Enfance Volée (2021) - full transcript

We're arrived. Come on, Ida.

- I don't want to go in there!
- Come on, out you get.

- Please arrange a change of foster centre.

They're all freaks there!

Not joking!They fight, they scream!

And even the staff have an IQ of 2,
what's that all about?

You having problems recruiting just now?

- I've already told you 10 times,
I've made phone calls all over the place.

There are no vacancies anywhere.

So I'm sorry girl, you'll have to
get used to it. This is your home. Okay?

Move!



- Yes, but don't be surprised afterwards
if we're still outside.

- Get out, that's enough.
You're pissing me off.

- Chin up, little guy.
- Thanks.

- What are you looking at?
- Your bracelets.

Would you like one?

Here you go!

This one'll help you survive til you're 18.

Freedom
It's all right for me, I'm nearly there.

In 6 months I'll be free.

- That's right, yeah—

- What? You'll be bored without me
so don't be a smartass.

- Possibly, quite possibly.

Come on, check!

Hey! You stop running away!



- I do what I want.
- No, you stop running away.

- I do what I want, let me go!
- No you don't do what you want.

- You hurt me! Look at that!

- Ida, stop it!

Hi Seb!
- Hi Romain.

- Whoop! I told you, I do what I want!

- Ida!

Watch out, I don't want
to find you in the street again.

- What happened to Ida?
Doesn't she have any parents?

I think she'd have preferred
not to have parents.

It took too long
to find her a foster family.

So she ended up in a foster centre
and couldn't adjust.

She's a little unmanageable.

It's a shame because she's a great girl.

- Why? Some aren't great?

- You're right.

She's had too much influence
on you already, you're getting cheeky.

Let's go!

You're not going to win.
- Yes, look!

- No, that's not true!
How do you manage to do things like that?

Come on, give me that.

Come and see me.

What's wrong?

Look, you haven't eaten anything yet.

I'm going to look at something.
- OK

Madame, may I ask you to open your bag?
- My bag? Of course.

- I have to ask you to go through
the gate once again, please.

There's nothing.

It's your machine that's not working!
I'm sorry.

And your son?

Let me go! Let me go, damn it,
I haven't done anything!

I haven't done anything! Let me go.

What do you have in your pocket?
- Here, there's this.

- It's for my cat!

H's not eating any more, he's going to die!

Madame, you will have to pay.

I just don't believe it!

And what's more it stinks!

But you knew that, didn't you?

What's going on in your head, boy?

- Achille, I don't understand,
why didn't you tell us?

- And on top of that you steal
from the store we go to every day!

The little bastard!

- Hey! What's wrong with you?

You want them to take him away from me?

- So what? They'll give you another kid.
That's how it works, right?

No attachment,
isn't that what they told you?

- Do you realize what you're saying?

- But look at him! There's no respect!

Would you do that at your mother's house?

- She wouldn't care! My mother is cool,
- Yeah, so cool you got fostered.

Anyway, I hope she likes cats.

Because I tell you Marion,
they don't pay me to run a zoo!

- Homer stays with me.
- Your choice.

Animal Control or your mother.
And that, Marion, is non-negotiable.

We've been together
since he was born, you can't—

- Well, he's right,
it's too complicated here.

And Jules is allergic.

You can see your cat on weekends.

In the meantime,
you mustn't let it out of here.

And make an effort with Sébastien.

He can't stand being lied to.

Look at me. Same goes for me.
I don't like being lied to either.

I knew from his face he didn't like cats.

- Oh great! There's a face for that?

What about you,
have you got a face for stealing pet food?

That's crazy!

Why didn't you tell me before?

- What for?

- Well, I don't know, I could have
looked ahead, found a solution.

What is it you're looking for, Achille?

Frankly, Marion is great.

I can tell you I see families—

- She'll just have to send me back
to Children's Services then.

- Are you mad? Why say that?

- Sébastien said that.
- What!

- He's right!
At least I'll get to go to my mother's.

- Sébastien told you that?

He has no right to talk to you like that.
I'm going to talk to him.

But that's no reason to get into trouble.

Come on!

Do you know Ida ran away again?

As she's almost of age, the centre director
wants to expel her.

End of our support!
- Well, she must be happy then.

- You think so? 17? Homeless? With nothing?
No one to look after her?

You know that's why I fight
for you and your mother.

Because you have a real chance to reconnect
and be there for each other.

Worth the effort, right?

Look at me.

Is that what you want? Look at me.

- Yes.
- Then fight!

Man hug!

You all right?
- No, I'm not all right, no.

- What's the matter?

