Dear Janka, This is a very special hospital.
There are lots of kids with bad legs.
ln my room, there are two seventh-graders and one eighth-grader.
My nicknames stayed behind.
No one calls me Duck or Chatterbox.
Maybe they forget by the time l come back.
And now the most important thing.
My operation is today.
l am a little scared.
l hope the operation will turn out well.
Cross your fingers for me.
Much love, Your faithful friend, Majka.
AND I'LL RUN TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH
Screenplay by:
Based on the book by:
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Today we'll have a play-lesson.
lmagine you are something else.
Or someone else.
For example Danka could be... a blackboard.
l am a blackboard. l know all the things children learn.
But people think l am just a piece of wood. Do you understand?
Can l be a butcher?
Sure.
- l will be an astronaut. - l want to be a gold fish.
- l'm a sailor. - l'm a book.
No! l am a book!
l said it first.
No arguing!
l'm the book!
All right then.
l think Majka is right.
Now write your compositions.
Can l be ink then?
-You can be anything. -A duck too!
Quiet!
l am ink.
l spilled on Zuza's desk and dripped down on the red dress
that she loves so much.
Majka! Come on!
Hey duck!
Let's go to the ends of the earth sometime.
When?
- On Sunday. - What time?
-At ten. - Fine.
- Bye! And don't forget! - Don't worry.
l'm not letting Laco in the house!
l'll do as l please.
As long as you live here, you'll do as you're told!
l hope it won't be for much longer...
Are you tired of us?
l am tired of listening to your ranting.
Not again...
Parents should be obeyed.
Don't cry over him, he's not handsome.
His ears are too big, he's violent and a drunk.
Chatterbox! Leave me alone!
Enough of waiting.
Put this junk away!
What a silly idea, collecting napkins.
l have the least of them anyway.
Zuza has some even from abroad.
Fetch Madlena.
Dinner is ready!
Where have you been? And could you say hello?
Leave me alone. You're not my father.
What?
Where did you hear such nonsense?
From auntie Sarinova.
ls she out of her mind?
What did she tell you?
That l'm Luptak, your name is Nemnica,
and so you cannot be my father.
She was joking... Come here!
Come on!
Do you remember uncle Martin?
The one with the golden chest?
- That one. - Yes, l remember him.
When you were born, mom was ill
and l was hunting for doctors and medicine.
So uncle Martin took care of your birth certificate.
Why didn't he say my name was Nemnica?
Because his name was Luptak.
But you were brothers!
Of course.
Someone mixed it up at the registrar's office.
My grandfather, who has a rose bush growing on his grave,
was called Jan Luptak-Nemnica.
My father's, your grandfather's name, is Ondrej Nemnica.
When my brother was born, my grand-father had him entered in the registry.
And he gave him his surname - Martin Luptak-Nemnica.
Understand?
l was registered by my father:
My son's name is Ondrej Nemnica.
- He's done it by his name, see? - Right.
And so we were brothers with different names.
But we will set it straight.
You too can have your say now.
Which one do you like more - Luptak or Nemnica?
Madlena, which name do you prefer?
She'd like to be Justakova.
So are you or are you not my father?
What did you tell him?
Leave Madlena alone. We won't consent to this.
What did he say?
He was petrified. And he'd said he wouldn't push.
l'm not sure if we're doing the right thing.
There are so many of them he'll never inherit as much as a handkerchief...
They are both earning money.
Where will they live? We still have Maros and Majka.
And Majka will not have much choice.
Her legs are not that bad.
They are not that good either.
She walks like a duck.
Let me do it, granny!
You looked so beautiful.
l was twelve, and they called me Marka Zopkova.
lf you stayed that way, we'd play together.
Even the hospital is cleaner than this.
Grandpa, did you spit on the floor again?
Did you spit again?
Did you?
And you are even proud of yourself!
You should listen to yourself eat.
- You slurp like a horse. - Madlena, stop it!
