What We Leave Behind (2022) Movie Script
Grandpa, how come
you only ever stay a few days?
-Thats it.
-Youve done this for 20 years!
How long would you want me to stay?
Id like to see you more is all.
You know, theres still time.
Heres the thing.
I dont stay long.
Sometimes I just collect my check
and head back on Monday.
Do you get bored here in the U.S.?
Why would I?
I mean, is that why
you go back to Mexico so quickly?
No, its that Look.
For example:
Here, I plunk down on the couch
and watch TV all day
until even my hooves hurt!
I dont go out anywhere.
I wonder what Im doing here,
so I go back.
When youre on the bus,
take off your jacket
if you get too hot.
Yes, of course.
Your handkerchiefs in one of the pockets.
Its here.
And this will keep your ears warm, Pa.
No, but then
What will I do with this?
The sombrero!
Like this then.
Are you ready?
I am.
The bus company had told Grandpa
hed gotten too old to ride alone.
He said they were wrong.
They let him on when I said
I was his granddaughter
and Id be with him.
Grandpa was a mystery to me as a kid.
I didnt know how to talk to him.
Hed smoke a lot
and bring me milk fudge
and tamarind candy.
Hed wear his sombrero
no matter where he went.
People would stare,
but he never took it off,
except to sleep.
I remember when he was so sick
he couldnt speak.
I was driving,
and he started banging
the back of my seat.
I stopped the car,
thinking he needed to use the bathroom.
No.
He wanted to sit up front.
He didnt want me to get lost.
This was his land.
Jorge!
Whered that flyswatter get to?
Its tough to kill em, theyre so sly.
The colds coming.
Thats why theyre inside.
-Its getting colder, Pa.
-True.
Theyre little prophets, those bastards.
The same happens when it rains.
But theyre hard to spot.
There they are, the bastards.
Hell build a mansion with these!
Estfana says
she doesnt want anything.
Lorenza already has a house here.
She bought one.
The others, like your mom or Lupe
They dont want anything either.
So the house were in now will be
for either Jorge or Julin Jr.
But now Ive bought that
that plot of land over there.
And I told Julin Jr.,
I bought some land.
He asked,
Why do you want another house, Pa?
I answered, Son
I dont know what its for yet.
He said, Use my land instead.
Because he has a plot here,
but its far away,
over by the stream.
Itd be too far for a new house.
He asked me again, Why another house?
And I said, Well, what if you moved back
and
you had a little shack of your own
ready for you here?
In that case, sure! he said.
So I thought,
Whats stopping me?
-Where do you sleep?
-Who?
That guys over there.
And I sleep here.
Ill hide this over here.
Are you tired, Grandpa?
No, not really.
Its just that I dont do anything.
I try and work on the littlest thing,
and my stomach or my back starts hurting.
Does it hurt now?
-Im no good anymore!
-Pa!
-Does it still hurt?
-What?
-Your stomach.
-A little.
Ive been a widower
since I was 45.
I had seven kids
And still do! Thanks to God.
Anyway
The first to leave was your mom.
She went when she was 14.
Back then, it was easy
to cross into the US.
My kids could cross whenever they wanted.
And Id go there often.
But not anymore.
But yeah
Lifes catching up with me.
I never thought Id live this long.
For example, I didnt
When I was a fresher man, around
30 years old
40
I asked dear God
to let me live to 50, but no more.
He didnt want to, though.
He made me keep going.
He decided that
Id live past 50 years.
Now, Im going on twice that.
But I wont go on much more.
Id say
Ive got another year or so.
Life is hard work.
Well put the cinder blocks there, no?
No, theyll go inside.
We could fry up an egg, if youd like.
Nice and crispy.
Doesnt that sound good?
I didnt even beat it,
but its falling apart on me
How did you make yours?
Your egg.
Well
Just like how youre doing it.
-Yeah?
-Yes, scrambled like that.
Arent these called sunny-side up?
What would you call them?
Sunny-side up.
But theyre called that when
the yolk doesnt burst.
And this one did.
So I guess its almost
what youd call an omelet. No?
As a kid, my mom had dreams about a bridge
that swayed in the wind like a hammock.
When she left for the US,
she crossed on
what they call The Black Bridge.
Her legs trembled the whole time.
But she missed home so much
that she only stayed three months
at first.
She crossed The Black Bridge
many times after that,
but the fear never left her.
Once, when I was a baby,
Mom crossed with me
so I could meet my grandpa.
But I got sick,
and I didnt get better
until I got back to the US.
Ever since,
Mom has liked to remind me,
Youd never make it over there.
Pinto.
-Youre not afraid of getting burnt?
