Mercuriales (2014) - full transcript
In a Parisian suburb of Bagnolet two receptionists who work in the lobby of the titular high-rise drift from one enigmatic situation to the next going to the pool, visiting a maze-like sex club and hunting for new employment.
Here too, always check.
We have two identical towers,
Levant and Ponant.
Ponant Tower is west,
Levant Tower is east.
Got it?
This is the generator
in case the electricity goes out.
It can supply both towers for 36 hours.
We've got high-risk areas.
These pipes activate
when temperatures rise abnormally.
If a fire breaks out, at 68°C,
water is automatically released.
The emergency stairways
follow strict standards.
There has to be 1.4 meters of space
between the walls.
So we can get two people out at once.
It's safe here for over 4 hours.
Nothing is inflammable.
This is the safest place in the towers.
That's the 32nd floor.
Only accessible by this ladder.
Careful. Recently an office worker
went up and tried to jump off.
Luckily a guard saw him
and talked him down.
If that stuff happens,
we get heat from the insurance.
Keep a sharp eye out.
We've got security exits
on the ground level.
If there's an evacuation
on the upper floors, we can see
if the security exits are unlocked.
The most important thing here
is evacuation.
See camera 1?
There's an open door.
That's the door outside,
providing access to the towers.
If there's a fire
on the 20th floor of Ponant Tower,
the elevators won't stop
on the 20th floor of Ponant Tower.
They'll stop on either the 19th
or the 21st floor.
What if some people
start making a racket outside?
Are we supposed to intervene?
We're forbidden
to intervene off site.
For us, all the doors are locked.
We have no right
to open any door leading outside.
During our rounds,
are we always alone?
At night, we're always alone.
What's that guy doing?
Where?
Camera 8.
Damien and Marlene,
could you go check it out?
Try to get him off the premises.
Do you even know how to fight?
Yeah?
If someone comes from behind,
what do you do?
I can defend myself.
I've had to fight a lot.
In a gang or alone?
Alone is different.
Imagine you're doing your rounds
in a tower.
A guy comes up and grabs you
from behind.
What do you do?
It's dark out.
How do you defend yourself?
Someone grabs your neck,
what do you do?
Pulls your arm, what do you do?
Pushes you, what do you do?
Can you retaliate?
Sure I can.
Go on, try to stab me.
Block, full shoulder throw.
"Ippon Seoi Nage."
Then go like this.
"Juji gatame." Armbar.
For example.
See?
Go on. Attack me from behind.
Elbow in the stomach.
I get you down.
I block your arm.
Get the idea?
Strangle him if you have to.
Keep him on the ground.
Until he gives up.
Get the idea?
Poke him in the eyes if you have to.
See?
Do it twice if you have to.
Apollo, Bacchus,
Minerva, Demeter,
Mars,
Mercury,
Neptune,
Heracles,
Juno,
Diana,
Saturn,
Clio,
Venus,
Apollo.
Calling Audrey, Jade and Priscilla
to the Epsilon Room.
Calling Audrey, Jade and Priscilla
to the Epsilon Room.
It'll be a phase in your life,
not your career.
I don't see that. You will do it.
But it won't be your career.
I don't see you teaching dance
at forty or anything.
At the ballet…
He's tall, light-skinned,
shoulder-length hair.
He enters my room
through the window.
He whispers,
"Come with me for 50 days.
We'll go to Nice."
The next day, I get up.
I tell my family,
"I'm leaving for 50 days.
Don't ask why."
They're so beautiful. Amazing.
- Wanna feel?
- Can I?
Sure.
Gorgeous. So well done.
Did it hurt?
They put you on morphine.
Morphine is so awesome.
No scars?
Nope.
So awesome.
Got a light?
Looks like a castle over there. See?
Looks more like a prison.
All those things are dominos.
Push one and they all topple down.
What's that?
Dunno. A flying saucer?
- Might take off.
- Could be a lighthouse.
A lighthouse?
In the middle of the city?
You've got an accent.
Where you from?
I'm from Moldova.
Where's that?
Between Romania and Ukraine.
It's a tiny country.
Is it nice?
It's freezing in winter
and in summer it's boiling hot.
Kind of suffocating.
Been working here long?
A year now. Feels like a thousand.
I don't think I'll stay either.
One Millionaire, two Solitaires…
one Carat…
and one Astro Leo.
Drancy. Another night
of riots down town.
What's your name?
Lisa.
- Like a drink?
- What's the occasion?
- What for?
- No reason.
There's always a reason.
Is it illegal?
There's always a reason.
I just came to hang out.
I was bored, that's all.
No need for physical contact.
Physical contact? I just touched you.
That bothers me.
I need my space, ok?
You offered me a drink…
I offered you a drink to talk,
not to touch.
Russians like to drink, let it go.
It's not about touching, ok?
It's weird, girls buying guys drinks.
- Can't we just talk?
- She's right.
I don't talk to women much.
Usually I pay to see them.
Do it often?
From time to time.
What do you think?
It's good. There's a time limit.
At home I can relax. Get some rest.
I'm too drunk to wank now.
I couldn't fuck you if I wanted to.
Buy me a soft drink
or I'll be too drunk to fuck you.
I remember when I first arrived here.
I'd just left Moldova.
Daytimes, I'd hang around outside.
Sometimes I'd follow people.
One day I got lost.
I thought I'd never find my way again.
I followed a woman
with a rose in her hand.
She intrigued me.
Then I lost sight of her.
No more will you run through the glen
Rest in peace my wonderful friend
Sophie, we had 17 years of love
You and your sisters
replaced the child I never had
I'll love you forever
I invoke the guardian
of the North Tower,
who guards and governs the land.
I invoke the guardian
of the West Tower,
who guards and governs
the sacred waters.
