A TALKING PICTURE
"In July 2001, a little girl crosses
thousands of years of civilization,
along with her mother,
a distinguished history professor,
while on their way to meet her father. "
Look at this mist.
What a pity.
If it gets worse, you won't be able to see
the monument to the Discoveries.
We're getting closer.
Can you see it?
It was built to commemorate
the events and honor the sailors.
Can you see the man
in front of all the other figures?
- The one with the wide-brimmed hat.
- Yes, who is he?
Prince Henry, the moving force
behind the Discoveries.
- What did they do?
- What did they do?
They found new lands...
sailing hitherto unexplored waters.
An enterprise that the prince
had prepared for well.
Look.
This one is older.
It was the first monument,
built to commemorate
the glorious feat
of the discovery of
the sea route to India
by an expedition
led by Vasco da Gama.
How strange.
This mist reminds me of the myth
of King Sebastian.
What is a myth?
Myths are imaginary stories
based on certain events,
like the one of King Sebastian,
whom they called "the shrouded one. "
People believe he will return
on a misty morning like this.
Who was King Sebastian?
He was a Portuguese king
who wished to convert
the world to the Christian faith.
He began his quest
by leading his men to war
in a bid to conquer the Moors,
who had a different religion.
What war?
A war that took place
in Alcacer-Quibir in Africa
and that went down in history
as the War of the Three Kings,
for the three kings who died there.
It's assumed that one of them
was King Sebastian.
Dead or not, he did in fact disappear
after the Portuguese defeat.
The Portuguese people
continued to believe -
and this is a famous legend
and also a Muslim belief-
that one day a shrouded figure
would emerge from the mist,
riding a white horse.
And will he really?
There are those who believe he will,
but it's only a myth.
If he comes back, will he arrive
at this place that we're leaving from?
That I can't say,
but if he's on horseback,
it's likely he'll arrive by land.
Where we are leaving from
is the site from where the caravels set sail,
accompanied by mermaids.
What are mermaids?
They're another myth.
They are half fish, half women,
and they swam alongside the ships
to encourage the sailors...
to explore the great unknown.
That city we can just barely see
from here is Ceuta.
It was taken from the Moors
by the Portuguese
- more than 500 years ago.
- Why?
Because the Portuguese ships
were attacked in these waters.
- So the city is ours?
- No, not any longer.
I know why.
Because of the Revolution of April 25th?
No, no.
Ceuta was lost many centuries ago.
The Revolution of April 25th
took place only a short while ago.
And that's another story.
Shall we go?
Good morning.
Welcome to Marseille.
Just a moment.
Good morning.
Welcome to Marseille.
Look, Joana.
Undo his leash.
How much are your fish?
Thanks, and good-bye.
Hello. Is this where
the fishermen unload their fish?
This is where we sell it fresh.
- Does your little dog moor the boat?
- He helps me moor it.
He's a fisherman.
I can see that.
He is a fisherman.
- What's his name?
- Sooty.
Apart from Sooty,
do you have any more family?
I have a son and a daughter,
but my daughter lives in Paris.
- So they don't live with you?
- No, they don't.
- What about your wife?
- She died three years ago.
- So you're alone.
- With Sooty.
I see. I'm Portuguese.
I'm on a cruise.
- This is my first time in Marseille.
- Ah, your first time.
But I've already
had the bouillabaisse.
- Was it good?
- Yes. Maria Joana.
Did you like the fish soup
we had for lunch?
I loved it.
Mommy, ask him the dog's name.
Sooty.
Oh, Sooty.
And what's your name?
Me? I'm John.
That's funny.
That's my husband's name.
My daughter and I
are off to see him.
So where is he?
In Bombay.
We're going on vacation.
He's an airline pilot.
Are you going by ship?
Yes. It's a bit complicated.
Speaking of ships,
I don't see any tankers here.
Doesn't most of the oil
arrive in Marseille?