-No.
Only when I use plastic.
Arent you afraid because you cant see?
No.
Theyve started selling flowers.
-The what?
-The flowers.
The flowers Who is it?
Jess Romero.
-Jess Gallego?
-Jess Romero!
Well, Im busy. I dont have the time now.
Theres no time now.
Let them wait a little longer.
Lets get the rebar. Grab the wheelbarrow.
-Rosa
-Yeah?
Ready to go?
Here comes Pinto!
Shoo!
The wire!
The wire
Lidia Caldern, age 39
survived by her husband and children
-Hows it going to stay up?
-Hold on.
Whos all this for, Grandpa?
Your grandmother Lidia.
Pass me that broom.
You should put it by her feet.
-You cant see a thing!
-I can.
Not for long.
Uncle, do you remember your mom,
my grandmother?
Barely, but yes. I do remember her.
I dont remember her face
I wont lie.
She was thin.
You know
Ma was hot-tempered, too.
What do you mean?
Anything would set her off.
One time she smacked me,
because I let it slip
that Id gotten in a fight.
With another kid?
With another kid.
Do you have other memories of her?
I just remember when she was sick,
shed spend her time
There used to be a mesquite tree out here.
Shed just spend her time sitting there
and blood would stream out her nose.
Shed sit under that tree?
Under that mesquite.
-And youd watch her?
-Yes.
Shed just be over there crocheting.
What did everyone think she died from?
Well, back then
we didnt really know much.
Some said it was cancer
I was about to turn 14 when she died.
You could still see back then?
A little, but my sights never been great.
Do you remember that day?
No, not very well.
How do you think her death
affected our family?
I dont understand what you
Wasnt that when everyone started leaving?
Going to the other side.
My aunts. And my mom.
Well, your mom was the first to leave,
but she was already over there by then.
The others left much later.
You remember when each person left.
I do.
And Grandpa never remarried, right?
No, never.
I got you bread.
Whatd you like about my grandma, Grandpa?
Well, its that
I talked to her and she said yes.
And that was that.
Back then, the women around here
would get our water from the river.
Theyd only use the wells during droughts.
And theyd carry water jugs
on their heads.
Some carried buckets.
So you would
Youd climb the hill
to go shoot the breeze with them.
And theyd have
those jugs on their heads
or those buckets.
And so
Her mother didnt want us to be together.
Her sister didnt either.
But I didnt care one bit.
Her father never said anything.
He knew I was a hard worker,
because wed done jobs together.
He liked me.
I may be small, as you can see,
but Ive never been scared of hard work.
Ive always thrown myself into it.
And those planks?
Im ready now. Grandpa!
Not you, Pinto.
Grandpa!
Ive got too much cargo
for this little bag!
-Here it is.
-And what is it?
My ID.
From when I worked as a bracero.
-And what?
-In the US.
Youd get this when
when you were done
and youd finished a contract.
If you didnt fully honor the contract,
you didnt get it.
You didnt get the ID card.
And you needed this card
in order to get the Social Security money
from wherever youd worked.
But since Id lost mine,
I didnt get anything.
This one has my photo on it,
but its in someone elses name.
Its in my brother-in-law Gilbertos name.
You see, when youd sign up
to be a bracero,
your town would get a list
that would tell you
when it was your turn to go.
But I wasnt on that list
so Gilberto told me,
If you want to go over there,
just use my name.
So thats how I went
and how I have this ID.
And what does it say?
Thats your photo?
Thats a photo of you!
Yes, thats me.
I was just scraggly back then.
It wont focus
It says: California
1964.
Ill leave it there for you.
Now go ahead.
-There we go.
-Look!
This ones longer, no?
-Huh?
-This one here.
But those are
15-inch planks, Mister Julin.
-15-inch?
-We need 20-inch planks.
You cant just lay more soil under them?
There has to be some other way.
No
How will he carry the planks?
-Was the delivery yesterday?
-No.
They told me to sign,
so I just scribbled something.
Did we charge you yesterday?
Dont ask me why I signed, but I did.
So it was yesterday.
Lets just get the planks.
Have you found them?
-Sorry?
-You have them?
-What?
-These screws and planks.
Tell me how much five of them will cost.
How will you transport the planks, sir?
Open up, Jorge!
Open the door, Ive got a plank.
Ill grab the other in a second.
I cant carry both at once.
Wheres the other one?
Right over there.
Ill go get it.
Wait for me outside. Im getting it.
It must be over here, right?
-Open it.
-Arent there any limes?
You couldnt rustle up a lime?
-A lime
-Maybe there arent any.
I guess not.
Grandpa!
He said there werent any!
