BEGINNING OF SUMMER, 1994
BOARDING SCHOOL EL PARRAL
Fucking Peanut...
He says they're going to the beach.
Is that his mother or his sister?
His mother. How could she be his sister?
What a jerk.
Why does he, with that shitty face,
get to have a mother and we don't?
-And she's even hot. -That lady out there is hot?
That lady is on fire, kid, trust me.
You're sick.
FULL OF GRACE
Hey, pass it.
Valdo, man.
You're embarrassing. This summer I'm teaching you how to smoke.
Shit, hide it!
-Good morning. -It's Angelines.
How are my boys today?
Hey, please, put that out.
You know you can't smoke here.
If the Mother Superior catches you, you'll see.
What will she do, punish us without a summer?
These boys are sleeping with you.
Since you're older, please take care of them.
Yeah, right.
Now that
is what I like to see.
I have to pray to her every night or I can't sleep.
He'll go blind from so much praying.
Very good, Sebastiàn. Okay, get changed and come down
-for lunch. -Poor thing...
Oh, Martha...
You're so full of grace!
Amen.
Pivot, damn it! They can't fucking pivot.
-Good day. -Good day.
My name is Marina, the summer teacher. I'm meeting...
-Angelines. -Angelines.
Yes, let me call her.
Sister Angelines, Sister Angelines...
This is God.
Come to the front entrance immediately.
Anyway, I'm Rafa. Rafael.
The head custodian.
I'm here if you have any problems.
Do you like soccer?
-Huh? -Soccer, do you like it?
I love it. My ex-wife
hated it, but hey...
She hated anything to do with me.
That's why she left.
Look, here comes Angelines.
Here comes Angelines,
running at an angel's pace...
Down the stretch, approaching the finish line...
A new record, a new record, record, record, record.
A new record for Angelines.
Sorry, I'm coming!
Welcome!
Isn't humor so important?
Nobody will take that away from me, not even my ex-wife.
I don't have much time, so I'll give you a quick tour.
Your file is interesting.
I see you haven't taught in a long time.
That's okay, we're not a normal school either.
Most of the students live here during the week during the school year,
but some live here year round. In summer, since there are less,
we put them all in the same class and in a single bedroom.
But if they're different ages, what do you teach them?
The basics. Your job is really to make sure they're on time and don't sneak out.
Sneak out?
They sneak out constantly.
Especially at night.
We had a night watchman before, now there's no money.
So they don't do anything special in the summer?
There are no vacations here, if that's what you mean.
That's all we need, a field trip.
I know how it sounds, but you'll understand.
I don't want to scare you,
but no summer teacher has ever come back.
Come on, I'll show you the...
They're thieves...
What now?
I'll get my hands on you soon.
Look at the little prince.
-And say you're sorry. -Sorry!
I'm very sorry.
Don't be sorry, find a solution.
Look, Sister. We understand your burden,
but we can't always be the ones
who pay for all the damage.
Bald fucker.
-Shut up! -This week
they tipped over all of our trash cans again.
That's a lie. It was probably the cats.
Did you see us? Then what are you talking about, clown?
I saw you the other day stealing car logos
and you took off running.
Car logos? What's this genius talking about?
That's enough! Go to class and wait for me there.
Go to class?
I'm not leaving without my terrarium.
-What terrarium? -I called you earlier.
I own the pet store and that kid
came in the other day and took a terrarium.
Which kid?
Him, the chubby one.
Chubby, motherfucker? I'll slap you like a bitch!
-Watch your mouth! -That's him.
While the others asked me bullshit about iguanas,
you took it and walked out.
Sebastiàn,
please return the gentleman's terrarium.
-Whatever that means. -Look, Sister.
Why would I want a fucking terrarium?
Do I look like I'm in any condition to take care of another living thing?
-How embarrassing... -That's enough.
They'll be punished during this class.
I want them to write
"I'll never steal again" until their hands fall asleep!
And you, put on your shirt right now!
If they call Social Services,
you know where they'll take you.
And if that happens,
there's nothing we can do,
I've told you a thousand times.
Okay, this is Sister Marina.
She'll be your summer teacher.
All I expect...
What the heck.
I expect nothing of you anymore.
Okay...
I'd like to begin by introducing...
Hey, guys!
-What's she doing? -Listen, boys.
Look.
I know none of you wants to spend
the whole summer locked in this classroom.
I don't either, believe me.
-Then why are you here? -Well,
I have to be, just like you. Period.
Can anyone tell me what that number means?
Any idea?
Your age?
Almost,
but no.
This...
is a countdown.
This is approximately how many
minutes are in one summer.
That means we'll be together
129,600 minutes,
give or take.
Damn.
I know it sounds like a lot, but it depends how you look at it.
I assure you that if you try to ridicule me,
bully me
or go against me,
those minutes will seem like centuries.
However, if you show
a little interest, only a little,
I give you my word that they will fly by.
So you might say it's up to you.
First of all,
we're going to use this paper for something else.
I want you to write me
an essay
about what life is like for you here...
What the fuck does she care?
How you see yourselves in the future...
Just tell me about yourselves.
-What for? -Well, for me,
to get to know you, and for you, to defend yourselves.
Actually, all I know about you is what other people
have told me.
I'd like to know your opinion.
That's fair, right?
Then we're all set. Oh, one thing, please.
All I ask is that you be honest.
Any doubts?
Okay, go ahead.
What's wrong?
We're not doing anything.
Classes finished on Friday
and everyone's on vacation,
so that means we are too.