Gladly! l'm not cleaning up the spit!
She's not bad, it's just now...
We all have problems.
Come to church with me on Sunday.
Church is boring.
People sing so slowly.
And then the priest talks on the tribune.
lt's the pulpit.
l like the psalms.
The parish priest has a nice voice, he's almost as good as Karel Gott.
At school we learned there is no heaven or angels.
lt's just a fairy-tale.
lf there was a heaven the astronauts would have found it.
Heaven must be even higher.
l will still love you even if you won't come.
l don't understand the modern world.
Wait!
Here - some change for cinema or ice-cream.
You don't have to...
l am saving the money,
l have enough to buy a bicycle.
But mom won't let me. Would you ask her?
She never listens to me!
l am the last letter of the alphabet.
We are announcing the start od the snail competition!
Say it's the biggest in history.
The biggest story!
You idiot! The biggest in history!
Palo is an idiot, not me. Admission is free!
Ready! Go!
- Faster! Jozo's one is going to win! - No, Maros's one wins!
- Jozo's! - Maros's!
What do you think, Majka?
This one wins!
That's Palo's.
Why are you on his side?
Because he's going straight forward. Yours is turning away.
Majka is beating me!
You should be ashamed of yourself!
-Where are you going? - To the ends of the earth.
l don't want you to hang out with Sarinova!
Her mother gossips about our Madlena.
l don't want to see you around her anymore!
Find a new friend!
Slow down!
Which cloud will you choose?
The one that looks like a tree.
l choose the one that doesn't look like anything. lt's just a cloud.
Do l really walk that funny?
l've never noticed.
Shall we keep going?
We won't reach the ends of the earth, again.
What's wrong?
Mom told me l can't be friends with you.
My mom said the same about you.
She said she'd pull my ears if she sees me with you again.
Our moms are angry at each other.
What shall we do?
We'll be secret friends.
Secret friendship is the most beautiful.
We'll exchange secret letters.
And we'll have secret codes.
Also a secret hiding place.
That's a great idea!
lf we write a letter, we hide it in there.
And make a secret signal to inform about it.
Do you know the rock near Chebensky house?
- Sure. - We'll hide the letters underneath the rock.
Chewing gum!
Want some? But it's not sweet anymore.
No... lf l write a letter, l'll put gum on your desk. You'll do the same.
That will be our secret code.
Stop by the store!
Buy me the bicycle, daddy, please!
Ask mom. l'm busy. l must take care of the names.
The pigs seem to like music.
They should get a radio and listen to concerts.
With breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
What would l do without you!
And l without you.
Give it to me right now!
That's for Majka, give it back!
Hey duck, catch!
Here!
Give it to me!
What are you doing?
She's coming!
Dear Majka. l know why Zuza did not come to my birthday.
She went to the football game with the boys.
And she's dating a seventh-grader.
He's already bought her ice-cream twice.
Marusa saw them, but won't say who it is.
We'll find out.
This will be our first secret mission.
Best regards, Your faithful friend Jana.
P. S. l'm sending you the Olympics, you don't have it yet, right?
l remember a witch lived in our village.
Some Liza Bathory.
You're making it up.
l knew her and l was afraid of her,
because if someone upset her, bad things happened.
One day the neighbours' daughter got suddenly ill.
She moaned and groaned in her sleep
as if something would not let her breathe.
She felt worse and worse every day,
but nobody knew how to help her.
When it seemed she wouldn't last, her mother got a fortune-teller.
He said:
Place a burning candle under a pot at night.
When the girl started panting, they lifted the pot and there was light.
But they could not see anybody.
Look around, there must be something here, said the fortune-teller.
Finally they found a needle in one corner.
Pull a piece of thread through its eye and tie it to the leg of the table, he said.
ln the morning they found Liza Bathory tied to the table.
She had the thread pulled across her ears.
What a funny story!
When will you buy me the bike?
Walk straight!
Going to the store?