How about a knife?
-Right.
-Have you told him?
Have you opened yours yet?
-Of course!
-Well, there are limes here.
And you said there werent any
At least weve started it.
The house.
Whoever wants it, its theirs.
And if no one wants it,
they can just sell it
and divvy up the profits.
What else can I do?
As for me
What they say is true:
I wont need it myself before long.
That little shacks good enough for me.
Should I go get bread?
Would you want bread?
The phones ringing!
The phone!
The phone
A guy cant even take a piss around here.
It never stops ringing
Because you hang up on everyone!
Hello?
Good. Howre you all doing over there?
Its for you, Jorge!
-Well, my daughter
-Turn the hose off then.
Turn the water off.
The waters still running
-Where?
-In the bucket!
Hi, sis.
Sure, but he cant anymore.
He cant make the trip.
Do you miss going to the US?
Yes.
Yes, because before Id have
I had the strength to go on my own.
But not now.
Not anymore.
How long was it that you took the bus?
Something like 15 years, no?
More or less. I dont remember exactly.
Grandpa, whatd you want to show us,
visiting every month?
Well, Ive tried
to make sure that
you all get along,
that you dont fight over this or that.
What good is that?
There are lots of people
who dont have family.
And when its all over,
when their life ends, no one comes
They dont have anyone to come visit them.
And then some do,
even if they dont have family.
Here, there are older people
who have died,
who didnt have
family.
And many of them just get buried
when they need burying.
But your family visits you,
and we love you very much.
Well, yes.
But who knows in the end
what will actually happen?
Why do you say that?
Are you scared?
-Of what?
-Are you scared to go?
No.
No, I know that
that day has to come
sooner or later.
Why get scared?
Yes
This ends soon.
-What ends soon?
-Well, life.
Like they say,
theres more time than life.
I lived with a man for eight years.
He wanted to buy a house
and build a family.
He gave me a gold engagement ring.
After so many years together,
didnt he know I preferred silver?
I left for Mexico to visit my grandpa.
I asked him
about his marriage with Grandma.
He told me about her death instead:
Theyd found
prickly pear spines in her bed,
and her belly was swollen,
as if she were pregnant.
There was no sorrow in his voice
as I mightve hoped,
but I came to love just sitting
with him in silence.
Every morning, Grandpa would ask
what I wanted to film.
One day, he showed me
the House of 100 Doors.
A Spanish woman had told
the man who loved her
that shed only marry him
if he built her a house with 100 doors.
He did and she loved him.
Grandpa always loved telling me
about that house.
Here I am.
Lets see what Im good for.
Nothing anymore!
Have you eaten yet?
-Yes.
-No you havent! Tell the truth.
What are you all doing, Grandpa?
Making sure its level
before pouring the concrete.
If theyd started on Sunday,
wed be laying the cement by now,
but they said no.
Have you all eaten yet?
We have, Uncle. But a Coke would be nice!
I was drinking some with water earlier,
but I finished it!
This is for the tortillas.
And a Coke if theres change.
I didnt get it, sweetie.
It got away.
Theyve been attacking me.
I cant see them anymore
so they attack me.
That one got away, too.
Damn flies!
They all say
Im impatient
but those workers are so damn patient
that they never get anything done!
Well, yeah. Thats true.
But what can you do?
Well, nothing.
You just have to accept it.
Im on my own, so they screw me over.
Rosi, do you like doing that?
Crocheting? Yeah, I love it.
-Why?
-I dont know.
It keeps me from overthinking
It clears my mind.
When I crochet
I forget everything else.
I get to unwind a bit.
I see Grandpa getting weaker.
The days go by,
and he looks more tired. Hes different.
Some days hes doing well, and others
he seems much worse.
And so I promise him,
that Ill never let Jorge
end up on his own,
because were family,
and we take care of each other.
What worries Grandpa most
is leaving Jorge on his own.
-Give us a holler, Jorge!
-No
I only sing if Im drinking.
You shouldve brought yourself
something to drink!
-Its been a while.
-You sing, Uncle?
Only if theres music and Im drunk.
-Come on, sing a little!
-No way
Mister Julin here
might sing for you, though
If the lush wont sing, why should I?
Dove, where did you come from?
Im from San Juan del Ro
Cover me with your wings
For Im dying of cold
If I were paper, Id fly
-Thats all I remember.
-If I were ink, Id write
If I were ink, Id write
-What else?
-I cant remember.
I dont either. Im no singer.
I just like entertaining myself sometimes.
Thats all.
How are all of you over there?
Debts dont just go away.
No way.
No.
Yes, whenever I get hungry.
Were finishing it.