Very well.
Do you all agree?
Yeah.
Perfect.
Like I said, it's up to you.
Okay, then, boys.
Have a good summer.
This one, this one...
So what did you think of the boys?
Like all boys, they refuse to do anything.
Poor things.
They're not easy boys, they've had it rough
and it looks like things won't be getting better from now on.
Why is that?
Well, they don't know yet, but El Parral will be closing soon.
And where will the boys go?
To a state orphanage. They call it the dog pound, so you can imagine.
It's too bad, because this place used to be very different.
There were lots of activities, excursions...
But it slowly faded.
That's the soccer team.
It's a shame they banned all balls.
That's what this place is like, the nuns have all thrown in the towel.
You too?
No, of course not.
No.
It's just that,
there's nothing I can do. I'm just Angelines, the librarian.
Anyway, it's not all so bad.
Right now they're in gym class with Sister Josefa. It's a blast.
Keep your joints alive,
moving your arms is very important.
She might break her neck one day.
Watch out for this one.
Who?
The new one.
Why?
She's a smart one.
Are we doing this or what?
-Let's go. -Wait.
Now turn your backs.
Go!
This is it, they're never home.
Then how do you know he's a soccer player?
Can you imagine living here?
Amazing, man.
Hey, come and look!
-Shit. -Those boots?
-Holy shit. -Equipment.
Definitely a player.
Look at all those jerseys.
-Unbelievable. -Luis Martinez Garcia.
A soccer player with that name?
Referee at most.
Damn.
Hey, what are you kids doing?
Run, run, run!
Bless us, lord,
and bless this sacred food
for Jesus Christ, our lord.
-Amen. -Amen.
What are you looking for? She's just a nun.
-She's hiding something. -Like what?
Holy shit, a Walkman.
She has a fucking Walkman, bro.
Back off, I'm keeping it.
Will you let me use it some day?
Why would I do that? Shut up already.
You'll let me use it, right?
We'll see, don't be a pain.
The other day I let you borrow my porn...
What are you doing? Hurry up!
I can't get off in two minutes.
-You can't? -No.
Show-off.
I found it, right? Then it's mine.
Here she comes!
Quickly!
Let's go!
-What are you doing, dumbshit? -Go, go.
Well, I'll be damned.
I have nightmares. Can I sleep with you?
With me? No.
Where is your bed?
Okay, then.
Go to bed, go on.
Now go to sleep.
But I have nightmares.
What do you want me to do?
Can you tuck me in at least?
Um, well...
Okay.
Now go to sleep.
Not again.
What bastards.
Good morning.
Good morning, Insect.
FARAWAY PLANETS
Fuck is that?
Today's class.
-We said we won't do anything. -I know.
All the answers are there, you see?
It's just in case the Mother Superior comes in.
Okay, that's enough.
Get up and start teaching the class.
Oh, I thought you didn't want me to.
Of course not,
but that's the point.
You try to teach and we try to stop you.
That's how the world works.
If you want to do something, start the essay.
I'm still waiting for it.
Leave her alone.
Let her read her Bible.
What Bible?
This isn't a Bible.
What is it?
It's a science fiction novel.
Fuck does that mean?
That it's about the future,
about faraway planets,
wars in space...
It's a story about love
between an android and a human. But anyway,
you boys aren't interested.
So please, leave me alone.
I was sitting here enjoying my book, okay? Thank you.
Come on, Sister, you can't read that.
I can't? Why not?
Because you're a nun.
What nonsense.
So what can we do according to His Excellency?
Hey, what's that android like?
Is she pretty?
I don't know.
Come and judge for yourself.
Where the fuck are you going?
Yeah, she is pretty.
Damn.
She's very pretty.
She's gorgeous.
-Are there more pictures? -I think so.
-Look, boys. -Damn, she's hot.
-Damn. She's gorgeous. -Nice tits.
And that ass.
-Holy shit. -Guys, look.
-Hot damn! -Okay, that's enough.
Are you going to turn in the essay?
No?
Fine, everyone go away. Come on, get out of here.
Okay, so here's one egg,
another egg, and another egg...
How many eggs would you like?
How many more? It's impossible...
Forgive me, I didn't mean to disturb you.
Look, it's Our Lady of Forgiveness.
I'll leave you two alone.
Where are you going? Come in, sit down.
Come here.
Would you like a beer?
No, thank you.
I think this is the first time I haven't smoked alone in 15 years.
-How long have you been here? -15 years.
15 years, good lord.
I've never been more than two years in a row in the same place.
And you?
Ten, since I came in as a novice.
Right.
Always there,
in your library.
What have you done all this time?
A lot of things,
but nothing important.
Look at them.
Like lions in a zoo.
Sebas.
Wake up.
Damn, I was dreaming about Martita.
She is so nice, man.
Go on, wake up Scrappy.
Scrappy.
Scrappy, wake up.
Your mother, she finally came!
Mom?
Jerk.
Wake up.
Let's go.
Fuck are you going, Insect? This is for grown-ups.
Leave him alone. He's coming with me and that's it.
Wait, where's the ashtray?
Under my bed.
Hey, boys.
I realized something about nuns.
-Here we go... -You know that
earring holes close if you don't use them, right?
That means if nuns have never...
Here it is, let's go!
Wait, you jerks! I'm not finished!
Feel like a stroll?
Damn, this won't come off.
Fucking shitty logo...
Scrappy, hurry up!
-Come on, come on... -Go, go, go!
