Maya (2018) - full transcript

Paris, December 2012

We're happy to find you

safe and sound.

How do you feel?

Much better.

Thank you for everything

- Was the flight okay?

- Yes thanks.

What a relief...

- Is everyone all right?

- They are fine.

- Good Morning.

- Hello.

Good Morning.

I'm Dr. Bucher, the internist.

I'll be taking care of you.

We'll run some tests.

Hematomas on the collarbone,

on the inside of the right arm,

and on the thigh.

Take a deep breath.

Good.

A hematoma.

- Your height?

- 5'10".

Can you go and weigh yourself?

134 pounds.

Don't worry, you'll bounce right back.

Can you spell your last name?

D-A-H-A-N.

- First name?

- Gabriel.

- Date of birth?

- September 30, 1980.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning.

Let me introduce myself.

Hervé Peyrat, psychologist.

I work with former hostages.

Nice to meet you.

Have a seat.

You were in forced isolation

for a while.

If you need help, I'm here.

How are you physically?

I'm tired.

- You saw your family?

- For an hour.

Sometimes ex-hostages feel euphoria

which turns into despair weeks later.

Not really your case.

I don't feel euphoric.

I've met hostages

who are withdrawn too.

Not your case either.

Good. So I'll ask a straight question.

Was being held hostage

a traumatizing experience?

It's not the word I'd use. I find it...

pejorative.

I don't want to be that victim

who carries his trauma forever.

Yet this episode

will leave many memories.

Some will be painful.

Can you discuss them?

When we got captured...

I keep replaying it.

The fake executions...

the beatings.

The abuse.

Jérôme Andreux's escape

and return.

A reporter with us.

Shrieking prisoners, fake false news.

being forced to change locations

while bombs were falling.

Besides those moments,

what was the most painful

in your daily life?

Feeling guilty.

The boredom, the lack of light.

But the worst was the guilt.

Are you considering therapy?

If necessary, but I'd rather not.

I'm better with action, not words.

- And yet you work with words.

- Yes, but

words describing concrete events, tangible reality.

Hours on a couch talking

about my bad memories...

Putting an uncommon experience

into words,

connecting seemingly

disparate parts of your life

can be useful, can't it?

Frédéric and I did lots of analyzing

over 4 months.

I want something else.

And if anyone needs analysis,

it's our kidnappers.

Perhaps.

But for you,

there's a before and an after.

You'll come out of this changed.

You intend to keep working?

I'll have to decide, but not today.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye.

- How did it go?

- The shrink's questions exhausted me, you?

Now I know I'm a good client.

Next to this,

debriefing will be a joke.

I wouldn't be so sure.

...52, and Gabriel Dahan, 32,

set foot on the tarmac in Villacoublay.

We're thrilled to be here,

to see the sky.

To speak and walk freely.

We just learned on the Internet

how everyone was so mobilized

to get us here.

He also mentioned

Jérôme Andreux...

Sorry.

I'm so happy for you both.

We have no leads on Jérôme.

We'll fight to get him back.

I miss the village,

boat rides on the sea...

The mayor is wired up.

You'll be greeted like Zidane

after the World Cup.

- And your plans, Gabriel?

- Not yet.

I won't let him go anyway.

Don't worry.

I'm staying for now.

- Naomi, I have a request.

- Oh shit, How can I refuse?

Can you sing?

No...

Gabriel often mentioned your voice.

How it gave him goosebumps.

I think it was to make me jealous.

Please! Come on.

- We want to hear you!

- Don't be shy.

- Come on, Naomi.

- No no.

Naomi.

Yes, you can. Go ahead.

Okay, but turn off...

There's too much light.

- A diva too.

- If you start by teasing...

We drove 2 hours to a checkpoint,

which was in fact fake.

Masked men pulled us from the pickup

10 seconds later, we were in the trunk

with sacks on our heads

They drove us to a house.

There, we realized

our fixer had betrayed us.

How did you realize it?

It was simple.

At first they wanted to kill him,

but after we got to that hideout,

we saw two bearded guys free him.

Go ahead, gentlemen.

...certain topics of conversation,

like their emotional homecomings,

and the brutal conditions

of their captivity...

The Foreign Affairs minister

says no public money was

used to free the hostages.

How was the evening news?

I didn't watch, as promised.

It was tough.

Fortunately Fred was there.

It's not my thing.

People will recognize you now.

You'll need sunglasses

and a baseball cap.

They'll forget soon.

I hope.

And how was your lunch at the Elysees?

Fine.

I like Hollande. He's witty. He made us laugh.

He comes off so poorly on TV.

Big problem for a president.

I'm going home.

No.

Please...

It's better.

Why?

Remember, we had separated.

For the right reasons.

I've forgotten them over 4 months.

You said living with me was hell.

It's different now.

You wanted a child.

Stop.

Excuse me.

My love.

Tell me.

Tell me, I want to know.

My love.

...to make sure

their 4 months of captivity

will have no major effects

on their health.

