No Home Movie (2015) - full transcript

It dislocated me ...

Isn't the physiotherapist coming today?

No.

Thursday, tomorrow.

It's good.

Potatoes are not bad, made like this.

- I'm better off with the peel. - I never cooked them in their skins.

In the peel there are all the vitamins.

You can barely hear it.

It is very subtle.

- He's too tall. - What do you want to do? Raise, lower?



- Or turn off? - So.

Cos�.

- So, can I cook? - Yes, you know!

You believe that I don't know how to do anything.

Not at all! You can do a lot of things that others don't know.

Even cooking.

- Did you call for your ears? - I phoned.

- When is he coming? - Tomorrow. I left him a message ...

I think I will call you back.

He hasn't done it yet.

If he doesn't do it this afternoon, I'll call him back.

It's good, huh?

Mother...

It's delicious!



S. Look, I'm eating like a wolf.

I ate all the meat.

You have to eat meat, it contains protein!

It gives you muscles.

I don't eat much, but I eat every day.

- But you touched almost nothing. - Too little, perhaps.

Maybe!

Before I wanted to taste it.

It is really good.

Eat, otherwise it will dry out.

Do you have a suede cloth here?

No, I do not have it.

There is all kinds of cloths for dust,

but I don't even know where she keeps them.

- Mom! - He's filming you!

Go further back, mom, I only see your hair!

Wait, Chantal ...

- Further back! - Done. Wait up...

We just got home.

Here it is, mom! How are you?

I was about to call you, I was writing you a short message.

- A short what? - We went out for a walk.

We walked.

- I'm tired now. - It's warm! It's warm!

There is a lot of heat.

I went swimming in the lake.

I went swimming in the lake.

- Did you go swimming in the lake? - Yes.

S. We are on the way to the airport,

and we stopped by a lake along the way.

Magnificent.

- Do you have the right to do this? - Of course it is.

Tell me, why are you filming me like this?

Because I would like to do something, to show that there are no more distances in the world.

You are in Brussels ...

And I'm in Oklahoma. See, there are no more distances!

- Is magnificent! - Do you understand?

- You always have certain ideas! Isn't that right, dear? - Yes.

- My love. - Yes, yes.

When I see you like this, I want to hold you in my arms.

But you know that I will come the third week of September.

- The first? - The third, mom.

The third. Very well!

Very very good! Magnificent!

- I kiss you, mom. - Me too, my darling.

- See you soon! - Kisses!

- Goodbye, dear. - Goodbye, mom.

- Goodbye, dear. - Goodbye, mom.

Switch off.

Goodbye, mom.

Goodbye, Clara.

Goodbye, Chantal. Thank you for calling. I close.

They were a couple who, despite everything, worked.

It worked, but everyone made their own way.

Yes, he was in the synagogue and mom was at home with her sisters.

- And she went to the cinema. - And she was going out.

- And she went dancing. - No!

You know nothing about this. It was even said that she had a lover.

- She never went dancing. - But she had a man who loved her very much.

- Who said that? - Ethy.

Ethy said there was always a man who came to the house to find your mother.

I'm not saying she had a lover, but that there was a man who loved her.

Listen, there was a man who made the papers for us to come to Belgium.

- A lawyer or something. - And he was madly in love with her.

He had a lot of friendship for her.

A lot of friendship that seemed like love.

She did nothing, but in her head she did everything.

But he was ... well, he made our papers and when we got here ...

everything was perfectly in order.

What is it for, mom?

- It didn't help. - Two years! - Yes.

It would have been better to have come much earlier without the papers.

Your mother was already a feminist ahead of her time.

Ahead of its time.

Of course ... and they lived in harmony, they liked each other.

Because my father was so beautiful! So beautiful!

He let himself be pampered by his two daughters ...

Sonia and I.

We were on his knees, twisting his mustache.

We bothered him, we pulled his beard ...

And he let himself be touched like this ...

He never got upset with us. He never said, "That's enough."

But when we didn't study, then he said, "Chiffrah, come here!

Because they don't want to study! "

So it was she who had to slap us. He could not.

- And what did you have to study? - Called our mother to slap us.

