Baron noir (2016–…): Season 3, Episode 3 - #MeToo - full transcript
We just need an answer
before tomorrow afternoon.
Are you sure about this?
They are cool, really.
-Hi.
-It's busy!
-You okay?
-Hello.
-Hello!
-This looks great.
-Hi.
-Hello!
-Hi!
-She can't come in.
She'll just take some photos.
I called Amina, it's all sorted.
No, it isn't. It's a workshop
for non-diverse activists.
Racialised only. Got it?
I'm part of a photography collective,
so I thought I could take some photos.
Nope.
You think we can't do it ourselves?
-Wait!
-Arabs, out!
France for the French!
Move, Negroes!
Filthy Arabs!
Get out!
Get out, Negroes!
Run!
Watch out! Let her go!
-Stop it!
-The cops!
-Are you crazy? Let her go!
-The cops are coming!
Salomé! Are you okay?
Yeah.
You'll need an MRI.
I said I'm fine.
From what I know, they threatened
to turn up and you went anyway!
I'm a photographer,
I go where the action is.
First, the anti-speciesists.
Now, it's anti-racist racist meetings.
It will always end up
at a police station.
I'm running for president, Salomé.
I must be careful. I can't spend my life
at police stations.
So you preferred it
when I visited you inside?
They aren't racist.
Oh, yeah? So why didn't they let you in?
They're misunderstood.
Anti-white racism doesn't exist.
In history,
who is the discriminated one?
Us? No. It's
them.
Hold on.
Yes? Ah, Philippe. Come in.
How are you?
Are you here as a mole?
A mole? Who's mole?
-Dorendeu, Kalhenberg, you?
-What's this about?
Nothing. It was a simple question.
If I were,
why would I help you win a region?
To make me think you aren't a mole.
You're the ex-Trot, not me.
You actually helped Véro win.
She could also be a mole.
Fine, I'm a mole. Véro, too.
Be wary of your wife,
maybe she infiltrated your marriage.
So you're not a mole?
-No more than your wife.
-So you're my Black Baron?
I don't like that term. It's belittling.
I'm not a machine. I have principles.
It's like reducing you
to your oratory art. See?
But a talent should be used.
I'd like you to use yours on me.
Then you need to trust me,
otherwise it won't work.
Hence my verification
of your true intentions.
Now that everything is clear,
we can get to work.
-Coffee?
-Yes.
The regionals are a juncture
that opens up a new political sequence.
Dorendeu has been weakened
18 months before the election.
The presidential race has already begun
and the horses are
in the starting blocks.
Of course, the thoroughbreds,
like me, have a head start.
You need to work on your credibility.
I am credible.
Chalon is the dangerous alternative,
I'm the happy alternative.
It's better to show it.
For example,
you could comment on Jussieu.
Jussieu? No, I won't. That is quite...
-That is student folklore.
-I don't agree.
What happened is a sign of what the
presidential elections will depend on.
The elections will depend
on non-diverse meetings?
Republic or withdrawal.
Universalism or tribal comeback.
Class struggle or race warfare.
Identity hasn't been a good theme
for us.
Not identity, the Republic.
It's reassuring
and gives you credibility.
Condemn racism, whatever its form,
in the name of the Republic.
Show that you aren't far left.
These young people
are already voting for me.
So what?
Even if you jostle them a bit,
they'll still vote for you.
What do you mean?
Take on Cyril's measure
for diversity in school.
It's the opposite
to what the racialists want.
Seeing as you signed the petition,
you're still responding,
without directly commenting
on the matter.
Not bad.
Deal.
Using his ideas is like
a second death for Cyril Balsan.
It's like grave robbing.
I've worked out a schedule
for announcing Françallemagne.
Thursday 13 March,
in 15 days, 30 minutes
before the Council of Ministers,
you bring Thorigny into the loop.
15 minutes later, Desfrenes and Mirmont:
La Défense and the Quai d’Orsay.
No, all three together.
Thorigny is too impulsive.
He'll be hurt at not being involved
in discussions with Fischtel.
He might do what he does best:
absolutely anything.
Just 15 minutes alone
and he could leak it
and ruin my announcement.
At the same time, in Germany,
Fischtel will tell his ministers.
In the afternoon,
we'll leak an initial figure:
300 billion for ecology.
Huge media impact: ”Green New Deal”,
”An Eco Marshall Plan.”
An hour later, the real figure
is released: 650 billion.
Boom! Around 4 p.m.,
Fischtel will meet
the great historical figures of ecology.