Two days after returning to France,

they can now fade from view,

with heartfelt thoughts

for Jérôme Andreux,

still hostage in Syria.

So this is it.

- Good luck.

- Thanks for all you've done.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye.

- You're quite a talker.

- They took forever.

They seem pessimistic about Jérôme.

Last night I dreamt he was executed.

In my dream,

it was a kind of release.

I woke up sobbing.

Maybe because he's still there or...

because I'm ashamed I dreamt that.

- Leaving for Sète?

- Yes.

- What'll you do besides fishing?

- Take notes for a book.

- I'd like to write it with you.

- No thanks.

You're the writer.

I can help, reread,

but to relive it from scratch

is too much.

It's a good excuse to visit.

It'll do you good.

No psychoanalysis, no book.

My therapy takes a different form.

- I'm going to India.

- Really? For how long?

- 2 or 3 months.

- You kidding?

You'll stay 10 days tops.

Fixing up the house

will keep me busy.

And Naomi?

No, I...

It's over.

After the book, back to work?

I don't leave things unfinished.

You have to pay the bills.

- How will you manage?

- I'll rent my apartment.

Goa isn't expensive.

- I'm taking the metro.

- Want a ride?

No, it's direct. Thanks.

What do you want to do?

Nothing. What can I do?

- Not coming to the funeral?

- I doubt it.

I can't deal with it.

I'll call Valérie.

I hope she won't be angry.

- Don't judge me.

- I'm not judging. Do as you please.

- How about you?

- I can't wait to leave.

Libya maybe.

Shall I wait for you?

No...I still need time.

And someone?

I'm not there yet.

Why did you come to Mumbai?

I don't know.

To see you.

I wanted to visit you in Paris,

but your father said

you preferred not.

I wasn't ready.

You could have answered my messages.

- Still working for your NGO?

- I take care of street kids.

- It can't be easy.

- No.

There are things

we can't get used to.

It's better not to get attached.

I can't.

- You get to see your own kids?

- Of course.

- Do they know I exist

- Come on!

What did you tell them?

About your son

who grew up faraway.

I went to Paris several times

over the years.

You were away

or found ways of avoiding me.

Will you go back to reporting?

I think so.

It's all I can do.

What does your father say?

That he'd kill me

before letting me go.

Why does war attract you?

There are lots of other ways

to be a journalist

without getting your head cut off, right?

Yes.

Why go where

there are dangerous Islamists?

I go where I feel useful.

It's exciting being on the ground.

In the real world.

No world is more real than another.

There's misery and pain everywhere.

I know what I'm saying.

I'm involved in it all day.

We need reporters

to witness oppression.

And then to be used as barter.

So? What should we do?

Burn bridges

and let Syria close in on itself?

Not pay ransoms and abandon reporters,

like other countries?

Huge sums are spent on hostages

when we can barely help locals here.

There's no connection.

Money for hostages

doesn't come from NGO budgets.

The government

doesn't send nearly enough.

on humanitarian aid

but for French hostages

they have slush funds.

Sorry to be so frank.

I can't help speaking my mind.

Next time tell Hollande

to keep the money for your NGO.

Gabriel...

you can't imagine what I went through

during your captivity.

But deep down,

I always knew you'd come back.

I wish I'd been so sure.

You drive a Tata of all things!

- No driver?

- No.

They say I'm crazy.

Indians drive like madmen, but I'm worse.

I'm in a rush.

I have to pick up Nils at school.

Want to come?

- I'll drop you at your hotel after.

- No thanks.

I'll take a rickshaw.

You don't trust me.

Come see me whenever you can.

- You okay?

- Yes.

- In Istanbul?

- Since last night.

Let's see.

Ring a bell?

Let me guess. The Flash Hotel?

Same depressed receptionist?

He asked where my friend was.

His eyes welled with tears.

Mine too.

I met people.

Turkish intel is playing both sides.

They support

they most hardline jihadists.

Al-Qaida and Saddamist agents

infiltrated the rebels.

- It's gonna blow.

- Reporters talking?

They say it's getting worse,

Erdogan threatens them.

They know they'll end up dead or in jail.

I saw Ozay.

We spent the evening together.

- Did you screw?

- Stop.

She got fired from Milliyet.

She gets death threats

and does nothing.

We got in a fight.

She liked your Daily Beast pieces.

Which ones?

The ones from Syria

before we got caught.

We'll have dinner when you come.

I'll be the third wheel,

then get killed.

How about you? All good?

Yeah.

Is that your place? Show me.

This is the living room.

Here's my room.

Let's see the table.

- I see you're smoking again.

- Healthier than sleeping pills.

And it inspires me. I'm writing.

Here's your text with my notes.

Nice.

- What about my room?

- I'll show you.

Here it is.

You have to see the garden.

The view.

Nice but mine tops it.

With sound it's even better.

ONE MONTH LATER

Come! Maya's here!

- Is he really Monty's godson?

- Yes!

I'd never have chosen Monty

as a godfather.

Hi, Scooter.