If theres a problem, its theirs now.
Lift him up!
Watch your step there!
Look how drunk this guys gotten
Let me get the door for you!
Take him to the bedroom.
What happened?
Hes not feeling well!
-Come on, Jorge.
-Whats going on?
You drink too much.
No
Sometimes I go two weeks without drinking!
The other house isnt mine anymore.
Its his.
I already
-I already gave it to Jorge.
-To Jorge?
The other house, yes.
But not this one.
The family asks me whose it will be.
Let them
figure that out themselves.
Well, well see
Well see exactly how we finish it.
My family might send money to help
finish it.
Of course they will.
If not, thats fine
Pretty soon, I wont be able to finish
-anything myself anymore.
-No?
Not anymore.
-No.
-But youll see the house finished.
Youll see it finished.
But so whose will it be?
This one here? Its mine.
-And after you?
-Huh?
-Whose will it be after you?
-The whole familys. Everyones.
Whoever moves back here
this house is for them.
Its for all my kids.
Theres no way it could be for me.
Its for them
so theyll all get along.
I brought you water bottles.
And then
I got her this. You squeeze here.
And then?
Press harder, Mom.
Coming here mustve ticked her off.
Now she doesnt want to work!
-Try her other paw.
-Its this one.
Cute, no?
And then
This ones for you.
Here.
I brought you this bag of nuts, Pa.
-I brought you pecans.
-Pecans?
Theyre already shelled.
You dont really eat these, do you?
Not really.
Not even one or two? Theyre good for you.
Ill try one.
-Is it hot?
-Not too hot. Try it.
I didnt give you much.
-How is it?
-Too cold.
-You want it hotter?
-Yes.
-But its just the mug thats cold.
-No.
Well, if he wants it hotter
He usually likes it warm,
but now he wants it hot.
I dont need it scalding,
but that was stone-cold.
Only the mug was, she said!
-Just the mug.
-Im warming it up.
Give it to me once its hot.
Dont drink it all in one go.
Itll make you sick!
-Theres one sip left.
-Is there?
Well, at least youve had something, Pa.
Im already
wondering if I might throw up.
Dont think about throwing up, Pa.
Dont be thinking
-about that.
-But its getting to be a real pain.
The other day, I was
Id had an atole earlier that day, too,
and
I cant remember what else.
But Id drunk the atole,
and a little while later, it came back up.
You couldnt keep any down.
And you didnt feel it coming?
I didnt feel it
until it was already happening.
It happened so suddenly.
Yeah
Well see what Gods will is.
How does the house look to you, sweetie?
Its nice, Pa.
Its pretty, Grandpa. It came out nice.
-She thinks its pretty, too.
-I dont know about that.
I dont really think so.
What, Pa? You wanted one like in the U.S.?
Riding the bus into San Juan del Ro,
you can see a mountain
they call The Castle.
They say its home to witches
who turn into black birds come nightfall
and who watch over town.
Grandpa wanted to go see his land.
Even though he could barely walk,
he got down from the truck
and saw where hed always planted
beans, chile, corn, and wheat
and then his eyes settled on The Castle.
Id always wanted to climb to the top,
but Grandpa told me
it wasnt a place I should go.
During the day, the witches
came back to The Castle to sleep.
No one knows what would happen
if they awoke.
Id learned to trust what Grandpa told me
even when I didnt understand.
Pintos joining us.
Hi, Pinto!
And here comes Mister Julin.
Leave that be. Whats the use?
Well, it doesnt look nice, Pa!
Iliana doesnt seem to want to join you.
Im working.
Shes working, Pa.
So thats what that is.
Must be a different way of working.
She does have
a different way of working, Pa.
But youre the one getting tired.
Well, sure.
No, sis.
We couldve gotten your papers
a while ago,
but you didnt want to come back here,
so I didnt.
Here, hes anxious.
Over there, hed be worse.
Hed just want to come back here.
He may argue with Jorge,
but our Pa worries about him a lot.
Thats what Im saying.
Thats what Im saying.
Pa wouldnt want to be over there.
And hed just get sicker.
I wish he could be over there to see you,
but the trip would be too much for him.
Hes usually hot,
but suddenly hell get cold.
-And then hot again.
-Yes.
he likes the house full of people.
Mom
Hail Mary, full of grace
Give me your hand, Pa.
His fingers are so cold
-Its Iliana, Pa.
-Im here, Grandpa.
Were all here with you, Pa.
Well see you again over there.
Dove, where did you come from?
Im from San Juan del Ro
Cover me with your wings
For Im dying of cold
If I were paper, Id fly
If I were ink, Id write
Would that I were a stamp
and away with this letter Id go
you only ever stay a few days?
