Fitzcarraldo

Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald - 'Fitzcarraldo': How can anyone learn patriotism from a school book?

Young Missionary: The Government requires it.

Old Missionary: The natives get used to it. Like vaccination.

Young Missionary: The children already feel like little Peruvians. The other day I asked them, "Are you Indians?" "No," they said, "not we, the ones up the river, they are Indians." And then I asked. "What are Indians?" "They said to me "Indians are people who can't read and who don't know how to wash their clothes."

Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald - 'Fitzcarraldo': And what about the older people?

Old Missionary: Well, we can't seem to cure them of the idea that our everyday life is only an illusion, behind which lies the reality of dreams.

Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald - 'Fitzcarraldo': Actually, I'm very interested in these ideas. I specialise in opera myself.