-- a-- a dog.
A bird. What are you?
What are you? What are you?
Close your eyes.
Good. Which animal--
Which animal can you see?
Um, I see a bird.
-Yeah.
-I see-- I see a fish.
I see a cat.
- I see...
- Yes.
All right.
Um, come here.
What animal are you?
Are you a pack?
Are you a--
a rebel loner?
Are you a reptile?
A bird? A fish?
-A bird.
-A bird?
I'm sure. I'm a bird.
I'm a bird of paradise.
I'm a gorilla.
What are you, Wanda?
Come on, tell me.
What are you, Wanda?
-I'm...
-Show me your animal.
I'm...
I'm-- I'm a lion.
I learned his handwriting.
I learned so I could sign
all his medical documents.
He was so weak.
Isn't that interesting?
How such a strength of a man
can die down
into something so fragile.
Like a raisin.
Once big and sour,
it turns into something
so small and sweet.
Yeah.
I really do love humans.
They're so beautiful
and versatile.
And they always try
to find a purpose in life.
Always try to build, to create,
to adjust,
to make better, to perfect.
But most of the time
we're failing.
We're too slow.
We die before we can finish it.
Whatever it is our heart wants
and then we spend our lives
living for this one thing
that we'll never
be able to finish.
There's always more.
Bah!
I-- I like it.
I like the thought...
that we're so small.
But our minds are so big,
filled with so many things.
Almost unbearable.
Well, you really
have to love what you do
in order to do it forever.
Is that why you studied
fashion in Italy?
No.
I studied fashion
to become rich.
And did you?
In Italy, I mean.
Have you ever felt loved? Truly.
And I don't mean
the half-hearted love
a father gets his daughters,
I mean...
the love that makes you feel
like a queen.
Like you would sacrifice
your life for someone.
When Farouk got sick,
I left school
in France to take care of him.
I didn't tell you before,
because I didn't want
you to worry.
Hmm.
And every night, every night,
we would sit down at dinner,
and he would tell me
all the stories
about the past, and childhood,
and... Austria.
And... most of the stories
were about you.
He loved you more.
They didn't let me finish
my studies in France.
I missed most of my exams.
He never asked me how
I felt about that sacrifice.
Maybe that's true love?
No.
How did it feel when he hit you?
I hurt my lovers,
because we were taught to do so.
I hit Geronimo.
One, two, three times.
But he's a good man.
He would forgive me.
He would always come
back to me.
Lucky.
Luck is a state of mind.
A state of being.
Nobody can take away your luck.
You can create it.
And it will be all yours.
Is that what you did in Italy?
Find your luck?
I found my man.
I lost everything else.
Do you want to see him?
He's a beautiful man.
He has a beautiful name,
too, Geronimo.
Sounds like
a summer breeze to me.
-He looks spar--
-Don't speak ill of him,
ever in my presence,
you hear me?
He's the only
person in this world
I would really die for.
One. Two. Three.
What are we doing
with the furniture?
The pieces that
are too dirty to sell?
Keep them.
All of them?
All.
Look at this, Dolly.
What is this?
Perhaps you did, I don't recall.
It was the night Father was out,
and his friend from Germany
arrived that day.
Stefan.
We didn't like that man.
His boots were so big,
and he made the floor all dirty.
Father was just
smiling at him, and...
"He's important, be nice."
That's what he said.
As if it didn't even
matter that his...
boots made the house
all slippery and wet.
Made us clean as boots.
So, we drew this cockroach
on this table.
And this cockroach
was living in the boot.
And we-- we called
the cockroach Stefan.
I don't remember.
Yes, and-- and we pretended
this boot was all slippery,
and all smelly.
And the cockroach
wanted to leave.
But we wouldn't allow it.
Why wouldn't we want
him to leave?
I'm not sure.
Oh, look at the little bug.
His eyes wide open,
his mouth so big, and round.
Why, is he in pain?
I hope so.
What was that?
Water.
-Water, where?
-In the bathroom.
Wait, wait,
Wanda, what are you doing?
I want to see it.
No, it's just a broken pipe
probably, wait!
Wait, Wanda, please,
I need to tell you something.
-You see, I locked the door.
-Why?
So nobody would use
the broken pipe.