And what did you have to study? The prayers?

We had to study every day.

- The prayers. - Prayers, yes.

But not only the prayers. Did he explain the Bible to you a little?

A little, but not a lot. I asked him what this or that meant.

But it wasn't in Hebrew. That was ancient Hebrew.

- What do you say? - Chaldean.

Era...

Hebrew of the Ashkenazis.

Yes, prayers.

Hebrew of prayers, not modern Hebrew.

- And you still remember those prayers? - From time to time ... yes.

When we go to the synagogue I can follow a little more.

Sometimes I'm wrong with "pintele". (Hebrew punctuation)

Which prayer do you know best? Shabbat prayer?

Yes, listen.

It's the one to eat bread.

- And there's one for drinking. - For the wine.

And the hands? When did we wash our hands? With what prayer did we do it?

I do not remember.

- Because we always had to wash our hands. - Now that you tell me about this ...

Ever since I fell,

when I broke here and I even hit my head,

... I have memory lapses.

Torner�.

You know that I no longer know a word of Hebrew,

Ethy arrives and I speak to her as if it came naturally to me.

And I only studied Hebrew for three years, because Dad took me out of the Hebrew school.

- That was a bad idea. - Bad.

Did you know that the director, when he was still alive,

one day we met him and he said:

"You did one thing, you took me away from Chantal."

He was so sorry.

Dad found that ... I don't know why ...

Because he was fed up with all those Orthodox.

He was already ...

When grandfather died, he wanted to free himself.

So, first of all, with me. He took me out of school.

He said, "If you're the best in the class, school is futile."

- Don't you remember? - I remember it.

And every day we fought in the playground.

We climbed onto the boys' shoulders and clashed against each other.

- Do you remember how I got home? - In such a state ...

You came back with the strings of your shoes untied,

all socks destroyed,

dirty fingers stained with ink.

Listen...

We had to take you like this, wash you and change your clothes.

I still have the strings on my shoes.

But you were pretty, so pretty, beautiful!

Such a beautiful girl! I was proud of it!

I too was proud of you.

I found you the most beautiful mother. The most beautiful woman.

I was very proud when you came to pick me up ...

to kindergarten.

You came to get me, I was holding your hand and I was proud to walk with you.

And to everyone I said, "This is my mother."

And also in Knokke. Do you remember Knokke? (seaside resort)

Everyone said to me: "What beautiful eyes! How beautiful! What eyes!"

At the time you were still in the stroller ...

and everyone was bending over you to look at your eyes!

- They haven't changed that much. - No.

They have not changed. Mine instead yes.

- They have become clearer. - Clearer.

- Isn't it strange? - Yes, it is pigmentation.

It is the same as hair that turns white.

- It's true, even the eyes change. - You lose pigmentation.

Then one day I realize ... you know that from there, in the corridor ...

there is this mirror with neon all around ...

and I wash my hands ...

and then I look in the mirror, and I see my eyes.

I say to myself: "But aren't my eyes brown?"

Where did they go? They have turned green.

- Where's your beautiful black hair? - What about my black hair?

Life is like this, even mine, I have almost no black hair.

I still have some.

It was so nice to have you here.

I haven't left yet.

- How did it end? - I decided not to go to school.

I always liked not going to school. Ever since I was little.

But now you will go there.

I will go there later in November.

Do I get one?

- Not now. - No, no ...

Go to rest, everything will be tidied up when you wake up.

The house will be clean.

Here it is.

It's getting cold, but you had so many things to do ...

- No, it's okay?

It is still hot.

- It's true, they're not beautiful. - Eh? - Napkins are not beautiful.

We ran out of mustard, so ...

- Thing? - There is no more mustard.

No, it doesn't?

Anyway, I don't see it.

There is mayonnaise, but I don't want it. There are pickles.

Are there any pickles?

These pickles are small.

With this, they are good.

- Is that all you eat? - Don't meddle.

I won't take care of you. You gave me some crap when I was little.

Listen, you ate nothing.

You ate a banana all day.

It was all I needed.

- I ate what I needed. - No...

You could have eaten a little more.

It was really a shame.

As soon as you saw that I was starting to prepare the bread, you were crying.

