In 1978, during the military dictatorship in Argentina,
eight reels of the original negatives from Invasión, shot in 1969,
were stolen from Alex Laboratories in Buenos Aires.
After twenty one years of blockade, the effort and kindness
of Pierre-André Boutang and other friends, in France and Argentina,
allowed composing a new complete negative print of the film.
The sources for this print were four original negative reels,
and eight internegative reels,
obtained from the combination of two old 35 mm positive prints.
This is a first restoration, achieved in 1999 thanks to the technicians
at L.T.C. Laboratory,
to those at Desmarquest Studios for the treatment of the sound mix,
to Ricardo Aronovich, original director of photography,
and to Hubert Niogret, who was in charge of the production.
To them all, our gratitude. The authors.
Southern Frontier
I’ll let them know at the café where to deliver the shipment.
invasion
It looks like we’ll win the championship on Sunday.
It’ll depend on the referees, as usual.
Come on. Our forwards will crush them.
This is the team to pick. Bramante knows his stuff.
Right. Here's a picture of him.
What a sight for sore eyes!
I wonder why my lumbago is so fond of me.
Don Porfirio, you old-timer, what's your prediction for Sunday?
I don't know. Whatever you want.
Here's your maté. Some sugar?
It looks like you need it.
Don't bother, Don Jesús. I'm used to bitterness by now.
Come on, you've got no faith.
Thank God in soccer we're number one.
Well, that's something. I hope you're right.
That goes without saying!
You’ll have to excuse me, I'm in a bit of a hurry.
Wenceslao N., you’ll have to excuse me.
I'm in a bit of a hurry.
...all these years getting ready. Now they're on the move.
-Today's the day. -Good.
One gets sick of waiting. I’ll be right over.
Anything wrong?
Don't take my absences so seriously, señora.
I’ll tell you a secret. I like to play the game of mysteries.
Yes. l already know it's a game.
You’ll see, l won't be long.
Hello.
Don't worry, Don Porfirio, I’ll be there.
If my wife calls, I'm out giving a shot.
An advance group will be sent out into the city.
They’ll receive orders in this café by the docks.
Want me to stop them?
Not there. Don't show up at the café.
Go straight to the freight yard.
There, the advance group meets the waiting truck.
But you’ll be there before them.
Not alone, understand?
Take Irala and Silva. Vildrac will be along too.
I've phoned him at the drugstore.
Destroy the truck. That's all. No chase, no fight, nothing.
Don't worry about a thing.
Lebendiger...
Herrera, is all this clear?
Wait at the freight yard. Don't go to the café.
Weren't we told to go to the northern freight car yard?
Yes.
Then what are we doing here?
I wonder if they are as tough as they say.
Why worry? We’ll send them running!
Pretty sleepy, Dr Silva. Why don't you get some rest?
Nothing will happen here.
Anyway, Irala is a tiger. He’ll take care of me.
Right, Irala?
Okay, okay. I'll take a little nap.
May l give you some advice?
Advice is cheap.
If you've got nothing to do, do it somewhere else.
What is it, Irala? Your toothache again?
Hey, watch out. Be careful of drafts.
Two shots, and quick!
Move over.
You must know where the freight yards are.
-Maybe. -Will you tell me then?
It's a little complicated.
They are on the Northern Border.
Follow the old cattle trail to the second crossing.
Then turn left, and left again.
Then a right as far as the brick wall.
-Then it gets more complicated. -In that case, better come and show us.
Irala!
Get in. You’ll be comfortable next to me.
That's a good plan. Bring them and let them see.
-lf you do it, they’ll be convinced. -Why, are you afraid? Poor things.
Our orders are not to move yet, Irene.
It was you who brought the order.
Good afternoon. I'm a tourist. Tourist, foreigner.
Very interested in this, in my country.
-l was told one can visit here. -Certainly, miss.
Are you afraid, Mr. Wenceslao?
I think you're right. Anyone would be afraid.
The simplest fear: Fear they’ll hit hard.
That kind of fear makes you forget everything.
Even forget that they are out there
and that they’ll come
knocking,
if no one
stands up to them.
Where have you taken us, my friend?
I didn't know there was a detour.