I wanna see it.
Well, you saw it
before, didn't you?
Or otherwise I would've
used the water,
and take a bath, right?
Or did you lie to me about it
to keep the water
-all to yourself?
-No, I didn't lie.
-You lied to me, Wanda.
-No, I didn't lie.
Tell me the truth,
you lied to me.
-I'm telling you the truth.
-Yes, you're lying to me.
-I'm not lying, I turned the--
-You want the water
-all for yourself, didn't you?
-I'm not.
-No, I'm telling you the truth.
-You used the water.
I'm telling you the truth.
I'm not lying,
-I'm telling you the truth.
-Come on, you're lying to me.
- Yes, you're lying to me.
- I'm not lying.
You want the water
all for yourself, didn't you?
- I'm not.
- You all just wanted the water
for yourself, didn't you?
You lied to me.
-I didn't lie to you.
-Like you lied about the house!
What do you mean?
When were you going
to tell me about this?
Where did you find this?
Papa's collection
of work papers.
Right there, at the bottom.
Hard to find.
-I didn't hide it from you.
-No?
Then Papa did.
Why would he?
Were you looking
for this?
Why would I?
Because it says who's
entitled to the inheritance.
- Does it?
- Most certainly does.
No.
- No?
- No.
I knew it was there.
I put it there
before you arrived.
- Yes, that's so.
- Why?
Because it says who's
entitled to the inheritance.
Me.
The entire inheritance
goes to me.
-You liar.
-This, is-- It says my name.
No!
What did you do?
This is your fault, not mine.
This is your fault.
You knew my letter-- my name is
not even on this stupid letter.
Why did you then even
invite me to come here?
Oh, ho, ho!
Oh! I see.
You wanted to see my face
all red, and blue, and sweaty.
Huh? That's why you
wanted me to come here.
No, this is supposed to be mine.
This whole letter.
This inheritance was
always supposed to be mine.
I'm the elder one, not you.
I'm supposed--
I'm entitled to this.
Oh!
Good plot here. Wow.
I'm not going back to Italy.
Never!
I've lost everything.
No money, no house, nothing.
I've lost it all!
So if you think this is going
to be split, you're wrong.
This is going to be mine.
So don't look at me
with your dull eyes, huh?
This is supposed
to be my inheritance.
So you should be happy.
You won't get an apology.
All these dolls
and the furniture,
we can split that,
and you're out tomorrow.
Split the stupid dolls,
and the stupid furniture,
and then you're out by tomorrow.
You are leaving.
I don't want to see you anymore.
You understand?
You know what? You should be--
You should be actually happy.
You should be happy.
You're free now.
Didn't you tell me about
your poor little sacrifice?
Huh?
Your poor little sacrifice.
"Oh, no. I have
to leave France." Ooh!
Well, now you're free.
Go out there in the world.
You can be free now, huh?
Why aren't you smiling?
Am I good?
Am I beautiful?
Inside.
Give it to me.
I'm not certain about this.
About us?
-No, about this.
-You mean, your sister?
It was my father's wish
to bequeath everything to her.
What?
I don't want
to lose everything again.
I don't want to leave.
Take what's yours.
Take it.
It is ours.
Hmm.
It's good.
All human beings
are born free and equal.
Don't believe it.
And we are too slow,
that we can't finish it.
That we die before
we find our purpose.
Imperfect.
All of us.
Imperfection reveals truth.
Nobody wants
to hear the truth.
Well, no one wants
to hear lies, either.
You go on your adventures,
and do whatever
you feel like doing.
Never looking back,
never being even
slightly interested
or compassionate
about the people
you push out of your way.
You don't care about people.
You didn't care
about father or Theodore.
Not really.
You never did.
You come here with
your false Italian charm,
and your charisma,
and you think you make
people fall in love with you.
With your beauty,
and your charisma,
but the truth is...
you make people around you sick.
You make me sick.
And it has always been this way,
so it was naive of me
to think that
that would have changed.
I should have never told you
Father got sick,
Father passed away,
with your charming ignorance,
you probably wouldn't
have even noticed he's gone.
Are you drunk?
You are a fraud!
And despite the fact
that everybody hates you,
you're still making a pretty
great show out of your life.