It would never have passed through my throat.

I remember when I went to grandma, dad's mom.

When he gave me chicken broth, with meatballs inside, it remained in my throat.

For the anguish. I saw it and it frightened me.

- Was it scary? - Yes, with your hair, like this.

Because she was already sick, but I was too young to understand.

Sure.

At that time, you know, it was the menopause that made her sick.

There was no cure.

Now there is everything.

But it wasn't just menopause, mom. It was diabetes ...

It was the aftermath of the war. She was so strong during the war.

Dad went out every day to go to work and she was afraid.

When the war ended, she collapsed.

It was this.

And when did you meet her?

He was still fine.

I was afraid of her. Her hair...

- Her hair was ruffled. - In fact.

I remember Sabine taking care of her, washing her, combing her ...

Sabine was sorry when I said I was afraid of her and that she seemed crazy.

But a child sees what he sees.

You know, a child sees what he sees. It is not the same thing.

I didn't know her as Sabine knew her.

Grandpa was an annoying guy, but you never bothered me.

Grandpa.

It didn't bother me at all, it was I who bothered him.

- Your grandfather? - Yes.

It didn't bother me so much.

Salute!

No...

He made sure that all the food you prepared was kosher (according to Judaism).

It was natural. I agreed, as before ...

It wasn't a drama for me.

But dad couldn't stand it.

From one day to the next, we no longer celebrated Shabbat.

From day to day, mom.

When he was gone.

- Looks like we disowned everything. - We disowned everything.

But not in my heart.

Wasn't Dad a little socialist from the Dror party?

- S�! - S�!

He was tired of all those ancient stories.

However, he respected his father very much and we did everything we needed to do.

Because in Jewish religion it is said ...

that you don't have to love parents, you have to respect them.

It's brilliant as an idea!

It is Ethy who told me this.

She had no love gestures.

Yes, you understand.

One day I went to visit Aunt Gusta in the hospital, they had operated on her hip.

I took her in my arms and kissed her.

She said to me, "I never did this to my mother."

In his own way he loved her the same, you know.

This may have been because of his father who was a German Jew.

Probably.

And a communist.

I do not know. I had no idea.

He wrote for a communist newspaper.

- I don't know about any of this. - Ethy told me.

I know they had a furniture store in Magdeburg.

But luckily ... it saved Ethy anyway,

and even Gusta somehow.

How did they come from Germany?

Grandfather went to the border with a smuggler.

He made her come.

He understood what was about to happen.

Because it was 1939 at the time.

He already understood.

There were a lot of people who took much longer to understand.

We thought we were safe here in Belgium.

- We were naive, huh? - And they all came.

- The Germans came and at the beginning, you know ... - Like a knife in butter.

Not really in butter, but they were kind ...

They were kind everywhere, they went to the shops, bought things,

they paid with their funny coin.

And we thought: okay, we're at war,

like everyone, we have to get by to have food,

for this and that, but then they started very slowly.

- Little by little, like ... - Like perverts.

Terrible how they tricked us!

Because if we had known from the beginning, we would all have left.

- In America, in Argentina, everywhere. - Yes, people would have gone everywhere.

And here it was so insidious.

One day they told us that it was necessary to put on the "Jewish" identity card.

But you know, Dad didn't want to wear it.

Dad didn't want to wear the yellow star.

He understood.

He had been in Belgium longer and then he had already understood more.

When he arrived in Belgium he had already seen signs:

"Neither dogs nor Jews" to rent.

Then he no longer trusted the Belgians.

Now they have asked for forgiveness.

Just now.

Because the government helped the Nazis.

Ah yes. But the king was a Nazi.

The king was a Nazi, mom.

S�, Leopoldo.

He had put himself on the side of the Germans.

This is why Baldwin was the king.

I'm not sure about this.

- Because I think ... - They were from the Saxony-Coburg-Gotha family.

He was not a Nazi.

But it was pro-German, call it what you want.

Therefore he was forced to resign from his duties.

And it was the little King, who was eight years old and had been sent to Switzerland,

to become King later.

In the meantime, there was a period of regency.

And the regent was the brother.