Yes, that's true.
There are lots of tankers,
but they're some nine miles off the coast.
And there are oil reserves
in case of war.
And reserves for cars,
which are a real plague.
They really are a plague, as you say.
We can't live without oil these days.
We can't turn the clock back.
Well, I must go.
- Thank you for your information.
- Not at all.
Look at what's written on the ground.
"Here, in about 600 BC,
Greek sailors landed from Phoenicia,
a Greek city in Asia Minor. "
It says here that this place
was founded by the Greeks
many years ago.
They founded Marseille,
the cradle of civilization.
That means it was the Greeks
who spread civilization
to other countries.
Delphine?
- What a surprise!
- It certainly is!
- Do you want to come aboard?
- I can't. I'm just seeing some friends off.
- Do I know them?
- No, they're just tourists.
- Have a good trip.
- Bye.
- See that castle over there?
- Yes.
- Legend has it...
- What's a legend?
Legends are like fables.
They're invented stories,
like the muses who inspired poets...
or mermaids.
Were they like the fish-women
of the Tagus?
Yes, but bird-women
were even more ancient.
Muses or mermaids
are imaginary beings,
invented to explain certain events.
- Listen to this story I'm going to tell you.
- Tell me.
- You see that castle there?
- Yes.
Many, many years ago,
there was no castle.
There was a beach where
an exhausted mermaid sought refuge
after chasing the boat
of Ulysses, the warrior king.
Before she died, she left an egg
on the site where the castle stands today.
- Can we go and see it?
- No, darling.
The egg is also a legend, and it's said
that the egg lies under the castle,
in a golden cage.
That's why it's called
the Castle of the Egg.
This story was told
by the great Latin poet Virgil,
who liked the story of King Ulysses
and said, in memory
of Ulysses' voyage,
"As long as the the egg exists,
Naples will thrive and prosper. "
And now?
Now we're going back to the taxi,
because I want to show you
Vesuvius and Pompeii.
That mountain peak is Vesuvius,
perhaps the most famous of all volcanoes.
What's a volcano?
A volcano's like that mountain
that has a hole on top
and spits out fire and ash.
- But it isn't spitting out fire now.
- No, it isn't now.
But more than 2,000 years ago,
it buried the city in ash.
What city?
Pompeii,
the city we're about to visit.
The air was so thick
with ash and poisonous gases
that the people couldn't breathe.
- Did they die?
- Yes, every one of them.
It seemed like divine punishment
for a people who had lived a sinful life.
What is a sinful life?
That's what you call it
when people do bad and wicked things.
- So it was punishment from heaven?
- Some people say so.
These are catastrophes
that man can do nothing about.
Anyway, punishment or not,
everyone was burnt to death,
and the city was destroyed,
as we're going to see now.
- Now?
- Yes, now.
It's all in ruins.
Like I told you.
Behind these columns
are the remains of the second
most important temple of the city,
the Temple of Apollo.
Look.
See, here it is in ruins,
and this is what it was like before.
- You see?
- Yes.
The main square as we see it today,
and Vesuvius.
And look now.
- Here's the square before the catastrophe.
- There was no grass.
No, only these stones.
That lady getting on board now
seems to be famous.
Who? I didn't notice.
She's gone now.
This hill in front of us
is called the Acropolis.
Let's climb up and take a closer look.
See how beautiful it must have been.
This temple was dedicated
to the goddess who protected Athens.
What did people do here?
They worshipped their gods.
Now let's go to the other side.
Look up there.
Can you see?
It's enormous, isn't it?
It almost seems to touch the clouds.
Are you French, madam?
No, we're Portuguese, Father.
But we speak a little French.
You speak perfectly.
You have a lovely little girl.
If I can help in any way,
I'm at your service.
Excuse my boldness,
but when I saw you,
I just had to speak to you.
Don't stand on ceremony.
Please speak.
