The She-Butterfly
Based On The Short Stow 'After Ninety Years' By Milovan Glisic
Film Adaptation: Djordje Kadijevic
Dramatist: Bojana Andric
Vule!
Oh, Vule!
Who is it? - It's me, Zivan.
OK.
Just a moment.
You're here. - Indeed.
Well, well.
I just took a little nap.
It's hard to resist.
Listening to this noise.
All the time.
So the council has ended?
Ended.
What happened?
There were a bunch of people. - Really?
Really.
Shoo!
God damn thee!
Shoo!
When should I return?
It will be done by the morning, Master Zivan.
So, you're sleeping here?
I am.
Alone?
Alone.
Aren't you afraid?
No.
Should I be?
Master Zivan, isn't that your daughter, Radojka?
Yes, that's her.
Beautiful.
Like a butterfly.
Drop dead, damn you.
Vule!
Oh, Vule!
Let's go in.
Everyone!
Everyone.
Why the racket?
Vule is dead.
What you say?
Dead.
Who's dead?
Vule is.
Him as well.
Strahinja, you frightened me.
Where you been all clay?
Right here, Zivan announced I'm free for marriage.
Again?
I swear.
I wish you hadn't told me that.
Oh, but how couldn't I?
What's he say?
Oh, you know him.
I was herding sheep above the water mill.
Gazing into the river.
And I wanted to dive into it.
To drown in it.
Run, run, he's here.
Run Strahinja, please.
Why should I run?
Go, I beg you.
Why you here?
I followed the flock.
Go back home.
Remember, if I see you here again.
You won't ever leave!
Poor Vule.
God bless his soul.
He's the third.
No,
he's the fourth.
Four millers, in only one year.
Sava is back, I say.
He's back. - It should be settled.
So little peace.
God damn this evil, beseeching us.
People.
Don't listen to these bedtime stories.
There's no Sava Savanovic.
There's no vampires.
Let's think about the mill.
I hear you all,
whining like old wives.
Don't you see, we're without bread?
No evil to be had.
No 'vulkodlaks' to be wary of.
And Vule? How did Vule die?
HOW?
Like any other dead man.
His time had come.
So he died!
Ah.
And now what?
Should we leave our wheat to rot?
Because of him and this madness?
True, you have a point.
We can't live without the mill, we're hardly coping with no wheat.
Listen brothers.
Be brave, face our fears; sleep there a couple of nights.
Come on, who's with me?
I say brothers: let's try once more.
Let's find another miller.
Oh, and who will be this new miller? - Nobody wants to do it.
Maybe if we had a real priest, his prayers would work, and we'd use him.
Are you talking about Sredoje? The one always fooling around?
I may jest at times, but when I work,
I'm not just some liar, pretending to look useful.
Idiot!
Keep your hands away from me.
HOW man!
Come on.
Good day, Master Zivan.
I said good day to you. - What you want?
I'm here, Master Zivan, to ask...
for Radojka's hand.
On who's behalf?
Mine, who else?
I couldn't guess.
You've really decided to marry, eh?
I have.
With Radojka?
With Radojka.
You'll take her to live in that shack?
It was a good home for my mother, it'll be fine for my wife, too.
How will you feed your wife?
Why ask me that?
I may be poor,
but I'm healthy, I'll work.
Why you waiting?
I'm waiting for an answer.
Then you'll be waiting a while.
Fine, I'm in no hurry.
Then you'll wait till you're dead.
Then, I need to say something, Master Zivan.
Even without your blessing, I'll take her.
Get lost... you're beyond reason.
Know this.
If you ever return here.
I'll knock... some sense into that skull of yours.
You've decided for good?
I've thought about the options.
There's no other option.
And the house? - I don't care.
A house... what do I need it for?
Somewhere to make dust and be miserable in?
Where will you go?
I don't know.
Somewhere, far away.
And me?
You?
Can you just leave me?
Why not, should I stay to watch you marry another man?
I'm going to Podsavina. I'll manage, somehow.
It's better than staying here.
What do I have here? Nothing.