- Mommy! - Yes! Ready?

Hi how are you?

- I'm the mom! - But I said "mommy".

- Mom? - How are you dear?

- You're the one who called me now. - Yes, mom.

Why, the time to press the button and started.

Now there you are again.

- How are you? - And how are you?

- I can't see you, why? - Wait, I look at you.

I look at what I can do, wait a second.

- Your video camera. - Yes. - Every time.

It is because I want to show how small the world is.

And what do you do it for?

Do you always make your documentary?

No, I'm in New York now.

- Listen ... - Why are you filming me?

I all film, mom.

Obviously you, more especially than the others.

How kind. Clara continually takes pictures of me with her cell phone.

He photographs me from all sides.

Even when I sleep! He took a photo in my bed while I was sleeping!

So listen. Have you talked to Sylviane?

Sylviane called me. There's the wedding tonight.

I'm going to the circumcision of Beto's sister's baby today.

- Thing? Was the baby born? - Yes! I go to circumcision!

- Ah! Is it a boy? - Yes.

- Then he must already be 8 days old. - I guess so.

- S�. - S�.

- Will you see Nathalie then? - Yes.

And Beto and all of them because they will be there.

Give him a kiss for me.

Wish him luck on my part.

Mazel tov (good luck).

- Will you say it's from me? - Naturally.

Listen, do you know I think about Ida and Isy all the time?

It gave me so much pleasure that you could go there, that you did everything to go there.

Listen, I think they liked it too.

Listen, you did really well because ...

we are the only ones left.

- The two of them, me and Sabine. - Yes.

So, we must not forget them.

But I went there immediately, as soon as I learned that he was sick.

I'm sure you're the one who visits him most often.

Yes, I went to see him last September.

Sylviane said that if she can, she will go too.

- But it coincided with the wedding, the baby and everything else. - Yes.

- Is it hot there? Here 41 degrees. - Don't move too much.

Where they are, people wear hats. You saw them?

Yes, I have it. I too bought a hat. Do you want to see it?

I too bought a hat.

- Yes? - Do you want to see it?

- No. - You don't want to see my hat?

- But I don't see it ... - Wait, wait a second. Arrival.

Listen, mom. I have to do my accounting now.

And then I have a student who comes.

I have to do my accounting.

My accounting.

But I can still see my face here in the corner.

I said I have to do my accounting.

So I can't stay too long with you.

I'd better take it because the student arrives at one.

- Well, then ... - I'll call you later.

You don't have to give me explanations. Just say goodbye and that's all.

S. A big kiss and that's all.

What do you want? If you are busy, you are busy.

- You know I don't want to bother you. - I know.

The last thing I want is to bother you. I want it to be a pleasure when we speak.

But it is always a pleasure.

- Now you go. I kiss you, my love. - Yes.

- I wish you all the best. - Yes.

How to say?

- I hope to see you soon. - I'm coming on September 20th.

Good! I'm happy.

Sar l per lo Yom Kippur.

Magnificent.

Great.

Well, mom.

I leave you. I kiss you.

I don't like being photographed.

But it's all fuzzy, so don't worry.

Listen, I have here ... do you like my hat?

I've seen it, it's beautiful.

Don't hold it back, lower it over your eyes to protect them.

Cos�?

- Here. Cos. - Very well.

There is so much light, mom.

There is so much light in New York that nothing else can be done.

S�.

- The sun is very strong. - Yes. And how is it in Brussels?

Well, today is a little better.

There is fresh air, a little breeze.

The temperature has dropped.

I went for a walk with Maya.

But since I didn't go out for three days, I was tired.

I said, "I'm going home to rest."

And she too.

And here we are again at home.

- Well, mom. Now I kiss you. - Me too.

Big kisses, mom.

When I see your smile, it makes me happy.

I am in a very good mood.

- In a good mood? - Yes.

- OK then. - Then you have to take advantage of it, it doesn't happen so often.

- Then go, my dear. - I kiss you, mom.

- You too. I embrace you very strongly. - Yes.

- I'll see you. - See you later.

- See you tomorrow. - See you tomorrow.

I hug you, mom. Bye bye. Big kisses.