Pretending you're still
standing on solid ground,
although you're already falling.
Maybe, maybe I should have
been a little bit
more like you,
early on in life.
That would have saved
me a lot of sleepless nights,
fighting for my dreams,
while taking care
of a sick, old man.
You know what,
I'm actually glad he's gone.
Never really liked him, anyways.
-Father.
-Theodore.
That was our bird.
You decided for both of us,
I didn't have a chance,
I didn't have a voice.
Well, you have a voice now.
So, come on,
tell me how awful I am.
What a monster I am
for having some humanity.
- You killed him.
- I saved him.
You know what, screw it.
I loved getting
rid of that bird.
Call it my secret pleasure.
You know, I should start
claiming what belongs to me,
and stop covering your goofy
inability to live a life.
Here, do you think this,
do you think all of this
is a problem for me?
Oh! Mm! Mm!
Mm! No problem at--
No problem at all.
And do you think
Italians are the only
people who love
the rush of alcohol?
Oh!
Great sip of wine.
Mm!
Dlicieux.
Feels great
to be alive, finally.
Hmm!
I had a choice,
and I chose to be selfish.
Can I ask you one thing?
Please, go ahead,
don't hold yourself back for me.
Why do you hate me so much?
I deserve to be happy, too.
When beauty ages,
what do we have left?
I just wanted to wash my hair.
Do I want too much?
Am I ungrateful, disrespectful?
Do I not understand
the rules of life?
That I can't be someone
that I wasn't born to be?
Or am I resentful,
and scared to give up on the
person I don't want to be
to become someone I could love.
I love you.
It is me, darling.
Welcome home, Piccola.
I really need to pee.
Do you want some tea?
Do you want some tea?
Three spoons of sugar, no milk,
no honey, no cream-- oh.
And you can skip that pitiful
little biscuit at the side
they serve
in Florence all the time.
Would you like
breakfast?
Breakfast?
They don't serve
that in Italy?
All cheese and wine.
I have patties.
Patties.
Um...
How was the ride?
A what?
This whole mess started
this morning when I realized
I'd forgotten
to pack my favorite hat.
-Your what?
-My hat.
-Rat?
-My hat.
-Your hat?
-Hat.
-A hat.
-You remember.
The big one. Borgogna.
Burgundy, the very red one.
Well, I was so sure
I'd put it in my bag,
but then when I opened it
at the train station...
You opened your
suitcase on the train?
No, not on the train.
-That is so dan--
-On the sidewalk.
-The sidewalk.
-The sidewalk.
Well, I didn't want
to get on the train
before finding my favorite hat.
So then I asked
the lead service attendant
if somebody might have
seen my favorite hat.
How would the red hat
get out of your luggage?
Who knows?
Pickpockets, the mafia,
a jealous neighbor.
It could have been anyone.
So, then,
as I rifled through my stuff
on the wet, dirty floor...
suddenly, this giant of a man
suddenly appears behind me.
A giant?
A man. A giant man.
Well, at first I thought
he was Russian.
Yes, so I thought.
He looks down at me
with his wild black beard,
and I'm already
completely out of my mind
because I can't find
my gorgeous hat.
So then I say to him
with my most charming,
most delightful little voice,
soft like honey, I say...
How was I to know
that this was the train driver?
So, shocked, I answered...
Wish I had
my dear Geronimo with me.
He would have helped me.
He's a good man.
He would have
stepped up and said...
Yes, I would have liked that.
Isn't it just lovely being me?
Yes.
Yes it is, indeed.
Wanda?
The tea's almost ready.
What is this?
What? I-- I don't see you.
Did you change the color?
-What color?
-Of the wall.
- The what?
- The wall. Jesus.
The wall is blue now.
I know.
What happened
to the bright yellow one?
Oh, you mean this terrible mix
of grey and orange?
Hm.
When did Papa
find the time to do this?
Wasn't he in bed all the time?
I mean, in his final days.
I mean,
he had to rest a lot, right?
I really like the new color.
It's very sweet.
Fits the spirit of the house.
Thank you.
That's why I changed it.
- You painted it?
- I did.
- Painted the walls blue?
- Mint.
- ]I don't like it.
- I don't care.
I don't mind.
Would you like me to leave?
