The Italian Key (2011) Movie Script
Once upon a time, there was a girl.
A girl who didn't believe
in fairy tales.
Maybe because no one had read them
to her when she was little.
For her, there were
no princes living in castles.
No enchanted farm hands.
No happy endings.
Only sad beginnings.
Cabella often stood on the bridge when
she needed to think about her life.
And, as her life
was a little complicated...
she needed to think about it
quite often.
She was an orphan...
and had lived with her guardian Max
for as long as she could remember.
Max had been a good man, and the only
person who had ever cared about her.
He had never told Cabella
anything about her parents...
or why she was left in his care.
Now he was gone,
and it was too late to find out.
This is Mr. Upton from Hammersmith,
Fitzroy and Upton Law.
Unfortunately, he didn't leave a will.
You should be aware that all of Mr.
Featherstonehaugh's assets...
are being transferred to his mother,
including the Belsize apartment.
I recommend you pack
your personal belongings...
and vacate the apartment
before that. Good day.
Max was always very kind, but he had
also been strangely sad and withdrawn.
The next morning,
Cabella packed her bag...
and said her goodbyes to
everything that reminded her of Max.
She couldn't take much with her...
but she wanted to bring
something to remember him by.
A book that she had seen Max reading.
The Kanota Palace in Jaipur.
An Arabian thoroughbred
called Maktoum.
The Rembrant portrait
of his son, Titus.
A set of
diamond-encrusted cufflinks...
Max's mother had never much liked
his orphan protge.
And Cabella had to muster
the little courage that she had...
to face the Featherstonehaughs
once more.
Max's nieces,
Amanda and Adeline...
certainly had never gone
the extra mile...
to make her feel that
she belonged to the family.
Thank you so much.
Mr. Featherstonehaugh
left this in my hands...
in case anything like this happened.
He said it contains some answers
about your family history.
- This is for you.
- Thank you.
What the hell is she even doing here?
Interfering with our family business.
Au revoir! Bon voyage!
From when she was little Cabella had
imagined what her parents were like.
Secretly hoping that one fine day,
they would finally come to get her.
Now, if she had parents...
they would have told her
not to go on some wild goose chase...
after some address
and a rusty old key.
But she was on her own.
And, for better or for worse, she was
going to get to the bottom of this.
This is a Magnani.
This key has been made by us,
by our factory.
This MM.
2900. Which is the number
which was written in the key.
Duemille cinquecento dieciotto...
- It's Villa Rosa dei Venti, here.
- Is there an address?
- Cabella!
- What?
Cabella is a small village.
This is your village!
Buona fortuna, signorina!
Oh! Hi, I saw you yesterday
at the waterfall.
Hello? Can I pay?
He can't hear you.
This is my cousin Leo.
He is deaf and mute.
Oh.
My parents say he talked
when he was very small.
He used to play with some
children in the village.
What happened?
Nobody knows, one day he was like that
and never spoke again.
- Are you visiting for the summer?
- Yeah, I guess.
- Or maybe I live here.
- No, you don't.
Believe me, I would have noticed
if you lived here.
Nothing ever happens here,
and nobody ever moves here.
- I'm staying in the pink villa.
- No one's been there in ages!
Ok!
Poi st anche dormendo.
- Si sveglia!
- Maria, ma st dormendo!
Ciao!
- Truth or dare?
- Truth.
So, what do you most need
to mend your broken heart?
Hmm, I think I need
more evenings like this.
See Sophia, she liked my question!
You get another question.
Maria?
- Well, Sophia and I where wondering...
- No I wasn't!
- Ok. I was wondering.
- You were wondering?
Have you ever been in love?
I liked this guy at school once,
but he didn't even know my name.
I was quiet and not that interesting.
That sounds kind of familiar, doesn't
it, Maria? Only you're not quiet.
- Yes Maria, who do you like?
- Shut up! Nobody.
- She loves Lord Jai.
- I do not!
Who on earth is Lord Jai?
Sounds like some old guy.
- He's not that old!
- See that?
He's the guy that lives
in the castle over there.
I saw it on the way here.
It's huge! He must be quite rich.
Oh yes! He drives around
with a chauffeur.
- And he wears fancy cashmere shawls.
- And his servants have uniforms!
And from today,
Maria is going to be one of them.
She took the job
just to be closer to him!
- I did not! I don't even like him.
- Sure.
Girls! Lord Jai must be reading
the Mahabharata in bed.
Look he's up there!
Cabella!
House?
I might have had a bad dream.
Do you mind if I talk to you
for a moment?
Sorry if I woke you up.
No, I never sleep.
Did you say something?
Here I am!
Oh, you're so young.
Well, that depends. I have been nine
for over a hundred years.
- It's okay, I'm over it.
- Why are you here?
I came here with my master
to sweep the chimney, but I got stuck.
It was really narrow.
I am so sorry.
I've lost someone I love...
and I've been wondering
how does it feel to die.
I'll tell you what it's like to die if
you remind me what it's like to live.
First I felt this tingling
in my chest...
and a coolness
all over my body.
Like a swim in a river
on a very hot day.
All my pain went away.
I felt the presence
of something very comforting.
And I wasn't afraid.
No past, no future,
just the present moment.
I started to feel
everything around me.
Feelings emanating from people too.
Can you feel
the feelings I emanate now?
You're afraid of
sleeping in the dark...
and would like someone
to watch you fall asleep.
Lord Jai's car!
- Is he actually a lord?
- No. He is just very rich.
Is he British? - No, that's
the weird thing, he's Indian.
On Tuesdays,
he practices with his fencing teacher.
He has two horses,
he went to boarding school...
and he moved here three years ago.
I remember when I saw him
for the first time.
Cabella?
I once thought I wanted to
jump and give it all up.
Have you ever... You know?
No! I think my life is too exciting
a book to be left unread.
Your book looks
pretty interesting too.
So you're real! I wasn't dreaming.
Now it's your turn:
Tell me what it's like to live.
Well, for the longest time
I didn't even feel alive.
I never fitted in.
I was always angry.
- Angry? Why?
- Because everything is so unfair.
What's so unfair?
Everything.
I didn't know who I was, who
my parents were, why they left me.
- Would it help you if you knew?
- Probably not.
They abandoned me! They left me
with no one to love or trust.
Well, isn't it up to you
to trust or love someone?
Never thought of it that way.
Anger wears off pretty soon.
The things that you deeply love
stay on forever.
For me it was the memory of my mother.
What would that be for you?
I don't know.
I don't have anyone to love.
There are millions of people
out there.
Maybe it's that you don't
want to love someone? - Go away!
Come back!
So, which one is it?
Think about it, I have all eternity.
Cabella!
- Good morning.
- Hi Maria.
Oh? It was you? Thanks for the eggs.
Me? I didn't bring them.
Who is it from?
- I don't know, same thing yesterday.
- You must have a friend in a farm.
I don't know anyone beside you.
A secret admirer then?
How romantic!
Oh my God, I almost forgot,
we need to go!
She'd never been outside the village,
or in a car...
and her last wish was
that she didn't have to ride one.
Even to the cemetery.
- What did she die of?
- I have no idea.
But she was really old.
And mean.
This would be the first time I'm
at a nun's funeral in my pajamas.