The time for emotion. In the evening,
live on the public channels:
the big interview. Fischtel and you,
explaining the details
of the ecological change pact
in the context of Françallemagne.
Where I announce the project's
submission for approval by referendum.
Sharing France's seat
at the Security Council with Germany
could be controversial for some.
Thorigny, Chalon, Vidal:
they think I'm dead.
With this referendum,
I'll derail the presidential election.
”We can't live in a society of islands
where separatism and partition
are established.
It's time for the final blow.
We need diversity in schools, etc.”
Signed by Michel Vidal.
That was your plan.
You're happy about this?
Vidal sows the seeds,
we reap the profits.
Such a declaration will attract
the Children of the Republic
to The People Stand Up.
The harpooning
of Vidal's cruise ship can begin.
In six months,
when enough of our guys have joined,
we'll have the numbers to blow it up.
Let's get to it.
Old school: phone, file,
crosses, columns.
”Hello, Mr. Smith, Hello, Mrs. Brown.
It's John Doe
from the Children of the Republic.
I'm calling because you signed
the petition on diversity in school.”
We're going to call everyone?
Pascal, you can loan us two assistants,
Bernard and Sylvie.
They're used to cold calling.
You mean bogus jobs?
Not at all. They'll still be working.
Not for the region!
It'll only be for a week.
When you call the list, read them
Vidal's declaration and tell them
that the Republic only has one party:
The People Stand Up.
And remember to mention me.
”Do you know Philippe Rickwaert?
He came up with the proposition
of school diversity.
He joined The People Stand Up.
Yes, he chose to strengthen the only
party to support diversity, etc.”
And boom, new members.
-And?
-We industrialize it.
Mass cold calling.
Thanks to the main star:
Véro and the region's resources!
Is Véro on board with this?
Véro is rational.
She trusts what she sees.
If it works and we show her
hundreds of new members,
of course she will be.
You'll tell her the frog tale?
I helped her win the region.
It's her turn to help me.
That's friendship. When Vidal realizes,
it will be too late.
A frog?
Defending the left all your life
and working like a dog, all for what?
To end up like the rest of them,
obsessed by the presidency.
I know that you respect Michel.
In a way, I do, too.
But he chose his strategy
and it's populism! He'll never win.
Just as well.
I don't want a left-wing Trump.
-A left-wing Trump?
-That's why I must do it.
I didn't wake up and think:
”What if I became the President?”
I'm not egotistical.
He is. He's self-absorbed.
He is not reassuring and struggles
to unite people. He's too divisive.
Hold on, Philippe, I'll stop you there.
This is not a Socialist conference.
This is the presidency. Stature counts.
So this is how we end up.
Cyril believed. He supported me.
He understood it all.
He didn't need a diagram.
Wait, the merger was down
to you and Cyril?
So what? He came to me.
Should I have refused?
But you did! You shot him down
in front of Vidal. I was there.
Vidal is responsible.
I got my hands dirty to get you elected.
”I killed Cyril
to betray Michel even better.”
Do you hear what you're saying?
-That guy is clinically paranoid.
-I won't hear anymore.
A leadership war razed the left,
I won't get involved
in that again. Period.
Philippe, you're brilliant.
You know that.
Every decision I make
is imbued with the battles
we fought together.
But he is ready.
He has the vision,
the determination, the stature,
the experience and the legitimacy.
Michel will be a great president.
Not because he's the best placed,
he is just the best.
Philippe, please. Stop this nonsense.
Do what you do best.
Help him to win.
Fischtel validated
the Françallemagne statements.
-I came to thank you for your work.
-As a patriot, I didn't expect payment.
-I can take it back if you like.
-No.
Thank you. I'll open it.
Thank you. Two concert tickets.
Would you happen to be free on that day?
Unfortunately not.
-Will you head straight back to the USA?
-Yes.
I think it's a shame that
someone as brilliant as you isn't
at one of our universities.
Just for a year.
Then I'll leave the pomp of Columbia
for a windowless office, such is
the charm of French universities.
Would you like a drink or...
Will we sneak off? On a scooter?
Knowing how clumsy you are,
I'd never get on your scooter!
Yeah, all right.
I don't know how to say it...
I think Columbia would cope if...
...I only did one semester.
Olivier, that isn't a good idea.
I'm sorry, it isn't you.
About 30,000 articles come out
every month mentioning my name.
Without counting social networks.
If they smell a relationship,
it'll be 60,000 and 80% of those
will discuss that relationship.
”Is it true love?
How do they organize their lives?
Are they expecting?”
The rest,
the important things, my politics,
will be relegated to background noise.