-You just arrived.
-It makes leaving easier.
Of course
I don't want you to leave.
Well, I asked to come.
You did.
-I did.
-And I agreed.
That's right.
But you didn't invite me.
I didn't.
That was three months ago.
What?
We agreed that I would come by
three months ago.
So?
So perhaps
you've changed your mind.
Would you like me to leave?
I can just--
No, I don't want you to leave.
No?
- No.
- No?
Well, if you want me to stay...
-I want you to...
-If that's your wish...
-It is not my wish.
-...then of course I can stay
-for as long as you want me to.
-I want you to--
No. As long as you need me.
I feel like the fairy godmother.
Is it just fantastic to have
your bigger sister back home?
I should go.
No, I want you to stay, please.
Uh, well,
if you wanted me to stay,
you'd have told me
by now how you've been.
-I mean, how long has it been?
-Three...
-Months?
-...years.
Is your, uh,
painting still going well?
Did you finish
your studies in, um, Paris
-before father got, you know?
-Architecture.
Pardon?
I studied architecture,
not painting.
Well, it all involves colors.
Looks like a task for children,
doesn't it? But I digress.
It was nice.
Nice and enjoyable.
I learned a lot about
what I don't like.
I didn't get
exactly what I like,
but that is fine, too,
because now at least I know
what I'd like to have,
and that I don't have it yet.
But the way to achieve it
is easier because now,
I know what it would look...
if I hadn't learned
what I don't like at all.
Like, not at all, I wouldn't
know what to look for.
Or maybe I wouldn't look at all,
because I wouldn't know
that there's something
better out there
than the current state of mind.
The deadlock I was living in.
I learned...
how I don't like feeling.
But that's better than
not feeling anything at all.
It made me feel feelings.
And that is
most important, isn't it?
You look different. Heavier.
-Muscles are heavy.
-Fat is, too.
Looks lovely, though.
A little extra meat on a bone
never hurt no one, has it?
Not here.
I let him go.
Let him go where?
- Anywhere.
- Anywhere.
Where he can do
whatever he wants to do.
Where did he go?
Oh, he's out in the world,
living life.
-This is life.
-No, I mean life in freedom.
-What is this?
-Sugar.
-What did you do to him?
-A glorious life.
Dolly, what did you
do to him?
I opened it.
Opened the goddamn cage
and let him out.
Why?
To let him free.
-You killed him.
-I did not.
-You're a killer.
-A killer.
He was a goddamn bird.
Oh, now you're already
talking about him in the past.
Oh, please.
They're supposed to live
in the sky, not the ground.
They need the wind,
not the soil.
-They need a protected home.
-No, they don't.
- Theodore didn't.
- How would you know?
He was our bird.
He was a love bird.
And he will love the outside.
It just got too hard.
It took all my time
and attention and I...
You're such a drama queen.
I can't change
my mind about this,
but I truly believe
I did the right thing.
So you think
you did nothing wrong?
It's a bird that was rescued
from a painful life
and eventually,
pitiful death in a cage.
Rescued from me?
Don't you "Soso" me.
Let me get you some more tea.
Aren't they just adorable?
Look at their little hands
and their little, little noses.
I wish I had a nose like that.
I wish I had the same smile.
Do you think we're bad people?
Why, do you?
We haven't seen
each other for years.
Well, that alone
doesn't make us bad people.
We haven't talked
since father got sick.
-And...
-Well, we're all just
unfortunately busy women.
We don't have the luxury
of sitting at home
spinning our minds
about our lives
or what we'll cook for dinner
while we're waiting
for our wealthy husbands
to arrive home.
Sometimes
I find my mind wonder...
would you have come back for me?
I feel responsible, but I--
I can't stop
my train of thoughts
that you wouldn't have come
if it wasn't about father's
death, his inheritance.
I.. I-- I--
catch myself praying
that you came for me.
Inheritance?
I came just for you,
to support you
in your time of mourning.
I do not care at all,
like at all,
about any claim on the house.
You mean that old thing?
What would I even do with it?
I live in Italy now, remember?
What would you do with it?
Well, and I'm so impractical.
I could not care less about
how I'm looking
or what I'm wearing.
Can you imagine
there's women out there
who make a big fuss
about everything,
like the world
only shines for them.