I invoke the guardian
of the East Tower,
who guards the sky and governs the air.
I invoke the guardian
of the South Tower,
who guards and governs
the sacred fire.
August 4.
I quit working
at the Mercuriales towers.
But I went back there.
I wanted to see that girl again.
I waited for her to get off work.
We went to her place.
See? This is where I live.
I share with a friend, Zouzou.
She's got a daughter, Nadia.
But we have to move soon.
Apparently
they're gonna tear everything down.
Really? Why?
Dunno.
Wanna hang out here tonight?
I'm babysitting.
Sounds good.
- How old is she?
- Nine.
How old were you
when she was born?
Sixteen.
Nadia!
I want you up here in 5 minutes.
Seriously,
I didn't think guys like him existed.
Mellow, down to earth, cute,
interesting and smart all at once.
He's all that?
Yeah, he's all that!
It does exist.
- You found Mr. Right?
- Yeah.
Don't worry, you'll be fine.
Last time it went well.
Last time was the first date.
The second date is crucial.
True.
It'd be really great…
for the kid, you know?
That's how you see it?
I want the kid
to have a normal life, you know?
A dad and a mom?
Yeah, and someone with a normal job!
You know. I gotta get it together…
Got a boyfriend?
- No boyfriend?
- Yes she does! What's his name?
Joachim.
- How old is he?
- My age.
Are you together?
He doesn't even know I exist.
Hang on…
This comes off.
I'll take off her shoes.
Give her gigantic boobs.
Too funny.
High heels too!
Swing the purse around
and strut your stuff.
You need the bracelet too.
You're losing your boobs.
Put your boob back, please.
Actually, Zouzou is so lucky.
Why?
Dunno…
My life feels really shitty.
If I had this,
nothing would be the same.
If things don't take off in a year,
I'll stop and…
become a woman.
Do you believe in God?
Do you picture him?
No.
Once I heard
when the world ends,
everyone will see him.
Even people going to hell.
The world will end?
It has to. Everyone will see him.
There was a beginning,
with Eve and…
Adam and Eve.
So there's an end.
What'll the end be like?
Dunno.
I think it'll end with two people again.
Just two people?
It started with two people,
it'll end with two people.
Paradise? I imagine it
with clouds, like these.
That's why my room is like this.
It's like paradise.
Your paradise.
What about hell?
Flames.
Lava.
And people dying again.
Like this.
- Eyes open?
- Yeah.
Then they get shut.
It was so weird.
They had these huge windows,
floor to ceiling.
It felt like we were exposed.
A psychiatric hospital,
full of nutcases.
In my room,
one whole wall
was one-way mirrored glass.
That place was insane.
Each room had a bathroom.
But we still had to use
the filthy restrooms.
Our bathrooms were locked
because of the mirrors.
In case we broke them
and slashed our wrists.
Fucking mental cases.
Total assholes.
I needed my mirror!
I was like,
"I gotta do my make-up.
I gotta be pretty. I can't give up."
So I was like,
"They want to prevent suicide,
but we can still totally do it.
Rip a plastic cup. That'll do the job."
The nurse went ballistic.
"What's wrong with you?
Want them all to commit suicide?"
I don't give a shit.
I don't belong here.
Now I don't know anymore.
It's too weird.
I was in that fucking place, you know?
And now…
I'll never know
if I was supposed to be there or not.
All those nutcases
were always saying,
"I'm sick of this place,
I don't belong here."
The same things I was thinking.
And they really were crazy.
So now I'm afraid
I am too.
I had this cousin.
She was like my sister.
We were always together.
She was so…
I mean she is so pretty.
Why'd you say she was?
Because…
I don't know, for a while now
we haven't heard from her.
One day she called me and said,
"Someone offered me a job in France."
I haven't heard from her since.
Maybe she was tired of you guys.
Yeah, that occurred to me.
I don't think so though.
I still see her in my mind.
It's like she never left me.
Sometimes I feel her next to me.
A ghost.
What's her name?
Not a ghost. Why a ghost?
She's not a ghost.
She's still here.
Her name is Bojina.
Bojina…
She's a person, not a ghost.
Sorry!
- I'm bored!
- Don't move, I'm almost done.
Let me lie down for a sec.
I'm almost done. Just a sec.
Hang on!
I'm almost done.
This story takes place
in a far distant time.
A time of violence.
All throughout Europe
a silent war was spreading.
In a city there lived two sisters.
Inseparable.
Don't look, don't look!
Please stop looking at her.
- Why?
- It's Zahia.
So what?
Everyone's afraid of her.
And her girl gang.
Does she mess with you?
One day she said…
What'd she say?
She said skinheads
lock black kids up in basements.
They dip them in bleach.
What?
They dip them in bleach
to make them white.
Anyone who fights back, dies.
They kill them.
Joachim…
Let's go with them.
What for?
You acting big now?
Stop talking like that.
Where're you going?
His house?
His house!
Repeat after me.
Shut up and listen.
Did you even understand?
Keep listening.
She mentions the merciful.
I don't speak Arabic.
Scary doll.
Are you serious?
How old are you?
Look, it says…
"Shisha doll".
It's not his, it's his sister's.
Got a sister?
Why're you lying?
Brahim likes dolls!
There was this guy in the subway.
He got totally beat up.
He was all bloody and bruised.
Just because he was eating
a sandwich with pork in it.
Hang on a sec!
There were these Arabs,
they couldn't handle it.
They totally beat him up.
I'm telling you.
Just for that?
Just for that!
The newspaper said,
"Beaten up over a slice of ham."
Know the story of Bloody Mary?
She had a baby,
and someone killed it.
If you go in your bathroom at midnight,
turn out the lights
and say her name three times,
she appears and kills you.
Know the white swan?
The white dove of the gods.
One day we went swimming.
My cousin refused to go back.