They'd soon wonder
if I was ”being influenced.”
By me?
A woman can't think for herself.
I would immediately be reassigned
to the condition I shouldn't have left:
a woman.
Above all, a woman is someone's wife.
So as head of state,
only a man can have a love affair?
It won't always be the case, but...
I'll lie on the barbed wire
for the others to pass safely.
If the memory of my presidency
is that of gossip about my private life,
I may be the first female president,
but it'd be awhile before the next.
So all I have is the Constitution.
You can only do two consecutive terms.
How are you, Philippe,
is this a bad time?
No, I was just reading.
Lucky you. I can't sit still.
The media are fuelling a horrible lie:
"Vidal equals Frexit."
But I'm not for Frexit,
I support a united Europe
breaking free from austere treaties.
That's Plan A.
If that fails, Plan B is leaving...
Yes, in collaboration
with southern countries:
Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy.
That's 40% of Europe's GDP.
Plan B is akin to socialism,
it won't work with just one country.
I don't think the European
left-wing is with you.
We're making progress on a joint text,
but the Spaniard
from Podemos is dragging his feet.
He rejects Plan B.
I'm tired of explaining
that without the threat of Plan B,
Plan A's negotiation
is already lost, but...
He won't hear it.
He's too pig-headed. You'll see.
I'll see what?
I'm leaving for Spain tomorrow
with the aim of finalizing this text.
Will you come with me?
We can continue with our meetings.
It'll be great.
Unless you have better plans?
I have clients to see.
I'll join you in two days.
Perfect!
Mr. Prime Minister.
I have informed my closest colleagues.
No regrets or remorse
on what we achieved together.
Neither in substance or in form,
of course.
Two years in office hasn't been hell,
but it has been exhausting.
And as we turn the final corner,
further momentum is needed
for the reforms.
It was an honour working with you,
Amélie.
May I ask what your plans are?
A return to the Assembly?
Probably, yes.
But most of all, unwinding, just a bit.
Yes, unwinding...
Or getting elected as head of
A United France at October's congress?
If I stay bottom of the polls,
you'd replace me
at the presidential elections.
Only if you stand down
or are prevented, of course.
Between Chalon and Vidal,
we need a credible candidate
who is competitive.
Of course.
Stéphane, you didn't work ”with me”,
you worked for me,
which was unbearable for you.
As a result, you're off to prepare
your horses for the presidential race.
Good luck.
Hola, friends.
My name is Philippe Rickwaert.
I come from the north of Francia.
Now, let's welcomenado
the presidential candidate
for the República Francesa,
Michel Vidal.
El pain in the neckas.
El buster of cojones.
El pequeño dickas.
El asshole, like a...
The problem is
that without Véro's resources,
and at the rate
I am gaining members from my list,
I can hope to win
the party's majority in 2054.
-I'm patient, but...
-Do you have a new strategy?
A primary for the left.
Like in the USA:
one candidate for the left
from the first round.
A primary with Vidal?
The left includes Vidal.
Imagine a TV studio with lecterns.
Vidal will never go for it.
-Naïma, I said, ”imagine.” Try.
-It isn't easy.
Several lecterns. Kalhenberg,
a green lefty, an old Stalinist,
a radical, Vidal and me!
-Okay, I can see it.
-Vidal is uncomfortable at his lectern.
He didn't want this primary.
Of course, he has a populist strategy.
He contests the word ”left”!
Why would he go?
He was forced to
by a considerable shift in opinion.
You've lost me.
Since Chalon's alliance
with the right in PACA,
the people on the left are worried.
If the dam cracks at a national level,
Chalon will verge on 40%
in the first round.
So, the deep left,
which knows how to add,
understands that we need one
left-wing candidate in the first round.
-That means a left-wing primary.
-Okay.
Pressured by the blackmail of a union,
Vidal is forced to participate.
Weakened, but the favourite.
That makes him the man to beat.
If he doesn't secure a majority,
the others will join me
to rally against him.
It's logical,
he gave them hell for 10 years.
They'd think: ”Down with the tyrant!”
I'd just have to finish him.
People won't go to the streets
with placards of ”We want a primary.”
We need a full campaign:
teasers, visuals, social media.
-That isn't my job.
-Nor mine. Don't even try.
Just think about it.
You can't keep working
for those losers on the TV!
Why not? The pay is good.
I know it isn't your usual rates...
but here.
It took great pains
to persuade my banker.
Keep your money.
I never should have agreed to help you.
I let my guard down.
You were miserable
and soaked to the bone.
Will you think about it now?
Thorigny told us the time
of his resignation announcement.