Are those men her relatives?
No. They were her clients,
from the restaurant by the church.
I think they secretly loved her.
Poor Giulia,
a couple of years ago she dreamt...
that her future husband would
come to the village on the bus.
There's a bus?
It comes once a day,
but there's never anybody on it.
And she waits every day?
She pretends not to, but she just
happens to be on the square when...
See?
So, you have Lord Jai,
and Giulia has the bus.
- How about Sofia?
- She's only interested in painting.
And there aren't many boys
of our age anyway.
It's really just old men and us!
- I didn't tell her. It's not her fault.
- Good, it has nothing to do with her.
Why'd she have a heart attack when she
heard someone moved into her house?
Maybe she lived there
before becoming a nun? - Maria?
Cavolo!
Ciao Cabella!
A touch of rosmarino
and a little bit of salvia.
- Are you following, Cabella?
- Pay attention, signorina.
If the pasta is not al dente,
the Italians will kill you!
But that's not what killed
sister Ambrosia, right?
Ok, we'll tell you. - We heard this
from the doctor's assistant.
Who, by the way, is her boyfriend.
- Never was and never will be.
- Always was, always will.
Come on. Sister Ambrosia?
Someone told her that
you moved into the house.
- And he is her boyfriend.
- No he's not!
But for some reason, she was shocked
and had a heart attack.
Maybe she lived here, before.
Or someone she knew.
So, not only I went to
her funeral in my pajamas...
but I also kind of killed her.
- Oh no, I'm gonna be late for work.
- You mean your "work"?
We could also use a maid at home,
you know?
Dust particles, tremble!
What a cleaning queen!
Lord Jai must feel so lucky.
Ok, I admit it, you're right.
It's also my responsibility
to love and trust people.
I'm glad you feel that way. After all,
you have a lot going for you.
You're alive, for instance!
An old nun had a heart attack when
she heard I moved into the house.
- How do you explain that?
- I can't tell you.
But if you dig a bit deeper,
you will find out.
You mean I have to go to the cemetery?
I didn't mean literally digging,
but it's not a bad idea.
You don't seem surprised at all.
At this age, there aren't
many surprises in store.
Don't go, tell me a story.
Okay.
In a distant land, there was a boy.
The boy lived with his mother.
His mother worked at a brick factory.
And in this factory...
animals, women and men toiled
all day under the scorching sun.
The boy's mother carried bricks
from morning till evening.
The boy, he wanted to go to school
but they didn't have any money.
They lived in a tiny brick house...
next to the big oven, in which bricks
were being burned day and night.
Cabella!
On the left, the final resting place
of the famiglia Storato.
My grandmother Cecilia's.
And so there are her two sisters
Eugenia, Alice, their parents...
Ciao, cari!
You're so lucky to have
such a big family.
I Think that's old Bronzini.
I don't think I've ever seen him come
this close to the village before.
He has a vineyard up on the hill.
Chiara!
Chiara wrote in Max's book.
With hearts and everything.
Do you think she was
a relative of the nun?
Usually members of the same family
are buried next to each other.
But I don't think
I've ever heard of her.
Sister Ambrosia already has
so many flowers.
I'll leave this one to Chiara instead.
Welcome back, Fabian.
I sent for you as soon as I heard.
You can stay as long as you like.
You'll feel better in no time.
- Girls, I'm still curious about...
- Sister Ambrosia?
- Who knew her?
- All of them, I think.
Can you ask them?
La mia amica vorrebbe sapere qualcosa
di piu sulla Sorella Ambrosia.
La cuoca piu brava della regione,
penso.
He says she was
the best cook in all Piemonte.
Era bella, bellissima! - Ma aveva
un caracterino ma di scherzo.
He says she had a... bad character?
But who really knew her? - Che qualcuno
che la conosceva davvero?
Bronzini.
Bronzini la conosceva.
The old man we saw at the cemetery.
You should ask Leo to take you to him.
Why would Lord Jai come to live
in the village in the first place?
I don't know. Why not?
It's a nice village,
if you like... this kind of thing.
And it has the most beautiful
cleaning lady in the world.
- Lord Jai must be so smitten!
- I don't even think he has noticed me.
He's mostly riding the grounds
or studying his papers.
He is looking for a missing relative
or something like that.
Do you know who he is looking for?
No, but I've heard him over the phone
and he seems pretty desperate.
He gets reports from
a private investigator in London.
- That stuff is all over his desk.
- Can you get us in?
Where is everyone?
I think he went to fetch a friend
of his who was in an accident.
- Where is the study?
- Up there.
Cabella.
I can hear them,
they're having dinner. - Maria!
Don't touch anything.
I am going to get into
so much trouble!
I can hear them!
Hide, they're coming!
- You're giving me your room?
- You looked out for me at school.
- This is my study now.
- That was long ago.
- Still not sleeping on a bed, are you?
- Not until I find her.
My advice is to give it up.
You'll never find her.
The room gets the morning sun.
I am sure you'll feel better
already in the morning.
I'll never feel better.
I don't even feel my feet anymore.
I got it.
The doctor said it's not impossible
that one day...
Just get out of here.
You don't know what it's like,
never to ride, to fence.
Never to sail a boat ever again, ok?
I'll ask Maria to bring you breakfast
at ten. That'll cheer you up.
She is the prettiest of the maids.
I'm a cripple. You might as well
send the ugliest one.
- I'm lucky if she looks at me twice.
- As you wish, my friend.
- Good night.
- Yeah.
Ghosty boy!
Handclap? Ghosty boy?
I'm not your genie!
- And how shall I call you then?
- How about my real name? Angelo.
How was your day?
The usual, practicing my scary laugh,
a bit of haunting.
I went to the cemetery, and I saw that
on the other grave was Chiara's name.
Just like in the book.
So, Chiara is connected to the nun,
but she is also connected to Max.
- Who was she?
- That's what you have to find out.
- So you actually already know?
- My lips are sealed, bound by an oath.
To whom?
To her? You knew her?
She used to live here.
This is her house.
These are her things.
What did she die of?
Oh please, just this one thing.
She got sick in India.
Can't say more.
I was officially liberated,
but I stayed on for a mission.
If I compromise it,
I disappear, little by little.
Okay, okay. Say no more.
I'll find out myself. Just stay.
Dear Leo, I heard from Maria you go
up to Bronzini's house on Sundays.
Can I join you? Cabella.
P.S. Thanks for the apples.
Maria, this is what our mystery woman
Chiara, who lived in my house...
wrote to my uncle Max.
"To my dear Max."
"Thank you for
all your love and loyalty."
"May you take care of
what's most valuable to me."
"This book has everything
I want to pass on."
"So much love, Chiara."
Is it good? Read me something.
"Like a giant oak tree
covered with apple blossoms...
is the vast man in you."
"His might binds you to the earth,
his fragrance lifts you into space...
and in his durability
you are deathless."
"You have been told that,
even like a chain...
you are as weak as your weakest link.
This is but half the truth."
"You are also as strong
as your strongest link."
"To measure you
by your smallest deed...
is to reckon the power of ocean
by the frailty of its foam.''
"To judge you by your failures...
is to cast blame upon the seasons
for their inconsistency."