-What are you doing? -Go!
Run, run!
Run!
Eboué, lift it up.
-Quickly. -Hurry up, damn it!
Hey, Valdo plays with us.
Okay, take it out.
-Okay. -Let's go.
-Ball in! -Play defense!
Give me another!
Goal!
Defense!
-Shoot! -Goal!
-Would a soccer field fit here? -There was one before.
Oh: yeah?
Here it is!
I found it.
Here it is, here.
What is this?
Look.
Bibles. I thought some were missing, but why?
Sebastiàn is the only one who prays.
They smoke them.
The little buggers smoke them!
What?
What do you want? They're 12 years old.
Here!
This is pretty silly, huh? You wouldn't expect it, but...
you get hooked.
When I was little, back home
in Podreska, we played this with pig's head.
-Good lord. -Please...
Here!
We're setting up a soccer team.
Please throw that thing away and leave.
Do you really think it's normal that these kids can't do anything?
If they want to do sports, they have gym class with Sister Josefa.
What gym class? She's the only one who gets tired.
They like this thing
and if they're playing they're not out there stealing.
There used to be a team here, right?
Those were other times,
nothing like now.
Give me one month.
If you don't see a change for the better in one month, I'll forget the idea
and I'll leave, if that's your wish.
Two weeks.
Two weeks, perfect, thank you.
And watch yourself.
You wouldn't be the first to hold out your hand to them
and come back without an arm.
Isaiah 82.
"'Why do I need arms,' said Abraham, 'if I cannot move them."'
You made that up.
Yes.
A team? We don't even have
a field, or equipment, or boots. We have nothing.
Well, we'll see about that.
What matters is doing it.
-What do you get out of this? -Me? Nothing.
It's for you, so you can play, that's all.
Come on, Sister, nobody will want
to play against us. Everyone knows us here.
Don't you boys get it?
You don't have to ask anyone for permission.
Just play, period.
What other people think doesn't matter.
When does that tournament start?
Next week.
-Will that give you time? -I don't know.
But we have to try, right?
Now there's a problem.
You can't keep playing with that rag.
So I brought you...
This! This is the first step
for the new Parrol Soccer Club.
We're off to a great start, Sister.
That's a handball.
Fuck.
Pass!
Why aren't you playing, Rafael?
Games bore me, Sister, that's the truth.
And besides, I'm an invalid.
What are you making?
Weapons.
Oh, great.
And what are they for?
I usually trade them for cigarettes,
but I think I'll keep this one.
Do you smoke?
Yeah, but not much. One thing, Sister.
My name is Rafael de los Montes Espinosa,
but everyone here calls me "Gimpy." You can to the same.
-I like you, Gimpy. -That's normal.
Everybody likes Gimpy.
Do you know why Eboué never speaks?
Does he speak Spanish?
Him? He's the smartest one of all.
But he only speaks when he needs to.
Give it to me, damn it!
Okay, this is a soccer field.
The rule book is simple, but...
You read the rule book?
I learned the rule book.
How?
I don't know, I read things and they stay with me.
They say I have an IQ of 160.
I was in the paper and everything... once.
Okay, what do we need?
Too many things. Impossible without money.
There's always something you can turn to.
God?
More or less.
I have no parents.
Soccer is all I have.
It's the only thing that brings hope to my orphan heart.
And I see all this wood here,
good wood to make goal posts and benches...
But then I forget
that we're poor
and orphans
and unfortunate.
Boys,
did you know
that Jesus of Nazareth, besides being
the Messiah, was also a carpenter?
God sees everything
and takes every day into account.
Not there. There.
A little gift.
LIST OF NEEDS
TRANSPORT
Look, Sister.
This is easy, it's like stroking a nipple. Like this.
REGISTRATION SUMMER TOURNAMENT 1994
What are you doing?
FLOUR
WHAT I THINK OF FUCKING EL PARRAL BY VALDO LOPES
Come on, come on.
Which hand are you going to use?
My right.
Shit, then we'll bump into each other.
Change sides.
Is that an ear?
Be quiet, you shithead. Now all I see are ears.
-It looks great. -Yeah, well...
At least we can say we have a field.
Okay, then.
Play ball.
Who will be our coach?
Coach?
Soccer? Soccer is my life.
I almost played pro.
I played with Caminero in the youth league. What a nice guy.
He was awesome. I called him Joselu.
I still have his number somewhere.
But one day my ACL said: "Snap! This is it, Rafita."
And I was never the same. Coslada wasn't either.
Coslada never recovered from that.
You're blown away, eh, Angelines?
Sure, you see me now all worn out
with this beard, but when I was 20... Watch out.
I was a real prettyboy.
Okay, then, Rafa. Can you coach the boys or not?
I'll tell you something, Sister Margarita.
-Marina. -A lot of people out there might say:
"Look, there goes Rafa the failure.
He'll fail again, like he always has in life."
And they wouldn't be wrong.
But soccer?
Not soccer.
I am soccer.
Pi-vo-ting.
That is,
without a doubt, the key to modern soccer. Let's see.
Can any of you tell me what it means?
No, right? Don't worry, that's okay.
Gentlemen, pivoting...
It's a disgrace we have to play with those balls.
I'll ask management to change them.
Kick it with this, like you hate it.
Like it's the face of your ex-wife's new boyfriend.
Or think of the face of whoever abandoned you here.
Some people will say the ball
is your best friend.
Bullshit!
The ball is your enemy,
you have to tame it,
because the ball wants to fuck up your life.
