you were sleeping.
nothing could be further from the truth. i boiled you an egg. see?
i'd hardly have boiled you an egg if i didn't want to see you. tea or coffee?
i'm seeing my daughter.
have i? she's been abroad for a year. did you say tea?
i'm sorry. i'm sorry.
it's here. i'll be fine now. thank you.
i don't need a doctor.
better. by the way, i meant to tell you, the day i got ill.  a woman helped me. a woman in the street.
yes. she brought me home.
i brought you these flowers. to say thank you.
i would have come earlier, but i've been in bed for three months.
thank you.
oh no. i'd never been ill before. it's incredibly boring. there's nothing to do. i couldn't even be bothered to read.
you're so incredibly beautiful.
how many more times? i've said i'm sorry.
it's hardly my fault, i got lost, that's all. that's why i was late. can i have some more?
the doctor told me i had to take walks.
i meant to head for the castle, i ended up at the sports-field.
it's none of your business.
dad, i've decided, i want to go back to school tomorrow.
well i'm going.
what's your name?
your name.
i've been here three times. you haven't told me your name.
michael.
`hanna'.
studying?
yes.
latin.
oh.
quo, quo scelesti ruitis? aut cur dexteris aptantur enses conditi?
it's horace.
do you want some greek?
oi men ippeon stroton oi de pesedon oi da naon phais epi gan malainan emmenai kalliston, ego de ken otto tis eratai.
how can you tell? how do you know when you've no idea what it means?
in german?
well, i'm writing an essay. it's about a play. by a writer called gotthold ephraim lessing. perhaps you've heard of him?
the play's called emilia galotti.
here. you can read it.
all right. i'm not very good.
act one. scene one. the setting : one of the prince's chambers. prince - "complaints, nothing but complaints, petitions, nothing but petitions. for goodness' sake, just imagine that people actually envy us."
good at what?
because i didn't think i was good at anything.
what was all that about?
i got up - at 4.30 - specially - it's the first day of the holidays, i'd been planning to surprise you -
what is this? i was on your tram! you totally ignored me! what do you think i was doing? why the hell do you think i was there?
i didn't mean to upset you.
i don't know what to say. i've never been with a woman. we've been together four weeks and i can't live without you. i can't. even the thought of it kills me.
i sat in the second carriage because i thought you might kiss me.
is it true what you said? that i don't matter to you?
do you forgive me?
do you love me?
oh. well i do. i took something with me this morning.
it's another play.
intrigue and love, a play by friedrich schiller.
the odyssey by homer.
it's a journey. he sets out on a journey.
"sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of troy. many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick at the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.
"and we will some new pleasures prove of golden sands and crystal brooks, with silken lights and silver hooks"
i poked into the place aways and encountered a little open patch as big as a bedroom, all hung around with vines and found a man lying there asleep, and by jinks it was my old jim.
"lady chatterley felt his naked flesh against her as he came into her. for a moment he was still inside her.
i borrowed it from someone at school.
`blistering barnacles and a thundering typhoon. it is water.' `but what on earth did you expect it to be?'
whisky! by thunder, whisky. `whisky? come now captain, you can't be serious.'
i was wondering, do you think you could get some time off? maybe we could go for a trip.
i'd love to go bicycling. just for two days.
i've got a guide-book. i've worked out the route. look, what do you think?
what are you having?
thank you. she enjoyed her meal very much.
here, let me show you where we're going.
i'm writing a poem. about you.
it's not ready. i'll read it to you one day.
i'm fine.
i'm michael.
it's wonderful, isn't it?
oh sure. everything mankind could ever dream of.
just it's more fun without them.
i'm sorry i'm late. i was held up at school.
the lady with the little dog. by anton chekhov.