-Thats it.
-Youve done this for 20 years!
How long would you want me to stay?
Id like to see you more is all.
You know, theres still time.
Heres the thing.
I dont stay long.
Sometimes I just collect my check
and head back on Monday.
Do you get bored here in the U.S.?
Why would I?
I mean, is that why
you go back to Mexico so quickly?
No, its that Look.
For example:
Here, I plunk down on the couch
and watch TV all day
until even my hooves hurt!
I dont go out anywhere.
I wonder what Im doing here,
so I go back.
When youre on the bus,
take off your jacket
if you get too hot.
Yes, of course.
Your handkerchiefs in one of the pockets.
Its here.
And this will keep your ears warm, Pa.
No, but then
What will I do with this?
The sombrero!
Like this then.
Are you ready?
I am.
The bus company had told Grandpa
hed gotten too old to ride alone.
He said they were wrong.
They let him on when I said
I was his granddaughter
and Id be with him.
Grandpa was a mystery to me as a kid.
I didnt know how to talk to him.
Hed smoke a lot
and bring me milk fudge
and tamarind candy.
Hed wear his sombrero
no matter where he went.
People would stare,
but he never took it off,
except to sleep.
I remember when he was so sick
he couldnt speak.
I was driving,
and he started banging
the back of my seat.
I stopped the car,
thinking he needed to use the bathroom.
No.
He wanted to sit up front.
He didnt want me to get lost.
This was his land.
Jorge!
Whered that flyswatter get to?
Its tough to kill em, theyre so sly.
The colds coming.
Thats why theyre inside.
-Its getting colder, Pa.
-True.
Theyre little prophets, those bastards.
The same happens when it rains.
But theyre hard to spot.
There they are, the bastards.
Hell build a mansion with these!
Estfana says
she doesnt want anything.
Lorenza already has a house here.
She bought one.
The others, like your mom or Lupe
They dont want anything either.
So the house were in now will be
for either Jorge or Julin Jr.
But now Ive bought that
that plot of land over there.
And I told Julin Jr.,
I bought some land.
He asked,
Why do you want another house, Pa?
I answered, Son
I dont know what its for yet.
He said, Use my land instead.
Because he has a plot here,
but its far away,
over by the stream.
Itd be too far for a new house.
He asked me again, Why another house?
And I said, Well, what if you moved back
and
you had a little shack of your own
ready for you here?
In that case, sure! he said.
So I thought,
Whats stopping me?
-Where do you sleep?
-Who?
That guys over there.
And I sleep here.
Ill hide this over here.
Are you tired, Grandpa?
No, not really.
Its just that I dont do anything.
I try and work on the littlest thing,
and my stomach or my back starts hurting.
Does it hurt now?
-Im no good anymore!
-Pa!
-Does it still hurt?
-What?
-Your stomach.
-A little.
Ive been a widower
since I was 45.
I had seven kids
And still do! Thanks to God.
Anyway
The first to leave was your mom.
She went when she was 14.
Back then, it was easy
to cross into the US.
My kids could cross whenever they wanted.
And Id go there often.
But not anymore.
But yeah
Lifes catching up with me.
I never thought Id live this long.
For example, I didnt
When I was a fresher man, around
30 years old
40
I asked dear God
to let me live to 50, but no more.
He didnt want to, though.
He made me keep going.
He decided that
Id live past 50 years.
Now, Im going on twice that.
But I wont go on much more.
Id say
Ive got another year or so.
Life is hard work.
Well put the cinder blocks there, no?
No, theyll go inside.
We could fry up an egg, if youd like.
Nice and crispy.
Doesnt that sound good?
I didnt even beat it,
but its falling apart on me
How did you make yours?
Your egg.
Well
Just like how youre doing it.
-Yeah?
-Yes, scrambled like that.
Arent these called sunny-side up?
What would you call them?
Sunny-side up.
But theyre called that when
the yolk doesnt burst.
And this one did.
So I guess its almost
what youd call an omelet. No?
As a kid, my mom had dreams about a bridge
that swayed in the wind like a hammock.
When she left for the US,
she crossed on
what they call The Black Bridge.
Her legs trembled the whole time.
But she missed home so much
that she only stayed three months
at first.
She crossed The Black Bridge
many times after that,
but the fear never left her.
Once, when I was a baby,
Mom crossed with me
so I could meet my grandpa.
But I got sick,
and I didnt get better
until I got back to the US.
Ever since,
Mom has liked to remind me,
Youd never make it over there.
Pinto.
-Youre not afraid of getting burnt?
-No.
Only when I use plastic.