She said no way.
We saw the white swan,
the dove of the gods.
We asked him to bring us luck.
He said,
"Pack your bags, we're going swimming."
A dove?
What's so funny?
Settle down.
Know the story
about the girl
who was locked up in a tower?
The witch who locked her up
checked everyday
to see if she was still there.
August 11.
Bagneux.
A girl of nineteen
was savagely beaten Monday
in a remote park.
She played dead twice
to rid herself of her aggressors,
who left her for dead.
Before fleeing they shaved her head.
Apparently the gang
wanted to punish her for sleeping
with a boy from a rival gang.
Bagneux.
Epinay.
Trappes.
Villejuif.
Drancy.
At 15, I went to live
with my grandparents in Tirana.
All the buildings had been repainted
in rainbow colors.
Post-dictatorship, Tirana's new mayor
had decided to change the city.
I remember nights in Bucharest.
I remember the dogs
running wild all over town.
Every day, bums were found dead,
dog bites all over their bodies.
Children stayed home,
the public gardens
were so overrun with dogs.
One day the mayor
decided to build a huge kennel.
He wanted to gas all the dogs.
A woman heard about it
and decided to buy all the dogs.
She set them free.
The kennel doors opened,
and the dogs overran the city again.
How's your love life?
- Got a boyfriend?
- Nope.
Nobody. But I don't really care.
I'm focusing on my career.
Career?
I'm trying to be a dancer.
What kind of dance?
Whatever, I just dance.
I don't have a particular style.
Are you taking classes?
No.
Have you had training?
Nope.
Are you any good?
Yeah, pretty good.
Technically I could be better, but…
technique isn't everything.
Did you teach yourself?
Like, with TV?
Yeah, I've never taken classes.
It's hard to break in.
I know. But that's good.
If it were too easy, it'd be…
It used to happen
in my grandmother's village.
When Spring came,
they'd wake us up at dawn.
Hey, Lisa.
It's Joane.
I wanted to see you.
Call me when you can.
Bye.
Hey, it's Joane.
Listen…
I'd love to know what you're up to.
Talk and stuff.
I'll let you go.
Call me back.
Hey, it's Joane.
You're not answering.
I don't get it.
I don't know what's going on.
Maybe you could call me back.
I really love this song.
- Is it Russian?
- Yeah.
- Like it?
- Yeah, sounds pretty good.
I love it too.
What're the words?
"Everyday you come home at night…
Everyday you take the subway home
after dark
And she lives
Your parents are fast asleep
It's late at night
But you're not sleeping
Waiting for your phone to ring
You'd give…
You'd give anything
to hear that phone ring
But she's been sleeping for a long time
Sleeping over there
In the heart of all the cities"
Why'd you come here?
Joane asked me to come with her.
Escape!
It's not real, it's just a dream.
It's not real, it's just a dream.
I'm asleep.
It's not real.
It's just a dream.
I'm asleep.
All this is just a nightmare.
It's not real, it's just a dream.
I'm asleep.
All this is just a nightmare.
Your receipt, please?
Thank you.
Have a nice day.
Tony, we've got a customer…
at DHP.
Customer at DHP, Tony.
Get over there now.
Customer at DHP. Hurry, please.
DHP? Where's DHP?
Looks great.
How's that?
Pretty!
I like the ribbons.
Yeah, thanks, Mom.
I'm fine.
I auditioned for a musical.
I think it went well.
And there's this guy
who likes my voice.
He may call me back…
about an album.
How've you been?
Gotta mark the occasion.
Why're you dressed that way?
Because I'm a Muslim.
Since last year, right?
I heard that earlier.
You're very observant.
That's good.
Where are Muslims from?
What's their country?
They are Muslims
in nearly every country.
Even here?
I'm living proof.
I see.
Right.
Are there real ones?
Not converted, but born that way?
Some fun…
Loosen up a little!
Have some booze.
- Go crazy.
- No, thanks.
It's my birthday, you can't refuse.
You can't make me drink.
Not even for your birthday.
I can too make you.
Grab this glass or it's in your lap.
Stop.
No, thank you.
You're so boring.
Relax a little, come on.
If you think being happy
is giggling mindlessly,
being wasted
and being half-naked…
Half-naked? Excuse me?
I'm half-naked? I don't think so.
This is called a dress.
It hides my breasts, my belly.
I can take it off if you like.
To be half-naked, as you say.
Sorry, but to me half-naked
means naked.
Not wearing a dress.
Right, for a girl like you.
But I get it, coming from a guy
buttoned up to here.
You know exactly what I mean.
You don't mean jack.
Just because I'm in a skimpy dress.
I'm being harsh,
but your lifestyle is harsh.
My lifestyle?
Everyone acts the same way.
That's the problem.
You're all so used
to nobody giving a shit about you.
All they see
are your asses, legs and breasts.
Fine, if you like it, keep it up.
Hang on a sec, shut up.
- You're calling me a whore.
- I'm not.
You don't know me.
You see yourself as a whore.
I see myself as a whore? You're nuts.
I see myself as a good person.
You just told me you shake your ass
in the street to get attention.
You call that being a whore?
Whores sell their bodies.
Nobody ever pays me.
Same thing. You're obsessed with money.
How'll you make money?
What're your career plans?
How'll you make a living?
You call that freedom?
You like being ogled in the street.
All you care about is money
but you have a shitty, low-paid job.
Where do you think it'll lead?
Can't you see the big picture?
Or can you only see the tiny world
right under your nose?
What do you know about it?
I'm asking you, Joane.
I'm interested.
You know someone 3 seconds and say,
"You're gonna turn into a whore
'cuz you drank half a beer!"
Get out of here. Are you kidding me?
I'm not a whore, I don't feel like
a whore, nobody pays me to fuck.
I always pick who I fuck.
