Finis terrae (1929) - full transcript
Finis Terræ is a 1929 French silent drama film written and directed by Jean Epstein. The story centres on a small group of men harvesting seaweed off the coast of Brittany, and the problems which arise when one of them gets an infected thumb. The film's title is the old Latin name of the region Finistère, where the story is set, and means "End of the Earth". The film is shot in a documentary-like style, with local non-actors in all roles, and frequent handheld camerawork. Also, Epstein often inserts slow motion footage.
BANNEC. On an island where winter
storms wipe out all forms of life...
four men come in two teams to spend the
summer collecting seaweed in total isolation
"There should be one or two bottles left in
my trunk. If you want to share a toast..."
"You broke my last bottle of plonk!
Give me my knife back, at least!"
There is no source at Bannec. The only
cistern, which collects rain water...
is a constant worry for the
four solitary men.
At daybreak, when the tide is low,
Ambroise starts his gathering...
at one of those thousands of reefs
that make the sea so dangerous here
This morning, Ambroise's arm feels
weak and has none of the usual skill.
Jean-Marie, on the other hand, is
already back with a huge crop.
The seaweed should be spread and partly
dried in the sun before being burned.
The harvest season only lasts 3 months.
Ambroise's companion is worried...
This laziness must come to an end !
The drought goes on and the water
cistern sinks to an alarming level.
With the evening comes some rest.
"Are you mad? You use drinking
water to wash your hands ?...
You think you can get away
with such girlish behavior here ?"
As you let me down and went to work
for Jean-Marie, he'll have to feed you!
Feverish and helpless, Ambroise considers
going back to his home at Ouessant...
where there is a doctor.
Ambroise gathers all his force to raise
the sail with his only working arm...
But the dead calm makes the trip
impossible without rowing.
Ouessant, which is separated from
Bannec by the difficult Fromveur passage...
is the biggest and mildest of
the islands of the archipelago.
Jean-Marie's mother would never have
dared to put on her headdress again...
if she had missed the daily mass
but she was on very bad terms
with her neighbor, Ambroise's mother.
Malgorn, one of the guardians of
the Menn-Tenn-Sell lighthouse...
finally has his turn of ten
days to spend on land
"Something's strange on Bannec...
Only one oven smoking the last 2 days...
Today none of the boats parted."
The devoted doctor Lesenn is the youngest
islanders' best friend, despite his 67 years.
The locals all have a deep affection for
him, based on respect and gratitude.
The guardian of Stiff, the lighthouse
north-east of the island, agrees :
"There is surely something strange
going on on Bannec..."
Faced with the Register of Sailors, this
people consisting of widows, orphans,
parents who lost their sons, is swift at
reacting. The name of Bannec is whispered.
Mothers, daughters, seamen's wives,
the Ouessant women are fearsome....
They try to perceive Bannec
"Doctor Lesenn !
Only he can do it..."
"Yes, it's disquieting... When the tide
allows, I'll try to get to Bannec."
"Ambroise ! I found my knife !
Ambroise, we were wrong... listen !"
"Pierre, we can't just sit here and
watch him suffer like this...
We must get him to Ouessant..."
"Not saying against.. But how to traverse
the Fromveur in this dead calm...
With 4 men rowing we won't manage
to go up the stream..."
Come on children, we need yet
another sailor to get to Bannec...
Not a soldier,
but a real sailor ! ..."
The fog, most dangerous of enemies...
The semaphore flag
signals VARIABLE wind.
At daybreak.
But on the other side of the island,
an old man is sick...
and calling for help from
the good doctor.
The end.
storms wipe out all forms of life...
four men come in two teams to spend the
summer collecting seaweed in total isolation
"There should be one or two bottles left in
my trunk. If you want to share a toast..."
"You broke my last bottle of plonk!
Give me my knife back, at least!"
There is no source at Bannec. The only
cistern, which collects rain water...
is a constant worry for the
four solitary men.
At daybreak, when the tide is low,
Ambroise starts his gathering...
at one of those thousands of reefs
that make the sea so dangerous here
This morning, Ambroise's arm feels
weak and has none of the usual skill.
Jean-Marie, on the other hand, is
already back with a huge crop.
The seaweed should be spread and partly
dried in the sun before being burned.
The harvest season only lasts 3 months.
Ambroise's companion is worried...
This laziness must come to an end !
The drought goes on and the water
cistern sinks to an alarming level.
With the evening comes some rest.
"Are you mad? You use drinking
water to wash your hands ?...
You think you can get away
with such girlish behavior here ?"
As you let me down and went to work
for Jean-Marie, he'll have to feed you!
Feverish and helpless, Ambroise considers
going back to his home at Ouessant...
where there is a doctor.
Ambroise gathers all his force to raise
the sail with his only working arm...
But the dead calm makes the trip
impossible without rowing.
Ouessant, which is separated from
Bannec by the difficult Fromveur passage...
is the biggest and mildest of
the islands of the archipelago.
Jean-Marie's mother would never have
dared to put on her headdress again...
if she had missed the daily mass
but she was on very bad terms
with her neighbor, Ambroise's mother.
Malgorn, one of the guardians of
the Menn-Tenn-Sell lighthouse...
finally has his turn of ten
days to spend on land
"Something's strange on Bannec...
Only one oven smoking the last 2 days...
Today none of the boats parted."
The devoted doctor Lesenn is the youngest
islanders' best friend, despite his 67 years.
The locals all have a deep affection for
him, based on respect and gratitude.
The guardian of Stiff, the lighthouse
north-east of the island, agrees :
"There is surely something strange
going on on Bannec..."
Faced with the Register of Sailors, this
people consisting of widows, orphans,
parents who lost their sons, is swift at
reacting. The name of Bannec is whispered.
Mothers, daughters, seamen's wives,
the Ouessant women are fearsome....
They try to perceive Bannec
"Doctor Lesenn !
Only he can do it..."
"Yes, it's disquieting... When the tide
allows, I'll try to get to Bannec."
"Ambroise ! I found my knife !
Ambroise, we were wrong... listen !"
"Pierre, we can't just sit here and
watch him suffer like this...
We must get him to Ouessant..."
"Not saying against.. But how to traverse
the Fromveur in this dead calm...
With 4 men rowing we won't manage
to go up the stream..."
Come on children, we need yet
another sailor to get to Bannec...
Not a soldier,
but a real sailor ! ..."
The fog, most dangerous of enemies...
The semaphore flag
signals VARIABLE wind.
At daybreak.
But on the other side of the island,
an old man is sick...
and calling for help from
the good doctor.
The end.