How kind of him.
1 NEW MESSAGE
1 p.m. on the channel TF1.
CHANCELLOR FISCHTEL ACCUSED
OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The German Chancellor has not made
an official announcement,
but his staff refute the serious claims.
The first of the three allegations
is from a former colleague
at the European Parliament,
who claims to have received hundreds
of messages over a few days.
Another told investigators
that Mr. Fischtel
attempted to sexually assault her
when he was Budget Minister.
Of course,
his entourage strongly denies...
Maybe you should cancel
your next trip to Berlin?
No. Tell Fischtel I need to see him
as soon as possible.
Call his office.
Madam President, you supported
the #metoo movement, it'd be...
The French President will not
boycott the German Chancellor
as a result of rumours
which could have been orchestrated
by the opposition or foreign powers.
We know nothing!
We know of three allegations.
If you're seen with him...
Tell Fischtel that I want
our meeting to remain secret.
-It's really simple.
-Here, girls.
Since it wasn't rape,
it is just clumsy flirting.
Because the guy is Chancellor, he'll
claim the chicks are lying. So, boom!
Joker: presumed innocence,
everyone shuts up!
-Isn't there presumption of guilt here?
-Not here.
This is a white,
50-year-old man in power.
The patriarchy that violates
our democracy every day.
What about the ”whitriarchy”?
Of course. It's the same thing.
She's right.
Just look at the people in power.
Vidal, Thorigny, Kalhenberg,
not to mention Chalon.
And Dorendeu?
Wait, I disagree.
You can't tar Vidal with the same brush.
-We can.
-Why?
I'll tell you why.
He just takes our struggles
to throw it back at us
when he is in power.
He's Mitterrand, but ten times worse!
-That filthy Rickwaert joined him.
-Exactly.
-Misogynist!
-It's just plain wrong.
Secularist, fascist, patriarchal,
it couldn't be worse.
Have you seen him? Let's talk
about that! He's like a dirty old man.
-He has the right face for the job.
-Thanks.
-He's gross.
-Totally.
I was an MP in Strasbourg.
Going stiff, going through a difficult
patch with my wife.
And then this assistant came along.
She was beautiful, funny, full of life.
I fell in love, that's it.
But she was already married
and she had no desire
to have an affair with her boss.
She was right, obviously.
We should have left it at that,
but I persisted. I sent her messages.
Lot of messages.
She must have thought I was...
Anyway, it didn't last long.
A week, at most.
I realized and then I stopped.
And that's it,
that's all there is to know about it.
-Two other women are claiming...
-They're lying.
I've never been near them.
They're lying, I promise you.
Maybe...
...I shouldn't...
...but I do believe you.
Well, all is not lost.
We'll have to fight and strike back.
When we've seen Françallemagne
and the New Green Deal,
none of this will matter.
History will see us...
My wife won't speak to me anymore.
My children are being insulted
at school.
There are feminist demos every night
in front of the Chancellery.
It's unbearable.
I have to resign
to defend myself in court...
...and save my family.
No.
There is a time for the courts
and there is a time
for political battle.
You'd end up being dragged down with me.
They's smear you,
as they have smeared me.
It's over.
I'm sorry, Amélie.
Philippe! Bienvenido a España!
Going for a ride?
It is so beautiful here.
”Land of Castile, lifting me up
in the rough hand...”
No. ”In the rough palm of your hand.”
By D'Unamuno, I believe.
Will you join me?
Not too long.
We're meeting the Podemos in 2 hours.
-Not like this.
-They have everything here.
Could you provide a bike
and some clothes for my friend, please?
Of course.
-See you later then.
-Yes!
Matignon is a sticky situation
for your ex-girlfriend.
If she names Boudard, the Gaullist,
it leans to the right.
If it's Mirmont, an ex-Socialist,
it's a blow to the left.
Either of them would be ludicrous.
It'd be the same policy of submission.
It isn't worth the stress.
Why not name a European Commissioner
and be done with it?
I have to keep the rhythm
to keep my legs moving.
-See you back at the hotel?
-Okay.
It is clear that
Françallemagne won't happen.
Whoever the new Chancellor is,
they won't be as obliging as Fischtel.
It takes time to form
such a privileged relationship.
The moment has passed.
Since we failed to derail
the presidential train,
you'll have to enter the race too.
You're lagging behind, Amélie.
The longer Matignon stays empty,
the weaker you become.
And the harder Thorigny will push back.
I think Boudard is trustworthy.
He's used to the shadows.
Mirmont dreams of the spotlight
and risks pulling a Thorigny.