Don't call me a whore.
You're the whore, you're Allah's whore.
Fucking nutcase.
He's chill, not too…
That's why it's good.
If you're both chill it won't work.
You gotta be wired.
Yeah, but I'm tired of being wired.
If you're both chill it's over, kaput.
When we go out and stuff,
we kick it up sometimes.
Just not all the time.
Not all the time.
I'm not chill.
I need a chill woman.
I'm all amped up!
I like chill women.
Can't mix hot water with hot water.
Two hot people, forget it.
If you're chill, he better perk up.
Don't be no zombies now!
What'll become of your kids?
My advice?
Think before you get married.
Marriage is no overnight thing.
Marriage is like prison.
It's like prison in a way.
It's like being locked up.
If you get married,
you can't just dump him.
I recommend a product for you.
In less than 24 hours,
you'll be light.
Less than 24 hours?
- Seriously?
- In one day, you'll be light-skinned.
No way! Look at me.
Less than 24 hours.
You'll be as good as white.
You'll call me from the chapel
to thank me.
Check out the new style,
the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower?
Just came out.
I tell you, it's all the rage.
Like this.
My hair!
It's the Eiffel Tower, I tell you.
Are you serious?
You wanna reel him in or not?
Before, you were young.
Now you're gonna settle down,
get married.
You asked my advice.
My advice to you? Give it a chance.
It's really you.
Add flowers, make-up, your dress…
It'll come together.
No, it's…
Ok. But…
I don't like it.
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love does not envy.
Love does not boast.
Love is not proud.
Love is not devious.
Love is not self-seeking.
Love is not quick to anger.
Love never ends.
Love never ends,
for it is the greatest thing,
the most beautiful thing
that can unite two people.
Xavier Diallo,
do you take Zouzou Smith
to be your wife?
Do you promise to be true to her
in good times and in bad,
in sickness and in health?
I do.
LOVE NEVER ENDS
You ok?
Yeah.
Just a little tired.
Victoria leaves me
in my dark fortress…
Alone again, with the same fears…
I can't sleep.
I try to bury my memories…
Kids outside are restless,
like in Moldova…
I don't know what to do.
Can you hear me?
Can you hear me?
This story takes place
in a far distant time.
All throughout Europe
a silent war was spreading.
In a city there lived two sisters.
Inseparable.
One day, they decided to leave.
Wonderful!
Is it catching?
Yeah.
Like the flame of a dragon.
Yep.
It looks like a big dragon.
His teeth.
His tongue…
It's nice out.
Did you come here often?
Every August.
I liked coming here.
It's big. Like a palace.
Grandpa saved up his whole life
to buy his dream house.
Your grandpa loved sports?
He was a P.E. teacher.
He wanted me to be a basketball star.
I can't really see that.
Sports didn't do him any good though.
He croaked at age 60.
That's Germany over there?
Yeah, on the other side.
My grandpa sometimes took me.
Did you go often?
No, just sometimes during vacation.
What would you do?
Not much.
Watch fat Germans eat sausages.
Just kidding.
From here it looks
like a tiny, warm ball.
But it's a volcano, so powerful.
It was here first.
The mountain looks like emptiness.
Emptiness with nothing around it.
It's disappearing so fast.
See that?
Now it's gone.
Behind the mountains.
Tuesday
August 21
Joane?
What's on your mind?
Dunno.
I'll always be here for you.
Like it's your hand.
Yeah, like it's my hand!
Go on.
Marie-Antoinette.
- Louis XIV, you know?
- Sure, the Sun King.
Do your belly dance for me.
I love that.
Hear the beer in there?
The beer's dancing too!
- I gotta pee.
- You gotta pee?
- Don't leave me.
- I'm gonna pee.
- You're gonna pee?
- Yeah.
Stay here.
I need to pee too.
Let's pee right here.
Go on.
Pee time!
Right, that's done.
Back in the tub. I'm wallowing in it.
Go on, I'm watching.
We're peeing on ourselves here!
My grandma said it's good for you.
When I was sick
she made me drink my pee.
- Seriously?
- I swear.
Change grandmas.
That's one fucked-up grandma!
SIERENTZ
Twin city Kostomloty, Poland
This is it.
The family plot.
My grandpa's in there.
No way I'm going in there
with everybody.
Where will you go?
Dunno, but there's no privacy in there!
I don't want to die.
I just want to sit in a corner.
Sit and wait.
Hi.
Can we sit here?
Got a cigarette for me please?
Thanks.
Got a light, too?
Sweet.
- Do you live here?
- Yeah.
- What's your name?
- Armand.
Pretty name.
Not gonna ask me mine?
What's your name?
Joane.
Anyway…
Anything go on here at night?
Yeah.
- You guys go out and stuff?
- I go out with friends.
Know where we can get some pot?
Yeah.
- Can you get us some?
- Yeah.
Sweet, you're a doll.
Shall we meet here tonight, around 11?
Cool, thanks.
See you later then.
There's a full moon tonight.
Can't it be just us two?
You're pretty.
Not even when you were drunk
and had nowhere to sleep?
That's usually when it happens.
A wandering hand.
Stuff starts happening.
You know.
Illuminati. I saw on internet.
If you fold dollar bills
a certain way…
you get two twin towers crashing down.
Fold a 20-dollar bill…
into an airplane.
You get the two towers.
What are you doing here?
Leave. Go away.
Go on, leave.
Go away, I said. Scram.
Get out. What are you doing here?
Why have you come?
Clear out, please.
Don't make us say it again.
It's for your own safety.
Come on, listen to us.
We don't want to use force,
please cooperate.
This is private property,
you can't stay.
Mercury is the fastest, hottest,
coldest planet.
One side is always night.
The other, always day.
You feel very light
because the gravity is weak.
The sky is dark, and never varies.