They delivered beer but it's all gone.
Hello, auntie. We're going for a visit, not to the store.
Don't go around the pub! Justak is celebrating his birthday.
Stop looking around and don't walk like a puppet!
Welcome! Long time no see!
l have too much work to do
And that woman Sarinova!
She gossips about Madlena to the whole village.
Majka, go to the garden.
Miro is there with his friends.
My red brother, Sitting Bull...
My red brother, Sharp Tomahawk...
My red brother, Broken Knife...
l can smell a pale face.
The scalp of the pale face will decorate my belt.
- Hello! - Hi!
Very secret...
l know about your tribe of the Apache.
l just don't know who's the Chief.
- We don't have one yet. - But we have a Guard of the Treasure.
ls that the treasure?
The one who commits the greatest deeds will become Chief.
What deeds?
Oh so secret!
Will you play with us?
So is this the lndian treasure?
The white squaw has many words, but little mind.
How do we play?
l only play poker with men.
l thought we'd play rummy.
White squaw has yet a lot to learn.
Poker and rummy are all the same. But l don't play with girls.
OK, l will play with her.
- That's the wrong card! - Sorry.
Majka, let's go!
Let's finish.
We were better than them.
The stupid have good luck.
That's your new girlfriend!
Dear Janka, The day starts with dawn, the morning with a yawn,
and l start this letter in a jolly manner.
Aunt Kata is teaching me how to ride a bike.
l'm not very good at it yet.
lf my folks bought me a bike, that would be something!
Maybe my joints will stop hurting too.
And we can forget about Zuza.
Let her chase the boys, we don't care.
l know whom l'd like to buy me ice-cream.
lt's my biggest secret in the world.
l will tell you more later.
Greetings from your faithful friend, Majka.
P. S. Thanks for the Olympics, l'm sending a Little Muk.
What is grandpa doing?
We need to separate the hen from the others.
We'll leave her without water or feed for three days.
We don't need more little ones.
Be brave!
Run!
Here you are!
Why couldn't we have little chics?
Look at those two kicking each other's butts!
Maros Luptak, the greatest lion hunter!
Put that play-gun away!
l've never see one like that before!
Beautiful!
- Sensational. - lt's Japanese.
l'll give you three Czechoslovak ones.
- Look at her! - l give you five.
l give six... or seven!
What kind?
A rabbit, an astronaut, Little Muk, coffee grinder, fish, fruit...
- One more! - Dice.
l don't want dice.
- A Christmas tree then. - Deal.
No deal. No exchanges!
Be quiet. ls it yours?
lt used to be. l gave it to Marusa.
That was a long time ago, After the holidays.
You can exchange it, but not with her!
- What is your problem? -You're a chatter box.
What did l say?
You know very well... what you said to my godmother.
What was it?
That l command everyone around.
But that's true.
You be quiet!
Why are you so nasty to Majka?
Because she's a gossip.
She's not a gossip, she's a duck!
And you're a fat butcher!
Lord, l completely forgot about the hen.
Let her out, she's been there four days!
She's all the same.
l've never seen such a thing.
We have to slit her throat. Get a knife!
No need for a knife.
Let her be!
Let her have just a few little chics.
l'll take care of them.
OK, l'll give her a dozen eggs to hatch.
Thank you, granny.
Be careful and watch your bucks.
And choose your friends!
Bye, Majka.
Have a safe journey!
Madlena is leaving?
- ls she going far away? - To the sea.
- To Africa? - To Bulgaria.
So there's lots of bugs in Bulgaria?
What bugs?
You told her to watch the bugs.
l meant bucks, her money.
ls she going with Maros?
He's going to his godmother's.
You let Madlena go by herself? What if she drowns?
Are you crazy? And what's all the questioning about?
You want to gossip again?
Why gossip? What gossip?
She was going out with that Justak for over a year!
Take care of the chicken and the rabits, l have to go to work.