Arent you afraid because you cant see?
No.
Theyve started selling flowers.
-The what?
-The flowers.
The flowers Who is it?
Jess Romero.
-Jess Gallego?
-Jess Romero!
Well, Im busy. I dont have the time now.
Theres no time now.
Let them wait a little longer.
Lets get the rebar. Grab the wheelbarrow.
-Rosa
-Yeah?
Ready to go?
Here comes Pinto!
Shoo!
The wire!
The wire
Lidia Caldern, age 39
survived by her husband and children
-Hows it going to stay up?
-Hold on.
Whos all this for, Grandpa?
Your grandmother Lidia.
Pass me that broom.
You should put it by her feet.
-You cant see a thing!
-I can.
Not for long.
Uncle, do you remember your mom,
my grandmother?
Barely, but yes. I do remember her.
I dont remember her face
I wont lie.
She was thin.
You know
Ma was hot-tempered, too.
What do you mean?
Anything would set her off.
One time she smacked me,
because I let it slip
that Id gotten in a fight.
With another kid?
With another kid.
Do you have other memories of her?
I just remember when she was sick,
shed spend her time
There used to be a mesquite tree out here.
Shed just spend her time sitting there
and blood would stream out her nose.
Shed sit under that tree?
Under that mesquite.
-And youd watch her?
-Yes.
Shed just be over there crocheting.
What did everyone think she died from?
Well, back then
we didnt really know much.
Some said it was cancer
I was about to turn 14 when she died.
You could still see back then?
A little, but my sights never been great.
Do you remember that day?
No, not very well.
How do you think her death
affected our family?
I dont understand what you
Wasnt that when everyone started leaving?
Going to the other side.
My aunts. And my mom.
Well, your mom was the first to leave,
but she was already over there by then.
The others left much later.
You remember when each person left.
I do.
And Grandpa never remarried, right?
No, never.
I got you bread.
Whatd you like about my grandma, Grandpa?
Well, its that
I talked to her and she said yes.
And that was that.
Back then, the women around here
would get our water from the river.
Theyd only use the wells during droughts.
And theyd carry water jugs
on their heads.
Some carried buckets.
So you would
Youd climb the hill
to go shoot the breeze with them.
And theyd have
those jugs on their heads
or those buckets.
And so
Her mother didnt want us to be together.
Her sister didnt either.
But I didnt care one bit.
Her father never said anything.
He knew I was a hard worker,
because wed done jobs together.
He liked me.
I may be small, as you can see,
but Ive never been scared of hard work.
Ive always thrown myself into it.
And those planks?
Im ready now. Grandpa!
Not you, Pinto.
Grandpa!
Ive got too much cargo
for this little bag!
-Here it is.
-And what is it?
My ID.
From when I worked as a bracero.
-And what?
-In the US.
Youd get this when
when you were done
and youd finished a contract.
If you didnt fully honor the contract,
you didnt get it.
You didnt get the ID card.
And you needed this card
in order to get the Social Security money
from wherever youd worked.
But since Id lost mine,
I didnt get anything.
This one has my photo on it,
but its in someone elses name.
Its in my brother-in-law Gilbertos name.
You see, when youd sign up
to be a bracero,
your town would get a list
that would tell you
when it was your turn to go.
But I wasnt on that list
so Gilberto told me,
If you want to go over there,
just use my name.
So thats how I went
and how I have this ID.
And what does it say?
Thats your photo?
Thats a photo of you!
Yes, thats me.
I was just scraggly back then.
It wont focus
It says: California
1964.
Ill leave it there for you.
Now go ahead.
-There we go.
-Look!
This ones longer, no?
-Huh?
-This one here.
But those are
15-inch planks, Mister Julin.
-15-inch?
-We need 20-inch planks.
You cant just lay more soil under them?
There has to be some other way.
No
How will he carry the planks?
-Was the delivery yesterday?
-No.
They told me to sign,
so I just scribbled something.
Did we charge you yesterday?
Dont ask me why I signed, but I did.
So it was yesterday.
Lets just get the planks.
Have you found them?
-Sorry?
-You have them?
-What?
-These screws and planks.
Tell me how much five of them will cost.
How will you transport the planks, sir?
Open up, Jorge!
Open the door, Ive got a plank.
Ill grab the other in a second.
I cant carry both at once.
Wheres the other one?
Right over there.
Ill go get it.
Wait for me outside. Im getting it.
It must be over here, right?
-Open it.
-Arent there any limes?
You couldnt rustle up a lime?
-A lime
-Maybe there arent any.
I guess not.
Grandpa!
He said there werent any!
How about a knife?
-Right.