The sun only shines for them.
Frankly,
I can't stand those women.
Terrible.
That's why I came here.
Because you hate
the women in Italy?
-No.
-Because you hate women?
-No. Uh, yes.
-I don't understand.
Well, the good thing is,
I brought us some treats.
Oh.
You know I don't drink.
It's my rule.
Well, rules are here
to be broken.
What else would we enjoy
breaking if not rules?
Promises?
Here is a toast.
Let's celebrate.
What for?
To our inheritance.
To your inheritance.
To father's corpse.
Well, in the past,
people would have
clearly appreciated
the power of the elder sibling.
So you mean.
Well, look up
any kingdom in history,
England, Sweden, Mongolia.
Mongolia was never a kingdom.
What I'm saying is,
they all gave their crown
to the elder sibling.
Well, unless it was a girl.
Well, lucky for us,
we didn't have a brother.
We'd have to kill him
to get our right to the crown.
You're right.
You're right,
you'd have to kill our brother
to get your right to the crown.
You're absolutely right.
I'm glad we weren't born
kings and queens.
Well, maybe not officially.
We're all queens.
In here. Right in here.
Which means you can decide
to live life to the fullest.
I'm not sure about that.
There's nothing
to be unsure about.
Life is a whirlwind.
And even
if you weren't born rich,
which most of us
weren't anyways...
you can decide
to live a rich life.
Behave like a queen,
and people
will treat you like one.
Boop!
You should be fine
taking a bath now.
Can't wait.
I feel all itchy and dirty.
Well, seems like
somebody forgot to pay the bill.
Just yesterday,
the water was still working
and the kitchen sink works. I--
I don't understand.
Do you understand?
Do I look like a water engineer?
You could wash
your hair in the sink.
With grease and kitchen soap?
Here, I'll fill
a tub of hot water.
Just wait, just wait here,
or the bedroom.
Where are you?
I'm on my way.
Shut up.
Look at you. You look beautiful.
Mm! Mm.
No, I'm serious.
No, no. Mm!
Oh...
Why did you come now?
Because you told me to.
But not now.
Holy, it's way too early.
They threw me out of the room.
They kicked me out
when you left.
I had nowhere else to go.
There was no water anymore.
Nobody had paid the bill.
Where was I supposed to go?
But my sister is still in there.
Then let's go and say hello.
Oh. How would you like to die?
I'm too young
to think about that.
Well, if the answer
isn't cut into tiny pieces
with a dull knife
so the process is very slow,
very painful,
don't go in there.
I love your sister already.
She wouldn't be
the one to kill you.
I just need you to wait
for a few more days.
Days?
Where am I supposed to go?
I ju-- just haven't talked
with Wanda about it yet.
Okay, well,
what about the inheritance?
You said that
if there was a will,
your father
would have absolutamente
made you the only heir.
And if there was no will,
you would still
have received the house
because you are the eldest.
Yes, Geronimo,
yes, I know what I've said, but,
things turned out differently,
not like I expected.
I didn't find
the letter of inheritance yet,
which means that
the house is mine,
but I just didn't find
the time to tell her yet.
She's still so fragile.
She's still in mourning.
It's been-- it's been three
months since he passed away
and God knows why,
but she won't talk about it.
She's like
one of those stray dogs.
But it was her-- her father.
Mine, too.
-What?
-He was my father, too.
But you never really cared.
I did.
I-- I do care about
my sister now,
which-- which is why
I can't just storm in there
and take away her house.
I mean, she loves it.
God, she even painted
the walls blue.
You know,
we can't go back to Italy.
We have nowhere else to go,
our place is gone,
and money vanishes
like children in America.
Yes, yes, I know, I know that.
Amora, I-- I don't
understand this hesitancy.
You never really
cared about him.
-I did.
-It's okay.
I... Just not enough.
It's good to be home.
I just need
a few more hours.
Where would you like me to go?
Do you trust me?
I'm so ready for my footbath.
Who was at the door?
Uh, just, uh,
a confused neighbor.
Was it Tony? Laubner?
-No.
-Tony.
Did he say his name was Tony?
Tony Laubner?
-No.
-Dark eyes, violent hands?
No.