This is the first time
I've met an Orthodox priest.
We are Roman Catholics.
I teach history at Lisbon University,
and I was trying
to explain to my daughter
what the Acropolis is.
You did well to ask me.
I'm at your disposal
for whatever you may need.
That's very kind of you.
The Acropolis is a real treasure.
Someone once said,
"Never have my eyes seen
such a glorious sight
as this little mount. "
I'm sure anyone who comes here
would say the same.
But as you are probably aware,
the most important monument
in Greece
is the Parthenon over there.
Inside stood
a colossal ivory statue of Athena
draped in gold robes.
It was 33 feet high.
Athena is the goddess of wisdom,
the goddess you Latins call Minerva.
The statue was enormous,
and legend has it
that it was taller than the temple
and could be seen
from no matter
where you stood in the city.
That must have made
the citizens feel protected.
Exactly.
Even more so
because in Greek mythology,
Athena conquered Poseidon
and is now
the patron saint of the city.
What happened to that statue?
Which statue?
The statue of the legend disappeared,
and nobody ever heard of it again.
But the original statue was removed
at the same time
as another even larger statue
cast in bronze,
which was situated
between the great portal
and the Temple of Erechtheum.
In the fifth century AD,
both were taken to Constantinople.
During the reign of
the Christian emperor Theodosius?
Exactly.
- I can see I'm talking to a history teacher.
- What are you saying, Mommy?
We're talking about the statue
of the goddess Athena.
- Was there really such a goddess?
- No, just a statue - actually, two.
But they disappeared, or rather
they were taken to Constantinople.
Can you steal a goddess?
No. You can't steal a goddess.
What was stolen was the statue
that represented
the patron saint of the city.
So was the city left unprotected?
No, darling.
It's the Greeks who protect Greece.
The story of the statue is an ancient
legend that was lost in the mists of time
once the city became
prosperous and rich.
- These are the ruins of those times.
- And what about that one?
What's that one over there?
That's the Temple of Erechtheum
where Poseidon and "Athina"
were worshipped.
Excuse me if I say "Athina. "
That's Greek for Athena, isn't it?
Exactly.
It's the Greek name for Athena.
The name we give
to the goddess of wisdom.
The wisdom of the philosophers,
playwrights, poets and musicians -
it all derives from Athena.
And now come with me.
I want to show you the ruins
of one of the most ancient Greek theaters.
There it is.
In ruins, as you can see.
But I haven't even
introduced myself yet.
I'm Father Nicholas,
an Orthodox priest at your service.
By the grace of God, Father.
I'm going to tell you a curious story.
Please do.
Since I'm writing my doctorate
on art in general,
this theater is also
of great interest to me.
Is it true that Antigone, Medea
and other famous plays
were performed here for the first time?
Yes, probably.
Let's go down for a closer look.
This is the exact spot
where the actors performed.
The audience sat
on those tiers over there.
See, dear?
The actors performed here,
and the audience sat over there
at the other end.
Yes, Mommy. What is this?
Could you explain what that is?
This stone is called the "themeli. "
It's where sacrifices
were offered before the play.
Look.
Those seats over there
were reserved for important people.
That one over there is very special.
It was reserved for
the most important authority of all.
See the name engraved on it?
And look at that one too.
Down there, see?
Mommy.
My daughter noticed you use three fingers
when you make the sign of the cross.
Please forgive my curiosity,
but I've never seen
a Catholic priest do that.
They make the sign of the cross
with their palm open.
I never really understood
why Catholics
make the cross as you say,
but your question is not indiscreet.
I'll try to explain.
We Orthodox say-
observe carefully-
that this here is the Father,
this is the Son,
and this is the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Trinity.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son
and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Look, that lady is famous.
- Who is she, Mommy?
- She's a singer.
Hello. How do you do?
Welcome aboard.
Have a good trip.
We're standing before one
of the largest cathedrals in the world.
It was built by the Christians.