Okay, team. Let's talk about the basic fundamentals of dribbling.
When will we touch the ball? You're the only one playing.
Six... No, eight laps around the field.
Fuck you, dickhead.
Don't worry, he looks bad anyway. We don't need him.
You, for example, the pirate.
Steal the ball from me if you've got balls.
-That's a foul! -Foul my fucking ass!
That's a perfectly legal entry, damn it!
Hey, you. Five laps around the field.
-Angelines... -Rafa, how's it going with the boys?
Great, there's a lot of talent here.
-"Failurinho!" -"Failurinho," fucker!
Then you think they'll be ready for the match?
-Absolutely. -Great. Okay, then.
-I'm glad, thank you. -Have you got a second?
I have a big problem.
It so happens that last year I bought a couple of tickets
to see Sergio Dalma, to surprise my ex-wife, and well...
Would you like to...?
Or you can go with someone else.
Look, Rafa, I'm very grateful, really, but you must understand, it's...
Yeah, how silly, never mind. I can sell one and go alone.
-Once you're there, it's fun. -Of course.
That's what you need to do, go out and have fun...
-I never stop, I do too much. -Anyway...
I'm glad. Goodbye.
Your mother can kiss my ass, shithead!
Take it back, asshole!
I said take it back!
-Take it back. -Valdo, stop.
-Take it back, asshole! -Stop, damn it!
Stop it!
Valdo! Valdo!
Valdo!
That's enough. Back off.
-What's wrong with you? -He's a fucking asshole!
Back off.
-What happened? -Nothing, I picked on
his mom and he went apeshit.
-Why his mom? -We know nothing about her.
That's why you can say anything.
Why do you have a problem with crosses?
-You mean turning them over? -Yeah.
I don't know, an impulse.
You should look at that.
Yeah, well, I should look at so many things...
No matter how hard I try, I can't remember my mother's face.
All I remember
are her hands.
Feeding me, like this.
I don't even know if the memory is real
because I was so young.
I was only three years old when she left me.
I think...
that if the three of us gathered all of our remaining family,
we couldn't even play tennis.
I'm sorry, man. Does it still hurt?
Well,
I think I can still jerk off.
I'll pretend I didn't hear anything.
I'll eat the whole thing.
Eat what I leave, the nuts.
-Okay, everybody in. -We look like rednecks.
They're going to laugh at us.
They probably made them with the clothes of dead nuns.
Probably.
Don't think yesterday won't have consequences.
For now, you'll stay on the bench.
-But... -Later on we'll see.
-Damn... -Hey, Angelines.
It might be too tight in there. Want to ride with me on my scooter?
-That's okay, I'm fine. -If the cops stop you,
you're in for it.
-Tatiana, wanna ride on a scooter? -Yes.
She's always wanted to.
Let's go!
-Go slow, I don't want to get dizzy. -We'll go slow, that's for sure.
Have you got a license, Sister?
She's going to kill us.
This lady is crazy.
Hey, slow down, we're going to crash!
Either go from here
to here and get it here,
open here, pass here
or from here to here
and we open here.
Okay, and most importantly, what distinguishes a winner from a loser...
Pivoting.
Great, boy, great. Okay, then.
Now before you go out there,
I'd like to have a few words with you, all right?
I remember when I was your age,
I thought I would never
get old. I thought,
"Rafita, it's okay, everything will go awesome, champ."
But one day, you get up,
you look in the mirror,
you realize you've turned 40,
your wife ran off with some asshole,
you're talking to the microwave...
Let's go! We're late.
Yes, damn it.
Go out there and have fun while you can
before everything will turn to shit.
Rafa...
-Big crowd. -A lot of people...
Take him out!
Goal!
Go to six-man defense!
What?
He was your man, jerk!
Fucking shithead, you play goalie!
Why don't they pivot? Why?
Act like you're captain, that's why you've got the armband!
Shut up, big mouth! You're fucking clueless, you retard.
What did he say? A red card?
No, he called you a retard.
I didn't touch him!
He didn't touch his leg, he went for the ball.
Who taught them this?
They're nervous, besides being unfit.
Asshole!
Hey, you, number 8.
Yeah, you, come over here.
Listen...
Are those your parents?
Damn, how do I say this?
I walked by them earlier
and I overheard them. They're getting a divorce.
They said there's no turning back, things have been bad for a while.
I know it sucks, but you're going to have to pick one.
Sorry, bro.
We're not getting a divorce. Who told you that?
Sweetie, listen to me, please. Daddy and I are fine.
Everyone down field!
No... Fuck, another one...
Damn, Sebas, man!
Why don't they pass the ball to each other?
The other team could let them score a goal, poor things...
Are you stupid, you fucking preppy?
Are you stupid?
-What's the problem? -Filthy fuck.
Oh, and I get the card?
Yeah, I get the card.
Where are you going? I didn't kick you out!
Nobody fucks with me.
-Scrappy, come back. -Do we keep playing?
Are you putting in someone else?
I'll only say one thing.
I don't give a damn
if we lose by 11 or by 20.
What I didn't expect
is that after everything we've done,
you went out there like thugs.
Having a tough life
will never give you the right to do whatever you want.
Congratulations.
You behaved exactly how they expected.
Sister Martita.
-Can we talk for a moment? -Of course.
Well, I've been thinking and...
Well, I've decided to quit my job as coach.
What are you talking about?
Over one game?
The team doesn't trust me anymore.
Don't be ridiculous, Rafa, please.