-I’ll ask the way in that store. -Go with him.
-Knock harder. -You're right.
Northern Frontier
-Where have you been? And the others? -The truck arrived?
Don Porfirio had some cattlemen stall it.
Good thing.
Irala disappeared. I was hoping he'd be with you.
The poor guy has good intentions.
But when the time comes...
I saw Irene on the street this morning.
-And? -Nothing. That's all.
-What kept you so long? -Some cows were blocking the road.
-It's getting late. -We're ready.
Take the car and we’ll follow you.
I need this scooter. You need 5000 pesos.
Just renting. Get off.
Don't worry, he’ll bring it back.
What are those guys up to?
Be patient. It'll ring again.
Herrera! So you had to get into some shooting!
Yes, yes. I’ll take care of it.
So what? Trucks aren't the only thing they’ll bring.
Vildrac has located the truck with the load.
It's out at Villa Los Laureles.
It must be destroyed, no matter what. No later than tonight.
You should know why. Right?
That's it. I need time, Herrera.
Wenceslao N., another sleepless night for us.
I've been waiting. Why didn't you go? And the others?
Nobody showed up. Nobody. I told you, didn't l?
Now who’ll believe us? Nobody was there, Irene.
That's enough.
I’ll check up. You go back...
-Who was that guy? -l don't know.
He was asking for directions.
I'm taking the bus.
You didn't show up last night.
I was busy. A job. I thought that now...
A friend of mine got sick.
And since I thought you weren't coming...
Yesterday you were out all afternoon.
I went for a walk. I hate just waiting.
I’ll be back early.
-Will I see you later? -Well, no, l can't.
-Tonight there's a... -Fine.
Here's my bus.
Someone said we'd better leave now, before it starts raining.
What can we do? They have their men all over.
Had to lie to my wife again, damn it.
I lie to women when they scare me.
Watch out. I think I hear a guitar.
Now Silva won't spare us that ''Milonga de FIores'' of his.
-What a surprise! -We thought you weren't coming.
Don't be suspicious. Tonight I’ll be faithful to you.
Friendship is so much more lucid a passion than love.
Here l am.
For the others the fever
And the sweat of the agony
And for me, four bullets
When daylight comes
Manuel Flores is going to die
That's something for sure
Dying is a habit
That most people have
Tomorrow the bullet's coming
And with the bullet, oblivion
So said Merlin the sage
To die is to have been born
And yet it pains me
To bid farewell to life
This thing one gets so used to
So sweet, and so familiar
At dawn l see my hand
l see my veins in my hand
l look at them oddly
As if they were someone else's
How many things on their way
These eyes of mine have seen!
Who knows what they will see
After Christ has judged me
For the others the fever
And the sweat of the agony
And for me, four bullets
When daylight comes
Before you get completely drunk, doctor, go and scout the villa.
Thanks. Now let someone really play it.
The truck is out at Villa Los Laureles.
It has to be destroyed before daybreak, understand?
The other trucks are important too.
But this one's carrying the radio equipment the invaders need.
By destroying it, their attack will be delayed.
That’ll buy Don Porfirio some time.
Besides, it's best we realized that things have changed.
This truck is the start of their takeover.
Feeling alone, aren't you? May l join you with my silence?
I suppose so.
Well, now that we're talking,
I don't mind telling you l know about loneIiness too. More than...
Okay. Let's go.
Always in demand, Lebendiger.
Take a break today. Come with us.
I understand your sorrow, but don't worry.
Something tells me we’ll meet again.
I know, MarceIo.
I forgot my raincoat.
Hey! Watch out! Are you blind or what?
What's up, Moon?
Park your car by the gate. Keep everything quiet.
I should have worn a sweater. It's no good for me to catch cold.
And the others?
Just one man guarding the truck. The others must be inside.
It's easy. One of us has to break into the house.
While they take care of him, we grab the truck.
-Who's going inside? -The whole fence is electrified.
-I’ve got tools in the car. -Good, let's go.
Herrera, to get into the house, I was thinking...
The one who's best cut out for this
is me.
If anyone has to die, I’ll be the one.
You guys have courage and skill. All l have is my death.
Okay, Irala.
Done.
The wire's cut.
We needed a volunteer.