So, it means we're actually
better and stronger that we think?
I think so.
Her mom really wants her
to marry another man.
- And at the beginning they...
- Girls, I have to go. Bye bye!
Bye!
Get my hat!
It must be five to the bus.
Oh, I have to go to work, so I need to
go home and get ready.
Cabella, what are we gonna do
with these romantic fools?
- Nothing. I kind of envy them.
- Really? I don't.
I so prefer my peace of mind.
See you later!
There are deer in the forest.
And when she sits there very quietly,
they let her paint them.
Leo, my boy. How are you? Welcome.
And who's your lovely young friend?
Hello, I am Cabella,
just like the village.
Welcome Cabella,
just like the village.
So what brings you
to this edge of Italy?
This key.
It was given to me by my uncle Max.
Who wasn't really my uncle at all.
And have you found the lock
that fits the key?
Villa Rosa Dei Venti, near the castle.
I saw you at the cemetery
and I needed to ask you about the nun.
Please, I need to know.
It's quite important.
It is not so easy.
Ambrosia.
To me she was Ambrosia.
Later sister Ambrosia.
We were sweethearts.
We had the most beautiful summer.
And then...
Everything changed, she was
different, she wouldn't talk to me.
She was very religious before, but now
she was all the time in church.
So...
She was with child.
She told everyone that
Virgin Mary had appeared...
and that she, herself,
was a virgin.
And to prove she was
a true bride of Christ...
she gave up the child,
and took her convent vows.
Little Chiara was taken to
the convent orphanage in Genoa.
At that point,
I... gave up the village.
And came here, never to return.
Ambrosia, so proud, so stubborn.
Sometimes you just must accept
what you can't change.
Checkmate! I do it every time.
Everybody's lost someone or something.
Everybody's had a broken heart.
Bronzini, looking down at the village,
but never going there.
Lord Jai,
searching for a missing person.
And his friend, angry because
he may never walk again.
And me, living alone in a big house.
You can't escape it. What do you do
with a world full of sad people?
You're a good listener, Leo.
You must have planted this.
It will give food, shelter,
and a home to so many living beings.
Maybe that's how one can be happy.
One day and one tree at a time.
He would have to be quiet,
understanding...
and he should be able to listen.
And, he has to be independent
and has to help me.
I know this sounds very old style,
like finding the food and stuff...
but something like that.
That would be a perfect man.
What do you think of that, Maria?
- Giulia? Sophia? Are you all sleeping?
- Not anymore.
Maria, I would like to request your
presence at the party next Saturday.
As my guest of course.
Bring your sisters too, if you like.
Too short, too loud,
too frumpy and too floral.
- Where are all the evening gowns?
- Maybe she didn't have any.
Maybe she was like me,
not the outgoing type.
Suitcase! Hold this.
Maria!
- Try it on.
- But...
No buts, try!
Que bello!
An evening bag, to go with it!
Maria? Look.
It's the same handwriting.
See, it's her's! Let's read something!
- It's a diary, it's private.
- Not anymore.
It's in Italian!
Oh. I talked to Bronzini.
He told me that Chiara
was sister Ambrosia's child.
- But she was a nun!
- I guess that was the problem.
She was sent to an orphanage
and then to a boarding school.
So this might have some juicy secrets.
"Maybe it's
all the colors and smells of India...
but I find myself
oddly hungry for life.''
Every single morning of my life
in the convent...
I've gotten up at dawn and
hurried through the cold corridors...
to kneel on the hard floor
while Latin prayers were recited.
But one morning, I arrived to India.
To the smell of spices and incense...
to the sound of peacocks and the
distant echo of devotional songs.
The charity of the Holy Trinity
had organized a room for me...
at the residence of a
Mr. Featherstonehaugh...
who had previously rented
extra rooms at his palace to nuns...
who wished to spread
the Almighty's love...
by helping the poor in Jaipur's slums.
I had imagined
Mr. Featherstonehaugh...
to be the kind of old gentleman
who likes to sit in the evening sun...
while sipping his dry martini
and listening to ancient music...
and I was only mistaken about his age.
He was no older than I.
Maximilian Featherstonehaugh,
or Max...
never leaves his compound,
and only socializes with his servants.
They're used to his mood swings,
but they love him anyway...
and indulge him in
whatever seems to make him happy.
He is the strangest character
and hasn't paid me much attention.
Although I think he is secretly
observing my comings and goings...
and is probably just as curious
about me as I am about him.
He is an artist.
And when he's not reading...
or carrying the weight of the world
on his shoulders...
he whiles away the hours painting
only the things he is truly fond of:
Still lives, animals and
his most trusted servants...
as gods and goddesses
of the Hindu mythology.
He is somehow
tortured and fascinating...
and I hope I will get
to know him better.
Oh look!
This might be interesting: A drawing.
"On Tuesdays and Thursdays
we work in the slum."
"I have come to await these days,
because it is amazing to witness -
the sheer joy of these people
who own absolutely nothing...
but know how to
enjoy the gift of life."
Our lives look so different...
but in essence,
are they that different at all?
Don't we all feel
the same happiness and joy...
sorrow, loneliness and longing?
There is one more reason why I like
the days I spend in the slum.
Alexander.
He seems like a very decent man...
and I have come to admire
his character and good heart.
I heard that he used to be
a promising pianist...
but that one day he got tired
of his music, sold his grand piano...
and with that money,
started a slum school.
It's very hot today. Everybody,
take your tie, and use it as a fan.
Ah! Feels much better!
"This was his way of
taking a break from all that playing."
- Aww, they're falling in love!
- That last sentence was yours, right?
I love Alexander,
she should so choose him.
No way, Max is coolest, go Max!
Chiara, this is the voice of your
conscience, pick Alexander! - Come on!
Max had organized
a surprise birthday party for me.
And he seems to be
much more sociable than before.
Something seems to unite
these two very different men.
I had never gotten
this kind of attention before...
and it felt both flattering
and a little dangerous.
As a birthday present, Max wanted to
paint a portrait of me as a Goddess...
who was worshiped by the painters
and musicians in need of inspiration.
While sitting
- or standing - for him...
I grew to like this kind and
eccentric man more and more.
Wow, you're getting better.
So, Chiara was the girl
living in this house, right?
- And the church sent her out to India.
- Where she met Max. My Max.
And this guy called Alexander.
My Alexander.
You don't even know him! I knew Max,
and he was worthy of her love.
Chiara likes both of them but she
doesn't know which one to choose.
- Max is intelligent.
- Alexander is sensitive.
- Which one does she choose in the end?
- We don't know yet.
Let's bet!
If she chooses Alexander, then you
have to go to Lord Jai's ball.
Okay. But, if she chooses Max...
you have to confess your love
to Lord Jai at the ball.
- Sounds good. I vote for the bet!
- Me too!
Ok then.
But Alexander better up the charm.
Here we go.
"Dear God, I am sorry to ask you
for such a frivolous thing...
but give me a sign, anything."
Today Alexander seemed
pensive and moody.
He had received news
that his mother was gravely ill.
His pianist father was on tour,
and requested...
that his son returned immediately
to take care of his mother...
whose only wish was that
Alexander could be by her side.
He decided to go back to Europe.