You know what they call me in the locker room?
They call me "Failurinho."
Rafa...
They give us all nicknames!
Rafa!
What a disgrace, bro.
They're the ones who couldn't even fight...
And they looked at us like criminals.
Well, we are kind of criminals.
One said his parents were going to adopt me as a slave.
That's a lie, Walter. They can't do that anymore.
Guys,
did you notice all of them were good looking?
But when I say all of them,
I mean all of them.
The mothers,
the fathers,
the grandmothers, the sisters, the kids...
They were all good looking.
And that
got me thinking.
I think to be good looking you need money.
"Tonight,
on "Sebas' Shitty Theories."
-Name one who was ugly. -Number 18.
Okay, yeah, that one was ugly.
But that's 1 %.
Besides, remember their hair.
And look at the dick hair we have.
-Are we doing this? -Yeah.
But I have to concentrate.
Are you going to say any more horseshit?
Okay, then let's close our eyes,
join hands
and everyone think of Rachid.
A voice is coming to me.
It's your father, Rachid.
He says
-he misses you from beyond. -My father?
My father is picking strawberries in Huelva, you retard.
Then he must be your grandfather.
I can only go so far.
-Did you hear something? -A nun!
Shit!
-Grab that. -Hurry.
Tomàs,
wake up. Boys...
-What's going on? -Wake up, it's okay.
Be quiet and follow me. Come on.
-Come on. -Let's go, follow me.
-Where the fuck is she taking us? -I think she's fucking bonkers.
She's going to hack us to death.
Come on, keep quiet and follow me.
Come on.
-Everyone take a seat. -Soccer!
-No way. -It's Spain!
Holy shit, the World Cup!
Keep it down.
Just so you know, you don't deserve this.
And keep your voices down.
Against Bolivia.
Walter, we're going to crush you.
-But I'm from Ecuador. -We'll score 8 goals.
Look at Caminero.
We Spaniards are so great looking.
I'll bet you 4 cigarettes that Spain wins.
-I'll bet 5 on Bolivia. -By how much?
Let's
Come on, counter attack.
Pass it.
There, there.
Very nice...
Damn, man.
What do you see in it?
It's absurd.
A bunch of guys running after a ball.
I don't think they're trying to run after the ball.
They want the ball.
But so do the other guys, of course.
Well, then?
Then nothing.
That's it.
Oh, well.
What will happen with the team?
I don't know.
I guess it's over.
We can't have the police there every time we take you out.
Yeah.
We went a little too far.
You see? When a play begins,
I always think it will go wrong.
And it's normal for it to go wrong.
But sometimes, when it goes right,
it's... like a miracle.
They're all in sync, like there was a plan.
That's what I notice, what they had to do to get it right.
What a drag tomorrow.
What's tomorrow?
No shit! It's our Communion.
Today is a very special day for you boys.
Because you're receiving the love of Jesus Christ,
a love that will accompany you your whole lives, right?
Communion is usually a very nice occasion,
with a beauty that resides in its sobriety and solemnity.
But I think today... Today we're going to speed things up.
The Body of Christ.
Yeah, that's better.
The Body of Christ.
Look, I think this is really too much.
You don't have anything else to wear?
Nothing else was clean.
Okay, sure, why not. The Body of Christ.
Can you come closer, I can't reach you.
Good lord.
Sister!
Are you feeling all right?
I've been thinking for days: "How strange, this month
nobody has called me to complain about Sister Marina.
Could she be ill?"
You think about me too much, Don Agustin.
Remember that I'm married to God.
I'm glad that you're finally happy.
The truth is, I wouldn't know where to send you anymore.
But I believe this time we got it right,
don't you think?
Have a nice trip back.
Oh, congratulations.
What for?
I heard your name is being considered for bishop.
Where did you hear that?
The Body of Christ.
-The Body of Christ. -Shut up, asshole.
The Body of Christ.
Why haven't any of you confessed?
Come on, the vicar really enjoys it.
-What? -I don't want to confess.
-Then what do you want? -I want to know
how many sins will get me to hell.
What nonsense is that?
You need to worry about being good.
But if I'm good, I won't go to hell.
I have to be bad.
Why are you so interested in going to hell?
Because my mother's already there
and my bastard father is on his way.
anyway,
that's all I want, a number.
Because if on top of dying I'm going to be alone again,
what fucking crap.
I don't know, son... 337.
Perfect, thanks a lot.
A private school?
There are still a few loose ends, a couple of licenses...
but it shouldn't take long.
And what does the bishop think of all this?
The bishop?
The bishop doesn't even know what El Parral is.
Look, I know this isn't easy for you.
You've given everything for this place, these boys.
I understand you, believe me.
But you know better than anyone that the situation is unsustainable
and I'm the one who has to make the decisions,
no matter how difficult they are.
What will happen to these boys?
They'll go to the state orphanage, I guess.
The dog pound.
What?
The boys.
They call it the dog pound.
Mother, this place is falling apart.
It needs money, new ideas,
and we can't maintain it anymore.
And no offense, but these boys could really use a little discipline.
El Parral
will change for the better, Mother. I promise.
They want to come and see it.
It would be better if the boys weren't here.
I'll think of something.
Oh, by the way.
How are things with Sister Marina?
Fine.
-She's special, but fine. -Don't trust her.
I know her well.
That woman is a nomad who never fits in anywhere.
Sooner or later she'll end up creating a problem.
We're going to start from scratch.
But we need a commitment from you.