- How am I? - Very well.

How am I doing?

For me you are the most beautiful.

- My darling ... - Don't you think you're going too far?

No. I certainly am not exaggerating. I would like to say even more ...

but when I think it will be heard by others, then I don't want to.

I don't want everyone to listen to what I have to tell you.

Well listen, what you have to tell me is not so bad.

Well, mom. Now I leave you, I'm going to work a little.

Go to work.

- You have such a beautiful smile, dear. - See you soon!

I'd like to take this picture and look at you.

- See you soon, dear mommy. - Goodbye, my darling.

- Goodbye, mom. - Hi, honey.

Big kisses, I hug you tight. Are you OK.

And go out a little, go out a little as the weather is better.

- But we just went out with Maya now. - Yes.

We took a walk, we went back in and now I'm very tired.

- As usual. - I need to rest now.

- Well, mom, I kiss you. - Yes, dear.

Good luck, work well.

- See you soon. - See you soon, dear.

See, I try to ...

use this arm to eat.

Well.

It is much better than before.

Before you couldn't move it at all.

- Ah! - Seen? - Did you see?

- Has anyone ... - As if they had turned the light on and off.

- Closed the ... - The light. - Closed the ...

Closed the curtains.

- Did you see? - Yes.

All of a sudden, it's dark.

Listen.

Really!

When Chantal talks like this, you don't eat very well.

When you talk and she says things, you get very upset.

She knows you get upset, but she doesn't know it's her fault.

I'm not hungry.

I would but I can not.

I can't do this because it would make her feel bad.

Sabine called, but for the moment she doesn't want to know anything.

I have to leave her alone.

- I have to leave her alone. - Yes.

- Was it good, mom? - It was delicious.

I'm okay.

Thanks to you dear. Thanks.

It is Andr e who cooked this magnificent fish!

Both! You have done wonders!

Wonderland!

- I wish I could go out in a bit. At least for half an hour. - Yes.

- Yes, let's go out. - Let's go out.

Now that there is some sun.

- Yes, it will be nice ... - Take some fresh air, go for a walk.

We'll be back in half an hour, dear.

S , Mom.

- I don't need my bag? - No.

There is Patricia who will come soon ...

to clean.

- Will you open the door? - Yes, mom.

- And we're going around the block. - Go, mom. Go!

Go even further.

- I'll put on my scarf. - Yes, always.

- I'll get my purse. - Yes!

- But I don't need to carry my bag. - Yes, but you must ...

- There's money here. - Money, just in case.

- Yes, huh! - You can't go out without money. - No!

Just the keys and that's it.

- Will Patricia come then? - Yes, I told you.

- Chantal will let you in. - Let's go out.

- See you later. - See you later.

- See you later. - See you later.

- See you later, see you later. - See you later ...

- See you later. - See you later...

You're going to drop something.

But it is close.

Have you seen how dark it is?

I'm tired.

Be careful if you got the flu.

Isn't there any preventative treatment?

Yesterday I was with Josef.

You are sick, Richard is also sick.

And besides, you took the tram.

You can't do anything. Maybe you want an aspirin or something.

No, that's okay.

- You don't know how? - He'll find it, but I had a bit of ...

I had something ... I had something ...

It is written so small.

The fuses blown, but I put them back.

The fuses.

I put the fuses back.

E' Chantal!

You have a cough, mom.

No, no, sweetly.

You have to breathe while you eat.

Straight. You are always sitting upright.

It is better straight.

Done.

Everything at once. You sneeze and cough all at once.

It is nothing.

Here is the handkerchief.

It is gone?

It is gone?

It is gone.

It is difficult to swallow.

You have to be more careful when you eat.

Yes, that's right! S ...

He eats...

Breathe

- I'm going to bed. - But no, now no. Don't go to bed.

Why? Today you are exaggerating.

Chantal is only here for one day.

You can't stay in bed all day when Chantal is there.

You leave tomorrow.

Then don't go to bed.

- Listen to his stories. - No, no!

I'm going to take a nap for half an hour, then I'll tell you about it.

- I want to know everything. - Yes.

- You didn't really talk to me. - You never speak? He never stops talking.