About a thousand years later,
it was conquered by the Muslims
and turned into a mosque.
What's a mosque?
A mosque is like a church.
It's where Muslims pray.
The muezzin calls
from the top of the minaret.
- What's a muezzin?
- He is a sort of caller
who goes up the minaret
to call the faithful to prayer.
To pray like us?
Yes, but they pray in their own way.
The name St. Sophia
has nothing to do with a saint.
The word comes from the Greek
sophos, which means wisdom.
St. Sophia means divine wisdom,
the wisdom of God.
This building that you see before you
is the third St. Sophia.
It was destroyed twice
in revolts during Byzantine times,
and it was rebuilt each time.
The first St. Sophia was built in 360 AD
by the Roman Emperor Constantine.
The second, the ruins of which
you can see over there,
was built in 415 AD
by the Emperor Theodosius.
And finally, this building
was constructed in 537
by the Byzantine emperor Justinian.
In the beginning,
it was a Christian cathedral,
neither Catholic nor Orthodox,
because it was before the separation.
It became an Orthodox cathedral
only in the ninth century,
and in 1453
it was converted into a mosque
by the Muslims.
The Muslims captured
the building in 1453,
and from then on
it was used as a mosque.
Later, in 1935,
it was turned into a museum
on the orders of Atatrk,
the founder of the Turkish Republic.
It's no longer a place of worship,
but a museum.
And since 1935,
no prayers have been said here.
What were they saying?
The guide was saying that
St. Sophia finally ended up
in Muslim hands.
Who were the Muslims?
They belong to the Muslim religion
like we belong to the Catholic religion.
- Is the Catholic religion Christian?
- Yes.
If it belonged to the Catholics,
why did it become Muslim?
- Because they were at war.
- And are they still at war?
No.
That was in the Middle Ages.
Come.
What are the Middle Ages?
The Middle Ages were a period of time
in the history of the world.
The Middle Ages ended
with the reconquest of this city,
which was called Constantinople
and became Istanbul,
as it's called now.
It's a bit complicated, isn't it?
Yes, but I like to know.
Which Middle Ages are we in now?
We're not in the Middle Ages anymore.
Our times, that is to say
the age we are in now,
is called the contemporary age.
Contemporary means now?
That's right.
Contemporary means the present.
And now St. Sophia is a museum.
This way, please.
In all churches,
there is a niche facing Jerusalem.
This is found both in ancient churches
and Turkish churches,
while in all mosques
there is one facing Mecca,
as you can see there.
But in churches that became mosques,
there was a problem,
because Mecca and Jerusalem
are not in the same direction.
You can see the difference better
if you look at the mosaics up there.
The central windows point
in the direction of Jerusalem,
just as that niche there
points to Mecca.
You see it? Not the one in the middle,
but the one to the right of the large one?
The mosaic you can see up there
dates from the 10th century
and represents the Virgin Mary
nursing the baby Jesus.
On the right stands
the Archangel Gabriel.
These two mosaics were plastered over
during the Ottoman empire,
and when the mosque
became a museum...
See these crosses?
What are they?
Look, there's another.
They're marks for the dome
that you just saw.
There are so many.
Yes, there's another...
and another, see?
And yet another at the end.
- You see?
- Yes.
- Did you enjoy that?
- Yes, but it was a bit tiring.
- A bit confusing, isn't it?
- Yes, but it's beautiful.
Can you see
those magnificent monuments?
What are they called?
They're known as the pyramids of Egypt.
They're famous
for their great importance,
and because they represent
the greatest civilization of antiquity.
What does civilization mean?
Civilization is what man
creates and develops
over the course of time
by using his intelligence.
How?
Like the pyramids, for example.
For their great size,
and for the mystery surrounding
the method of their construction.
If it was so difficult,
why did they do it?
They built them precisely
because they were civilized people.
And because they believed
in life after death.