And clean up the kitchen, l won't be back before dinner.
Quite some holidays, that's for sure.
Dear Majka, you're right. Let's forget about Zuza, she's a jerk.
l can't remember the rest.
So you came up with some secrets.
Secret hiding place, secret letters... You thought l wouldn't find out?
So?
Chatter-box, how many napkins for this?
Bye!
Granny, a storm is coming!
How much did you spend on beer again? You'll never change.
You're all the same ever since you hurt my hand with a hoe.
You jerk!
l'll show them something new today.
You're a real acrobat!
Wouldn't it be great if l could always walk on my hands!
Hi, granny... wait!
Mommy, what are you doing here?
Watch this money for me, there's no trusting the old man.
He'd drink it all.
Five hundred is for the coffin and you'll get insurance money for the funeral.
Granny, look!
You came to buy a pig?
See? This is the Olympics.
And this is Little Muk.
This is an astronaut.
Hello?
Anybody home?
- ls that for dad? - For you.
For me?
Who else is called Majka Nemnicova in Gorovec?
Thank you. Bye-bye!
Dear Majka, Many greetings
from the pioneers camp.
Janka sent me a letter...
Boys keep sending notes for a girl named Majka.
l said it was my name.
When you write, address it to Majka Sarinova.
We put toothpaste on each other last night.
We pasted the team leader's comb too.
The food is good, but yesterday we just had noodles with cabbage.
Many kisses, Your faithful friend Janka - Majka.
Who can look into the sun longer?
You won because you are a child of the sun.
You think so?
You're the most beautiful daughter among all the lndian tribes.
Be my wife and live with me in my wigwam.
There is a curse lying heavy on me, oh chief of the Apache.
Who dared casting a spell on you?
l will punish him and set you free.
l do not know who it was.
l do. Liza Bathory, the witch.
The pot need be lifted.
Go to the store, they just delivered smoked fish.
This is for dad and grandpa.
This is for granny.
A scarf for mom. Do you like it?
- ls there anything for me? - Hold on!
Since you're a great lion hunter...
Safari! lt's so much better than Jozo's!
Majka, guess what l got you?
l don't know.
Hungarian, Romanian, and a Bulgarian one.
You're so great...
You could've brought her something more reasonable.
And who's the shell for?
That's mine.
Put it close to your ear.
Can you hear it?
As if something was whispering in there.
lt's the sound of the sea.
The sea...
lt must be beautiful.
You can't even imagine how amazing it is.
l'll get you in a pioneer camp next year.
This is no holiday for you, staying at home.
Don't walk as if you were made of wood.
l can't go to school, l don't know how to write compositions.
That's the easiest subject.
- l'm no good at it. -You'll learn in school.
- l don't have any books. - You'll get them there.
-What about some snacks? - l'll pack you some.
Or an exclamation mark!
What are you laughing about?
l know that sort of pain. lt's called injustice.
Some are unfair, others are the last letter of the alphabet.
Aunt Kata said we should all be at home.
Madlena called, she's bringing someone with her.
- Who? - How should l know?
l'll go get dad.
Where did you get that bike?
Dear Janka, l got some news.
Madlena found herself a new man. His name is Vladimir How.
He drives a new car.
lt looks quite nice.
And Vladimir How looks nice too.
He's a teacher.
But l don't like his name.
lt sounds like a question.
Could someone be named Vladimir Who?
Or Vladimir What?
And here we go, a Vladimir How. Without a question mark.
Madlena has got bad luck.
There is one problem. He is not Lutheran.
Or Catholic. Even worse, he's a non-believer.
But his car is a great success.
Mom likes the fact he is an only child.
She loves only children.
You want to know the funniest part?
He does not like our double surname.
We should be the Luptaks, or the Nemnicas.
lsn't it hillarious?
Dad promised to straighten it up.
There's going to be a wedding. The engagement will be announced in a month.
Miro Parila will be my date.
l am so excited!