-Was it Mr. Schuller?
-Who?
Mr. Schuller,
father's friend from Vienna?
No.
They went
to elementary school together.
Nostalgia, hmm?
I always admired you.
Really?
You're beautiful.
-No, I'm not.
-Yes, you are.
-I'm ignorant.
-I'm ugly.
No.
No, you just admire my passion.
My passion to travel and...
my ignorance
towards the people I love.
That's nothing to be proud of.
-I'm...
-What?
Moins que rien.
-Wanda?
-What?
What does it mean?
-What?
-"Moins que rien."
Less than nothing.
Only sometimes I...
- What?
- I-- I--
-What? Tell me.
-Uh, I feel-- I--
Just tell me, Wanda.
I'm tired.
I'm tired of always playing nice
and pretending, you know?
I-- People play with me.
They play a mindless game
and they think
I don't know, but I do know.
I-- I know
when they play with me.
I feel I want to say something.
-What, now?
-No, not now.
-I mean in general.
-In general?
- I mean in a situation.
- In what situation?
It's just-- a situation.
-Like what?
-Just any situation.
Like when
you're tired of the day
and all you want to do
is eat dinner in silence,
but there are all these people
and they keep
talking and talking and talking
and-- and do you just
want to eat your dinner?
And there are all these voices
and they just don't stop
and all you want to say is...
But you keep quiet
and you keep playing nice,
and you keep
all this anger stored inside
for a much bigger event.
Release it.
What?
The anger.
No.
But you must.
- I must.
- You must.
It's your responsibility
to yourself, to life.
-No, I can't.
-Yes, you can.
-I can't.
-Yes.
How?
Howl.
Like a wolf. Howl.
No.
No, I can't.
- Yes, you can.
- No, I can't.
- Snap out of this.
- What?
This pitiful little
comfort zone you're sitting in.
I'm not comfortable.
You make me feel uneasy.
Good.
Yes. Roar like a bear.
-What was that?
-I-- Th--That was a bear.
That's not a bear.
That was not even a baby bear.
That was a kitten. Come on.
Now start moving.
Move your body to it.
It's like-- like dancing.
You have to feel it
in your whole body.
-I can't--
-Yes.
Now feel it, in here.
See, see.
It's like a dance, like a dance,
to the left, to the right.
-I deserve to be happy.
-You do.
No, say it.
I deserve to be happy.
-Mean it.
-I deserve to be happy.
Yes.
The bear inside of me.
Feel the wolf.
The bear.
-So what are you?
-I'm a bear.
-A bear.
-A bear.
-Yes.
-A bear.
What other animals are there?
Huh?
-What ar--
-Um, um, um, a-- a-- a dog.
A bird. What are you?
What are you? What are you?
Close your eyes.
Good. Which animal--
Which animal can you see?
Um, I see a bird.
-Yeah.
-I see-- I see a fish.
I see a cat.
- I see...
- Yes.
All right.
Um, come here.
What animal are you?
Are you a pack?
Are you a--
a rebel loner?
Are you a reptile?
A bird? A fish?
-A bird.
-A bird?
I'm sure. I'm a bird.
I'm a bird of paradise.
I'm a gorilla.
What are you, Wanda?
Come on, tell me.
What are you, Wanda?
-I'm...
-Show me your animal.
I'm...
I'm-- I'm a lion.
I learned his handwriting.
I learned so I could sign
all his medical documents.
He was so weak.
Isn't that interesting?
How such a strength of a man
can die down
into something so fragile.
Like a raisin.
Once big and sour,
it turns into something
so small and sweet.
Yeah.
I really do love humans.
They're so beautiful
and versatile.
And they always try
to find a purpose in life.
Always try to build, to create,
to adjust,
to make better, to perfect.
But most of the time
we're failing.
We're too slow.
We die before we can finish it.
Whatever it is our heart wants
and then we spend our lives
living for this one thing
that we'll never
be able to finish.
There's always more.
Bah!
I-- I like it.
I like the thought...
that we're so small.
But our minds are so big,
filled with so many things.
Almost unbearable.
Well, you really
have to love what you do
in order to do it forever.
Is that why you studied
fashion in Italy?
No.
I studied fashion
to become rich.
And did you?
In Italy, I mean.
