Red Like the Sky Page #2

the devils curse,

and howl and shriek.

The damned suffer awful punishments

for the sins they have committed..."

F*** you!

- Come in!

- Good morning, everyone!

On your feet, boys!

This is Mirco Balleri.

He arrived yesterday. He's from Pisa.

He was in fourth grade there.

He missed the first few months

and he's very far behind.

The director said to put him

in the first row, and help him along.

All right.

His name's Mirco?

I'm right here.

- Sorry to interrupt.

- No problem.

Boys, make room for Mirco.

Valerio, Davide, Andrea, Eugenio.

Move back one row, one back.

One desk back.

Slowly.

Feel the chair, here.

All right... let's get back

to our lesson.

We were talking about geography.

Let's pick up where we left off.

The Earth is a sphere, suspended

in space, with a pole at each end.

It rotates around itself,

which creates day and night.

Its revolution around...

Felice, pay attention!

... creates the four seasons.

Every season lasts three months.

All right. Now, write it down.

The Earth is a sphere

suspended in space

with a pole at each end.

Now...

This is the tablet, feel it?

This is the punch.

Now... feel these spaces?

All right... this is how you write.

You make a hole for each letter.

For example, 'A' is a hole

on the upper right.

Now you try.

Not like that!

What happened?

Nothing happened.

A tablet fell on the floor.

Let's get back to work.

We'll just pick it up

and put it back where it belongs.

Anyway,

I put some things on your desks.

Pine cones and branches,

some chestnuts.

Dried fruit.

Touch them.

Feel what pine needles are like,

how strange they are...

These needles have to survive

the winter, the snow...

pass them around.

This afternoon, I want you

to write an essay on the seasons.

Describe what happens

when we pass

from one season to another.

What things change, in the country,

in the city, in human life.

So, Mirco.

Aren't you interested in doing

what your classmates are doing?

I don't need to.

I can see.

I can see, too.

It's not enough.

When you see a flower,

don't you want to smell it?

Or when it snows,

don't you want to walk in it?

To touch it, watch it melt

in your hands?

I'll tell you a secret,

something I noticed

watching musicians play.

They close their eyes.

You know why?

To feel the music

more intensely.

Because the music transforms,

the notes gets bigger, more intense.

It's as if music was

a physical sensation.

You have five senses, Mirco.

Why use only one of them?

Did you hear that?

RAI Italian Radio and Television

presents

"The Adventures of Moby Dick"

a program based on the book

by Herman Melville.

Adaptation by Armando Nicoloci.

Directed by Lorenzo Rossi.

Episode Three.

One morning, Captain Ahab

ordered the whole crew

to assemble on the bridge.

Some of you have already heard

of the white whale.

Now, take a good look at this

Spanish doubloon.

It's worth 16 dollars.

Mr. Tambar!

Give me that hammer.

Now pay close attention.

The first one of you to show me

a whale with a white head

and three holes in its tail

will have this ounce of gold.

Francesca, what are you doing?

Nothing, just looking out.

Leave them alone.

Go do your homework.

And turn that off!

- What do you want, dimwit!

- What are you doing, you dope?

- That's my business.

- Why don't you eat that cookie?

It's a sacrifice, so the sister

will give me a kernel of corn.

Here, take this!

- What is it?

- A candy.

Give that to the sister, too,

and you'll get another kernel.

- Can you really see?

- Yeah.

- How much.

- A bit.

Go to the end of the wall,

go down the stairs,

go to the rusty door

and wait for me.

Wait, I'm coming.

This way.

In here.

- What is this place?

- I think it's...

the place where the nuns throw

the stuff they don't need anymore.

- Why'd you bring me here?

- To show you my bicycle.

Come on, I'll show it to you.

Here it is!

But I can't use it.

It's broken.

My mom told me

that when I go to middle school

she'll get me a bigger one.

I was thinking, maybe the candy

is big enough for the sacrifice.

If you give her the cookie, too,

maybe...

she'll only give you one kernel.

Nothing's wrong with this.

The chain just fell off.

- Will you help me turn it over?

- Sure.

That was a neat story I heard before.

Do you have a television?

No, it's a radio.

Want to know the rest of the story?

Let me finish this.

All set, let's go for a ride.

Are you crazy?

You'll get in big trouble.

One time,

this kid wet the bed

and they made him sleep

in the same sheets for 10 days.

- Who told you that?

- My mom. It really stank!

Another time,

a kid spit in church.

They made him stand in there

and pray all night.

The nuns don't scare me.

Come on, let's go for a ride.

- Are you serious?

- Yeah, what are you waiting for?

He's nuts!

What're you doing, aren't you coming?

What was that for?

- To keep us from getting caught.

- Don't be silly!

There's a hole in the fence here.

But nobody knows.

- A secret passage!

- Yeah.

This place is cool!

- There's lots of stuff, isn't there?

- Yeah.

- You know there's a cinema nearby?

- Really?

My mom never takes me.

She says it's a waste of money.

Hop on, and we'll go.

- You sure?

- Yeah!

All right, but go slow.

Come on, hop on the seat.

- Want to go to the cinema?

- Yeah, but...

All right!

But the minute something goes wrong

I'm steering.

Slow, okay? Go slow.

- Cinema, here I come!

- Slow down!

Slow down! Stairs!

It's downhill, go slow!

- How long is it?

- Really long!

Careful! Help!

Watch out for the people!

Right! No, left!

- Why do you live at the school?

- My mom's the caretaker.

She does the cleaning.

The train!

She doesn't want me to play with you.

- Why not?

- Because you're boys, and blind.

The nuns told her if they see me

playing with you kids

they'll fire her.

But you know something?

I'm not scared of the nuns.

I'm scared of the director.

That man with the dark glasses.

He looks like a bat, all in black.

He looks like a monster.

Are you nuts?

He's just a poor old blind guy.

It's really steep!

Help! Slow down!

- Are you hurt?

- No. Are you?

A little.

I'm sorry. It was all my fault.

Oh, it's no big deal.

The cinema's right here.

What's the film?

The Clan of the Two Borsalini

I've already seen it.

It's really funny!

Franco is 35 years old

and he's still in first grade.

- You know why?

- Why?

He found a hole in the wall

that goes into a jewelry store

and he convinces the teacher

to break in with him.

But they get arrested.

It says, "Coming Soon",

maybe we can come see it.

Yeah, I'll take you.

Let's go.

- What's that sound?

- I don't know.

The street's full of people!

So many people!

It's a demonstration.

Hey kids, be careful!

- Who are you with?

- We're by ourselves.

Ettore!

There are some kids here.

I think one of them is blind.

They're right in front of us.

Who are you?

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