13 Days in France (1968) - full transcript

A documentary about the Winter Olympics.

This is not the official film
of the Olympic Winter Games.

It is neither a sports film
nor a film with a message.

A few directors present in Grenoble
in February '68

filmed events around them
and within them in silence.

They now present
these 13 days that shook their world.

13 DAYS IN FRANCE

He's off, Dominique.

He's going too fast!

Signal to him he's going a bit too fast.

No, forget it. Forget it.

I'm on the top of the podium.
It's hard to hear from here.



Give the signal anytime,

but let us know first
so we can stop the traffic.

Dominique, are you ready?

- I'm ready.
- Anytime you want now. Just say when.

One day, you'll say
I was there to do all that

And all that means
In our country today

We're proud to have Killy

You'll say
My city changed every day

Huge lines of cars were arriving

From all over

From all over

One day, you'll say
I saw it all, choppers and bulldozers

You'll say
I saw the planes, the TV crews

Hostesses and riot cops



The carnival had come to town
With guests in disguise

All the costumes arrived

From all over

From all over

One day, you'll talk
About the abattoirs

And the billions poured in
For roads and stations

But maybe you'll forget it all

I'd like to say a few words

about this rehearsal.

As an audience,
we found it far from satisfactory.

I wish to remind you
that it has never been

a sign of character

not to take part
in the whole range of group exercises.

Firstly,

you all chatter away

incessantly,

and it is more than audible
within the stadium.

Next week,

on February 6th exactly,
you will be left to your own devices.

If you make comments among yourselves,

it will be as out of place,
if not more so,

as sloppy behaviour
during a national anthem.

You must be convinced
of what you are doing.

Line up on the first rows.

After the blue, stay on the right.

Then comes that sort of gully
where they were timing us.

Right there,
cut to the inside of the gate.

- You have to pass it -
- On the left.

Then you have - I'll start again.

The blue's here.

Your track is here.

Then the red,

and the gully where they were timing us.

You arrive here and pass on the inside,
in the middle of the gate.

Then you take the gully

and cut to the left after it.

You cut to the left, then the right.

I'll follow you.

I don't understand!

There's a sled reserved at post number 8.

Repeat your message.

Can you confirm that the sled handler

is at post number 8?

Victor is there.

I'm honoured to invite

General Charles de Gaulle

to declare open

the X Olympic Winter Games.

I declare

open

the X Olympic Winter Games

in Grenoble.

Evelyne Delorme, 12,

Pierre and Joseph Gras, six and four,

are waiting for their parents
by the podium.

Competitors in the nonstop event -

in the nonstop event

are sent off-

are sent off every 30 seconds.

I repeat,
they are sent off every 30 seconds.

Therefore...

proceed with extreme caution...

when evacuating...

skiers who fall.

- Faster!
- Faster!

Oh, no!

Get ready, I'll give you the start signal.

When he says so, you go.

IBM RESULTS
MEN'S DOWNHILL

You have just conquered time

And yet you already know

That it will carry on its way

When all that you will recall

Will be a thousand children's cheers

You have just jostled time

And yet you can guess

That all this is an illusion

And if for a while
It seems to fly or stand still

Or stretch out

Its march never changes

For a walk in the woods

On the peaceful banks of a stream

In the quagmire of war

We are the ones who change

It never does

You have just dissected time

Do you know what awaits you?

Do you know that for a few hundredths

Others envy you or love you?

At the second when, triumphant

You have just beaten time

I know what you feel

But doesn't the flush of victory

Take on a trivial taste?

Faced with the madness of people

Who suddenly turn to you

Increasingly demanding each time

That they bask in your glory

That they relate to your face

They will change

You won't

You have just challenged time

You know that others like before

Will come to unsettle your legend

Other heroes that people around the world

Will celebrate in time

You have just confronted time

What will you do now?

Will you seek other victories

Within yourself

Or in the mirrors that reflect you now?

Will you retrace your steps

For a walk in the woods

On the peaceful banks of a stream

Thinking of time and its mysteries?

We are the ones who change

It never does

It never does

Jean-Claude!

Jean-Claude!

Bravo, Jean-Claude!

START

FINISH

Olga Pall, Austria.

1. 40. 87.

5-7.

5-9.

5-9.

5-8.

5-7.

5-7.

5-9. Thank you.

Second marks.

She comes from a country
That counts its friends

Like hard currency

Putting all those who love it
In an IBM machine

To see who divides them

When they talked of her art

We couldn't help but think of dollars

I'm ashamed of it now

I'm ashamed of it, Peggy

For a gesture

We talk about it so much
But we tend to forget

That it has just been born

This country torn apart
Made of uprooted souls

Trying to get to know each other

Each outside their door

Often offends us

Of course we'll remember

But they'll return one day

Those forgotten rages
That she swept aside

With a gesture

She comes from a country
That counts its friends

Like hard currency

Putting all those who love it
In an IBM machine

To see who divides them

When they talk of her art

Some will think only of dollars

I'm ashamed of it now

I'm ashamed of it, Peggy

For a gesture

Johnny!

Johnny!

One more! One more!

Your attention,
speed up the departure, please.

START

FINISH

Competitor number 1...

First stop, number 27.

One penalty.

You explain, I'm sick of it!

One day, you'll say
I was there to do all that

And all that means
In our country today

We're proud to have Killy

You'll say
My city changed every day

Huge lines of cars were arriving

From all over

From all over

One day, you'll say
I saw it all, choppers and bulldozers

You'll say
I saw the planes, the TV crews

Hostesses and riot cops

The carnival had come to town
With guests in disguise

All the costumes arrived

From all over

From all over

FIGURE SKATING

5-8. 5-8.

5-8.

5-6.

5-8.

5-8.

5-9.

5-9.

5-8.

5-8.

5-9.

5-9.

5-9.

IBM RESULTS
PAIRS FIGURE SKATING

IBM RESULTS
WOMEN'S SLALOM

VIETNAM: NEGOTIATIONS IN SIGHT

MARIELLE: MY LAST SEASON

The next competitor will be
Jean-Claude Killy from the French team.

Number 17, Jere Elliott of the USA,
at the finish.

IBM RESULTS
MEN'S SLALOM

VIETNAM: USA ENDS HOPES OF TALKS

MARIELLE'S FAVORITE:
THE GIANT SLALOM

IBM RESULTS
WOMEN'S GIANT SLALOM

And so, over 13 days

France ran the whole gamut

Of confusion, of passion
Of the exaggeration

Of our days that speed by

And so, over 13 days

France made fine speeches

Never forgetting that in songs
Whatever the reason

Things always end

The way lamps still burn

Long after the party's over

Little by little, the passions die down

Like those streets that felt at a loss

After the Bastille Day fete

Cleared away its dances and tunes

And so, after 13 days

France gets back once more

To her traditional life
Of which we are so fond

That passes day in, day out

The party lights

The passions

Little by little, die down

Like those streets that felt at a loss

After the Bastille Day fete

Cleared away its dances and tunes

And so, after 13 days

France gets back once more

To her traditional life
Of which we are so fond

That passes day in, day out

And yet, over 13 days

In France we made love

Never forgetting for one second
That during all that time

The games were taking place