There is no air.
Subtitles by Sionann O'Neill
a.s.i.f.
Subtitling TITRA FILM Paris
We have two identical towers,
Levant and Ponant.
Ponant Tower is west,
Levant Tower is east.
Got it?
This is the generator
in case the electricity goes out.
It can supply both towers for 36 hours.
We've got high-risk areas.
These pipes activate
when temperatures rise abnormally.
If a fire breaks out, at 68°C,
water is automatically released.
The emergency stairways
follow strict standards.
There has to be 1.4 meters of space
between the walls.
So we can get two people out at once.
It's safe here for over 4 hours.
Nothing is inflammable.
This is the safest place in the towers.
That's the 32nd floor.
Only accessible by this ladder.
Careful. Recently an office worker
went up and tried to jump off.
Luckily a guard saw him
and talked him down.
If that stuff happens,
we get heat from the insurance.
Keep a sharp eye out.
We've got security exits
on the ground level.
If there's an evacuation
on the upper floors, we can see
if the security exits are unlocked.
The most important thing here
is evacuation.
See camera 1?
There's an open door.
That's the door outside,
providing access to the towers.
If there's a fire
on the 20th floor of Ponant Tower,
the elevators won't stop
on the 20th floor of Ponant Tower.
They'll stop on either the 19th
or the 21st floor.
What if some people
start making a racket outside?
Are we supposed to intervene?
We're forbidden
to intervene off site.
For us, all the doors are locked.
We have no right
to open any door leading outside.
During our rounds,
are we always alone?
At night, we're always alone.
What's that guy doing?
Where?
Camera 8.
Damien and Marlene,
could you go check it out?
Try to get him off the premises.
Do you even know how to fight?
Yeah?
If someone comes from behind,
what do you do?
I can defend myself.
I've had to fight a lot.
In a gang or alone?
Alone is different.
Imagine you're doing your rounds
in a tower.
A guy comes up and grabs you
from behind.
What do you do?
It's dark out.
How do you defend yourself?
Someone grabs your neck,
what do you do?
Pulls your arm, what do you do?
Pushes you, what do you do?
Can you retaliate?
Sure I can.
Go on, try to stab me.
Block, full shoulder throw.
"Ippon Seoi Nage."
Then go like this.
"Juji gatame." Armbar.
For example.
See?
Go on. Attack me from behind.
Elbow in the stomach.
I get you down.
I block your arm.
Get the idea?
Strangle him if you have to.
Keep him on the ground.
Until he gives up.
Get the idea?
Poke him in the eyes if you have to.
See?
Do it twice if you have to.
Apollo, Bacchus,
Minerva, Demeter,
Mars,
Mercury,
Neptune,
Heracles,
Juno,
Diana,
Saturn,
Clio,
Venus,
Apollo.
Calling Audrey, Jade and Priscilla
to the Epsilon Room.
Calling Audrey, Jade and Priscilla
to the Epsilon Room.
It'll be a phase in your life,
not your career.
I don't see that. You will do it.
But it won't be your career.
I don't see you teaching dance
at forty or anything.
At the ballet…
He's tall, light-skinned,
shoulder-length hair.
He enters my room
through the window.
He whispers,
"Come with me for 50 days.
We'll go to Nice."
The next day, I get up.
I tell my family,
"I'm leaving for 50 days.
Don't ask why."
They're so beautiful. Amazing.
- Wanna feel?
- Can I?
Sure.
Gorgeous. So well done.
Did it hurt?
They put you on morphine.
Morphine is so awesome.
No scars?
Nope.
So awesome.
Got a light?
Looks like a castle over there. See?
Looks more like a prison.
All those things are dominos.
Push one and they all topple down.
What's that?
Dunno. A flying saucer?
- Might take off.
- Could be a lighthouse.
A lighthouse?
In the middle of the city?
You've got an accent.
Where you from?
I'm from Moldova.
Where's that?
Between Romania and Ukraine.
It's a tiny country.
Is it nice?
It's freezing in winter
and in summer it's boiling hot.
Kind of suffocating.
Been working here long?
A year now. Feels like a thousand.
I don't think I'll stay either.
One Millionaire, two Solitaires…
one Carat…
and one Astro Leo.
Drancy. Another night
of riots down town.
What's your name?
Lisa.
- Like a drink?
- What's the occasion?
- What for?
- No reason.
There's always a reason.
Is it illegal?
There's always a reason.
I just came to hang out.
I was bored, that's all.
No need for physical contact.
Physical contact? I just touched you.
That bothers me.
I need my space, ok?
You offered me a drink…
I offered you a drink to talk,
not to touch.
Russians like to drink, let it go.
It's not about touching, ok?
It's weird, girls buying guys drinks.
- Can't we just talk?
- She's right.
I don't talk to women much.
Usually I pay to see them.
Do it often?
From time to time.
What do you think?
It's good. There's a time limit.
At home I can relax. Get some rest.
I'm too drunk to wank now.
I couldn't fuck you if I wanted to.
Buy me a soft drink
or I'll be too drunk to fuck you.
I remember when I first arrived here.
I'd just left Moldova.
Daytimes, I'd hang around outside.
Sometimes I'd follow people.
One day I got lost.
I thought I'd never find my way again.
I followed a woman
with a rose in her hand.
She intrigued me.
Then I lost sight of her.
No more will you run through the glen
Rest in peace my wonderful friend
Sophie, we had 17 years of love
You and your sisters
replaced the child I never had
I'll love you forever
I invoke the guardian
of the North Tower,
who guards and governs the land.
I invoke the guardian
of the West Tower,
who guards and governs
the sacred waters.
I invoke the guardian
of the East Tower,
who guards the sky and governs the air.
I invoke the guardian
of the South Tower,
who guards and governs
the sacred fire.