I couldn't believe how saddened I was
when I heard of his departure...
and I understood that I had
developed strong feelings towards him.
I felt I couldn't let him go
without finding out...
if he had similar feelings
towards me.
"I don't know what came upon me
in that moment... ''
And the rest is censored from
innocent young girls like ourselves.
- That's unfair, give it to me.
- I'll tell you this:
Alexander the Great got the girl,
and you are coming to the ball!
- Poor Max.
- He was a good guy.
Yeah, but she didn't choose him
in the end. - Well, not yet.
- You know the story?
- Look at the book.
Chiara was my mother?
Cabella.
We named you after the village,
so you could find your way home.
You are loved, Cabella.
You always will be.
The asset is a villa, novecento style,
on three floors, large gated grounds.
Estimated value of property...
200000 euros.
That's yours, Miss Featherstonehaugh -
and Miss Featherstonehaugh.
- It's ours!
- Totally.
- Give us the key.
- The police will be here any minute.
The house? - It was uncle Max's,
so it belongs to us now.
Oh, right on time.
Arrest her!
- Uncle Max left everything to us.
- The Featherstonehaughs.
Zio Max. Molto euro...
to the Featherstonehaughs.
- Ma hai capito?
- Ma niente.
Arrestare. Subito.
Criminale!
Don't worry.
My ladies, at your service.
What seems to be the matter?
- This person has stolen our house.
- Left to us by our uncle Max.
No relation to her.
Is that so? - Indeed,
the will left all the assets...
exclusively to the
Featherstonehaugh family.
Including all property formerly owned
by the late Mr. Max Featherstonehaugh.
Can someone translate that they
need to take her into custody now...
and surrender the property.
I would do that
if I believed it was true.
But, since I am the legal owner of
this house, I am unwilling to do so.
Please have the decency
to leave my grounds at once.
What do you mean,
we cannot have the house?
Do you really call yourself a lawyer?
It appears you have
no claim to this house.
Falling old shack really.
I'm sorry, I didn't know it's yours.
Actually, it really is yours.
This was our room when we were small.
You were just a baby.
What was she like?
She was the gentlest,
sweetest of mothers.
She saved my life.
How did she save your life?
She told me some of the story,
when I was little.
My mother was working at a brick
factory when there was an accident.
Chiara saw me there all alone
as she was passing by.
She was already expecting you...
but she didn't want to leave me on
the street, so she took me with her.
She was staying with Max at his
palace, and there I found a new home.
She couldn't track down
any living relatives, so I stayed.
Before you were born
we all moved to Italy.
She was already plagued
with the fevers...
that claimed her life
a couple of years later.
When I came back to the village,
I started looking for you.
How did you know I was me?
When I heard somebody
had moved in here, I was curious.
Now that I see you,
you look just like her.
Max was so devastated
he could hardly function.
He sent me to boarding school,
took you to London with him.
I am so sorry I lost track of you.
Let's not talk about this to anyone.
I'll make
an official announcement tonight.
I've been so stupid.
Trying so hard to be
as unhappy as possible.
- You look nice.
- Thanks.
She used to wear that too.
Max liked it.
- Was he here when we were small?
- All the time.
Her last wish was
to see a sunflower field.
They loved each other.
He carried her when she didn't have
the strength to walk anymore.
She loved both of you and she fought
for her life to be with you.
Hey, you're telling me all this
and you're not flickering a bit.
Because I've done everything
according to her request.
She asked me to stay in this house
and see if you ever came back.
- Even if I was eighty years old?
- Wouldn't make much difference to me.
Why didn't you tell all of this
at the start?
She asked me
to let you find out yourself...
and only tell you more
when you had forgiven her.
How could you know I have forgiven
her? - I can feel emotions, remember?
Oh.
Now that my mission is complete...
You're going? For good? Where?
No one knows for sure,
but I've heard rumors that it's great.
Don't go, I'll be so lonely.
Thank you for everything,
I'll miss you.
I love you too.
Hello! You came!
Of course, I came
with the invitation you gave me.
How are you? - Good! And about that
bet, I got some good news for you.
- I know. He spoke to me again!
- No.
Chiara chose Max,
that means one thing.
- Never... I am so not gonna do it.
- A bet is a bet!
Apparently Lord Jai is going to
announce is engagement tonight.
- Oh, I hope not, he's so cute!
- That he is!
Maria!
In my wildest dreams I couldn't
have imagined such a place.
Funny how neither of us
actually belongs here.
And still this feels like home
more than anything before.
It's chilly, sister.
Maria? Maria?
- Hey!
- Hey yourself! What's your name?
- Giulia.
- Of course.
"It is the East
and Giulia is the sun.''
- Do you dance?
- Depends on who's asking.
- Do you?
- Only on special occasions.
- Such as?
- Such as tonight.
Maria? Maria?
Hey! Please.
Do you mind taking the noise outside?
- I am looking for my sister.
- Not here.
I've seen you. In the woods.
See you at the party!
Lord Jai loves Cabella.
He doesn't care about me.
I know you like her.
I've seen you in the morning,
with your basket.
Ok, I'm gonna go in there, smiling...
...and be ready to congratulate them.
As the oldest of you may know, I came
to this village when I was four.
Since many years, I've been
looking for a very special person.
Someone with whom I want to share
all my wealth and fortune with.
I want to present this person
to you all tonight.
Please make her feel welcome. She has
made me very happy to have found her.
This is my long lost sister Cabella,
daughter of Chiara Deodato.
May God, Allah
and Sadashiva bless her soul.
I just found her and she is
gone again. I hope she comes back.
But in the meantime, let's dance.
Music, please!
I know you can do it.
Leo!
You can hear me!
You heard me!
Can you talk?
I need you to tell me
if you feel like I do.
But you... Lord Jai.
Oh Leo! Lord Jai is my brother,
that's what he was saying.
I remember you,
running between the flowers.
You had a white dress.
I wanted to protect you
from hurting yourself.
You were leaving the village,
you told me you would come back to me.
You were three and I was five.
Cabella...
You will never forgive me,
after you've heard what I've done.
When Chiara was already weak...
she asked me
to bring this to the post office.
She said it was for your father,
who didn't even know you existed.
I think she didn't want
to ask Max to do it.
Funny, how big things always
come in small envelopes.
I am sorry I didn't send it.
I thought he would come and take you
away from us. - It's okay, Leo.
Things happen for a reason.
I'm glad you got your voice back.
I swore I wouldn't speak before
you came back to me, again.
A bit strange.
Well, I was five
and then it became a habit.
It's really convenient
to know what's going on. - I bet.
Not hearing, or speaking, I could be
true to my deepest feelings.
You should teach me that one day.
It's good to be home.
My dearest Alexander.
I carry but the fondest memories
of our time together in India...
and will remember for ever
the last night before your departure.
Soon after you left, I found out
that I was expecting a child.
I waited for your return to tell you,
but your room stayed empty.
We now have a beautiful daughter,
Cabella.
I wish I could stay
to watch her grow...
but it seems like destiny
has decided otherwise.
I send you my love, Chiara.
That is how I met my father...
made friends,
and started anew in my mother's house.
And that is why I believe
in happy endings now.
Looking back, it's just
a matter of opening your heart.