-Have you told him?
Have you opened yours yet?
-Of course!
-Well, there are limes here.
And you said there werent any
At least weve started it.
The house.
Whoever wants it, its theirs.
And if no one wants it,
they can just sell it
and divvy up the profits.
What else can I do?
As for me
What they say is true:
I wont need it myself before long.
That little shacks good enough for me.
Should I go get bread?
Would you want bread?
The phones ringing!
The phone!
The phone
A guy cant even take a piss around here.
It never stops ringing
Because you hang up on everyone!
Hello?
Good. Howre you all doing over there?
Its for you, Jorge!
-Well, my daughter
-Turn the hose off then.
Turn the water off.
The waters still running
-Where?
-In the bucket!
Hi, sis.
Sure, but he cant anymore.
He cant make the trip.
Do you miss going to the US?
Yes.
Yes, because before Id have
I had the strength to go on my own.
But not now.
Not anymore.
How long was it that you took the bus?
Something like 15 years, no?
More or less. I dont remember exactly.
Grandpa, whatd you want to show us,
visiting every month?
Well, Ive tried
to make sure that
you all get along,
that you dont fight over this or that.
What good is that?
There are lots of people
who dont have family.
And when its all over,
when their life ends, no one comes
They dont have anyone to come visit them.
And then some do,
even if they dont have family.
Here, there are older people
who have died,
who didnt have
family.
And many of them just get buried
when they need burying.
But your family visits you,
and we love you very much.
Well, yes.
But who knows in the end
what will actually happen?
Why do you say that?
Are you scared?
-Of what?
-Are you scared to go?
No.
No, I know that
that day has to come
sooner or later.
Why get scared?
Yes
This ends soon.
-What ends soon?
-Well, life.
Like they say,
theres more time than life.
I lived with a man for eight years.
He wanted to buy a house
and build a family.
He gave me a gold engagement ring.
After so many years together,
didnt he know I preferred silver?
I left for Mexico to visit my grandpa.
I asked him
about his marriage with Grandma.
He told me about her death instead:
Theyd found
prickly pear spines in her bed,
and her belly was swollen,
as if she were pregnant.
There was no sorrow in his voice
as I mightve hoped,
but I came to love just sitting
with him in silence.
Every morning, Grandpa would ask
what I wanted to film.
One day, he showed me
the House of 100 Doors.
A Spanish woman had told
the man who loved her
that shed only marry him
if he built her a house with 100 doors.
He did and she loved him.
Grandpa always loved telling me
about that house.
Here I am.
Lets see what Im good for.
Nothing anymore!
Have you eaten yet?
-Yes.
-No you havent! Tell the truth.
What are you all doing, Grandpa?
Making sure its level
before pouring the concrete.
If theyd started on Sunday,
wed be laying the cement by now,
but they said no.
Have you all eaten yet?
We have, Uncle. But a Coke would be nice!
I was drinking some with water earlier,
but I finished it!
This is for the tortillas.
And a Coke if theres change.
I didnt get it, sweetie.
It got away.
Theyve been attacking me.
I cant see them anymore
so they attack me.
That one got away, too.
Damn flies!
They all say
Im impatient
but those workers are so damn patient
that they never get anything done!
Well, yeah. Thats true.
But what can you do?
Well, nothing.
You just have to accept it.
Im on my own, so they screw me over.
Rosi, do you like doing that?
Crocheting? Yeah, I love it.
-Why?
-I dont know.
It keeps me from overthinking
It clears my mind.
When I crochet
I forget everything else.
I get to unwind a bit.
I see Grandpa getting weaker.
The days go by,
and he looks more tired. Hes different.
Some days hes doing well, and others
he seems much worse.
And so I promise him,
that Ill never let Jorge
end up on his own,
because were family,
and we take care of each other.
What worries Grandpa most
is leaving Jorge on his own.
-Give us a holler, Jorge!
-No
I only sing if Im drinking.
You shouldve brought yourself
something to drink!
-Its been a while.
-You sing, Uncle?
Only if theres music and Im drunk.
-Come on, sing a little!
-No way
Mister Julin here
might sing for you, though
If the lush wont sing, why should I?
Dove, where did you come from?
Im from San Juan del Ro
Cover me with your wings
For Im dying of cold
If I were paper, Id fly
-Thats all I remember.
-If I were ink, Id write
If I were ink, Id write
-What else?
-I cant remember.
I dont either. Im no singer.
I just like entertaining myself sometimes.
Thats all.
How are all of you over there?
Debts dont just go away.
No way.
No.
Yes, whenever I get hungry.
Were finishing it.
If theres a problem, its theirs now.