Have you ever felt loved? Truly.
And I don't mean
the half-hearted love
a father gets his daughters,
I mean...
the love that makes you feel
like a queen.
Like you would sacrifice
your life for someone.
When Farouk got sick,
I left school
in France to take care of him.
I didn't tell you before,
because I didn't want
you to worry.
Hmm.
And every night, every night,
we would sit down at dinner,
and he would tell me
all the stories
about the past, and childhood,
and... Austria.
And... most of the stories
were about you.
He loved you more.
They didn't let me finish
my studies in France.
I missed most of my exams.
He never asked me how
I felt about that sacrifice.
Maybe that's true love?
No.
How did it feel when he hit you?
I hurt my lovers,
because we were taught to do so.
I hit Geronimo.
One, two, three times.
But he's a good man.
He would forgive me.
He would always come
back to me.
Lucky.
Luck is a state of mind.
A state of being.
Nobody can take away your luck.
You can create it.
And it will be all yours.
Is that what you did in Italy?
Find your luck?
I found my man.
I lost everything else.
Do you want to see him?
He's a beautiful man.
He has a beautiful name,
too, Geronimo.
Sounds like
a summer breeze to me.
-He looks spar--
-Don't speak ill of him,
ever in my presence,
you hear me?
He's the only
person in this world
I would really die for.
One. Two. Three.
What are we doing
with the furniture?
The pieces that
are too dirty to sell?
Keep them.
All of them?
All.
Look at this, Dolly.
What is this?
Perhaps you did, I don't recall.
It was the night Father was out,
and his friend from Germany
arrived that day.
Stefan.
We didn't like that man.
His boots were so big,
and he made the floor all dirty.
Father was just
smiling at him, and...
"He's important, be nice."
That's what he said.
As if it didn't even
matter that his...
boots made the house
all slippery and wet.
Made us clean as boots.
So, we drew this cockroach
on this table.
And this cockroach
was living in the boot.
And we-- we called
the cockroach Stefan.
I don't remember.
Yes, and-- and we pretended
this boot was all slippery,
and all smelly.
And the cockroach
wanted to leave.
But we wouldn't allow it.
Why wouldn't we want
him to leave?
I'm not sure.
Oh, look at the little bug.
His eyes wide open,
his mouth so big, and round.
Why, is he in pain?
I hope so.
What was that?
Water.
-Water, where?
-In the bathroom.
Wait, wait,
Wanda, what are you doing?
I want to see it.
No, it's just a broken pipe
probably, wait!
Wait, Wanda, please,
I need to tell you something.
-You see, I locked the door.
-Why?
So nobody would use
the broken pipe.
I wanna see it.
Well, you saw it
before, didn't you?
Or otherwise I would've
used the water,
and take a bath, right?
Or did you lie to me about it
to keep the water
-all to yourself?
-No, I didn't lie.
-You lied to me, Wanda.
-No, I didn't lie.
Tell me the truth,
you lied to me.
-I'm telling you the truth.
-Yes, you're lying to me.
-I'm not lying, I turned the--
-You want the water
-all for yourself, didn't you?
-I'm not.
-No, I'm telling you the truth.
-You used the water.
I'm telling you the truth.
I'm not lying,
-I'm telling you the truth.
-Come on, you're lying to me.
- Yes, you're lying to me.
- I'm not lying.
You want the water
all for yourself, didn't you?
- I'm not.
- You all just wanted the water
for yourself, didn't you?
You lied to me.
-I didn't lie to you.
-Like you lied about the house!
What do you mean?
When were you going
to tell me about this?
Where did you find this?
Papa's collection
of work papers.
Right there, at the bottom.
Hard to find.
-I didn't hide it from you.
-No?
Then Papa did.
Why would he?
Were you looking
for this?
Why would I?
Because it says who's
entitled to the inheritance.
- Does it?
- Most certainly does.
No.
- No?
- No.
I knew it was there.
I put it there
before you arrived.
- Yes, that's so.
- Why?
Because it says who's
entitled to the inheritance.
Me.
The entire inheritance
goes to me.
-You liar.
-This, is-- It says my name.
No!
What did you do?
This is your fault, not mine.
This is your fault.
You knew my letter-- my name is
not even on this stupid letter.