August 4.
I quit working
at the Mercuriales towers.
But I went back there.
I wanted to see that girl again.
I waited for her to get off work.
We went to her place.
See? This is where I live.
I share with a friend, Zouzou.
She's got a daughter, Nadia.
But we have to move soon.
Apparently
they're gonna tear everything down.
Really? Why?
Dunno.
Wanna hang out here tonight?
I'm babysitting.
Sounds good.
- How old is she?
- Nine.
How old were you
when she was born?
Sixteen.
Nadia!
I want you up here in 5 minutes.
Seriously,
I didn't think guys like him existed.
Mellow, down to earth, cute,
interesting and smart all at once.
He's all that?
Yeah, he's all that!
It does exist.
- You found Mr. Right?
- Yeah.
Don't worry, you'll be fine.
Last time it went well.
Last time was the first date.
The second date is crucial.
True.
It'd be really great…
for the kid, you know?
That's how you see it?
I want the kid
to have a normal life, you know?
A dad and a mom?
Yeah, and someone with a normal job!
You know. I gotta get it together…
Got a boyfriend?
- No boyfriend?
- Yes she does! What's his name?
Joachim.
- How old is he?
- My age.
Are you together?
He doesn't even know I exist.
Hang on…
This comes off.
I'll take off her shoes.
Give her gigantic boobs.
Too funny.
High heels too!
Swing the purse around
and strut your stuff.
You need the bracelet too.
You're losing your boobs.
Put your boob back, please.
Actually, Zouzou is so lucky.
Why?
Dunno…
My life feels really shitty.
If I had this,
nothing would be the same.
If things don't take off in a year,
I'll stop and…
become a woman.
Do you believe in God?
Do you picture him?
No.
Once I heard
when the world ends,
everyone will see him.
Even people going to hell.
The world will end?
It has to. Everyone will see him.
There was a beginning,
with Eve and…
Adam and Eve.
So there's an end.
What'll the end be like?
Dunno.
I think it'll end with two people again.
Just two people?
It started with two people,
it'll end with two people.
Paradise? I imagine it
with clouds, like these.
That's why my room is like this.
It's like paradise.
Your paradise.
What about hell?
Flames.
Lava.
And people dying again.
Like this.
- Eyes open?
- Yeah.
Then they get shut.
It was so weird.
They had these huge windows,
floor to ceiling.
It felt like we were exposed.
A psychiatric hospital,
full of nutcases.
In my room,
one whole wall
was one-way mirrored glass.
That place was insane.
Each room had a bathroom.
But we still had to use
the filthy restrooms.
Our bathrooms were locked
because of the mirrors.
In case we broke them
and slashed our wrists.
Fucking mental cases.
Total assholes.
I needed my mirror!
I was like,
"I gotta do my make-up.
I gotta be pretty. I can't give up."
So I was like,
"They want to prevent suicide,
but we can still totally do it.
Rip a plastic cup. That'll do the job."
The nurse went ballistic.
"What's wrong with you?
Want them all to commit suicide?"
I don't give a shit.
I don't belong here.
Now I don't know anymore.
It's too weird.
I was in that fucking place, you know?
And now…
I'll never know
if I was supposed to be there or not.
All those nutcases
were always saying,
"I'm sick of this place,
I don't belong here."
The same things I was thinking.
And they really were crazy.
So now I'm afraid
I am too.
I had this cousin.
She was like my sister.
We were always together.
She was so…
I mean she is so pretty.
Why'd you say she was?
Because…
I don't know, for a while now
we haven't heard from her.
One day she called me and said,
"Someone offered me a job in France."
I haven't heard from her since.
Maybe she was tired of you guys.
Yeah, that occurred to me.
I don't think so though.
I still see her in my mind.
It's like she never left me.
Sometimes I feel her next to me.
A ghost.
What's her name?
Not a ghost. Why a ghost?
She's not a ghost.
She's still here.
Her name is Bojina.
Bojina…
She's a person, not a ghost.
Sorry!
- I'm bored!
- Don't move, I'm almost done.
Let me lie down for a sec.
I'm almost done. Just a sec.
Hang on!
I'm almost done.
This story takes place
in a far distant time.
A time of violence.
All throughout Europe
a silent war was spreading.
In a city there lived two sisters.
Inseparable.
Don't look, don't look!
Please stop looking at her.
- Why?
- It's Zahia.
So what?
Everyone's afraid of her.
And her girl gang.
Does she mess with you?
One day she said…
What'd she say?
She said skinheads
lock black kids up in basements.
They dip them in bleach.
What?
They dip them in bleach
to make them white.
Anyone who fights back, dies.
They kill them.
Joachim…
Let's go with them.
What for?
You acting big now?
Stop talking like that.
Where're you going?
His house?
His house!
Repeat after me.
Shut up and listen.
Did you even understand?
Keep listening.
She mentions the merciful.
I don't speak Arabic.
Scary doll.
Are you serious?
How old are you?
Look, it says…
"Shisha doll".
It's not his, it's his sister's.
Got a sister?
Why're you lying?
Brahim likes dolls!
There was this guy in the subway.
He got totally beat up.
He was all bloody and bruised.
Just because he was eating
a sandwich with pork in it.
Hang on a sec!
There were these Arabs,
they couldn't handle it.
They totally beat him up.
I'm telling you.
Just for that?
Just for that!
The newspaper said,
"Beaten up over a slice of ham."
Know the story of Bloody Mary?
She had a baby,
and someone killed it.
If you go in your bathroom at midnight,
turn out the lights
and say her name three times,
she appears and kills you.
Know the white swan?
The white dove of the gods.
One day we went swimming.
My cousin refused to go back.
She said no way.
We saw the white swan,
the dove of the gods.
We asked him to bring us luck.
He said,
"Pack your bags, we're going swimming."
