Dekalog 1 - You shall have no other gods before me

No sound, just music.

The thawing lake.

The figure sits watching by the fire. His eyes scan the surrounds, then us.

The aunt walks the street, crying.

Through a store window she sees the boy run on the TV.

The figure pulls his eyes from us, wipes away a tear and returns his gaze to the thawing lakje.

We look up a concrete tower, [pigeons fly. One lands on the sill of a unit. Pavel looks at the pigeon.

Sound comes in.

Pawel does push ups with his Dad. He cant keep up.

Pawel asks his father if he has come up with a question.

His father posits a maths puzzle.

Pavel enters the puzzle in his computer and is pleased by the answer.

Pawel, is a happy, exciteable boy as he emerges from the tower into the snow. He says Hi to a passing
girl who ignores him.

He trudges across a field in the shadow of a giant crucifix – a church under construction.

The figure sits by the fire.

A dead dog lay on the frozen ground. Pavel pats it, thinks.

A doorbell rings and Dad says to come in. He is at the PC. Pavel enters. Pavel has groceries. He is
independent.

At the kitchen table, Dad reads the newspaper as Pavel eats. Pavel asks about the obituaries and why
people die. Dad answers unsentimentally – what is death. Pawel, innocent, looks wide eyed, learning.
The Dad says its too early for this. Pours milk to tea, which has turned sour. Pavel continues to ask about
death and the soul. Dad says there is no soul its just a way for people to deal with things. Dad says he
doesn’t know if he believes. Pawel explains he was so happy in the morning, the pigeons ate the
breadcrumbs, the pc got the calculation, but he went shopping, saw a dead dog and leant over him and
wondered what the point was of the calculations, knowing stuff. He begins to cry. Wonders if hes better
off – the dog.
Later, a tv crew is doing a report on public milk delivered to Pawels school. He wanders away and looks
at t little girl with a guinea pig. They pet the pig.

Later the school kids are sliding on the frozen ground. Aunt calls to Pawel. He grabs his bag and rushes
over asking what is for dinner. He says he is hungry, he is excited nad full of life. He says he has a great
thing to show aunt.

At home Pawel shows his aunt how the computer can lock the doors of the house. Turn the taps on. He
explains he has punched in everything his mum does and when she does it. He asks what mum is doing
Sleepinmg. They ask what she is dreaming. The PC doesn’t know. Ausnt says she is dreaming about
Pawel and he is happy and surprised. He says he wishes his dad would let him try his computer – that
one would know what mum is dreaming about.

Aunt and Pawl come off the bus and race across the frozen ground.

At the ausnts house they complete dinner, Pawel offers to do dishes. Aunt shows Pawel photos. Pawel
asks if he is kind and wise. Aunt says yes. He asks if he knows what people l;ive for. We see the pictures.
It is the Pope. Pavel says Dad says people live to make life easier for those who come after us. But
sometimes we fail. Aunt agrees. What matters in life is that you can help others, a favour, no matter
how small, gfeel what thghey need, then lifes easier. You said you liked the ravioli that made me happy.
Pawel is happy at this. Aunt says lifes a present. Pawel asks Dads your brother. Pawel thinks. Ah, you
mean we’re different. Aunt says they grew up Catholic, Dad noticed a lot of things could be measured
and he thinks that everthing can today. He has his doubts but wont admit it. Dads life may sem more
reasonable but that doesn’t mean there is no god. Pawel isn’t sure he understands. Aunt says there is a
god if you believe. He asks if aunt believes in god. She does. Pawel asks who he is. She asks what Pawel
feels. HE SAYS HE LOVES AUNT. Aunt says exactly. That is what God is.

Figure sits by fire on cold ground.

A younf chess savant plays chess with multiple people. One board is played by Pawel and Dad. Pawel
figures out how to beat her. Pawel kisses Dad.

Dad and Pawel burst in the door at home. The phone rings. Its aunt. She has enrolled Pawel in religious
instruction. Theyre building a church near the house. A young priest. Dad is fine if that’s what pawel
wants. Dad and Pawel realise the big PC is on, glowing green. Dad asks if Pawel switched it on. Dad asks
the pc what it wants. It says it is ready. They switch it off, Pawel wonders if it really wanted something.

In bed, Pawel reads a science book. Dad says he is going out, time for bed. Pawel asks if he has checked
the thermometer. Pawel wonders if mum will phone before Christmas.

Dad teaches his school class, physics. A problem that arises when they try to translate a foreign language
into their own. A pan across the class reveals Pawel there. There has been no indication this is the next
day – I thought it was the same night, but that’s ok. Dad ponders metaphysics, poetry of language as
Pawel watchs his father through the projector – we see from his POV. Dad uses the computer as an
example of a new intelligenve, consciousness. Pawel starts to become interested as Dad says a
computer may have its own tastes, individuality and persoinality. The class ends, Dad talks with
students, Pawel indicates his watch.