- Who is it? - Majka. l brought your mail.
Throw it over the fence, l'll come get it.
You cannot draw on the same line twice.
lf you can't do it, draw another line.
Easy for you to say, your homework is not so difficult.
Majka is right.
Mom, can l buy the bicycle?
Stop whining about the bike.
But l've saved up enough money.
Have you seen yourself on a bike?
l need your help, peel the potatoes!
Time to look at your mark sheet. Can l have it?
But dad, who cares?
l met your teacher.
So you like to get into fights?
This is something new to our family!
Maybe you were born in a different family, or a cuckoo dropped you off.
l will be ashamed at the parents meeting.
Sit behind Brachna's father, he's big, and no one will see you.
Thanks for the advice.
And l will teach you how to stop fighting at school.
Come here, you Luptak!
Daddy, you're losing your pants.
That's not your problem. Bend over!
So why are we here?
You don't care that you're called Nemnicova, and your brother is Luptak?
We have to settle this dispute once and for all.
We could do that at the Town Hall.
One of my classmates changed her name.
And it only cost three hundred.
lt's easy to change one's name.
But we want to find out our original name.
We'll see what name my great-grandfather had.
And he is buried right here, near a lime tree.
- Look! - What is it?
Did you find something?
This is what's left of the lime tree.
You can go home. You know where the bus stop is.
l'll find it myself.
Hands up!
Where did you get it?
From there!
Let me see!
Daddy, we found it!
What does it say?
Ondrej Nemnica, R.l.P., eighteen... that's it.
Good enough. We're the Nemnicas.
Everything's all right now.
Slow down!
Mom, what are you doing?
Drying the sheet for when l die.
Help me.
l can't do it with a single hand.
Jesus Christ! Do you have to do this now?
l know best when it's time.
My mother mended this sheet when l was ten years old.
Back then the mother prepared a sheet for all her children.
Have you made one for my death too?
Long ago. Looks the same as Martin's.
Close the window.
One never knows when it will be needed.
Today you're dancing, and tomorrow?
Mom, where are the napkins?
l forgot to buy some.
That's wonderful!
Majka, run down to the store!
lt's Saturday, they're closed.
Quite an engagement dinner!
Granny is preparing the sheet for her funeral, we don't have any napkins...
- To hell with it... - Majka has some napkins.
The napkins l've been collecting?
l buy you twice as many new ones on Monday.
They're not ordinary napkins.
Napkins are napkins.
You have to help us out
so they won't look down on us.
The bunny...
The Olympics...
The astronaut...
The Christmas tree...
Fish...
What are you doing, my child?
l'm trying to walk straight.
You want a boy to like you, right?
- Good. - l'm glad you like them.
l've got the numbers.
There will be 111 people at the wedding.
Thirty are coming from Boroviny.
Thirty-eight from Zeravice.
l ordered 100 liters of hard liquor.
- ls that going to be enough? - l think so.
And there'll be wine and girls' drinks too.
Majka, come here.
Here you go, so you'd stop pouting.
l bought more than you had had.
Here's the list.
There are 9 covers, 40 sheets, 120 towels,
18 tablecloths, 3 embroidered pillowcases...
6 pairs of pajamas, and down for 2 duvets and 6 pillows. That's her dowry.
What else does she need?
Majka, where are you? Get over here!
What does the bridesmaid think?
- Do you like it? - Yes l do.
Let me see!
What takes so long to those two?
Maros is crazy about Vlado.
He's crazy about Vlado's car.
Madlena has made a good choice.
What do you think, mom?
l don't mind him either.
Except that he won't go to church.
A wedding without church, priest, or God.
The parish priest could conduct a secret ceremony.
He wouldn't. l asked.
Then maybe in another village.
But i don't want it either!
lf it's without God, l'm not going!
Granny, you can't do it to me.
As l said, l'm not going.
Formula One, world champion Maros Nemnica!
ls she upset?
Maybe she'll get over it.
