To Kill a Priest

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My father said it won't last long.

He said we'll take care of them.

Sit down!

TO KILL A PRIES The year 1981, for Poland,

was the year of Solidarity.

A free popular movement was born,

and it carried the hopes of millions of Poles.

The growth of Solidarity was so overwhelming,

people felt that nothing

could ever stand in its path.

WARSAW, December 12th 1981.

Help!

They're after Solidarity!

It's the militia!

They're arresting Solidarity!

Looks like they're gonna shoot us.

- Murderers!

- Get back.

- What's going on?

- This is a state of war!

Hands off me!

Bastards! Leave me alone!

Get on. You're under arrest.

You hit me with some of that

and I'll have your ass!

Get them in the truck

and leave the guards here.

- Yes, sir.

- Good job.

Good night, sir.

Ready to go.

Take me home.

- Stefan?

- Yes.

I'm freezing.

What is this?

What are you doing awake?

Don't want to miss too many cartoons.

Do you know what this is for?

Mom's afraid.

Of what?

- That they'll come.

- Who?

The Solidarity people.

No one's going to come.

And, you can sleep late in the morning,

because there won't be any cartoons on TV.

Why?

They'll have something

more important to talk about.

That's it, come on, right,

good, good, keep coming!

That's it! Give me more of that swing!

And remember your right.

Josef!

Josef! Show him

how to keep up his guard.

Good... Come on, come on...

What are you doing?

What's this, what's this?

Watch your right,

keep up your guard!

That's it?

I'm really sorry, father.

I didn't even recognize you.

That's ok.

We met during the strike?

Are you Anna's husband?

She didn't want to get married in church.

- She's been arrested.

- When?

The first night.

She drove right into a militia raid.

With a bunch of Christmas trees.

Well, what are you doing here?

I wanted to see what it was like

to be punched in the face.

Well, now you know.

Let's go!

Feliks, please, let's go.

I caught you.

Stop talking about your boyfriends,

we've got a job to do.

St. Martin's church.

You live nearby.

- Do they know you over there?

- No.

They're collecting

medical supplies and clothes

for the people

who've been ... arrested.

Maybe you should bring a sweater

or an old jacket, something to give away.

- Can I have a car?

- Why?

You want to impress

your mother-in-law again?

Vizitki church.

- A lot of young students there.

- How do you know?

Well, I checked it out, I thought

you might give me this one.

Did you go there with your

Solidarity friends?

That you could get involved

with these people...

Well, there are a lot of pretty boys in Solidarity.

St. Sebastian's church.

This one ... I take care of myself.

That's the one with the young priest.

Father Alek.

Hey, Feliks, he's a good-looking man...

That's it.

On the night of December 12th,

the government imposed the state of war.

They arrested thousands of people.

Some died. Others are in hiding,

hunted like common criminals.

A government by brute force

is not a government.

It is tyranny, a deception,

and a blasphemy.

They have forced silence upon us.

But that silence is going to speak

for our brothers and sisters in prison.

That silence is going to speak

for our sense of decency.

That silence is going to speak

for our freedom of speech.

Let us pray.

- Holy mother of the imprisoned.

- Pray for us!

- Holy mother of the deceived.

- Pray for us!

- Holy mother of the betrayed.

- Pray for us!

- Holy mother of the captured at night.

- Pray for us!

Holy mother of the miners who were shot.

Pray for us!

Mother of suffering Poland.

Mother of independent Poland.

Mother of ever-faithful Poland.

Pray for us!

How's the video?

Drove me mad yesterday,

but today it works like a charm.

Good.

I hate crowds.

The body of Christ.

The body of Christ.

- I want you to baptize me.

- Did they beat you?

Anna!

These demonstrations always start

in a church, and end in a church.

What exactly is your function, captain?

I head the fourth department.

We're responsible for monitoring

religious activities, comrade colonel.

Yes, of course, I spoke to the minister.

He's not entirely happy with your efforts.

These priests are inciting

thousands of people to rebellion.

What do you do about it, captain?

Nothing, captain?

Nothing!

Is that you?

Yes.

I had to...

I was in the midst of...

You have to pray and cross yourself... you know.

Show me how you cross yourself.

Come on...

- In the name of the father...

- In the name of the father...

- Right hand.

- Right hand.

- Even if you're left-handed.

- Yes.

- In the name of the father...

- In the name of the father...

- The son...

- The son...

- And the holy ghost...

- And the holy ghost...

Amen.

- Amen.

- That's correct.

He's a very dangerous man.

He's very charismatic.

The more the people listen to him, they believe him.

They're ready to follow him.

They're stupid and backward.

- You're ready to follow him?

- You're joking.

Of course.

Son of a b*tch.

Mirek...

Dammit...

Let them be afraid...

Let them be afraid.

You see...

They draw gallows on our door.

Even the cops couldn't put up with her.

I bet she gave them a hard time.

- What are you doing?

- The creche.

This is not a creche!

This is not Christ's creche!

You have no right to put

a whole parrish in danger.

Help me take this away.

It'd be a sacrilege to step on baby Jesus.

There's no reason to laugh.

They've come for you.

They're waiting for you

outside the church.

- Where are you taking him?

- We can't tell you.

I'm sorry, father.

Father, we've brought you here

for a confession.

I've nothing to confess.

- A soldier's confession.

- In the middle of the night?

He'll be executed at dawn.

- He asked for you specifically.

- I will pray for you.

You can't talk about any of this.

What happened?

Disobeyed orders?

- The order to shoot.

- I did shoot.

At my commanding officer. I missed.

Because of my hands.

We should thank God for not letting you kill.

They ordered us to shoot factory workers!

If everyone had done the same as me,

we would have won.

Winning is not important. What's important

is that we're in the right.

It's easy for you to say.

I'm the one that's going to die.

All you know how to do is pray.

That's right.

You know, father, that's just for cowards!

You knew we couldn't win!

You betrayed us!

To be right is not enough.

Bless me, father, for I have sinned.

What are you sins?

The sin of impurity.

Christ!

- Is that bad?

- No, no. Of course not.

I stole...

Two bags of cement, from work.

My dad was building a house and...

You have to go now.

Good dog. You thought I deserted you?

Spike!

Spike! Come on!

Goddamned animal!

- What are you doing here?

- Mom's upset.

She went to find you.

What for?

I'm waiting for you.

- You want me to stay with you?

- Tell me a story.

Once upon a time there was

a young man named Mirek.

- One day, his father decided to get him a dog.

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