Why did you then even
invite me to come here?
Oh, ho, ho!
Oh! I see.
You wanted to see my face
all red, and blue, and sweaty.
Huh? That's why you
wanted me to come here.
No, this is supposed to be mine.
This whole letter.
This inheritance was
always supposed to be mine.
I'm the elder one, not you.
I'm supposed--
I'm entitled to this.
Oh!
Good plot here. Wow.
I'm not going back to Italy.
Never!
I've lost everything.
No money, no house, nothing.
I've lost it all!
So if you think this is going
to be split, you're wrong.
This is going to be mine.
So don't look at me
with your dull eyes, huh?
This is supposed
to be my inheritance.
So you should be happy.
You won't get an apology.
All these dolls
and the furniture,
we can split that,
and you're out tomorrow.
Split the stupid dolls,
and the stupid furniture,
and then you're out by tomorrow.
You are leaving.
I don't want to see you anymore.
You understand?
You know what? You should be--
You should be actually happy.
You should be happy.
You're free now.
Didn't you tell me about
your poor little sacrifice?
Huh?
Your poor little sacrifice.
"Oh, no. I have
to leave France." Ooh!
Well, now you're free.
Go out there in the world.
You can be free now, huh?
Why aren't you smiling?
Am I good?
Am I beautiful?
Inside.
Give it to me.
I'm not certain about this.
About us?
-No, about this.
-You mean, your sister?
It was my father's wish
to bequeath everything to her.
What?
I don't want
to lose everything again.
I don't want to leave.
Take what's yours.
Take it.
It is ours.
Hmm.
It's good.
All human beings
are born free and equal.
Don't believe it.
And we are too slow,
that we can't finish it.
That we die before
we find our purpose.
Imperfect.
All of us.
Imperfection reveals truth.
Nobody wants
to hear the truth.
Well, no one wants
to hear lies, either.
You go on your adventures,
and do whatever
you feel like doing.
Never looking back,
never being even
slightly interested
or compassionate
about the people
you push out of your way.
You don't care about people.
You didn't care
about father or Theodore.
Not really.
You never did.
You come here with
your false Italian charm,
and your charisma,
and you think you make
people fall in love with you.
With your beauty,
and your charisma,
but the truth is...
you make people around you sick.
You make me sick.
And it has always been this way,
so it was naive of me
to think that
that would have changed.
I should have never told you
Father got sick,
Father passed away,
with your charming ignorance,
you probably wouldn't
have even noticed he's gone.
Are you drunk?
You are a fraud!
And despite the fact
that everybody hates you,
you're still making a pretty
great show out of your life.
Pretending you're still
standing on solid ground,
although you're already falling.
Maybe, maybe I should have
been a little bit
more like you,
early on in life.
That would have saved
me a lot of sleepless nights,
fighting for my dreams,
while taking care
of a sick, old man.
You know what,
I'm actually glad he's gone.
Never really liked him, anyways.
-Father.
-Theodore.
That was our bird.
You decided for both of us,
I didn't have a chance,
I didn't have a voice.
Well, you have a voice now.
So, come on,
tell me how awful I am.
What a monster I am
for having some humanity.
- You killed him.
- I saved him.
You know what, screw it.
I loved getting
rid of that bird.
Call it my secret pleasure.
You know, I should start
claiming what belongs to me,
and stop covering your goofy
inability to live a life.
Here, do you think this,
do you think all of this
is a problem for me?
Oh! Mm! Mm!
Mm! No problem at--
No problem at all.
And do you think
Italians are the only
people who love
the rush of alcohol?
Oh!
Great sip of wine.
Mm!
Dlicieux.
Feels great
to be alive, finally.
Hmm!
I had a choice,
and I chose to be selfish.
Can I ask you one thing?
Please, go ahead,
don't hold yourself back for me.
Why do you hate me so much?
I deserve to be happy, too.
When beauty ages,
what do we have left?
I just wanted to wash my hair.
Do I want too much?
Am I ungrateful, disrespectful?
Do I not understand
the rules of life?
That I can't be someone
that I wasn't born to be?
Or am I resentful,
and scared to give up on the
person I don't want to be
to become someone I could love.
I love you.
It is me, darling.