This is your last chance.
If what happened the other day happens again, it's over, got it?
Okay.
That said, I have two bits of news for you.
One good and one bad.
The good news is we have a coach.
The bad is it's "Failurinho."
No, no... It's not Rafa.
Then what's the bad news?
Your mom is bad news.
-Asshole... -Okay, that's enough.
Stop.
The new coach is...
Me.
A nun for a coach, good lord.
Well, if you prefer, I can talk to Rafa
and try to convince him...
Welcome, coach.
Thank you.
Okay, then.
With the help of God and all the Saints,
I hereby inaugurate the new stage of the El Parral Soccer Club!
Fuck does that mean?
I can't go on... I'm having an attack...
Come on, little pig!
What a bitch.
You're all doing your own thing
and getting constantly distracted.
You're good,
but you don't play as a team.
Number three!
Run, run, run!
Come on, come on!
The ball is going that way!
Don't let the rope touch the ground!
That's it, together. Play defense together.
-Here, write this down. -Yeah.
Everything he does here and we put it all over there.
How do we position the boys?
We put Eboué at goalkeeper...
Drop the pen already, I can't take it anymore!
I didn't touch him!
Them being afraid of you doesn't mean they respect you.
On the contrary.
Focus on the ball. Self-control.
Goal!
What other people think doesn't matter.
You have to convince yourselves
that you're their equals.
What you have to do is run here,
here, here, flood this side together and... goal!
That's the point.
She's coming!
Then what happens
in Africa? It gets very...
-Hot -Good.
Very good. Who can tell me
the capital of Germany?
-London! -London.
Bastards...
Pass! Run, run!
Faster!
Goal!
You've gotten used to losing,
but it's about time you started winning.
Goal!
What's wrong with you? Stop holding back.
You're a cheeky bastard with me
and you play like you're saying sorry.
Go out there and dominate.
What are you doing? Get down right now!
Parral, Parral!
What are you doing, man? Can't you see?
Get some glasses!
No hands!
THE VALUE OF VALUING YOURSELF
All you need is love...
Goal!
-I'll shoot it. -No, let me.
You? Your shoelaces aren't even tied, man.
Goal!
I can't believe it.
We reached the final.
I think we can win the final
but only if they let us play the way we can...
Hey, look, a fair!
Wow, check out the Ferris wheel.
No way! How cool!
How cool...
Holy shit, look.
Look, look.
Look at all those people.
Wow, and popcorn...
What a bump!
Go for it, you dumbshit! They're at least 14!
Look, kid. I'll tell you something about life because you look lost.
When I was a kid like you,
I thought people were good, but you know what the problem is?
They are, but they don't know it.
Listen, even if you see me smoke, don't smoke, eh?
We're out of tokens.
We still have some. We can share two cars.
WE DO EARRINGS
How much to get an earring?
300 pesetas.
Okay, I want one.
And your parents?
That's them over there.
And they let you?
Totally.
-Are you sure? -Yeah, yeah. Let's go.
Be careful, eh?
Okay, that's enough.
Come on, get out.
MAZE OF MIRRORS
Okay,
the big day has arrived.
What day? What's going on?
Listen, Valdo. When we come out of there, we'll be new men.
Fuck are you talking about?
Here, put it on.
What? Are you crazy?
I always keep them on me because these things happen suddenly.
-I'm not going in there. -Valdo, please,
behave yourself. Of course you are.
But with security. The last thing we need is to be fathers.
Go on, go back there and put it on.
I'm already wearing mine.
-Right now? -No,
you do it right in front of her! Go on, move.
You see, Insect? I always win.
Let's see.
I can give you...
The air gun, the binoculars...
or this, for your brother.
What?
He's not my brother.
Thank you, Jasón.
Tell anyone and I'll kill you, Insect.
Goddamn it.
Was I here already...
or not? I don't know anymore.
I can't believe it.
I'm lost.
The most important day of my life and I go and get lost.
Am I fucking stupid?
Marta! Maria!
What was mine's fucking name?
And what happens now?
I don't know, I think...
this is what it does, right?
I think we're going to die.
-I'm going to pop an organ. -Okay, be quiet now.
Oh, lord. It's getting faster...
Oh, my God!
This is adrenaline, Angelines!
-And what's it like? -It's hard
to explain, Rachid.
It hurts.
At first it hurts a little,
but then...
it's like being hugged by a cat.
A big cat,
nice and warm.
What matters is you suddenly feel like you've become a man.
Right, Valdo?
You bastards could have warned me.
Weren't you getting an earring?
What earring? I wanted to get laid.
We'll go to hell for your fucking lies.
Thanks to my lies you're not a virgin hunchback anymore.
But nothing happened.
Look at them.
For them it did, that's what matters.
-Marina. -Yes.
I...
I wanted...
-Will this take all night? -No, no.
I wanted to say how important these days have been for me.
I don't know how to thank you.
What are you doing? Don't be ridiculous. All this hugging...
Go to sleep.
-Good night. -Good night.
Why do they have sleeping bags? I said just for a couple of hours.
Yeah, but this morning the Soccer Federation called and they have to do
anti-drug tests which they can only do at night
because the labs are in Switzerland or Stockholm...
Shut up already.
Tell me you're going camping.
-We're going camping. -Okay. Just so you know,
if another boy comes back with an earring, you'll be expelled.
-Please... -Sister, where does this go?
Above or below? Nobody's telling me anything.
-Like I said. -Below, come on.
-New equipment. -For the final.