- Damn it, don't you realize
what you're doing, Achille?

No, you don't fucking realize
what you're doing!

This bullshit's going to backfire on me.

Yes, I saw your son.
He's acting inappropriately in class.

I don't know what else.
Detention, exclusion—

You fucking little shit! What did you do?

What did you do!

Answer me, what did you say, Achille?
- I said I was living with you.

Why are you doing this?

Why are you doing this?
It's not true! No, no, no, Achille!

No, it's going to be my fault again,
that bullshit!

- But when will I be living here?
- Hey! Slow down!

Hey it's ok! Calm down!

I have my own life to manage!
It's not just about you!

Shit, everyone's got their problems!

I have to manage my life.
I can't manage your fuck-ups as well!

Don't you know what I went through
to get you back? Do you have any idea?

All these follow-ups!

The psychologists, the appointments!

There's nothing I'm allowed to do! Nothing!

I can't do anything, I'm suffocating.
I feel like I'm in the Army!

Don't do this! Don't do that!

Shit! OK? I fucking exist!

I want to do stuff.

I'm not like all those mothers.

Who have nothing but their baby and
stupid discussions about nappies, husbands!

Not fucking me! You hear? Not me!
I want to do things in my life!

I'm not going to wait until I'm old
to be able to have fun, is that clear?

What's that?

- My cat.
- It's yours?

- His name is Homer.
- Oh right.

What's its name again?
- Homer.

Like the author of the Iliad
where you found my name.

Eh? Well no—

No, I found your first name
when you were born, in the maternity ward.

Where was it again?

I think it was in a comic.
It was—

It was Achille Talon, like "Achilles' heel"

The character had a big nose.
It made me laugh.

- Mum?

Could you take care of my cat?

Sébastien doesn't want it.
- All the time?

Even when you're not here?
- Yeah.

- So will you stop pissing about at school?

Come here. You have to
do good things in your life, son.

Yeah? Not like me.

Me, my parents—

I was so angry.

I was learning nothing.
Wound up all the time, full of hatred.

A real bitch! Look at me, yeah? Look at me!

Now I've nothing but my eyes to cry with.
Is that the saying?

- It's beautiful.

Mum, don't leave your pills lying around,
for Homer's sake.

And close the window, in case he gets out.

Mum?

Are you listening?
Mum?

- Yes it's fine! Don't you trust me?

It's ok, I understand.

What?

Hi, you're on Fanny's voicemail.
Leave me a message after the tone. Thanks!

Mamour? Mamour, it's Mum!
Listen to me carefully

I'll be home a little later tonight, okay?

So you stay quiet, you're nice

I got you the TV, okay Mamour?
Wait—But I'm talking to my son—

Come on, I'll give you lots of kisses.
Kisses baby!

What happened was very serious.

Are you all together there?
Oh no, I'm devastated!

No no, I've got the kid here.
I can't go out.

And you're moving on afterwards?

No,stop! No, I don't want to know.
That makes it worse!

No, but I really want
to be with you at the party.

Bastard! Fucking cat!
Don't go away, I'll call you back.

I don't believe it! What are you—

Oh! You bastard!

You make me so fucking angry
when you piss in my house!

That's your litter box is here!
There! You understand?

Oh no!

What's the matter?

It wasn't my fault—It wasn't my fault—

It was because it scratched me.

And then it fell.
But it wasn't my fault.

It fell but it wasn't my fault,
I swear it wasn't me!

Is Ida there? Ida?

- What the hell are you doing here?
- I'm looking for Ida. She's there?

- You bring her back, she leaves.
Don't you think you're useless?

- Giovanni, if I wanted therapy
I wouldn't come here.

- You seen her?
- No, I haven't. Fuck off!

We already told you not to come here!
Why do you keep coming back?

Go on, go home! Piss off!
Take your car and piss off!

Go on, get out!

It's Fanny, I've—I've lost—

- What have you lost?

- I've lost Achille.

- Fuck! All right, calm down!

Calm down, I'm coming.
I'm on my way right now.

Achille? Fanny?

Achille!

I have my own life to manage!
It's not just about you!

Shit, everyone's got their problems!

Achille, you have to
force yourself a little bit.

Your sweater is so out of date!

But you knew that, didn't you?

What's going on in your head, boy?

What's the problem?
Why are you in a hurry?

I'm not.
Mum, Achille has locked his door.

He's not allowed—Listen baby—

Isn't that it, Romain?—Lab specimens?
That's what we really are, right?

Turn off your music please.
I can't hear a thing!

Achille—

Excuse me ladies, have you seen this boy?
- No

His name is Achille.
- I don't know him.