And don't let anyone
tell you otherwise.
Broadcast Text International
A girl who didn't believe
in fairy tales.
Maybe because no one had read them
to her when she was little.
For her, there were
no princes living in castles.
No enchanted farm hands.
No happy endings.
Only sad beginnings.
Cabella often stood on the bridge when
she needed to think about her life.
And, as her life
was a little complicated...
she needed to think about it
quite often.
She was an orphan...
and had lived with her guardian Max
for as long as she could remember.
Max had been a good man, and the only
person who had ever cared about her.
He had never told Cabella
anything about her parents...
or why she was left in his care.
Now he was gone,
and it was too late to find out.
This is Mr. Upton from Hammersmith,
Fitzroy and Upton Law.
Unfortunately, he didn't leave a will.
You should be aware that all of Mr.
Featherstonehaugh's assets...
are being transferred to his mother,
including the Belsize apartment.
I recommend you pack
your personal belongings...
and vacate the apartment
before that. Good day.
Max was always very kind, but he had
also been strangely sad and withdrawn.
The next morning,
Cabella packed her bag...
and said her goodbyes to
everything that reminded her of Max.
She couldn't take much with her...
but she wanted to bring
something to remember him by.
A book that she had seen Max reading.
The Kanota Palace in Jaipur.
An Arabian thoroughbred
called Maktoum.
The Rembrant portrait
of his son, Titus.
A set of
diamond-encrusted cufflinks...
Max's mother had never much liked
his orphan protge.
And Cabella had to muster
the little courage that she had...
to face the Featherstonehaughs
once more.
Max's nieces,
Amanda and Adeline...
certainly had never gone
the extra mile...
to make her feel that
she belonged to the family.
Thank you so much.
Mr. Featherstonehaugh
left this in my hands...
in case anything like this happened.
He said it contains some answers
about your family history.
- This is for you.
- Thank you.
What the hell is she even doing here?
Interfering with our family business.
Au revoir! Bon voyage!
From when she was little Cabella had
imagined what her parents were like.
Secretly hoping that one fine day,
they would finally come to get her.
Now, if she had parents...
they would have told her
not to go on some wild goose chase...
after some address
and a rusty old key.
But she was on her own.
And, for better or for worse, she was
going to get to the bottom of this.
This is a Magnani.
This key has been made by us,
by our factory.
This MM.
2900. Which is the number
which was written in the key.
Duemille cinquecento dieciotto...
- It's Villa Rosa dei Venti, here.
- Is there an address?
- Cabella!
- What?
Cabella is a small village.
This is your village!
Buona fortuna, signorina!
Oh! Hi, I saw you yesterday
at the waterfall.
Hello? Can I pay?
He can't hear you.
This is my cousin Leo.
He is deaf and mute.
Oh.
My parents say he talked
when he was very small.
He used to play with some
children in the village.
What happened?
Nobody knows, one day he was like that
and never spoke again.
- Are you visiting for the summer?
- Yeah, I guess.
- Or maybe I live here.
- No, you don't.
Believe me, I would have noticed
if you lived here.
Nothing ever happens here,
and nobody ever moves here.
- I'm staying in the pink villa.
- No one's been there in ages!
Ok!
Poi st anche dormendo.
- Si sveglia!
- Maria, ma st dormendo!
Ciao!
- Truth or dare?
- Truth.
So, what do you most need
to mend your broken heart?
Hmm, I think I need
more evenings like this.
See Sophia, she liked my question!
You get another question.
Maria?
- Well, Sophia and I where wondering...
- No I wasn't!
- Ok. I was wondering.
- You were wondering?
Have you ever been in love?
I liked this guy at school once,
but he didn't even know my name.
I was quiet and not that interesting.
That sounds kind of familiar, doesn't
it, Maria? Only you're not quiet.
- Yes Maria, who do you like?
- Shut up! Nobody.
- She loves Lord Jai.
- I do not!
Who on earth is Lord Jai?
Sounds like some old guy.
- He's not that old!
- See that?
He's the guy that lives
in the castle over there.
I saw it on the way here.
It's huge! He must be quite rich.
Oh yes! He drives around
with a chauffeur.
- And he wears fancy cashmere shawls.
- And his servants have uniforms!
And from today,
Maria is going to be one of them.
She took the job
just to be closer to him!
- I did not! I don't even like him.
- Sure.
Girls! Lord Jai must be reading
the Mahabharata in bed.
Look he's up there!
Cabella!
House?
I might have had a bad dream.
Do you mind if I talk to you
for a moment?
Sorry if I woke you up.
No, I never sleep.
Did you say something?
Here I am!
Oh, you're so young.
Well, that depends. I have been nine
for over a hundred years.
- It's okay, I'm over it.
- Why are you here?
I came here with my master
to sweep the chimney, but I got stuck.
It was really narrow.
I am so sorry.
I've lost someone I love...
and I've been wondering
how does it feel to die.
I'll tell you what it's like to die if
you remind me what it's like to live.
First I felt this tingling
in my chest...
and a coolness
all over my body.
Like a swim in a river
on a very hot day.
All my pain went away.
I felt the presence
of something very comforting.
And I wasn't afraid.
No past, no future,
just the present moment.
I started to feel
everything around me.
Feelings emanating from people too.
Can you feel
the feelings I emanate now?
You're afraid of
sleeping in the dark...
and would like someone
to watch you fall asleep.
Lord Jai's car!
- Is he actually a lord?
- No. He is just very rich.
Is he British? - No, that's
the weird thing, he's Indian.
On Tuesdays,
he practices with his fencing teacher.
He has two horses,
he went to boarding school...
and he moved here three years ago.
I remember when I saw him
for the first time.
Cabella?
I once thought I wanted to
jump and give it all up.
Have you ever... You know?
No! I think my life is too exciting
a book to be left unread.
Your book looks
pretty interesting too.
So you're real! I wasn't dreaming.
Now it's your turn:
Tell me what it's like to live.
Well, for the longest time
I didn't even feel alive.
I never fitted in.
I was always angry.
- Angry? Why?
- Because everything is so unfair.
What's so unfair?
Everything.
I didn't know who I was, who
my parents were, why they left me.
- Would it help you if you knew?
- Probably not.
They abandoned me! They left me
with no one to love or trust.
Well, isn't it up to you
to trust or love someone?
Never thought of it that way.
Anger wears off pretty soon.
The things that you deeply love
stay on forever.
For me it was the memory of my mother.
What would that be for you?
I don't know.
I don't have anyone to love.
There are millions of people
out there.
Maybe it's that you don't
want to love someone? - Go away!
Come back!
So, which one is it?
Think about it, I have all eternity.
Cabella!
- Good morning.
- Hi Maria.
Oh? It was you? Thanks for the eggs.
Me? I didn't bring them.
Who is it from?
- I don't know, same thing yesterday.
- You must have a friend in a farm.
I don't know anyone beside you.
A secret admirer then?
How romantic!
Oh my God, I almost forgot,
we need to go!
She'd never been outside the village,
or in a car...
and her last wish was
that she didn't have to ride one.
Even to the cemetery.
- What did she die of?
- I have no idea.
But she was really old.
And mean.
This would be the first time I'm
at a nun's funeral in my pajamas.