She won't.
Hey girls, wait!
l'm not going on foot.
Come then!
Thanks for the ride. l'll pay next time.
At the wedding, since you're my date!
When are you going to move?
Right after the wedding.
Auntie, come look at all the gifts!
Madlena is a lucky girl!
Beautiful...
Look at those pillows...
Thirty-seven colours!
Thirty-eight. lt took me two months.
Very pretty!
l like them too. But my daughter says it's old-fashioned now.
What's old-fashioned?
Embroidered pillows and duvets.
Should they use only sheets or what?
Elenka is going to buy covers that fit into a suitcase.
She doesn't even want a picture by Paucok.
But that bouquet looks so real!
Every girl in the village has one hung over her bed. The Paucoks are our relatives too.
l told my daughter too: Elenka, it just looks old-fashioned to you,
because you don't have such things at the dormitory.
But she shows me magazines. What shall l do with her?
How many towels does she have?
A hundred and twenty.
And what about you? ls your dress ready?
Yes, it is.
Miro's got a new suit, it's navy blue.
A neighbour brought a ram, put it in the pantry!
Elenka says it is not modern to have such a huge wedding.
People make too big a deal of weddings.
lt's all done to impress others.
You must do what's expected.
Otherwise the whole village starts to gossip.
That's true!
Don't tell anyone! Have some!
l'm sorry.
l'm sorry too.
Are you really not coming?
Madlena is sad, she cried at night.
l feel bad about it too.
You must come then, it will be a lot of fun.
lt's no wedding without you.
Nobody will miss me.
What about me?
Well, l don't know...
Majka, the Parils are coming!
How do l look?
l think there will be someone to cheer you up.
Thanks.
Welcome! Hello!
Where's Miro?
Miro fell ill.
Miro is not coming?
He's running a fever.
And he was so looking forward to the wedding.
lt's the winter.
All that skiing, and ice-skating...
There is a dove in your garden,
it lives in the heart of this young man.
He is asking her parents
for her hand in marriage.
So tell us, fair bride, if this groom one you like?
Yes.
Majka, calm down...
So, what happened to your wedding date?
He's got ill.
A terrible illness, if he ran around on his skis.
He was trying to escape the duck of a bridesmaid.
Miro is here!
The teacher's coming!
What are you doing?
l'm drying the sheet for my funeral.
Do you have to do that now?
l know when it's time.
What are you doing under your desk?
l'm the last letter in the alphabet, l don't want everybody to know.
l just wish it weren't so dark in here.
Why is it so dark?
Because it's night. We have to lift the pot.
Liza Bathory must be around here somewhere.
She's been sitting there for ages.
Get up! Do you hear me?
Nemnicov�, stand up!
- What's the matter? - They were making fun of her.
Doctor, what is wrong with her?
lt's a nervous shock. lt'll go away.
But, she will not be all right unless we fix her legs.
Wait!
Jozo and l, we cured him.
He's hurt his wing and one foot.
What shall we do with him?
l'll take him with me.
He'll need little worms and insects.
l'll take care of him. l know how to breed chicks.
Are you crazy? What are doing with Flower?
l'm taking her to graze!
What will you feed her?
l think it's too early.
Liquor made him lose his right mind.
Dear Janka, it's been four days since my operation.
Guess what! There's a school here too.
Kids study in their beds.
So l can finish grade seven just like you.
Otherwise l would have to go in a class with younger students.
And here's the most important thing.
l asked the doctor if l would limp after the operation.
l hope not, he said, or l'd be very disappointed.
Do you realize what that means?
l'll no longer be a duck.
lt will take a while, but still.
First l will walk with two canes, then and with only one, and finally...
l'll run to the ends of the earth!
With you! And the baby blackbird is doing well.
Actually, he's not a baby anymore.
Sometimes l think l should set him free,
at other times l want to take him back to my village with me.
Many kisses, Your faithful friend, Majka.
Cast:
THE END