- Thank you.

What happened to you, my boy?

Be careful!

- So big boy! Have you come back to us?

Gently, gently!

Ah, look at you,
you're not in a great shape.

I told her! I told her to be careful!
- Who?

- My mother.

- Calm down now, it's going to be okay.

It'll be okay.

Is Pops sick?
- Yes.

- Is he going to die?

Life stinks!

- No, I don't think so, no.

But now, I would like you to rest, yes?

Mia ... I want to come back here.

I want to take care of Pops. He needs me.

- We'll talk about it.

Now I want you to get some sleep, right?

Good morning.

Morning.

- What are you doing here?
- Well I—

I brought you breakfast.

Coffee, croissants—

How nice.

How are you doing?
- Here

No sugar.
- Thanks—

- Butter croissant.

- Go on, I'm listening.

- Don't you think we should let Achille
stay with the Cléments for a while?

- What does "to stay" mean?

- Well he's already there, actually.

But he's fine, don't worry.

It's just that it's a little complicated
in his head at the moment.

- You're telling me
Achille ran away, right?

- No, don't use such words right now.

He didn't run away.
There was a little issue with his mother.

He needed a break. That's all.

I'll get him in two or three days.
Everything's fine

- You get him back in two or three days?

- Yes, well 24 hours if you want.
He walked 40km to get to them.

24 hours won't make any difference.

I'll have a serious talk with him after,
I promise, don't worry—

- No, no.

You're not going to have a serious talk,
you're not going to give him 24 hours.

You're not leaving him at all.

I'm not sure you understand, Romain.

So listen to me carefully!

Look at me! I won't tell you twice!

If Achille hasn't returned to the Gauthiers
before the end of the morning

you're no longer in charge of him.
Is that clear?

Well Romain? Is that clear?

- Yeah, it's very clear.

Hello Achille!

- What are you doing here?

- Can we please go outside
and talk together, quietly?

- Why are you always on my back?

- Wait Achille—
- And you?

I told you I wanted to stay with you.
Why did you snitch on me?

- But Achille,
Romain is here to help you.

- He's not here to help me!
All this is because of him!

- I'm sorry, I didn't know all this was
happening at your mother's, Achille.

- Typical! You see nothing.
You hear nothing!

Ida is right.
We're your laboratory specimens.

And you? You actually give a shit
what I'm going through?

What I feel?

Leave me alone!

- I understand you're angry, that's normal.
But you can't stay here, Achille.

- You don't understand anything at all!
- Yes I do!

You pull me out of here
to put me in a family that hates me.

- No that's not true.
- I was fine here, I had everything.

Now I've lost my cat, my friends,
I don't have anyone.

- But calm down my boy, it'll be fine.

- Fine? But nothing's fine!
You always say that!

But in the end there's nothing that—

Fuck you! You're losers!

- I understand you're angry, Achille,
but you can not stay here.

I have no choice. You can't stay here!
Calm down, calm down!

Calm down, calm down.

- Let me go!

- Calm down! It's okay,
it's okay—It's okay—

It's okay—

Deep breath. it's okay—It's okay.

I'm here.

- I know—

Achille, dinner's ready.

Hurry up, we're waiting for you.

No I don't like it.

- "No I don't like it"
- Jules!

- There you are.

- Go on, eat up.

- Achille, can I help you?

What happened to you?

He was in a fight!

- No. Come with me. Quick.

I'm going to disinfect it all.
Did you really get into a fight?

- Are you sure, Jules?

- Yes, I saw him.

- All right, eat up.

No, but of course Mme Roussel, calm down!

I assure you, we'll take
very good care of him.

Try to rest. Bye.
Have a good evening, goodbye.

She blames herself. She can't get over it

He doesn't want to see her anymore.
He'll never forgive her.

You were right actually, she wasn't ready

And he, of course,
didn't dare say anything.

Because he didn't want to overwhelm her.

And I was blind.

I'm no good.

I can't do it any more.

I'm too close emotionally, I—

You have to assign him to someone else.

We've all been there, Romain.

- And I insisted that he see his mother.

Fucking idiot!

- At the same time—

it's as if bringing a child back to
his parents is our guiding principle.

When I first saw you arrive
five years ago, swooping in,

I was suspicious.

I said to myself "Here we go, guys like him
in retraining, coming to save the world"

- Well yeah, no need to tell me,
I understood it well.

We save nothing at all.

- No, we don't save anything.

You're just a social worker.

A B C D E F G—

H—

I'm Achille's mother.
I'd like to talk to you.

I know very well who you are.
What are you doing here?