Lift him up!
Watch your step there!
Look how drunk this guys gotten
Let me get the door for you!
Take him to the bedroom.
What happened?
Hes not feeling well!
-Come on, Jorge.
-Whats going on?
You drink too much.
No
Sometimes I go two weeks without drinking!
The other house isnt mine anymore.
Its his.
I already
-I already gave it to Jorge.
-To Jorge?
The other house, yes.
But not this one.
The family asks me whose it will be.
Let them
figure that out themselves.
Well, well see
Well see exactly how we finish it.
My family might send money to help
finish it.
Of course they will.
If not, thats fine
Pretty soon, I wont be able to finish
-anything myself anymore.
-No?
Not anymore.
-No.
-But youll see the house finished.
Youll see it finished.
But so whose will it be?
This one here? Its mine.
-And after you?
-Huh?
-Whose will it be after you?
-The whole familys. Everyones.
Whoever moves back here
this house is for them.
Its for all my kids.
Theres no way it could be for me.
Its for them
so theyll all get along.
I brought you water bottles.
And then
I got her this. You squeeze here.
And then?
Press harder, Mom.
Coming here mustve ticked her off.
Now she doesnt want to work!
-Try her other paw.
-Its this one.
Cute, no?
And then
This ones for you.
Here.
I brought you this bag of nuts, Pa.
-I brought you pecans.
-Pecans?
Theyre already shelled.
You dont really eat these, do you?
Not really.
Not even one or two? Theyre good for you.
Ill try one.
-Is it hot?
-Not too hot. Try it.
I didnt give you much.
-How is it?
-Too cold.
-You want it hotter?
-Yes.
-But its just the mug thats cold.
-No.
Well, if he wants it hotter
He usually likes it warm,
but now he wants it hot.
I dont need it scalding,
but that was stone-cold.
Only the mug was, she said!
-Just the mug.
-Im warming it up.
Give it to me once its hot.
Dont drink it all in one go.
Itll make you sick!
-Theres one sip left.
-Is there?
Well, at least youve had something, Pa.
Im already
wondering if I might throw up.
Dont think about throwing up, Pa.
Dont be thinking
-about that.
-But its getting to be a real pain.
The other day, I was
Id had an atole earlier that day, too,
and
I cant remember what else.
But Id drunk the atole,
and a little while later, it came back up.
You couldnt keep any down.
And you didnt feel it coming?
I didnt feel it
until it was already happening.
It happened so suddenly.
Yeah
Well see what Gods will is.
How does the house look to you, sweetie?
Its nice, Pa.
Its pretty, Grandpa. It came out nice.
-She thinks its pretty, too.
-I dont know about that.
I dont really think so.
What, Pa? You wanted one like in the U.S.?
Riding the bus into San Juan del Ro,
you can see a mountain
they call The Castle.
They say its home to witches
who turn into black birds come nightfall
and who watch over town.
Grandpa wanted to go see his land.
Even though he could barely walk,
he got down from the truck
and saw where hed always planted
beans, chile, corn, and wheat
and then his eyes settled on The Castle.
Id always wanted to climb to the top,
but Grandpa told me
it wasnt a place I should go.
During the day, the witches
came back to The Castle to sleep.
No one knows what would happen
if they awoke.
Id learned to trust what Grandpa told me
even when I didnt understand.
Pintos joining us.
Hi, Pinto!
And here comes Mister Julin.
Leave that be. Whats the use?
Well, it doesnt look nice, Pa!
Iliana doesnt seem to want to join you.
Im working.
Shes working, Pa.
So thats what that is.
Must be a different way of working.
She does have
a different way of working, Pa.
But youre the one getting tired.
Well, sure.
No, sis.
We couldve gotten your papers
a while ago,
but you didnt want to come back here,
so I didnt.
Here, hes anxious.
Over there, hed be worse.
Hed just want to come back here.
He may argue with Jorge,
but our Pa worries about him a lot.
Thats what Im saying.
Thats what Im saying.
Pa wouldnt want to be over there.
And hed just get sicker.
I wish he could be over there to see you,
but the trip would be too much for him.
Hes usually hot,
but suddenly hell get cold.
-And then hot again.
-Yes.
he likes the house full of people.
Mom
Hail Mary, full of grace
Give me your hand, Pa.
His fingers are so cold
-Its Iliana, Pa.
-Im here, Grandpa.
Were all here with you, Pa.
Well see you again over there.
Dove, where did you come from?
Im from San Juan del Ro
Cover me with your wings
For Im dying of cold
If I were paper, Id fly
If I were ink, Id write
Would that I were a stamp
and away with this letter Id go