It was one of the kings of Egypt
who had them built
as his burial vault.
There's a story
that another powerful pharaoh...
What's a pharaoh?
That was the name given
to the kings of Egypt.
Well, this pharaoh forced
another people to become workers,
to drag the stones to the top
of each pyramid one by one.
Who were they?
They were the 12 tribes of Israel
who had fled a drought in Canaan.
Hunger had brought them to Egypt,
where there was grain to be had.
And when this pharaoh died,
he was succeeded by another,
who forced these people
to work on the pyramids
as though they were slaves.
- Is that why they were civilized?
- No.
That's not why they were civilized.
There are other reasons.
The history of civilization
is made up of these contradictions.
Man is not perfect,
and he makes mistakes.
- And did they remain slaves forever?
- No.
- Moses freed them.
- Who was Moses?
He was the son of a Jewish woman.
When he was a baby, his mother
was afraid he would be massacred,
so she put him in a basket,
which she set adrift on the river.
The current carried him away,
and he was found by an Egyptian princess,
who liked the child and raised him.
He grew into a strong, wise man.
Years later,
when he discovered his origins,
he became a prophet of the Jews.
But this is a very long story,
my darling.
It happened many
thousands of years ago.
- I'll tell you later, all right?
- All right.
- But you must tell me the whole story.
- Of course I will.
Now it's my turn to tell you a story.
This is a more recent one,
from the time of Napoleon.
Do you know who Napoleon was?
He was a French general
who was famous
for his military genius.
He came here with his French troops
to expel the British, who had invaded Egypt.
Napoleon led his troops into battle,
pointed to the pyramids and said,
"Soldiers, 4,000 years of history
look down upon you. "
- Really?
- Yes.
It was just as this gentleman said.
Allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Luis Miguel.
When I heard this little girl
speaking Portuguese, I couldn't resist.
- I'm...
- I know. You're an actor.
I've seen you perform many times
on the stage in Lisbon.
I'm a great fan of yours.
A fan? What a surprise.
And why not?
You're not unknown, as I am.
You won't be unknown
once you tell me who you are.
My name is Rosa Maria. I'm married.
I have a daughter, Maria Joana.
We're on this cruise to join
my husband, whose name is Joo.
I'm a history teacher,
and I'm visiting these magical places
around the Mediterranean.
I enjoy visiting these places too.
And just as well, because I've now met
a charming history teacher
and her wonderful little girl.
If it's all right with you,
since it's still not very late,
I'd like to invite you for a drink
at a wonderful hotel
that was built for the inauguration
of the Suez Canal.
I'd love to, but...
Please, let's go, Mommy.
It's still early.
Let's go, Joana.
Of course we will, Joana.
Have you noticed
the jewelers' shop windows?
As you can see here in the hotel, there
are many pieces in the shape of a beetle.
They're to be found everywhere.
I knew they were a symbol
of happiness for the Egyptians,
but I never imagined
they were so popular.
They used to be worshipped as gods.
They were the symbol of the sun.
Why?
The beetle goes into his hole at night,
mixes mud with his excrement,
and at dawn brings out a ball of dung.
At dawn
the sun gives light to the living.
At night he goes underground
to give light to the dead.
Now, since we are among the living,
I'd like to show you some paintings
of the inauguration of the canal.
The hotel was built
for the inauguration of the canal
as you can see in this painting.
The Empress Eugenie
is not depicted here,
but she was the guest of honor
at the ceremony.
The pasha of Egypt gave the go-ahead
to the French diplomat Lesseps, who was
the driving force behind the initiative,
and the canal was opened in 1869,
as you can see in this painting.
Amazing.
And all realized by the force of man.
It was no more wonderful
than the first sea voyage to India
by Vasco da Gama in 1494.
You know how long it took
Vasco da Gama to reach India?
- No, how long?
- A year.
He had to go
all the way around Africa.
Nowadays, the journey
is much quicker through the canal.