Aren't they nice?
Where did you get them?
From Yurima, a girl who comes to church a lot.
She talked to her boss and he's sponsoring us.
You really don't see anything weird?
TEMPTATION CLUB
The color?
I swear I've never met anyone like you.
Oh, how sweet, thank you.
Hand them out to the boys,
they'll love them.
Okay, let's go.
-What's he doing here? -I don't know.
Please, come with me, gentlemen.
Just a few stairs.
The Mother Superior. Good day, Mother.
-Good day. -Good day.
Come on, let's go!
Excursion, excursion!
Excursion!
Excursion, excursion, excursion!
It's a little run down...
We missed it again. It's not that way.
The map is upside down. I told you three times.
It's not that way, over and over again...
You don't get it. I'm telling you, it's up.
With a little snow and a little
salt, the two of us keep sailing
across the sea.
Guys, the lake, the lake...
Stop, Marina, stop!
Let's go!
Don't you feel like they've grown a bit?
Yeah. Well, it's a growth spurt.
-Ivàn splashed water in my eyes. -Sweetie,
that's okay, splash him back, it's only water.
Wow. It looks like
they're not the only ones growing up, eh?
Look, look, here.
No!
Good lord.
To be their age again.
I already knew I wanted to be a nun at their age.
-Oh, yeah? -Yeah.
Well, if I were 22 again... 22 years old...
I don't know.
I don't know if I'd make the same decisions.
Sometimes I think if I would have been a good mother.
And I know the answer is no.
You would have been a great mother.
I don't know...
And how do you think they see you?
You're not their mothers,
or their caretakers...
We're nuns, Marina.
Their nuns.
And that's already a lot, don't you think?
-My goodness! -Hey!
I can't believe it!
I'll get him!
Well, yes.
I spent a year in Paris.
But ugh, I was very young.
-What were you doing there? -Studying, supposedly.
But I also went to the movies,
dancing...
No way.
What do you boys think?
Hey, sister.
I have a question, but don't take offense.
Have you... ever had a boyfriend?
Like I would tell you...
Okay, that's enough about my past. Everyone go to sleep.
So...
Where will you go after the summer?
I don't know yet.
Somewhere far away from nagging boys
who ask too many questions.
Everyone go to sleep.
Let's go.
Come on.
Valdo.
Are you awake?
No.
I told you, she's not a virgin.
Fuck are you talking about?
-You're so naive. -Leave me alone.
-Why are you mad? -I'm not mad.
You're lame and you make stuff up. You're sick.
Look, Valdo. We're going to spend a lot of time together.
So it's time for you to wake up.
Paris means fucking.
Period.
We have to tell the boys.
I'll explain it all to them tomorrow.
And that's it?
That's all?
What do you mean?
I don't know...
I'm surprised you accepted so easily.
That's enough.
Don't pretend you care more than I do.
Look at the pizza guys. Look at them. Get out!
Spain...
Look, that's Caminero. I used to call him Joselu.
I played with him in the youth league. Awesome guy.
-You already said that, shut up. -So you know again.
Okay, the big question.
What about us? Do we have to leave too?
No, Sister, the convent can continue.
They only want the boys out.
You can go.
You.
Wait.
Get back! Get back!
Let's
Nice move!
Come on, let's go!
Come on, come on... Look, look, look!
Let's go! Let's go!
Goal!
Joselu scored!
Spain, Spain, Spain!
There's really nothing we can do?
At this point, I can't think of anything.
I don't know what to say to convince this man.
He's had that idea in his head for a long time.
Want some?
You can call me Julia.
Thank you, Julia.
What about the soccer thing? Is it true they reached the final?
It's true.
It was incredible.
If you get any of those ideas of yours,
make the most of it.
I don't know.
But if I think of one,
I hope my whiskey buddy Julia is with me,
not the Mother Superior.
Let's go!
Let's go, Spain.
Good, good, good!
Give me a break! He fouled him!
Call a penalty, damn it!
Penalty!
He broke his nose! Goddamn it!
Call a fucking penalty, damn it!
He's bleeding!
-Fuck! -Always the same crap.
Always the same fucking crap.
They'll boot us from the World Cup. And you boys from El Parral.
Goddamn it...
Always the same crap.
What did he say?
What the fuck did he say?
What's up?
How did it go?
What's wrong with them?
I think Spain lost.
-What did she say? -Nothing.
We talked for a while...
Marina.
What's going on? What time is it?
When I came to wake them up they were gone. They left this.
"We're not going to the dog pound.
When you read this, we'll be far away. Don't look for us."
How did they find out?
They went into the Mother Superior's office, they might have seen it there.
Where could they have gone?
Alone, with the people out there. What will they eat?
You're late.
Here, keep the change.
Awesome!
Pizza.
Thank you.
The window?
Yes!
Pizza.
-Awesome! -Pizza.
-What is it? -Ham and cheese.
Grab a slice.
Why go on vacation if you have this house?
I don't know. Besides being
a referee, he must be a drug dealer or something and he's in jail.
I wish fucking Peanut were here to see us...
-He'll never have it like this. -Don't be too happy.
-We can't stay forever. -Be quiet.
I walk in the sun...
It can't be. She's even better in person.
Get out.
Desperate...
because our love is an emerald
stolen by a thief.
Yeah, yeah, desperate.
Good song.
What song?
Go... No, man!
-You're bad. -Yeah, shut up.
Now I've got it.
Yeah, go ahead.
Where is Tomàs?