That is always a risk.
The attraction of the presidency is such
that it could arouse ambition
in the most obscure departmental
councillor. It makes us crazy.
You.
I... Thank you.
For everything. For trusting me,
for the honour you bestow on me...
Don't say ”but”, Martin.
But I am the wrong choice.
I’m not an elected official.
The politicians will criticize.
They'll make accusations of technocracy.
I am your general secretary.
They'll say it's your last resort.
I have total confidence in you.
Given the situation,
it is my number one criteria.
The second is expertise.
You come top of my list.
Then, with deep gratitude, I'll accept
your offer to be your prime minister,
only if you throw everything
into this fight.
The PR advisors whom you refuse to meet
could help, Amélie. You must see them!
It is essential that you accept
to work on your image.
RESHUFFLE: THE EXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT
Ladies and gentlemen,
the President of the Republic has named
Mr. Martin Borde as Prime Minister.
THE ARCHITECT AND THE BEE
-Here.
-What is it?
Excellent.
The sequel is The Straw and the Grain.
It goes from 1971 to 1978.
It is a good read.
No, thank you very much.
It is mandatory, Léandra.
It is all there.
This is the logbook of a man
who rose to power
by bear hugging the Communist Party.
-Just follow the steps.
-No, PACA is an exception.
The right won't budge
at a national level.
When I take the train
to the Parliament in Strasbourg,
the Republicans switch seats
to avoid saying hello.
A right-wing union
will never see the day.
To be leapfrogged by a civil servant
so desperately transparent as Borde...
It must be tough for Boudard.
Boudard is open to offers.
Target number one: Boudard!
Boudard is the biggest Gaullist around!
He hates you!
No, he hates the party,
that's different.
I do too. I'm finding it
more and more difficult.
Did you see what happened
at that university?
Leftists organizing
a white-free meeting...
You know what that means:
ignominy has switched sides.
They are the Ku Klux Klan now.
We just needed to roll it out!
Then those jerks... those GUD Nazis...
They burst in shouting ”Arabs, out.”
Seriously, how stupid can you be?
They have come in useful.
Yeah, well...
Boudard could help me win.
Go on.
He received the Order of the Francisque.
Without Plan B,
Plan A is just a knife without a blade
that is missing the handle.
Philippe, finally! I was worried!
My name is Philippe Rickwaert.
-Welcome.
-I come from the north of France.
Sorry, Michel, I got lost.
You cycled from the north of France?
That's far.
What did he say?
Here.
He got lost
in your beautiful countryside.
My friend Philippe took a long time
to break from the socialists.
He was very attached to the old world,
but don't worry, by my side,
he has made great progress
in his rehabilitation.
UPPITY
It is the sign
of a damaged relationship,
but it can be revived.
From our viewpoint, there is a fire.
But you have gallons of water
to extinguish that fire.
Except the jerrycans have been hidden,
so you can't use them.
Of course I am authoritative.
I am the President of the Republic.
It is a quality, not a flaw.
For a man, yes.
But for a woman, it's more complex.
The term ”woman” only came in 7th place
in all focus groups.
If the name Amélie Dorendeu
evokes my politics before my gender,
I congratulate myself.
I'd advise you to do the same.
When you were elected,
you were the first female president.
But we have lost...
Am I no longer
the first female president?
Maybe I'm no longer a woman.
No, of course.
But as the French people don't see you
with a partner, it is a disadvantage.
You don't know who the woman is
behind the president.
Now what? Are you going to sign me up
to a dating website?
What I mean is your femininity
is an asset, Amélie, not an obstacle.
Karine Lemarchand's show
An Intimate Ambition.
It is very popular.
No politician had any complaints...
I have work to do.
Amélie.
-Amélie.
-I want Naïma Meziani.
Naïma Meziani is not available.
Who is she working for? Thorigny?
No, she left politics.
She does crisis PR
for media personalities in danger:
presenters, actors, singers...
For top dollar.
-Double her rates.
-I tripled them. She still refused.
-Philippe...
-I'm going to kill him!
-The guy is cruel and perverted.
-Stay calm, Philippe.
He probably had a hidden motor.
It has happened in cycling.
It isn't just doping.
Hold on, Naïma.
Shit.
I'll call back.
Had enough of tapas?
That Spaniard, huh? He says yes,
he says no, he says nothing.
He's slippery, but he doesn't know me.
I won't leave without his signature.
To start, I'll send him the Portuguese
guy from Bloco de Esquerda.
He'll put some pressure on him.
Why don't you like me?
What?
What did I ever do to you?