What will happen to me?
You'll marry soon enough.
Who knows which man you'll belong to.
Oh, Radojka!
It's time to decide what to do.
Tear it down! - What's he say?
Destroy the mill and build another. - No, brothers, why would we do that?
Knock it to the ground! - Knock your wife to the ground.
Fuck you!
Stop it, stop it!
Quiet.
Oh,
Strahinja!
Where you off? Come here.
I can't, I'm in a hurry.
Nonsense.
Forget work a while.
Drink with us.
Where you been?
At home.
Come, come, rest a spell, rest.
It's empty-
Er...
Oh my, it certainly is.
A moment, please.
What's going on, you holding council?
Afraid so, we're in deep trouble.
But Why?
We don't have a miller now.
Wasn't Vule the miller?
Vule...
is...
dead.
God bless his soul.
And now, dear Straw.
We can't find another miller.
It's dreary trouble.
Such a big village; one water mill, and no-one to run it.
Here it is, Strahi.
My boy.
I haven't seen you, in quite some time.
You know,
we love you, like you were our own son.
Strahi.
Dearest.
Would you be our miller?
Would you help in our time of need?
Help us, brother, our children
are hungry, without bread.
Why me?
We beseech you, if you don't help us,
we'll have to grind the wheat, with our bare teeth!
I'll do it.
But only for so long.
I'll need money.
I'm preparing for the road.
Well, sonny, god bless you.
I've always said, you're twice men like us.
Come on people, let's drink!
Come on Strahinja, drink.
Come on, go in.
OK, I Will.
OK. - OK.
Oh, Strahinja!
Oh, how unfortunate.
To cry for.
Don't waste time crying.
Let's gather up what's left.
Is that you, Strahinja?
It's me.
In god's name, you're alive?
Yes.
Tell us. - What occurred last night?
Was it... him?
Who?
Sava... Savanovic.
Hey, hey, I told you people.
But, did you see him with your own two eyes, eh?
The name of the father, the son. - God save us.
God is with us. - Save the people.
People!
Did anyone know Sava Savanovic? - Only his grave.
Who could know him? He died over a century ago.
I know someone who can tell us. - Who?
The old woman, Mirjanicka.
She'll know.
I doubt she or anyone can tell us.
Come on.
Come, come here.
Please, you ask her.
No, not me.
I'll ask, if no-one else will.
Granny Mirjana!
Louder .
Oh, granny Mirjana!
You can do better.
Mirjana!
Wait, I'll try.
Oh, granny Mirjana!
Why you yelling?
Eh.
Granny, know anything about Sava Savanovic?
Where you from, sonny?
We... we're from the council of Zaroshje!
Nice, nice.
You know about Sava Savanovic?
Come on granny, you know anything about Sava Savanovic?
Sava Savanovic?
Er... I know nothing clear, I swear.
So much for that.
Sava, you say?
I knew Sava.
He was ugly.
Where is his grave?
What you say? - I said, where's his grave?
Er... er...
His grave, where is it, his grave?
Whose grave?
Sava's!
Oh... Sava's!
I... don't know dear.
I swear.
This is going nowhere.
Sava's grave?
It's right there.
Where? - Where?
Over there a ways... near a ditch, under an elm tree.
What a waste of time.
This walking's killing me.
Brothers.
Why are we doing this?
It's completely pointless.
All of this is pointless.
Why did we listen to the old hag? - Listen to this.
We need a horse to continue.
Old man, why not say before?
First, we need a stallion.
Then we prepare a stake,
and holy water.
Who has a stallion, in our village?
Master Zivan... he's the only one.
That bastard? He won't give it to us.
God bless you, brother.
You're resting, eh?
Why you here? - I had some work to do with Mirjanicka.
Asking her about Sava Savanovic, right?
No.
How did you know?
You're worse than a bunch of kids...
hunting vulkodlaks.
Shame on you, grown men.
Brother.
Don't you have a horse, a stallion?
I have, why ask?
To breed with my mare.
There, in the barn.
Take him.
Brother.