Are those men her relatives?
No. They were her clients,
from the restaurant by the church.
I think they secretly loved her.
Poor Giulia,
a couple of years ago she dreamt...
that her future husband would
come to the village on the bus.
There's a bus?
It comes once a day,
but there's never anybody on it.
And she waits every day?
She pretends not to, but she just
happens to be on the square when...
See?
So, you have Lord Jai,
and Giulia has the bus.
- How about Sofia?
- She's only interested in painting.
And there aren't many boys
of our age anyway.
It's really just old men and us!
- I didn't tell her. It's not her fault.
- Good, it has nothing to do with her.
Why'd she have a heart attack when she
heard someone moved into her house?
Maybe she lived there
before becoming a nun? - Maria?
Cavolo!
Ciao Cabella!
A touch of rosmarino
and a little bit of salvia.
- Are you following, Cabella?
- Pay attention, signorina.
If the pasta is not al dente,
the Italians will kill you!
But that's not what killed
sister Ambrosia, right?
Ok, we'll tell you. - We heard this
from the doctor's assistant.
Who, by the way, is her boyfriend.
- Never was and never will be.
- Always was, always will.
Come on. Sister Ambrosia?
Someone told her that
you moved into the house.
- And he is her boyfriend.
- No he's not!
But for some reason, she was shocked
and had a heart attack.
Maybe she lived here, before.
Or someone she knew.
So, not only I went to
her funeral in my pajamas...
but I also kind of killed her.
- Oh no, I'm gonna be late for work.
- You mean your "work"?
We could also use a maid at home,
you know?
Dust particles, tremble!
What a cleaning queen!
Lord Jai must feel so lucky.
Ok, I admit it, you're right.
It's also my responsibility
to love and trust people.
I'm glad you feel that way. After all,
you have a lot going for you.
You're alive, for instance!
An old nun had a heart attack when
she heard I moved into the house.
- How do you explain that?
- I can't tell you.
But if you dig a bit deeper,
you will find out.
You mean I have to go to the cemetery?
I didn't mean literally digging,
but it's not a bad idea.
You don't seem surprised at all.
At this age, there aren't
many surprises in store.
Don't go, tell me a story.
Okay.
In a distant land, there was a boy.
The boy lived with his mother.
His mother worked at a brick factory.
And in this factory...
animals, women and men toiled
all day under the scorching sun.
The boy's mother carried bricks
from morning till evening.
The boy, he wanted to go to school
but they didn't have any money.
They lived in a tiny brick house...
next to the big oven, in which bricks
were being burned day and night.
Cabella!
On the left, the final resting place
of the famiglia Storato.
My grandmother Cecilia's.
And so there are her two sisters
Eugenia, Alice, their parents...
Ciao, cari!
You're so lucky to have
such a big family.
I Think that's old Bronzini.
I don't think I've ever seen him come
this close to the village before.
He has a vineyard up on the hill.
Chiara!
Chiara wrote in Max's book.
With hearts and everything.
Do you think she was
a relative of the nun?
Usually members of the same family
are buried next to each other.
But I don't think
I've ever heard of her.
Sister Ambrosia already has
so many flowers.
I'll leave this one to Chiara instead.
Welcome back, Fabian.
I sent for you as soon as I heard.
You can stay as long as you like.
You'll feel better in no time.
- Girls, I'm still curious about...
- Sister Ambrosia?
- Who knew her?
- All of them, I think.
Can you ask them?
La mia amica vorrebbe sapere qualcosa
di piu sulla Sorella Ambrosia.
La cuoca piu brava della regione,
penso.
He says she was
the best cook in all Piemonte.
Era bella, bellissima! - Ma aveva
un caracterino ma di scherzo.
He says she had a... bad character?
But who really knew her? - Che qualcuno
che la conosceva davvero?
Bronzini.
Bronzini la conosceva.
The old man we saw at the cemetery.
You should ask Leo to take you to him.
Why would Lord Jai come to live
in the village in the first place?
I don't know. Why not?
It's a nice village,
if you like... this kind of thing.
And it has the most beautiful
cleaning lady in the world.
- Lord Jai must be so smitten!
- I don't even think he has noticed me.
He's mostly riding the grounds
or studying his papers.
He is looking for a missing relative
or something like that.
Do you know who he is looking for?
No, but I've heard him over the phone
and he seems pretty desperate.
He gets reports from
a private investigator in London.
- That stuff is all over his desk.
- Can you get us in?
Where is everyone?
I think he went to fetch a friend
of his who was in an accident.
- Where is the study?
- Up there.
Cabella.
I can hear them,
they're having dinner. - Maria!
Don't touch anything.
I am going to get into
so much trouble!
I can hear them!
Hide, they're coming!
- You're giving me your room?
- You looked out for me at school.
- This is my study now.
- That was long ago.
- Still not sleeping on a bed, are you?
- Not until I find her.
My advice is to give it up.
You'll never find her.
The room gets the morning sun.
I am sure you'll feel better
already in the morning.
I'll never feel better.
I don't even feel my feet anymore.
I got it.
The doctor said it's not impossible
that one day...
Just get out of here.
You don't know what it's like,
never to ride, to fence.
Never to sail a boat ever again, ok?
I'll ask Maria to bring you breakfast
at ten. That'll cheer you up.
She is the prettiest of the maids.
I'm a cripple. You might as well
send the ugliest one.
- I'm lucky if she looks at me twice.
- As you wish, my friend.
- Good night.
- Yeah.
Ghosty boy!
Handclap? Ghosty boy?
I'm not your genie!
- And how shall I call you then?
- How about my real name? Angelo.
How was your day?
The usual, practicing my scary laugh,
a bit of haunting.
I went to the cemetery, and I saw that
on the other grave was Chiara's name.
Just like in the book.
So, Chiara is connected to the nun,
but she is also connected to Max.
- Who was she?
- That's what you have to find out.
- So you actually already know?
- My lips are sealed, bound by an oath.
To whom?
To her? You knew her?
She used to live here.
This is her house.
These are her things.
What did she die of?
Oh please, just this one thing.
She got sick in India.
Can't say more.
I was officially liberated,
but I stayed on for a mission.
If I compromise it,
I disappear, little by little.
Okay, okay. Say no more.
I'll find out myself. Just stay.
Dear Leo, I heard from Maria you go
up to Bronzini's house on Sundays.
Can I join you? Cabella.
P.S. Thanks for the apples.
Maria, this is what our mystery woman
Chiara, who lived in my house...
wrote to my uncle Max.
"To my dear Max."
"Thank you for
all your love and loyalty."
"May you take care of
what's most valuable to me."
"This book has everything
I want to pass on."
"So much love, Chiara."
Is it good? Read me something.
"Like a giant oak tree
covered with apple blossoms...
is the vast man in you."
"His might binds you to the earth,
his fragrance lifts you into space...
and in his durability
you are deathless."
"You have been told that,
even like a chain...
you are as weak as your weakest link.
This is but half the truth."
"You are also as strong
as your strongest link."
"To measure you
by your smallest deed...
is to reckon the power of ocean
by the frailty of its foam.''
"To judge you by your failures...
is to cast blame upon the seasons
for their inconsistency."
So, it means we're actually
better and stronger that we think?