Nothing.
Why won't you give me anything?
With Laugier, it was a sight to behold.
Always whispering secrets to each other.
And I won't even mention your ex.
”Amélie, Amélie, Amélie...”
With me... nada.
You don't like me and that hurts.
What do you want?
Do you want it gift-wrapped?
”Michel! Michel!”
They'll soon be throwing panties
as if you're a pop star.
That isn't politics, Michel.
You produce shows
where you're the only star.
Populism can't be left-wing.
I can't. It isn't in my culture.
Do you think it is mine?
”The Young Guard” lyrics.
We are the children of Lenin and Trotsky
By the hammer and sickle...
At a rally in Toulouse,
they started singing:
We are the children
of Lenin and Michel...
So it is almost like being a pop star.
It affects you, believe me.
And it makes me very happy because
it validates my political strategy.
It scares me. You scare me, Michel.
For years, I worked in my corner
to renew the socialist doctrine.
Texts, speeches, books,
propositions by the truckload.
Did they listen to me?
Did they read my work? No.
They laughed at me.
They caricatured me as a fossil
of the past. Now, it's a miracle!
Each intervention I make is
taken and dissected,
put under the microscope.
Welcome to the Fifth Republic,
my friend.
I embody, I personify.
I haven't become coquettish,
but I'm riding the waves.
I am my program.
And my program is about breaking
with this masked monarchy.
I'm riding through.
That is all I am doing.
What is Vidalism?
Michel Vidal.
The good news is
that Michel Vidal is just me.
Only me, Philippe! Do I scare you?
Just bouncing ideas around.
Young people have told me
that presenting myself in a couple
would re-feminize my image.
Which people? They sound great!
Give them jobs!
What now? Announcements in the media?
I also suggest coming to New York.
You could meet
the Senate's democratic candidate.
Two women, two progressives.
No, I have another idea.
TIME FOR THE PEOPLE!
With that, the Greeks swing towards us.
Just the Germans left.
They arrive tomorrow.
You'll make us drink that?
But we didn't do anything wrong!
I got my machine changed.
The hardest part was
giving myself permission.
-The authorization.
-To do what?
To claim the French presidency!
You need to be overconfident
and audacious to step into the shoes
of François Mitterrand
or General de Gaulle.
You can't even imagine it
because you need to experience it
for yourself,
but it is quite unsettling.
Measuring up
to those we dare to imitate.
Inevitably, you feel very small.
-Short, long?
-Short.
For not being coquettish,
that's a lot for five days.
Oh, that.
I have four literature students
who make reading notes for me.
When I find an interesting one,
I read it myself.
I don't like delegating
the intellectual work.
THE MAN WHO REMEMBERED THE FUTURE
Amélie, I have a question for you.
-I'm listening.
-Your voice.
Deep and gravelly.
I find it very sensual.
Now, it has become your signature.
I imagine that the gravelly tones
weren't easy to live with as a teenager?
I had my fair share of insults.
Which I still hear today.
-You must've noticed.
-Yes, it's true.
Maybe not because of that,
but does your adolescence
hold happy or difficult memories?
I think I went through
all the usual stages.
I wouldn't come out of my room,
or I'd spend hours in front
of the mirror, trying crazy hairstyles.
-No more?
-No!
-You haven't the time.
-No.
How does it work here?
Do you have a team of hair
and makeup artists
-who come all day every day?
-No.
-No, I manage on my own.
-Really?
And I'm the pop star?
Really?
My tolerance level expired
a long time ago.
Everything I told her not to do.
The She-Wolf, Jupiter,
Mother of Dragons...
All in the trash.
You seem sad about it.
Me? Not for one second!
Amélie, Madam President,
it is the end of the show.
Thank you for such a lovely afternoon.
I thought you were very sincere,
and that will show.
-Thanks, Karine.
-I must ask one final question.
Madam President,
will you be running for re-election?
Wait. Put the sound back on.
-Come on.
-Go on! That's her she-wolf face.
It was fun to confide in you
about my teenage agony.
But as I was talking,
I couldn't help but imagine
General de Gaulle doing the same thing.
I do believe
he wouldn't have been able to.
You're avoiding the question.
I also had a nice time
in your company, Karine.
If some of our compatriots
who aren't interested in politics
found me likable,
-I'll be pleased
-Of course.
But if their vote depends on that,
we have a problem.
When personality overtakes
the political program,
democracy is weakened so badly,
that it is at risk.
Our institutions have always taken
that risk,
but since installing the five-year term
and reversing the calendar,
which automatically makes
the legislative results dependent
on the presidential outcome,
political life boils down to that vote.