"the talk was that a new face had appeared on the promenade, a lady with a little dog."
why? what for?
i'm sorry. really. i promised someone i'd do something else.
what's wrong?
you never ask, you never bother to ask how i am.
it just happens to be my birthday. it's my birthday, that's all. in fact, you've never even asked when it is.
no, i don't want a fight. what's wrong with you?
it's always on your terms. everything. we do what you want. it's always what you want. my friends were giving me a party!
and it's always me that has to apologize.
i stayed at a friend's.
thank you.
julia.
welcome back.
so how will you decide?
you've seen your mother?
away from your parents?
i'm aware i was difficult. i wasn't always open with you. i'm not open with anyone.
julia. how wrong can you be?
i admit it now, i was nervous.
it is silly.
i'll see you very soon.
julia, wait. i want to ask you a favour.
i want to take you on a trip. i want to show you something.
tomorrow, maybe. can i pick you up in the car?
at ten, say.
then good.
yes. come in.
oh i don't know.
it's how i was brought up. what about you? are you serious?
well i do. but i won't work every night.
why all the police?
for or against?
do you want a pen?
i'm fine.
i don't know. it wasn't quite what i expecting.
i'm not sure any more.
we're trying to understand.
which woman?
i don't know which woman you mean.
i have a piece of information. concerning one of the defendants. something they're not admitting.
it happens this information is favourable to the defendant. it can help her case. it may even affect the outcome, certainly the sentencing.
there's a problem. the defendant herself is determined to keep this information secret.
because she's ashamed.
of course not.
i can't. i can't do that. i can't talk to her.
i'm sorry. i need to sleep by myself.
i said : i'll tell you when we get there. you told me you liked surprises.
she's grown, hasn't she?
my fault. we shouldn't have come unannounced.
i'm afraid i've have some bad news. julia knows.
you know, it's not easy for me to visit this town.
that's not what i'm saying. it's not what i meant.
you mustn't worry about gertrud. i'm going to look after her. and anyway, let's face it, she's already a state prosecutor, she earns far more than i do.
i don't mind at all. i've a lot to do, in fact.
i took her to see where i grew up.
you could say.
i don't know. impulse.
i suppose if i'm honest we went because i wanted to re-establish contact.
are you all right?
"sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of troy.
testing. testing. 1-2-3.
the odyssey by homer. "sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of troy.  many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many pains he suffered, heartsick at the open sea, fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.
"ah, how shameless - the way these mortals blame the gods. from us alone, they say, come all their miseries.
"who are you? where are you from? your city? your parents? i'm wonderstruck - you drank my drugs, you're not bewitched"
the lady with the little dog, by anton chekhov. "the talk was that a new face had appeared on the promenade, a lady with a little dog"
i have it here.
no. i don't.
yes. i'm still here.
it's kind of you. thank you for letting me know.
yes.
i've got a friend who's a tailor, he makes my suits. he'll give you a job. and i've found you somewhere to live. it's a nice place. quite small but nice. i think you'll like it.
there are various social programmes, cultural stuff i can sign you up for. and there's a public library very close.
you read a lot?
i did. yes i did. we have a daughter. i'm not seeing as much of her as i would like. i'd like to see a great deal more of her.
the marriage didn't last.
have you spent a lot of time thinking about the past?
no. no, i didn't mean with me.
and now? what do you feel now?
i wasn't sure what you'd learnt.
i'll pick you up next week, ok?
good. quietly, or shall we make a big fuss?
ok. quietly.
you too.
see you next week.
she didn't pack. she never intended to leave.
ms mather?
i was already here. i was at a conference in boston.
yes.
yes. almost twenty years ago. i was a law student. i remember you, i remember your mother very clearly.
i'm sorry.
perhaps you heard. hanna schmitz recently died. she killed herself.
a kind of friend. it's as simple as this. hanna was illiterate for the greater part of her life.
no.
no. no. she taught herself to read when she was in prison. i sent her tapes. she'd always liked being read to.
when i was young i had an affair with hanna.
i was almost sixteen when i took up with her. the affair only lasted a summer. but.
she'd done much worse to other people. i've never told anyone.
what she wanted. what she wanted was to leave you her money. i have with me.
as you think fit.
here.
what was in it?
i was thinking maybe an organization to encourage literacy.
do you know if there's a jewish organization?
shall i do it in hanna's name?
i thought you liked surprises.
that's what i wanted to tell you. that's why we're here.
i was 15, i was coming home from school, i was ill.