- I'd like to see him.

- You have no right to be here.
- I know that.

It makes no sense!

They give him to me, they take him away
from me, damn it! Achille? It's Mum!

-Take care of your sister, please.

Mamour!

Where is he?

- Yes, Romain, it's Marion.
Call me back, it's urgent!

- Baby? Baby, it's Mum, where are you?

Baby—

What have you done to your head?
- What are you doing here?

- I wanted to tell you—

I—I fucked up over the cat.
I'm sorry, my baby.

- OK, fine, you can go now.

- You know, one of the neighbours
has a little cat.

So tiny, so cute.
She gave it to me, for you, Baby.

- You really think
you can settle things like this?

You disgust me.

- He looks like the other one,
so small, really cute.

- You're so fucking stupid!

You never understand anything!

- Baby! Achille!

- Fanny, you need to leave now.

- Let me go! Baby—
- Have you seen yourself?

It's only you who matters. As long as you
have fun with your beer and your friends.

All the rest can drop dead!

- Ok, ok, so you hate me.

I'm still your mother.
- You? My mother?

- What mother? The one that
left me at 4 on a balcony all alone?

That's a mother?

If the neighbours hadn't been there,
I'd have fallen and I would have died!

Just like Homer

And you know what?
It would have been better for everyone!

- No, you can't say that!
You can't say that!

It's not my fault.
For my parents, it's as if I didn't exist.

For me, babies grew on their own, like me.

I've always loved you, son.

I love you so much!

Maybe I don't know how to do things right.

I don't know—
- That's so easy!

- So easy to say!

It's not your parents' fault if
you don't know my class, my age!

What I like or what I hate!

- Stop, Achille—
- You have to grow up!

- Achille, I think she's got it.

- He's my son,
he tells me what he wants.

- Yes, but you're in my house, right?

And you have no right to be here,
nor to see him.

So now you're leaving.
- Let me go!

Let me go!
- You get out there, that's enough! Move!

- Let me go!
- Get out now!

Achille!

- You get out!
- Stop!

Achille is my son!

Jules? Get ready, we're going!
- Yes, yes, I'm coming.

You're gonna die!

One day, it's the school calling.

Yesterday,
it's that crazy woman barging in.

and this morning, he picks my pocket!

I tried hard with him, right?

Great result! Very encouraging!

I found it in his jacket.
I'm sure he was going to school with it.

Let me be very clear now.
He may not have an easy life. Okay.

But how far is that going to get us?
It's a matter of respect.

What do I say to Jules?
What example do I set him?

In any case, I'm telling you.
I can't live with someone I can't trust.

- Fine! Me neither!
I don't want to stay with this mytho!

- Come on! Calm down, OK?

Everyone back down one level, okay?

Okay, Achille, can you explain?

Why did you behave like this?

That knife didn't just
land in your by itself?

What were you going to do with a knife?

- Stab him in the back!

- What kind of talk is that?
Do you hear yourself?

What's happening to you!

You run away, you steal, you lie.

I don't know what to do with you any more.
I've always defended you.

But I can't any longer, Achille!

- Do what you want!

Tell me a little about the problem.

- Yes, well, as you know,
we had already had warnings.

But now, the rupture
with the foster mother is total.

- I understand. What about school,
where is he? He wasn't bad, was he?

- It's like free fall there.

- Okay. Beyond this story of theft,
it's his own endangerment that worries me.

This child needs
a more solid educational framework.

- Yes that's right. That's exactly why
we thought of L'Escale.

I got them on the phone and we're lucky,
they have a vacancy.

It's a center that seems suitable to us.
The team is experienced, protective.

We're not dealing with
the heaviest of cases, you see?

And we think that Achille
should stay in a family atmosphere.

- L'Escale, very good. I get good feedback.
That seems appropriate to me.

You do what is necessary
and keep me informed.

- Very well! All right, Judge.

Let's go ahead.
- Thanks

- Thank you, goodbye.

Well, here we are.

Achille will spend
his last night with the Gauthiers.

You know what to do?
- Yeah.

- Get him in morning, take him to L'Escale.
- Fine—

Give me your money! Hurry up!

Hurry up!

Go on! Hurry up, I said!

Give!

Hey, stop him!

- Whose scooter is it?

Hold on, I'm calling the police.

The scooter reg number's been circulated.
- OK no problem.

We can't understand what's inside his head.

- Well he feels bad.
This is his way of saying it.

And I'm not sure that centre
will do any better than us!

- Did the police come for Achille?

- Yes, they came for Achille, my heart.

He made a big mistake, you know.

You don't know where he is?