Irala says he’ll do it. l agree.
How much time to get the truck going?
Eight minutes at most.
Cachorro, go with him. You’ll be covered.
Silva and I will take the truck.
Before letting them hear you, wait eight minutes.
Take mine too.
Over here!
The back way!
-Now where to? -To the cliffs.
No.
Lebendiger, make sure my wife believes that this was an accident.
It's nothing, Julio. We've seen a lot worse.
You drive, Cachorro. l don't know why my eyes are so tired.
This way.
Put them over there.
Give them room. Give them air. Back away!
There's a car. Get them to a hospital.
Don't worry, señora. We’ll take care of them.
Will you ever understand? Things have to be done carefully.
You just had to cross over the bridge and that was all.
We've lost our warehouse contact, thanks to your impatience.
I can't believe it! This is no game. You don't have to prove a thing.
{Southwestern Frontier
This thing one gets so used to
So sweet, and so familiar
And with the bullet, oblivion
So said Merlin the sage
To die is to have been born
How many things on their way
These eyes of mine have seen!
Who knows what they will see
After Christ has judged me
At dawn l see my hand
l see my veins in my hand
l look at them oddly
As if they were someone else's
We've got you already. Who do you take orders from?
Don't give me that blank look. Someone does the thinking for you.
Who's your boss? How many are you? Where are your weapons?
The cattle prod will make him talk.
I don't need that here. Take it to the other room.
Can you leave us alone, señora?
I apologize. We’ll settle this between the two of us.
Tell me the names of your people. I want to see how good my list is.
You seem to know more than I do.
And the weapons?
Even if l knew where they keep them, I wouldn’t tell you.
The threshold of pain has been established.
There is no reason to go so far.
Better talk now. Sooner or later you will.
You’ll kill me anyway, why should I talk?
Better give up, Herrera.
Why resist? People are waiting for what we're going to sell them.
People don't know what's going on. Those who do are afraid, like me.
I'm going to bribe you.
If you give me those names, you’ll get a quick death.
If not, you’ll be turned over to my staff.
As you saw, they're not as civilized as we are.
Excuse me for a second.
What would you do if you had the gun?
I'd kill you.
All right. You're a brave man.
You deserve to be killed.
Don't try to shout. It’s useless.
Why are you helping me?
I may be old-fashioned, but I can recognize a gentleman.
The other gentleman passed away.
They took him away. Everyone's gone.
Why did they leave?
Because he told them where the weapons are.
They killed him with an electric shock in the ear.
Come this way. Come.
Don't waste time. Get way!
Go!
I need gasoline. I’ll have to pull over.
Go ahead.
They must have made you talk. You look tired.
Stop here one moment, please.
Poor Silva.
He's dead and doesn't know he revealed nothing to them.
In my situation I have to lie to my friends. l lied to you as well.
The weapons aren't on the island.
Why did you waste time running after that fool?
-Yes, but the planes... -And you thought they had no planes?
Moon, Lebendiger and Cachorro are on the island.
We must let them know they're coming.
North-Northeastern Frontier
''One of us, said Morlock, is the murderer.
''l knew it the moment I noticed the pipe was not in its place.
''Besides, the watchdog hadn't barked.
''Burton turned pale.
''Doctor Doyle took out a handkerchief
''and meticulously wiped his glasses.
''Morlock went on toying with the teaspoon.
''Once he had spoken, he seemed to lose interest.
''Finally, he spoke.''
It looks like we won't find out the ending now.
Hey, Miguel, how's the stamp collection?
Ask me later for the ones Erika sent from Iceland.
Anyone here? Ever see them bringing guns?
-Guns? Never. -Liar!
Nobody lives here.
Don't waste our time. We know there are people who meet here.
Nobody lives here.
There's another house over there.
Sleep now. I have a busy day. I’ll be back.
This angel face was trying to act like a man.
That pretty face won't last long.
There's one behind...
Drop your guns! Come out one at a time!
Cachorro!
She’ll be here with the explosives any minute now.
She's being followed.
They hit you this time.
What do you mean by ''this time''?
Nothing. I wasn't thinking.
JuIián, I'm not asking what you're up to.
But I know that it's something more important than me.