The figure by the fire

Pawel checks a milkbottle filled with water he left outside for an hou – it is frozen solid. Pawel wants to
calculate the freezing time and temperature. Dad has Pawel call the BoM for details. They enter them
into the computer. Dad says a fellow three times Pawels weight can skate on the ice. Pawel wants his ice
skating boots Dad has hidden for Christmas.

Pawel tries on the boot before bed and Dad goes out.

On the ice Dad tests the weight with a stick. He spots the figure by the fire. They exchange looks.

The ice skates hang in pawels bedroom.

Dad runs by people linking hands and looking toward the lake.

Pawel stares at the skates in the moonlight. Dad returns and tells him the ice is secure, but not to go
near where the river meets the lake.

Dad works on papers. An ink blot bleeds out over them. It is a leaking pot. The doorbell rings. A lil girl
asks after Pawel. Dad says he isn’t home, why. Lil girls says her mother wanted to know. Dad washes ink
off hands. A siren. Dad looks out window. A firetruck passes. Phone rings, is Pawel home. Mother is
worried, should have been home by now, something has happened in the neighbourhood.

In the halls a woman screams a name and the father rushes after her. Dad leaves, people are running
right, a police car speeds right, married couples run right. Dad heads straight.

Dad knocks on a flat door. The lecturer says she has the flu. Did not lecture them, she sent them home
as soon as they arrived. Where are they. The dad is worried. He runs into a mother in the hall banging
on a door. She says the ice broke. Dad says it couldn’t have. She says it did. A lil girl answers the door,
hasbnt seen Pawel since school. Dad runs home, races up the stairs stops himself. Counts to ten to calm
down. He takes the elevator with an old man. Slow, methodical, calm. Logical.

In the flat he calls to Pawel. He rings Mother. She says she spoke to him on the phone today at 2pm.
Mother asks if anything is wrong. Dad says the ink bottle spilt, all of a sudden, it cracked. He says they
say the ice broke on the like. Mother says Pawel said you figured it out.

Dad walks the grounds of the tower with a walkie talkie calling to Pawel. The sound of a helicopter
overhead. Dad bursts through shrubs. WE hear walkie talkies. There is chaos, people gathered at the
frozen lake, a fire truck rushes a ladder. There is a hole in the center of the lake. Police push children
away. Dad looks around. A father puts a coat on a mother. Dad spots the fire burning of the figure. A
dog whimpers. The firement push out a ladder and a fireman sinks a long hook. Dad watches the son of
the couple appear, I was in that car. They grab him and run off. A lil girl appears and says Pawel played
with the boy who just left. Dad races, chases after the couple and their child. They speed away in the
elevator. Dad races up the stairs. The kid says he skated on the lake. It wasn’t his fault. The parents yell
at him and dfrag him off. Dad sits on the stairs, slumnps, head against the pole. Sound fades, music
fades in.

Back at the lake. Firemen push a boat over. Sound is low. Aunt is there. The crowd are dense and many.
They pull a body from the lake. A small child., frozen stiff. The many people fall to their knees. A second
child is pulled out. Aunt falls to her knees.

Home. Dad wet, dripping. The computer switches itself on. The light glows green. The entire flat is
bathed in green light. The pc says “I am ready”.

The new church. Open aired. Construction. Dad slowly approaches the altar. The virgin mary. Candles.
Dad pushes the altar over. The candles fall and drip wax on the Mary creating tears. Music – a lone flute.
Dad stares down at the holy water in the bath. He lifts the frozen disc and on anoints his forehead.

Pawel on the TV screen. Frame by frame.

Fade out.

DEKALOG 6 – Adultery

1. Magda at PO – hands over notification. Tomek says there is nothing for her and to return when
she gets another notification. Magda is harried. Tomek is covetous.
2. SMASH SMASH – glass falls to a basketball floor under the title. Tomek jumps to the ground and
moves through a door.
3. LONG SHOT – Magda at home, undresses, checks mail. Voyeur as shemoves from one room to
the next.
4. Back to Tomek at the school. He walks dark halls. Pulls out his torch.
5. Magda consults, looks at her painting she’s painting.
6. Tomek at the school scans equipment with his torach, finding the telescope.
7. Magda hangs her pendant over her bread. Drinks milk from the bottle and walks around
pantless.
8. Tomek in his flat across the way stares through the telescope. He calls her number. Watches her
answer. Tomek says nothing, Magda says enough of this nonsense. She hangs up on him. He
calls back to apologise.
9. Tomeks mother looks from her armchair where she watches TV.
10. Magda greets a visitor in a suit as Tomek watches. He lowers the telescope when sex begins.
11. Tomek takes out the dustbin. Mother stares worried.
12. Tomek at the shops spots Magda complain she never gets her milk delivery.
13. Tomek approaches the manager and says he wants to deliver the milk.
14. Tomek at the PO stealing notifications.
15. Tomek at home reading. An alarm goes off., He rushes to the telescope to see Magda with
another man. He lifts her hair to the canvasjohn