What are you doing here alone?
Are you okay?
When are we going back to El Parral?
Tomàs, we're not going back to El Parral.
But I left my doll there.
Don't worry about it.
We'll get you another one, okay?
Okay?
Do you want something to eat?
Are you sure?
I don't know where to look.
I talked to the police again.
They said
they can't do anything else until tomorrow.
I'm going to go look again.
But Marina, we've looked everywhere.
-We need rest too. -Yes.
We'll keep looking tomorrow.
I'll stay by the phone just in case.
-What the fuck are you eating? -Sugar.
Hey, Valdo.
What do you want to be when you grow up? I've never asked.
I don't know.
But since you're only asking so I'll ask you...
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A plastic surgeon, man.
I want to make people better looking.
Laugh all you want,
but you should think of something. Soccer isn't everything,
kid.
Come on, let's go to sleep.
Tomorrow we'll figure out what we're going to do.
-Sebas. -What?
-You think they're looking for us? -Who?
The nuns?
I don't know,
but who cares.
Yeah.
I hope they forget us forever.
Amen.
You guys made a huge mess.
Don't you ladies sleep?
Damn!
-Where is Valdo? -I don't know.
Valdo.
When were you going to tell us?
I didn't know.
Come on, let's go.
Where?
Will it always be like this?
Will what...?
This.
Always changing places.
Being alone.
You should know, right?
You're not alone. Don't be silly.
What are you doing?
Hugging you, you fool. Can't you see?
Come here.
Damn, squeeze me or something... What a shitty hug.
Shut up, come on.
There's nobody here.
What do you mean?
I have an important meeting with the Mother Superior.
I know. She said you were coming
and to give you this.
I hope we win!
Today we're not making plans,
or tactics, or anything.
We're not using this today, okay?
"El Parral is a pile of shit
with nuns instead of flies
who don't fly but who
bug the shit out of you."
"They won't let us see girls so we all end up being priests."
What a bastard!
"There's only one thing worse than El Parral.
Living there."
I like this one.
"Sister, it's about time someone told you the truth.
God doesn't exist."
I don't know,
you might be right.
El Parral may not be the best place in the world.
But it's your home.
Today is a very important day.
I assure you all is not lost.
So I want to ask you for one thing.
I want you all to go out there
and prove to them
who you really are.
Show them there's a place called El Parral
that belongs to you.
A place worth fighting for.
All right?
-Yeah? -Here we go.
Let's go!
Let's go, bolls!
-Come on! -Let's go, team!
Let's go, team!
-3, 2, 1... -Parral, Parral, Parral!
Let's go!
Run, run, run!
Let's go!
Before you say anything...
You see the Mother Superior?
Look who's right next to her.
Sister, I don't know what you're after, but I promise you won't get it.
Come on, come on!
Come on!
Good, boys!
Hey, kid! Number 8!
Yeah, you. Come here.
Hey, man...
I'm sorry about what I said about your parents. I was joking.
No, they ended up getting divorced.
Holy shit, really?
Damn, bro, I'm sorry. Are you okay?
Yeah, well... Now I have two swimming pools.
Pass it, pass it!
Get back, cover the other one!
Bishop, sir, I don't know what the sisters told you,
but I wanted to tell you that my project for El Parral isn't...
From the orphans at El Parral.
"Bishop, sir. Thank you for giving us
a home."
What's your name, son?
Tomàs.
Look, Tomàs.
You don't have to thank me for anything.
Thank this man, he's the one who did
all this for you.
Eat shit, sucker.
Goal!
Let's go, let's go!
That's why today I must thank Don Agustin
for giving us a home, a family,
a warm plate every day... And tell you
that you're like a father to us.
The father we never had.
Foal, foul, foul!
Goal!
Yes!
Let's go, boys! We only have 10 minutes left!
I could expect anything from the other one,
but you being a party to this, Mother...
You said El Parral needed a change.
Well, here it is.
Make the most of it.
Let's
Parral, Parral...
Over here!
Goal!
Goddamn it.
Good game.
Boys! Everyone come over here.
Don Agustin has something very important to tell you, right?
El Parral, El Parral...
Bravo, bravo, great job!
-Who was that? -I don't know.
He says he wants me to do a tryout.
I thought about it a lot, but suddenly
it hit me.
Soccer.
Why don't we start a soccer team?
END OF SUMMER, 1994
Behave yourself.
I'll see you at the weekend.
Here, so you see I remembered you guys.
They're shells, from the beach, a place you'll never see.
Oh, Peanut.
You're full of hate. You need a girlfriend.
Hey, one question.
Is that fox over there your mother or your sister?
-My mother, asshole. -Are you sure?
Damn, invite her to come for a snack sometime.
-Dickhead. -Where is she going now?
To take him to his tryout.
So she's staying, right?
It looks like it. But don't say anything to her.
She prefers it that way.
Okay, what's wrong?
I don't want to go.
You don't want to go or you're scared to go?
I'll make a fool of myself and they won't take me.
Well, if you don't go, you'll never know.
And what if they take me?
It's too far away.
I don't know...
I could take you
and pick you up.
Every day?
Every day...
It sounds like a prison sentence.
But yes.
But I'll get you a bus pass
just in case.
Come on, let's go.
EL PARRAL SCHOOL
VALDO LOPES PLAYED OVER 20 YEARS IN THE SPANISH FIRST DIVISION
VALDO AND THE BOYS WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL
FOR WHAT MARINA DID FOR THEM AT EL PARRAL