Mommy, what did you mean by
"realized by the force of man"?
It means that it was built
almost entirely by manual labor.
A very arduous task indeed.
The opening was celebrated by a dinner
that took place right at this very hotel.
Really?
Look.
There we see
the entrance of the empress.
And there...
the banquet.
Look.
What a lovely dress.
In such a beautiful shade of blue.
It's truly beautiful.
It's thought that the Egyptians
considered blue to be the color of truth.
Like the blue of the sky.
Like the blue of the sky.
Mommy, look.
I think I've seen those ladies before.
You must have.
They're all famous.
They appear on TV
and in magazines and newspapers.
The one in blue is a businesswoman,
head of an empire.
And the one in red...
- Is she the one you saw on the quay?
- I don't know. They look so different.
Yes, they do.
They're the captain's guests.
Look how he treats them.
Especially the actress...
Nothing is less certain, Captain.
Yes, I do.
And seeing it was I
who brought it up,
it's up to me to break the spell.
I'm Delphine,
and far from being amazing, I'm...
I'm expansive.
I'm very independent, a single girl.
Honni soit qui mal y pense.
Even so, I can't help
thinking of you, my dear.
Thank you, Captain.
I'm not shy, far from it.
After all, I'm French.
And we French have a reputation
where love is concerned.
Ah, that's where you're wrong.
I have no illusions about men.
Haven't you heard of charmers
who disappoint women?
I'm French. I've had affairs.
I have no children.
I am what you could call
a businesswoman,
or rather an entrepreneur,
which is even rarer.
I don't have time to waste dreaming.
I've noticed
you're quite the flatterer.
I'm not French. I'm Francesca.
And as you can tell, I'm Italian.
I was...
Always the flatterer,
as Delphine said.
To think that at the time
they used to call me Aphrodite,
I, who was never free...
or independent like Delphine.
I was never free even in my work,
which forced me...
to keep to strict timetables
and had very rigid rules.
I didn't even stop working
when I got married.
Not that my husband was a tyrant,
but I loved him...
I loved him very much,
and love is a tyrant.
Passion makes prisoners of women.
Did you feel you were
a prisoner of your husband?
Only of my memories.
Now that he's no longer here,
I live for my memories.
Do you have any children?
No, unfortunately.
I've gone from a kind
of prison of love
to a nostalgic solitude.
These frequent trips
I make nowadays
entertain me.
I meet new people,
make new friends.
It's my only consolation
for lost happiness.
I, Helen, would think...
I would say that those
who live life to the full
have many opportunities
to be happy,
but also feel deep sorrow
and suffer on account of betrayal.
Nothing is worse than betrayal,
especially when it comes
from someone we trust.
It's like a knife wound,
like being stabbed
by pain and doubt.
I have suffered betrayal,
among other misfortunes.
Hard to bear
for a sensitive and faithful woman.
I have never suffered that,
but I know it exists.
And we have to bear it.
Only our friends can help.
To tell you the truth,
I've never experienced betrayal
in my love life.
Ingratitude or disillusionment,
little infidelities, yes,
but nothing hurts as much
as betrayal by one dear to me.
It's a wound that never heals.
I don't think
I'm different from others.
There's nothing morbid in this.
I consider myself to be
a very positive person.
I like my friends,
my career as an actress and singer.
I like to encourage new talent.
As you can see,
I'm not bitter.
I know, you even visited me
many times in my dressing room.
I adore the theater,
and I spend as much time
on the stage as off it,
but I cannot accept everything
that is offered to me.
I'm very selective. Not only
because of the question of quality,
but also of fantasy.
My love of theater and singing
made me become a teacher.
I'm dedicated to my work.
I love my students,
and they all get along well with me
and respect my work.
It's a great comfort to me.
You're most kind, Captain.
Once again,
it's very kind of you to say that.
Thank you.
It's true that for an artist,
there's nothing better
than to live for one's art.