A dove?
What's so funny?
Settle down.
Know the story
about the girl
who was locked up in a tower?
The witch who locked her up
checked everyday
to see if she was still there.
August 11.
Bagneux.
A girl of nineteen
was savagely beaten Monday
in a remote park.
She played dead twice
to rid herself of her aggressors,
who left her for dead.
Before fleeing they shaved her head.
Apparently the gang
wanted to punish her for sleeping
with a boy from a rival gang.
Bagneux.
Epinay.
Trappes.
Villejuif.
Drancy.
At 15, I went to live
with my grandparents in Tirana.
All the buildings had been repainted
in rainbow colors.
Post-dictatorship, Tirana's new mayor
had decided to change the city.
I remember nights in Bucharest.
I remember the dogs
running wild all over town.
Every day, bums were found dead,
dog bites all over their bodies.
Children stayed home,
the public gardens
were so overrun with dogs.
One day the mayor
decided to build a huge kennel.
He wanted to gas all the dogs.
A woman heard about it
and decided to buy all the dogs.
She set them free.
The kennel doors opened,
and the dogs overran the city again.
How's your love life?
- Got a boyfriend?
- Nope.
Nobody. But I don't really care.
I'm focusing on my career.
Career?
I'm trying to be a dancer.
What kind of dance?
Whatever, I just dance.
I don't have a particular style.
Are you taking classes?
No.
Have you had training?
Nope.
Are you any good?
Yeah, pretty good.
Technically I could be better, but…
technique isn't everything.
Did you teach yourself?
Like, with TV?
Yeah, I've never taken classes.
It's hard to break in.
I know. But that's good.
If it were too easy, it'd be…
It used to happen
in my grandmother's village.
When Spring came,
they'd wake us up at dawn.
Hey, Lisa.
It's Joane.
I wanted to see you.
Call me when you can.
Bye.
Hey, it's Joane.
Listen…
I'd love to know what you're up to.
Talk and stuff.
I'll let you go.
Call me back.
Hey, it's Joane.
You're not answering.
I don't get it.
I don't know what's going on.
Maybe you could call me back.
I really love this song.
- Is it Russian?
- Yeah.
- Like it?
- Yeah, sounds pretty good.
I love it too.
What're the words?
"Everyday you come home at night…
Everyday you take the subway home
after dark
And she lives
Your parents are fast asleep
It's late at night
But you're not sleeping
Waiting for your phone to ring
You'd give…
You'd give anything
to hear that phone ring
But she's been sleeping for a long time
Sleeping over there
In the heart of all the cities"
Why'd you come here?
Joane asked me to come with her.
Escape!
It's not real, it's just a dream.
It's not real, it's just a dream.
I'm asleep.
It's not real.
It's just a dream.
I'm asleep.
All this is just a nightmare.
It's not real, it's just a dream.
I'm asleep.
All this is just a nightmare.
Your receipt, please?
Thank you.
Have a nice day.
Tony, we've got a customer…
at DHP.
Customer at DHP, Tony.
Get over there now.
Customer at DHP. Hurry, please.
DHP? Where's DHP?
Looks great.
How's that?
Pretty!
I like the ribbons.
Yeah, thanks, Mom.
I'm fine.
I auditioned for a musical.
I think it went well.
And there's this guy
who likes my voice.
He may call me back…
about an album.
How've you been?
Gotta mark the occasion.
Why're you dressed that way?
Because I'm a Muslim.
Since last year, right?
I heard that earlier.
You're very observant.
That's good.
Where are Muslims from?
What's their country?
They are Muslims
in nearly every country.
Even here?
I'm living proof.
I see.
Right.
Are there real ones?
Not converted, but born that way?
Some fun…
Loosen up a little!
Have some booze.
- Go crazy.
- No, thanks.
It's my birthday, you can't refuse.
You can't make me drink.
Not even for your birthday.
I can too make you.
Grab this glass or it's in your lap.
Stop.
No, thank you.
You're so boring.
Relax a little, come on.
If you think being happy
is giggling mindlessly,
being wasted
and being half-naked…
Half-naked? Excuse me?
I'm half-naked? I don't think so.
This is called a dress.
It hides my breasts, my belly.
I can take it off if you like.
To be half-naked, as you say.
Sorry, but to me half-naked
means naked.
Not wearing a dress.
Right, for a girl like you.
But I get it, coming from a guy
buttoned up to here.
You know exactly what I mean.
You don't mean jack.
Just because I'm in a skimpy dress.
I'm being harsh,
but your lifestyle is harsh.
My lifestyle?
Everyone acts the same way.
That's the problem.
You're all so used
to nobody giving a shit about you.
All they see
are your asses, legs and breasts.
Fine, if you like it, keep it up.
Hang on a sec, shut up.
- You're calling me a whore.
- I'm not.
You don't know me.
You see yourself as a whore.
I see myself as a whore? You're nuts.
I see myself as a good person.
You just told me you shake your ass
in the street to get attention.
You call that being a whore?
Whores sell their bodies.
Nobody ever pays me.
Same thing. You're obsessed with money.
How'll you make money?
What're your career plans?
How'll you make a living?
You call that freedom?
You like being ogled in the street.
All you care about is money
but you have a shitty, low-paid job.
Where do you think it'll lead?
Can't you see the big picture?
Or can you only see the tiny world
right under your nose?
What do you know about it?
I'm asking you, Joane.
I'm interested.
You know someone 3 seconds and say,
"You're gonna turn into a whore
'cuz you drank half a beer!"
Get out of here. Are you kidding me?
I'm not a whore, I don't feel like
a whore, nobody pays me to fuck.
I always pick who I fuck.
Don't call me a whore.
You're the whore, you're Allah's whore.
Fucking nutcase.
He's chill, not too…
That's why it's good.