The presidential election
is a soap opera, a TV series,
in which image and personality
are more important than ideas.
Look how this overpersonalisation
impoverishes debates.
It is vital for our country
to rebalance power
and to return deliberation
and democracy to where today,
it all rests on one man... or woman.
That is why I believe
the moment has come
to collectively question
the foundations of our democratic pact:
our institutions, our constitution.
As always in these cases,
the people will cast their vote
in a referendum: it is their decision.
A sixth Republic?
The numbers aren't important.
I will, of course, be consulting
with legal and constitutional experts,
but the road map is clear:
we must democratize our institutions.
When will that begin?
Tomorrow morning.
-Thank you, Madam President.
-Thank you.
Well, between beauty tips,
she just stole your Constituent.
It is in consultation,
she'll name a committee of experts.
It is far from a Constituent.
She's opened the door to a new Republic.
The oligarchy won't let that happen.
She's trying to derail the election
with a referendum.
It is purely tactical.
A classic diversion maneuver.
She picks any subject at all,
which is neither social, nor Europe.
She'll saturate the media for six months
to avoid discussing awkward subjects.
It isn't a random choice.
She chose the Sixth Republic
to siphon you off and weaken you.
It starts with a Constituent.
It won't be revolutionary.
Better proportions here,
less use of ordinances there...
Peanuts, a drop in the ocean,
a lick and a prayer.
Maybe, but she used your words:
personalization, presidentialization.
You think I'm worried?
-It's the vibe I'm getting.
-Me, scared?
My program isn't about
rebalancing the institutions.
I don't want to turn a few screws,
add some oil
and straighten the handlebars!
My program is a citizen's revolution!
Go on then, start your revolution.
A program isn't for fun.
-A program is applied!
-Yes.
She has you pinned down. Turn it around!
-Use her.
-Amélie is Louis XVI.
When he summoned the Estates General,
he thought he had the upper hand.
He never thought he would end up
with his head on the chopping block.
She is the same.
Without realizing,
she launched your citizen's revolution.
Questions arise...
Who will choose them? On which criteria?
An obscure committee of sages
can't decide the rules of a new regime.
Since 1789, in France,
-it has been the people's task!
-Good.
It is for the people to write
their own constitution.
Since they have not been summoned,
they will summon themselves!
Wherever you are,
show yourselves,
go onto the streets, gather in
the squares of our towns and villages.
Gather, unite and debate,
propose, exchange, dream.
Express your hopes,
needs, desires, frustrations!
And write! Never stop writing.
Write new lists of grievances.
The issue with a rallying cry
is that if people don't join,
you'll be ridiculed forever.
Do you think it could work?
Honestly? No.
You can't just click your fingers.
But it could make you President.
Well, that's good.
How many members do you have?
600,000, three times more than
the Socialists ever had. I have 7,400...
And among those 600,000,
how many will follow you
without question when instructed?
60,000, maybe 70,000.
60,000 on the streets is a good start.
As the books of grievances
will be nationwide,
they'll bring in thousands of contacts,
e-mail addresses, and phone numbers.
She is tripling your database.
Amélie will become the best tout
for The People Stand Up.
As for the presidency,
you will be the only one
to have given the people their voice.
The Black Baron...
I'll call the camera crew.
Wait, people have just watched
two women, two beautiful women,
chatting on white couches
next to a duck pond.
And then you show up in spectacles
and a grey suit in a hotel room.
You're already beaten, comrade.
-I could change...
-Chuck the image away.
Hold on, Philippe.
If she wants to lose the image,
then do it right.
De Gaulle, 18 June: no image.
Allende in the Moneda in 1973: no image.
People can imagine whatever they want.
No staging.
You make them focus on your words.
Transport them.
Tell them their future
and what they are capable of.
Switch on your phone's mic and start.
No recordings. You'll speak live.
You're better on the fly.
Above all, quaver from time to time.
You quaver in an old-fashioned way.
That's good. I like it.
Okay.
It is a brilliant idea, Philippe.
Admittedly, he's good. It helps.
-Philippe!
-I'll call you back.
...as they heard the call
from their leader, Michel Vidal.
Is that right, Caroline?
Absolutely, Frédéric.
Representatives have rallied...
Look at my soldiers.
...I'd like to talk
about the call itself.
As well as
its successful form, nobody...
Isn't it beautiful?
...contest Michel Vidal
as a great orator.
-There's a connection...
-I want to dance!
...a tradition which this call imitates:
that of the Sans-culottes
who organized...