Where did you come from, Irene?
I’ll get it.
I have to go to a wake.
Poor Vildrac.
He always believed nothing could happen to him.
Don Porfirio, l came along the coast.
And saw some ships, right?
You should have seen what happened!
Those bastards came and we had to burn them out.
Everything is up in flames!
-Not many people showed up. -You look pale, Marcelo.
His widow asked about you.
Laura.
You two go to the Union Hotel on the Northwestern border.
Ask for Don Cesáreo, the owner.
He's put everything away. Send everything here.
I can go.
No, you need a good rest.
Go home and don't show yourselves too much around town.
I’ll stay at Irene's. Don't forget Don Porfirio's advice.
What's the matter, Irene?
Aren't you happy now?
Right now l am.
Someday, my lady, you’ll be happy all the time.
Are you sure?
I have to be.
I must believe everything will work out.
-What will work out? -Nothing, nothing in particular.
Someday we’ll be able to live like everyone else.
-You don't even tell me where you go. -We agreed not to talk about that.
We used to tell each other everything.
Something must have changed us.
But what's wrong, Irene? Everything's going well.
Why are you crying?
I know l have to cry. Today or tomorrow, it's all the same.
Northwestern Frontier
Good afternoon.
You've had this place for years, haven't you?
Three years, four months.
I don't have to ask you if you've got any Burgundy?
I don't have to answer no! But I have absinthe.
Well, let's find that absinthe.
Gee!
How did Don Porfirio manage to gather all these?
So many guns, and all for nothing!
Don't worry, the old man isn't so easily beaten.
All loaded, Fernando. You know where to deliver these vegetables.
They're waiting here too.
There they are, Moon.
There are about ten, aren't there?
Over fifty.
We've always envied your success with women.
It puzzles me too.
But undoubtedly there's something about me that attracts them.
-I’ve resigned myself to it. -Better to have than not to.
That's for sure!
Please, excuse me.
This house suits you. It has your look.
I must admit I was expecting something else.
Something more pleasant, but still a mere repetition.
Instead, now l can verify something that's always bothered me.
To know whether l have courage. It seems l have.
Don't be offended by what l said.
I see you're a woman completely unlike the rest.
My relations with women have always been strange.
I've spent my whole life loving and deceiving.
It's only right that a woman brought me here.
Let the girl go. She shouldn't see unpleasant things.
Didn't you see the revolver?
No.
I was blind.
JuIián!
Irala and Vildrac died so you could destroy the truck.
And it has been in vain.
The invaders have installed a transmitter in the stadium.
From there they’ll order the attack.
It's heavily guarded.
But a man like you could destroy it all by himself.
That would give me a few more days.
And l need them.
We're the only ones left, Don Porfirio.
Why go on fighting?
-It’s always worth going on. -All right, but without me.
The transmitter is somewhere in the stadium.
Don Porfirio, I’ve always carried out your orders.
But this city's beyond hope.
Why die for people who won't defend themselves?
Count me out.
The city is more than its people.
Please, don't make me disobey you.
The transmitter is there somewhere. Maybe in the stands.
I'm not going, Don Porfirio.
Herrera wouldn’t go to the stadium. He must be home now.
-When we phoned, nobody answered. -He’ll be arriving any minute now.
How long have I worked for you? And you never let me tell him.
A man like him wouldn’t have accepted it.
Why? Why didn't you let me tell him I also belonged to the group?
Why torment yourselves with each other's dangers?
Now you two can talk.
I don't know. He's probably at the stadium.
He said he wouldn’t go. Go home and wait for him.
He needs to be brave. I’ll go home, and he is not going to come.
Call as soon as he arrives.
All right, let's go.
What? You want to play the martyr?
What's that? Who?
Why are you calling me?
What?
Where?
Yes, l thought so.
I know that too. Hello? Hello?
It seems they've hung up.
Don't worry if I don't come back. There's milk in the kitchen.
I'm getting too old for this.
Of course, I knew we could count on you.
It seems they aren't out to kill me.
They must think I’m all alone.
All these years, getting you prepared.
They've already taken over. Now the resistance begins.
Now it's your turn, you Southerners.
It's our turn, but it must be done in a different way.