Why did you refuse that man?
Who?
Strahinja.
Did I?
You did.
Well... well... now.
Why don't you give him the girl?
Brother, if you came to ask me this, please go, the gate's there.
Who slept in the mill last night?
Djemo.
Don't lead him.
Let him lead.
If you know better, you do it.
Wait, wait.
Brothers, what's happening? The horse is leading us.
Better following a horse, than a fool.
I'm staying here.
Me too.
Shut up.
What's wrong?
Is it the grave?
Yes, it is the grave.
OK.
Start digging-
It's here.
Keep digging?
Keep digging-
More, more.
Hold this.
Stake.
Holy water.
Prayer.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Priest, watch for the butterfly.
Now.
Just go on.
Priest, holy water, holy water!
Holy water, quickly!
Pour. - Pour it!
Here it is!
Catch it!
Get it.
Catch the butterfly!
God damn it.
Why let it go?
We lost the butterfly.
Hey Sava!
Why don't you get up now?
Welcome, granny.
God bless you.
Priest, cheers!
It went dry?
Yes.
Dry.
So... he won't give her up?
He won't.
But Why?
Because I am poor.
He said: "I won't let her live in that stitch house"
He said that?
He did.
You're unlucky.
It's OK.
Stop it, Cjeba.
Every man in the village, would offer his daughter, right?
And that bastard won't even hear him out.
This man is really in love, he left home and everything, because of this girl.
He's not even Radojka's father: an uncle or... something?
Who knows if they're related at all.
Don't be crazy, Strahinja.
If Radojka loves you, then just take her.
Stop it, Cjeba.
I know what to do.
I'll...
come with you!
Who else? - I will!
Stop, people, stop, ask the priest first.
Don't rush into sin.
It's not a sin to steal the girl, right?
Sure, sure.
He is a...
decent man.
Sure, sure.
Sleep with her?
Sure, sure.
If it's not sinning.
I'm going, too!
Radojka.
Oh, Radojka.
Who is it?
It's me, Strahinja, don't be afraid.
What do you want? - To run away with you.
Oh Strahinja, how could I? - Don't be afraid.
Come on, what you doing?
Congratulations, brother. - Congratulations.
I wish you happiness.
Get up, he's going to get you! - I'm staying, I'm staying.
Let him get me.
Here's to many lasting years! - Here is our true husband.
Thank god, in a single day, we get a hero and a miller.
Good luck to you.
What a beautiful dress, and such hair.
Nice, very nice.
You didn't... leave?
Leave? No.
Why not?
Just because.
If you ever leave me again, don't bother returning home.
Never.
I'll never leave you again.
I swear.
You'll see, motherfuckers.
For the love of god, enough. - You're a nice husband.
Here, take some!
People, I have a suggestion.
These two men, should be the godfathers.
I've nothing against it.
And granny Milanija,
should protect the girl,
tonight.
Protect her from who?
That's the tradition.
Everything in order.
That's how it is.
The devil never sleeps. - So, you don't get ideas at night.
And come tomorrow morning.
Straight to church!
I just hope the priest isn't too drunk,
to perform the wedding.
Are you going to be alone tonight?
Alone.
Can I come visit?
You can.
Rado, clear...
My little chicken.
Oh, granny Milanija!
Did you protect the girl?
Hey.
Love birds.
Wake up, the priest's here!
That's enough!
Leave something for tonight.
The End
Production: Zoran Milatovic Slavoljub Prokic
Gaffer: Zdravko Simojlovic Wardrobe: Olga Skorobac
Makeup: Leposava Prvanovic Property: Milija Andjelkovic
Costume: Mirjana Kuruzovic
Production Design: Stevo Skoric
Assistant Camera: Dusan Nedeljkovic
Cinematographer: Branko Ivatovic
Sound Mixer: Milan Trickovic
Sound Recorder: Vladimir Dodig
Script Supervisor: Radmila Calovic
Film Editing: Neva Paskulovic-Habic
Assistant Director: Nikola Jankovic
Director: Djordje Kadijevic