If you're both chill it won't work.
You gotta be wired.
Yeah, but I'm tired of being wired.
If you're both chill it's over, kaput.
When we go out and stuff,
we kick it up sometimes.
Just not all the time.
Not all the time.
I'm not chill.
I need a chill woman.
I'm all amped up!
I like chill women.
Can't mix hot water with hot water.
Two hot people, forget it.
If you're chill, he better perk up.
Don't be no zombies now!
What'll become of your kids?
My advice?
Think before you get married.
Marriage is no overnight thing.
Marriage is like prison.
It's like prison in a way.
It's like being locked up.
If you get married,
you can't just dump him.
I recommend a product for you.
In less than 24 hours,
you'll be light.
Less than 24 hours?
- Seriously?
- In one day, you'll be light-skinned.
No way! Look at me.
Less than 24 hours.
You'll be as good as white.
You'll call me from the chapel
to thank me.
Check out the new style,
the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower?
Just came out.
I tell you, it's all the rage.
Like this.
My hair!
It's the Eiffel Tower, I tell you.
Are you serious?
You wanna reel him in or not?
Before, you were young.
Now you're gonna settle down,
get married.
You asked my advice.
My advice to you? Give it a chance.
It's really you.
Add flowers, make-up, your dress…
It'll come together.
No, it's…
Ok. But…
I don't like it.
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love does not envy.
Love does not boast.
Love is not proud.
Love is not devious.
Love is not self-seeking.
Love is not quick to anger.
Love never ends.
Love never ends,
for it is the greatest thing,
the most beautiful thing
that can unite two people.
Xavier Diallo,
do you take Zouzou Smith
to be your wife?
Do you promise to be true to her
in good times and in bad,
in sickness and in health?
I do.
LOVE NEVER ENDS
You ok?
Yeah.
Just a little tired.
Victoria leaves me
in my dark fortress…
Alone again, with the same fears…
I can't sleep.
I try to bury my memories…
Kids outside are restless,
like in Moldova…
I don't know what to do.
Can you hear me?
Can you hear me?
This story takes place
in a far distant time.
All throughout Europe
a silent war was spreading.
In a city there lived two sisters.
Inseparable.
One day, they decided to leave.
Wonderful!
Is it catching?
Yeah.
Like the flame of a dragon.
Yep.
It looks like a big dragon.
His teeth.
His tongue…
It's nice out.
Did you come here often?
Every August.
I liked coming here.
It's big. Like a palace.
Grandpa saved up his whole life
to buy his dream house.
Your grandpa loved sports?
He was a P.E. teacher.
He wanted me to be a basketball star.
I can't really see that.
Sports didn't do him any good though.
He croaked at age 60.
That's Germany over there?
Yeah, on the other side.
My grandpa sometimes took me.
Did you go often?
No, just sometimes during vacation.
What would you do?
Not much.
Watch fat Germans eat sausages.
Just kidding.
From here it looks
like a tiny, warm ball.
But it's a volcano, so powerful.
It was here first.
The mountain looks like emptiness.
Emptiness with nothing around it.
It's disappearing so fast.
See that?
Now it's gone.
Behind the mountains.
Tuesday
August 21
Joane?
What's on your mind?
Dunno.
I'll always be here for you.
Like it's your hand.
Yeah, like it's my hand!
Go on.
Marie-Antoinette.
- Louis XIV, you know?
- Sure, the Sun King.
Do your belly dance for me.
I love that.
Hear the beer in there?
The beer's dancing too!
- I gotta pee.
- You gotta pee?
- Don't leave me.
- I'm gonna pee.
- You're gonna pee?
- Yeah.
Stay here.
I need to pee too.
Let's pee right here.
Go on.
Pee time!
Right, that's done.
Back in the tub. I'm wallowing in it.
Go on, I'm watching.
We're peeing on ourselves here!
My grandma said it's good for you.
When I was sick
she made me drink my pee.
- Seriously?
- I swear.
Change grandmas.
That's one fucked-up grandma!
SIERENTZ
Twin city Kostomloty, Poland
This is it.
The family plot.
My grandpa's in there.
No way I'm going in there
with everybody.
Where will you go?
Dunno, but there's no privacy in there!
I don't want to die.
I just want to sit in a corner.
Sit and wait.
Hi.
Can we sit here?
Got a cigarette for me please?
Thanks.
Got a light, too?
Sweet.
- Do you live here?
- Yeah.
- What's your name?
- Armand.
Pretty name.
Not gonna ask me mine?
What's your name?
Joane.
Anyway…
Anything go on here at night?
Yeah.
- You guys go out and stuff?
- I go out with friends.
Know where we can get some pot?
Yeah.
- Can you get us some?
- Yeah.
Sweet, you're a doll.
Shall we meet here tonight, around 11?
Cool, thanks.
See you later then.
There's a full moon tonight.
Can't it be just us two?
You're pretty.
Not even when you were drunk
and had nowhere to sleep?
That's usually when it happens.
A wandering hand.
Stuff starts happening.
You know.
Illuminati. I saw on internet.
If you fold dollar bills
a certain way…
you get two twin towers crashing down.
Fold a 20-dollar bill…
into an airplane.
You get the two towers.
What are you doing here?
Leave. Go away.
Go on, leave.
Go away, I said. Scram.
Get out. What are you doing here?
Why have you come?
Clear out, please.
Don't make us say it again.
It's for your own safety.
Come on, listen to us.
We don't want to use force,
please cooperate.
This is private property,
you can't stay.
Mercury is the fastest, hottest,
coldest planet.
One side is always night.
The other, always day.
You feel very light
because the gravity is weak.
The sky is dark, and never varies.
There is no air.
Subtitles by Sionann O'Neill
a.s.i.f.
Subtitling TITRA FILM Paris