I think so.
Her mom really wants her
to marry another man.
- And at the beginning they...
- Girls, I have to go. Bye bye!
Bye!
Get my hat!
It must be five to the bus.
Oh, I have to go to work, so I need to
go home and get ready.
Cabella, what are we gonna do
with these romantic fools?
- Nothing. I kind of envy them.
- Really? I don't.
I so prefer my peace of mind.
See you later!
There are deer in the forest.
And when she sits there very quietly,
they let her paint them.
Leo, my boy. How are you? Welcome.
And who's your lovely young friend?
Hello, I am Cabella,
just like the village.
Welcome Cabella,
just like the village.
So what brings you
to this edge of Italy?
This key.
It was given to me by my uncle Max.
Who wasn't really my uncle at all.
And have you found the lock
that fits the key?
Villa Rosa Dei Venti, near the castle.
I saw you at the cemetery
and I needed to ask you about the nun.
Please, I need to know.
It's quite important.
It is not so easy.
Ambrosia.
To me she was Ambrosia.
Later sister Ambrosia.
We were sweethearts.
We had the most beautiful summer.
And then...
Everything changed, she was
different, she wouldn't talk to me.
She was very religious before, but now
she was all the time in church.
So...
She was with child.
She told everyone that
Virgin Mary had appeared...
and that she, herself,
was a virgin.
And to prove she was
a true bride of Christ...
she gave up the child,
and took her convent vows.
Little Chiara was taken to
the convent orphanage in Genoa.
At that point,
I... gave up the village.
And came here, never to return.
Ambrosia, so proud, so stubborn.
Sometimes you just must accept
what you can't change.
Checkmate! I do it every time.
Everybody's lost someone or something.
Everybody's had a broken heart.
Bronzini, looking down at the village,
but never going there.
Lord Jai,
searching for a missing person.
And his friend, angry because
he may never walk again.
And me, living alone in a big house.
You can't escape it. What do you do
with a world full of sad people?
You're a good listener, Leo.
You must have planted this.
It will give food, shelter,
and a home to so many living beings.
Maybe that's how one can be happy.
One day and one tree at a time.
He would have to be quiet,
understanding...
and he should be able to listen.
And, he has to be independent
and has to help me.
I know this sounds very old style,
like finding the food and stuff...
but something like that.
That would be a perfect man.
What do you think of that, Maria?
- Giulia? Sophia? Are you all sleeping?
- Not anymore.
Maria, I would like to request your
presence at the party next Saturday.
As my guest of course.
Bring your sisters too, if you like.
Too short, too loud,
too frumpy and too floral.
- Where are all the evening gowns?
- Maybe she didn't have any.
Maybe she was like me,
not the outgoing type.
Suitcase! Hold this.
Maria!
- Try it on.
- But...
No buts, try!
Que bello!
An evening bag, to go with it!
Maria? Look.
It's the same handwriting.
See, it's her's! Let's read something!
- It's a diary, it's private.
- Not anymore.
It's in Italian!
Oh. I talked to Bronzini.
He told me that Chiara
was sister Ambrosia's child.
- But she was a nun!
- I guess that was the problem.
She was sent to an orphanage
and then to a boarding school.
So this might have some juicy secrets.
"Maybe it's
all the colors and smells of India...
but I find myself
oddly hungry for life.''
Every single morning of my life
in the convent...
I've gotten up at dawn and
hurried through the cold corridors...
to kneel on the hard floor
while Latin prayers were recited.
But one morning, I arrived to India.
To the smell of spices and incense...
to the sound of peacocks and the
distant echo of devotional songs.
The charity of the Holy Trinity
had organized a room for me...
at the residence of a
Mr. Featherstonehaugh...
who had previously rented
extra rooms at his palace to nuns...
who wished to spread
the Almighty's love...
by helping the poor in Jaipur's slums.
I had imagined
Mr. Featherstonehaugh...
to be the kind of old gentleman
who likes to sit in the evening sun...
while sipping his dry martini
and listening to ancient music...
and I was only mistaken about his age.
He was no older than I.
Maximilian Featherstonehaugh,
or Max...
never leaves his compound,
and only socializes with his servants.
They're used to his mood swings,
but they love him anyway...
and indulge him in
whatever seems to make him happy.
He is the strangest character
and hasn't paid me much attention.
Although I think he is secretly
observing my comings and goings...
and is probably just as curious
about me as I am about him.
He is an artist.
And when he's not reading...
or carrying the weight of the world
on his shoulders...
he whiles away the hours painting
only the things he is truly fond of:
Still lives, animals and
his most trusted servants...
as gods and goddesses
of the Hindu mythology.
He is somehow
tortured and fascinating...
and I hope I will get
to know him better.
Oh look!
This might be interesting: A drawing.
"On Tuesdays and Thursdays
we work in the slum."
"I have come to await these days,
because it is amazing to witness -
the sheer joy of these people
who own absolutely nothing...
but know how to
enjoy the gift of life."
Our lives look so different...
but in essence,
are they that different at all?
Don't we all feel
the same happiness and joy...
sorrow, loneliness and longing?
There is one more reason why I like
the days I spend in the slum.
Alexander.
He seems like a very decent man...
and I have come to admire
his character and good heart.
I heard that he used to be
a promising pianist...
but that one day he got tired
of his music, sold his grand piano...
and with that money,
started a slum school.
It's very hot today. Everybody,
take your tie, and use it as a fan.
Ah! Feels much better!
"This was his way of
taking a break from all that playing."
- Aww, they're falling in love!
- That last sentence was yours, right?
I love Alexander,
she should so choose him.
No way, Max is coolest, go Max!
Chiara, this is the voice of your
conscience, pick Alexander! - Come on!
Max had organized
a surprise birthday party for me.
And he seems to be
much more sociable than before.
Something seems to unite
these two very different men.
I had never gotten
this kind of attention before...
and it felt both flattering
and a little dangerous.
As a birthday present, Max wanted to
paint a portrait of me as a Goddess...
who was worshiped by the painters
and musicians in need of inspiration.
While sitting
- or standing - for him...
I grew to like this kind and
eccentric man more and more.
Wow, you're getting better.
So, Chiara was the girl
living in this house, right?
- And the church sent her out to India.
- Where she met Max. My Max.
And this guy called Alexander.
My Alexander.
You don't even know him! I knew Max,
and he was worthy of her love.
Chiara likes both of them but she
doesn't know which one to choose.
- Max is intelligent.
- Alexander is sensitive.
- Which one does she choose in the end?
- We don't know yet.
Let's bet!
If she chooses Alexander, then you
have to go to Lord Jai's ball.
Okay. But, if she chooses Max...
you have to confess your love
to Lord Jai at the ball.
- Sounds good. I vote for the bet!
- Me too!
Ok then.
But Alexander better up the charm.
Here we go.
"Dear God, I am sorry to ask you
for such a frivolous thing...
but give me a sign, anything."
Today Alexander seemed
pensive and moody.
He had received news
that his mother was gravely ill.
His pianist father was on tour,
and requested...
that his son returned immediately
to take care of his mother...
whose only wish was that
Alexander could be by her side.
He decided to go back to Europe.