Are you married?
Do you have children?
I'm not married.
I don't have any children.
I've known men
for whom I still feel friendship.
Love is a prison of desire,
as Francesca said,
but at times it's unbearable.
Especially if the man is jealous.
As unbearable as loneliness.
Or even more, like a man.
If our captain had met
a woman like the sea,
he would have made
an excellent husband.
If you don't know, who does?
You're a very attractive man,
and not only to the sea.
Anyway,
you don't need many women.
You just need to find one
whom you love as much as the sea,
and it will be enough.
That is, in case the sea lets you down.
Unless you'd rather be shipwrecked
and give yourself up to the mermaids.
Delphine is right.
You still have plenty of time.
To get married?
It's simple.
You command a ship.
You mean the happiness of a sailor
is like that of a fish?
They breathe but they can't speak.
Which means
they can't give their opinion.
Maybe...
but we also express ourselves...
in a strange way.
Yes, strange, unique, unusual.
Not in a normal way.
Haven't you noticed that at this table
we are all speaking different languages,
and we all come
from different countries?
And what is even stranger
is that it all seems so natural.
Natural, yes,
but also an extraordinary coincidence.
Coincidence?
Yes, we all understand each other
and it's so natural.
Among educated women,
there are no barriers.
Nor among men either, I hope.
Frankly, I don't know.
But I believe that each one of us
expresses himself or herself
in their own way, whether man or woman.
But nothing is more comfortable
than speaking one's own language.
Which is not the case
in the European Union.
Of course not.
The European Union was set up by men,
and look at the result.
Imagine how different it would be,
how we would live in peace,
if the world were ruled by women.
You're not a feminist
by any chance, are you,
Miss Delphine?
Look at me, Captain.
What do you think?
I think you're a sorceress.
I am...
Well, let me begin at the beginning.
I'm an American of Polish descent,
but born and bred
in the United States.
There are no true Americans
except the Indians.
Exactly.
The English language
has colonized the world,
and today we all need to speak...
English.
But it was not the basis
of our civilization.
Greece was the cradle
of our civilization.
You're right, Helen.
Greek is only spoken in Greece.
This table is an exception to the rule.
Outside Greece, nobody speaks Greek.
Perhaps not the language,
but Greece is still
the cradle of civilization
and will be
as long as the world goes around.
It's a civilization
that's been forgotten.
And with it,
fraternity and the rights of man
and the utopian ideals
of the French Revolution.
Later adopted by the US.
But they're also being forgotten,
as is happening on other continents,
like Europe,
not to speak of Africa.
No civilization lasts forever.
Time will tell how best to preserve
the memory of the past.
That's how
Alexander the Great saw it
when,
under the influence of Aristotle,
he decided to found a universal library.
Built after his death.
Exactly.
Built and destroyed in Alexandria.
And then lost forever.
But what I find most curious
is the case of the Arabs,
who, having spread Greek culture
in Europe and beyond,
were the ones to destroy it,
burning all the books
in the blindness
of their religious fervor.
The beginnings of fundamentalism,
which is everywhere today.
However, the Arabs
also founded a great culture.
Now it is in decline.
What haunts the Arab world nowadays
is the development
of the West,
with its many technical advances
and scientific progress.
This creates
religious prejudice,
which is what divides us.
What is needed
between East and West
are convergent values.
The question is not one of politics
but of civilization.
Politics create civilization,
and action creates history.
The sad history of humanity.
The sins of the fathers
are visited upon the sons.
Long before the Tower of Babel,
it all started with original sin.
That's a good idea.
I would quickly
open another supermarket
or a warehouse or something.
Brilliant. Good idea.
I'll be your first customer.
Unless you want me as a partner.
Oh, no. A sailor?
Never.
You command your ship
and I'll command my business.
Very well.
What are you talking about?
Our polyglot interaction.
Don't you find it extraordinary?