- You don't speak. - Talk a lot.

Yes, speak.

He speaks, but he never tells me anything important.

I want to know how things are going in Berlin,

a New York...

Everything important that happens in his life.

- Have you heard, Chantal? Well, you say I talk too much, Sylviane.

No, but you don't tell her what she's interested in.

I don't know what to do with it.

We are kidding, Chantal.

Next month you go to Venice.

In the month of September.

Chantal goes to Venice.

Do you remember that two years ago we were all together with Chantal in Venice?

At the festival.

Do you remember?

But yes. We had dressed her elegantly.

We had put on a tuxedo.

Don't you remember it anymore? Didn't we tell you? But yes! To Venice!

Before Venice.

In Venice, we stayed with Chantal.

- Ah, yes! That time ... - And now we go again.

- Mom? - S ?

Do you feel OK? Tell us a story.

I want a story, tell.

Chantal...

Seen? I put this on the carpet.

Mother.

Tell me a story.

Mother.

Don't sleep, honey.

Wake up and tell us.

Tell us!

Where are you going?

Where I go? You told me to come closer.

What did he say?

Aren't you the one who told me to come closer?

No, Sylviane asked you to tell a story.

And not to sleep.

What did you do yesterday, mom?

Tell us where we were yesterday.

Ma '?

Mother!

Mom, don't sleep.

Mother!

Mother?

- Do not sleep. - What did we do yesterday?

Where were you yesterday?

Al caff�?

We were...

- We went to La Bascule. (shopping center) - No.

No, we haven't been to La Bascule.

We went to a brasserie.

- In a brasserie? - Yes.

In which brasserie?

The Saint Georges brasserie.

We had a coffee there.

You took something else besides coffee.

What did you take?

You got a huge ice cream.

Eh? Do not you remember?

She invited us.

Yes, you invited me to Brasserie Georges.

S. And the gentleman who recognized you, the waiter?

And the waiter said, "Eat all the ice cream, huh!"

I'm listening ...

and I understand half of what you say.

And there was a strange woman there.

Mother.

With her dog on her giant breast.

Do you remember?

He had put his little dog on his chest.

No, it wasn't there. It was a party.

- Thing? - It was a party.

But no. He had a little dog.

And she had huge breasts.

And if he put it here, remember?

She had the dog on her and the dog licked her, disgusting.

She drank a large bottle of champagne on her own.

- Do you remember? - Yes.

And what happened to her in the end?

She's gone. He finished drinking the whole bottle and left.

- With your dog on you here. - Yes. - Disgusting.

He really infected half Brussels.

Really, I don't know where she is now.

- Listen, I love animals but don't go overboard. - No.

Really.

I love animals.

Ma ...

We must try ...

He shouldn't fall asleep.

Sometimes she is really tired.

- It's fatigue, that's all. - But I too want to sleep.

It's the wine.

Sit in an armchair and take a nap.

Do not fall.

I've had enough of one, huh ...

which continues to fall.

I too would take a nap.

- Do you have any brothers? - I?

No, no brothers.

Only Sylviane.

- My sister. - Ah, the sister. Only two?

S�...

- Only two. - Only two.

- It's small ... - It's small!

And a little'...

How do you say? Sad.

Sad. Sad, a po 'sad.

Ah, only two girls? Nothing else?

- My dad ... - Yes?

He wanted three.

But my mother ...

- Tired. - Tired, of course ...

And your dad, what is his nationality?

It is Belgian, but it came from Poland.

Ah, from Poland.

- My mother too. - Your mother from Poland too?

Ah well.

He ran away, because the Poles were very ... tough.

Yes, life is very hard there.

But people ...

People, yes ...

There is a lot of difference.

Then they fled here.

But later, the SS ...

they took them ...

and brought them back to Poland.

- In concentration camps. - Yes.

- That's why my mom is like this. - Yes.

Sure.

- In Auschwitz. - Ah, the Jews.

- And you're not married? Don't you have children? Nothing? - No.

Nobody. Only Ms. Sylviane.

I want to see you every day.

We will see you on Skype and will be back in a month.

We are even closer than before.

What about Chantal?