I couldn't believe how saddened I was
when I heard of his departure...
and I understood that I had
developed strong feelings towards him.
I felt I couldn't let him go
without finding out...
if he had similar feelings
towards me.
"I don't know what came upon me
in that moment... ''
And the rest is censored from
innocent young girls like ourselves.
- That's unfair, give it to me.
- I'll tell you this:
Alexander the Great got the girl,
and you are coming to the ball!
- Poor Max.
- He was a good guy.
Yeah, but she didn't choose him
in the end. - Well, not yet.
- You know the story?
- Look at the book.
Chiara was my mother?
Cabella.
We named you after the village,
so you could find your way home.
You are loved, Cabella.
You always will be.
The asset is a villa, novecento style,
on three floors, large gated grounds.
Estimated value of property...
200000 euros.
That's yours, Miss Featherstonehaugh -
and Miss Featherstonehaugh.
- It's ours!
- Totally.
- Give us the key.
- The police will be here any minute.
The house? - It was uncle Max's,
so it belongs to us now.
Oh, right on time.
Arrest her!
- Uncle Max left everything to us.
- The Featherstonehaughs.
Zio Max. Molto euro...
to the Featherstonehaughs.
- Ma hai capito?
- Ma niente.
Arrestare. Subito.
Criminale!
Don't worry.
My ladies, at your service.
What seems to be the matter?
- This person has stolen our house.
- Left to us by our uncle Max.
No relation to her.
Is that so? - Indeed,
the will left all the assets...
exclusively to the
Featherstonehaugh family.
Including all property formerly owned
by the late Mr. Max Featherstonehaugh.
Can someone translate that they
need to take her into custody now...
and surrender the property.
I would do that
if I believed it was true.
But, since I am the legal owner of
this house, I am unwilling to do so.
Please have the decency
to leave my grounds at once.
What do you mean,
we cannot have the house?
Do you really call yourself a lawyer?
It appears you have
no claim to this house.
Falling old shack really.
I'm sorry, I didn't know it's yours.
Actually, it really is yours.
This was our room when we were small.
You were just a baby.
What was she like?
She was the gentlest,
sweetest of mothers.
She saved my life.
How did she save your life?
She told me some of the story,
when I was little.
My mother was working at a brick
factory when there was an accident.
Chiara saw me there all alone
as she was passing by.
She was already expecting you...
but she didn't want to leave me on
the street, so she took me with her.
She was staying with Max at his
palace, and there I found a new home.
She couldn't track down
any living relatives, so I stayed.
Before you were born
we all moved to Italy.
She was already plagued
with the fevers...
that claimed her life
a couple of years later.
When I came back to the village,
I started looking for you.
How did you know I was me?
When I heard somebody
had moved in here, I was curious.
Now that I see you,
you look just like her.
Max was so devastated
he could hardly function.
He sent me to boarding school,
took you to London with him.
I am so sorry I lost track of you.
Let's not talk about this to anyone.
I'll make
an official announcement tonight.
I've been so stupid.
Trying so hard to be
as unhappy as possible.
- You look nice.
- Thanks.
She used to wear that too.
Max liked it.
- Was he here when we were small?
- All the time.
Her last wish was
to see a sunflower field.
They loved each other.
He carried her when she didn't have
the strength to walk anymore.
She loved both of you and she fought
for her life to be with you.
Hey, you're telling me all this
and you're not flickering a bit.
Because I've done everything
according to her request.
She asked me to stay in this house
and see if you ever came back.
- Even if I was eighty years old?
- Wouldn't make much difference to me.
Why didn't you tell all of this
at the start?
She asked me
to let you find out yourself...
and only tell you more
when you had forgiven her.
How could you know I have forgiven
her? - I can feel emotions, remember?
Oh.
Now that my mission is complete...
You're going? For good? Where?
No one knows for sure,
but I've heard rumors that it's great.
Don't go, I'll be so lonely.
Thank you for everything,
I'll miss you.
I love you too.
Hello! You came!
Of course, I came
with the invitation you gave me.
How are you? - Good! And about that
bet, I got some good news for you.
- I know. He spoke to me again!
- No.
Chiara chose Max,
that means one thing.
- Never... I am so not gonna do it.
- A bet is a bet!
Apparently Lord Jai is going to
announce is engagement tonight.
- Oh, I hope not, he's so cute!
- That he is!
Maria!
In my wildest dreams I couldn't
have imagined such a place.
Funny how neither of us
actually belongs here.
And still this feels like home
more than anything before.
It's chilly, sister.
Maria? Maria?
- Hey!
- Hey yourself! What's your name?
- Giulia.
- Of course.
"It is the East
and Giulia is the sun.''
- Do you dance?
- Depends on who's asking.
- Do you?
- Only on special occasions.
- Such as?
- Such as tonight.
Maria? Maria?
Hey! Please.
Do you mind taking the noise outside?
- I am looking for my sister.
- Not here.
I've seen you. In the woods.
See you at the party!
Lord Jai loves Cabella.
He doesn't care about me.
I know you like her.
I've seen you in the morning,
with your basket.
Ok, I'm gonna go in there, smiling...
...and be ready to congratulate them.
As the oldest of you may know, I came
to this village when I was four.
Since many years, I've been
looking for a very special person.
Someone with whom I want to share
all my wealth and fortune with.
I want to present this person
to you all tonight.
Please make her feel welcome. She has
made me very happy to have found her.
This is my long lost sister Cabella,
daughter of Chiara Deodato.
May God, Allah
and Sadashiva bless her soul.
I just found her and she is
gone again. I hope she comes back.
But in the meantime, let's dance.
Music, please!
I know you can do it.
Leo!
You can hear me!
You heard me!
Can you talk?
I need you to tell me
if you feel like I do.
But you... Lord Jai.
Oh Leo! Lord Jai is my brother,
that's what he was saying.
I remember you,
running between the flowers.
You had a white dress.
I wanted to protect you
from hurting yourself.
You were leaving the village,
you told me you would come back to me.
You were three and I was five.
Cabella...
You will never forgive me,
after you've heard what I've done.
When Chiara was already weak...
she asked me
to bring this to the post office.
She said it was for your father,
who didn't even know you existed.
I think she didn't want
to ask Max to do it.
Funny, how big things always
come in small envelopes.
I am sorry I didn't send it.
I thought he would come and take you
away from us. - It's okay, Leo.
Things happen for a reason.
I'm glad you got your voice back.
I swore I wouldn't speak before
you came back to me, again.
A bit strange.
Well, I was five
and then it became a habit.
It's really convenient
to know what's going on. - I bet.
Not hearing, or speaking, I could be
true to my deepest feelings.
You should teach me that one day.
It's good to be home.
My dearest Alexander.
I carry but the fondest memories
of our time together in India...
and will remember for ever
the last night before your departure.
Soon after you left, I found out
that I was expecting a child.
I waited for your return to tell you,
but your room stayed empty.
We now have a beautiful daughter,
Cabella.
I wish I could stay
to watch her grow...
but it seems like destiny
has decided otherwise.
I send you my love, Chiara.
That is how I met my father...
made friends,
and started anew in my mother's house.
And that is why I believe
in happy endings now.
Looking back, it's just
a matter of opening your heart.
And don't let anyone
tell you otherwise.
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