But it's not so serious, sweetheart,
don't worry, they'll find him.

- No, it's not that! It wasn't him!

- What do you mean "it wasn't him"?

The knife, It was me stole it from you.

I put it in his pocket.

- Why did you do that, Jules?

- Because I was afraid you'd
prefer him because he was so unhappy.

- Jules, that's nonsense!

You have us, we're your parents.

Don't worry, we'll find him.

Hey! Fresh supplies!

Oh you're a boss!

They were going to throw them.
Idiots! Only expired two days ago.

- Pass it to me, bro.
- Come on, give it to me!

Come on, stop!
- Oh don't be a bastard!

There's a friend of yours looking for you.
- Who?

- The boy there!

Give it to me.
- No, the scooter's mine.

Look out, let me talk to him.
Give it to me.

Hey, I know you!

- Hi!
- You okay, yeah?

Hey, is that my bracelet?

- Yeah.
- Is that a joint?

Shit! Are you really so dumb?

- Hey come on, leave him alone.

- You let him smoke!

Fuck, can't you see he's only a kid?
- So what?

- Think he hasn't got time
to blow his brains out?

Are you stupid?
- So what?

- Get out!
- It's ok, I do what I want, I'm free.

- But what are you free from?
You're underage, okay?

I've enough shit to deal with,
so get out!

- Don't start! Leave him alone.
You get out!

- Get out of here!

OK then, you know what? I'll call Romain.
- Far as I'm concerned, he's a prick.

- Anyway, there's room in my house.
I'll take care of him.

- Care? You care about nothing! You can't
even take care of yourself. So shut it.

- You. Move.
- I can steal more for you if you like?

- Go!
- And I'm young, I can—

- Look: Fuck off or I'll tear you apart!

- Stop it, stop! He's just a kid. Go easy.

- Out I said! I'll take you apart!
- He's a kid, leave him alone!

- Fuck off! Where did you think you were?

- Come on, let him—
- Move! Faster!

Get out of here, damn it!

Come on!

You're a little rascal. My love!

Wrongly accusing a kid as fragile as him.

Do you have any idea
what that can do to his head?

It's a disaster

- I can't understand what's happened.

I should have known.
- It wasn't you.

I just didn't think—

To me, it was him.
Could only have been him.

- But we know now, and still it's not you.

It's me as well! Even I believed it.
Everyone believed it.

All of us failed him.
We're all responsible in this.

That's all!
Excuse me.

Well, Mr social worker,
you don't answer when we call you?

- No, Ida, now isn't the time.

I have a kid out in the wild.
I've lost Achille.

- Exactly, I've seen him.

- Where did you see him?

- Hanging about on the dock.
I threw him out.

- Where did he go?
- I think he was heading for the city.

- All right, don't move. I'm coming.
Where are you right now?

I have someone who's seen him.
I'll keep you informed.

Where are you?

Come here! It's okay!

We'll do everything we can to get him back.

I'm sorry for what happened.

Achille!

Achille! Holy shit!

Baby!

Baby, can you hear me?

Fuck!

Anybody hurt?
- A kid and his mother.

She pulled the kid out of the flames
- Where are they?

- Over there!

Oh fuck!

Achille!

- You okay?

Are you all right?
- What happened?

- It's my fault. It was me.
My fault because I—I was smoking.

I—I fell asleep and started the fire.
- But Mum?

- What?

I was stoned in front of my son.

- That's not true!
- Shut your mouth!

- It's not true!
- Shut your mouth!

Fanny—

- "You're a loser. Zero, A piece of shit!
You can't even protect your own son!"

"I'm telling you!"
- No that's not the point.

You realize that if it happened as you say,
Achille won't be left with you?

- Yeah—But—

I'm not sure I'm right for him any more.

One day, my Baby.

One day, I hope—

- We'll go to Spain?

- Of course we'll go to Spain.
Of course my love.

I love you. Okay?

I love you, my baby.

Sorry

Sorry

- Come on, Madame,
we'll take care of your hand.

Careful.

How are you, big boy? Does it hurt?

- No, it's fine.

- I'm sorry, I let you down.
I didn't trust you.

Sorry.

You see, today—

You got your proof of love.

13. A cursed number or a lucky one?

I'd been broken twice,
uprooted, then displaced.

Hello Achille!

I knew I'd always be a little restless,
a bit of a nomad.

But I knew I was loved,
If not always in the best way.

Not like in a fairy tale, but I was loved.

And unlike the hero of the Iliad
who thought he was invulnerable,

at least I knew my Achilles' heel.

English subtitles by
jeremys and Marseille

TNT 2022