Extraordinary.
Why are they all so cheerful, Mommy?
Perhaps it's a birthday party.
Are we already in another sea?
Yes, Maria Joana.
This is the Red Sea.
Is it really red?
They call it red because
in some places it has red coral,
but now it's night
and we can't see land or sea.
We have our back to Africa,
and we're facing Arabia,
the land of the Arabs.
- Who are the Arabs?
- The Arabs?
We must go far back in time,
all the way back to antiquity,
to the days of Abraham.
Abraham had a son, Ishmael,
by the slave girl Agar.
Then he had another son
by his wife Sara whom they called Isaac.
Sara persuaded Abraham
to cast out Ishmael,
because he was not her son.
So Ishmael and his mother
went out into the desert,
and from Ishmael are descended
the Arabs, or Ishmaelites.
What are we?
- We, who?
- You and me.
We're Portuguese.
What else would we be?
- Then what happened?
- Then there were many wars.
- Did lots of people die?
- Lots.
But that's how nations are born.
- Including the Portuguese?
- Yes, all nations.
Why were men so wicked?
That's how it was.
They weren't really wicked.
They were people like us.
Lust for power leads to war.
That's our nature.
- What do you mean, nature?
- How can I explain?
It's like being hungry
or wanting something very much.
Suppose you had a doll
and someone tried to take it away.
You'd hold it tight to keep it.
Understand?
It's more or less like that.
I think so. But if I had a doll,
would they try and take it?
No, darling, of course not.
Then I can ask you in Portuguese.
Tell me frankly, Captain.
Would you mind
if I decline your kind invitation?
We would prefer
to be just the two of us.
Yes, we do. Bombay.
Why not?
We are going to join her father,
who is an airline pilot
and my husband.
My father's name is Joo Amorim.
The crew changes at Bombay,
and we're then going
to take a vacation together.
It's a logical question,
but I have a good reason.
My name is Rosa Maria.
I'm a history professor
at Lisbon University,
and I'm on this cruise
to visit in person
the places I talk about with my students
but know only from books.
It's been a wonderful trip.
Do you say that because
I speak to people so openly?
Thank you, Captain.
Yes.
Mommy, aren't you
going to introduce me?
How do you do, dear girl?
I'm Captain John,
at your service.
I'm Maria Joana.
I'll be eight soon.
I'm going to join my daddy in Bombay.
Very good, Maria Joana.
You must give your daddy a big hug.
He speaks Portuguese too.
- I like him.
- He's very nice.
At the time of the discoveries,
the Portuguese tried in vain
to conquer this city several times.
- Were many people killed?
- There are always people killed in wars.
Do you know why they wanted
to invade the city?
To facilitate the sea route
for the ships that sailed to India.
Look. How lovely.
Shall we look?
- Do you like it?
- Yes.
Yes, we saw you talking
on the bridge this morning.
May I see?
Of course not.
Captain, how kind of you.
You shouldn't have.
Shall we take a look?
- Would you like a sweet?
- She loves sweets.
I want my doll.
It's your doll.
Nobody will take it.
Yes, I know who they are.
I've seen them
in magazines and on TV.
I understand.
Kilometer.
Telephone.
Utopia.
Philosophy.
We'd all be speaking Greek.
My daddy flies airplanes.
- Say that again.
- My daddy flies airplanes.
Little orange tree, thick with leaves
Where are your flowers
Where has your beauty gone
Where is your loveliness of old
The north wind rose up
And blew them all away
I beg you, north wind
Blow gently
Mommy, why is the captain leaving?
The captain?
We don't know, darling.
- Is the ship sinking?
- No, of course not.
If we sink,
who will look after my doll?
That won't be necessary.
Everything will be all right.
Come on.
Maria Joana!
Don't be afraid.
I'll look after you.
Come on, sweetheart.
Let's go. Come on.
I beg you, north wind
Blow gently
SkyFury