Oh, no. What are you doing?
Oh, yes!
Thank you. 400 in Clermont,
500 in Rennes, 250 in Pau.
It is still within
the The People Stand Up network,
but people are joining.
If we want to disperse them,
it's now, before it sets in.
We do nothing.
The wolf's mouth. Vidal.
Subtitle translation by Elaine Scott
before tomorrow afternoon.
Are you sure about this?
They are cool, really.
-Hi.
-It's busy!
-You okay?
-Hello.
-Hello!
-This looks great.
-Hi.
-Hello!
-Hi!
-She can't come in.
She'll just take some photos.
I called Amina, it's all sorted.
No, it isn't. It's a workshop
for non-diverse activists.
Racialised only. Got it?
I'm part of a photography collective,
so I thought I could take some photos.
Nope.
You think we can't do it ourselves?
-Wait!
-Arabs, out!
France for the French!
Move, Negroes!
Filthy Arabs!
Get out!
Get out, Negroes!
Run!
Watch out! Let her go!
-Stop it!
-The cops!
-Are you crazy? Let her go!
-The cops are coming!
Salomé! Are you okay?
Yeah.
You'll need an MRI.
I said I'm fine.
From what I know, they threatened
to turn up and you went anyway!
I'm a photographer,
I go where the action is.
First, the anti-speciesists.
Now, it's anti-racist racist meetings.
It will always end up
at a police station.
I'm running for president, Salomé.
I must be careful. I can't spend my life
at police stations.
So you preferred it
when I visited you inside?
They aren't racist.
Oh, yeah? So why didn't they let you in?
They're misunderstood.
Anti-white racism doesn't exist.
In history,
who is the discriminated one?
Us? No. It's
them.
Hold on.
Yes? Ah, Philippe. Come in.
How are you?
Are you here as a mole?
A mole? Who's mole?
-Dorendeu, Kalhenberg, you?
-What's this about?
Nothing. It was a simple question.
If I were,
why would I help you win a region?
To make me think you aren't a mole.
You're the ex-Trot, not me.
You actually helped Véro win.
She could also be a mole.
Fine, I'm a mole. Véro, too.
Be wary of your wife,
maybe she infiltrated your marriage.
So you're not a mole?
-No more than your wife.
-So you're my Black Baron?
I don't like that term. It's belittling.
I'm not a machine. I have principles.
It's like reducing you
to your oratory art. See?
But a talent should be used.
I'd like you to use yours on me.
Then you need to trust me,
otherwise it won't work.
Hence my verification
of your true intentions.
Now that everything is clear,
we can get to work.
-Coffee?
-Yes.
The regionals are a juncture
that opens up a new political sequence.
Dorendeu has been weakened
18 months before the election.
The presidential race has already begun
and the horses are
in the starting blocks.
Of course, the thoroughbreds,
like me, have a head start.
You need to work on your credibility.
I am credible.
Chalon is the dangerous alternative,
I'm the happy alternative.
It's better to show it.
For example,
you could comment on Jussieu.
Jussieu? No, I won't. That is quite...
-That is student folklore.
-I don't agree.
What happened is a sign of what the
presidential elections will depend on.
The elections will depend
on non-diverse meetings?
Republic or withdrawal.
Universalism or tribal comeback.
Class struggle or race warfare.
Identity hasn't been a good theme
for us.
Not identity, the Republic.
It's reassuring
and gives you credibility.
Condemn racism, whatever its form,
in the name of the Republic.
Show that you aren't far left.
These young people
are already voting for me.
So what?
Even if you jostle them a bit,
they'll still vote for you.
What do you mean?
Take on Cyril's measure
for diversity in school.
It's the opposite
to what the racialists want.
Seeing as you signed the petition,
you're still responding,
without directly commenting
on the matter.
Not bad.
Deal.
Using his ideas is like
a second death for Cyril Balsan.
It's like grave robbing.
I've worked out a schedule
for announcing Françallemagne.
Thursday 13 March,
in 15 days, 30 minutes
before the Council of Ministers,
you bring Thorigny into the loop.
15 minutes later, Desfrenes and Mirmont:
La Défense and the Quai d’Orsay.
No, all three together.
Thorigny is too impulsive.
He'll be hurt at not being involved
in discussions with Fischtel.
He might do what he does best:
absolutely anything.
Just 15 minutes alone
and he could leak it
and ruin my announcement.
At the same time, in Germany,
Fischtel will tell his ministers.
In the afternoon,
we'll leak an initial figure:
300 billion for ecology.
Huge media impact: ”Green New Deal”,
”An Eco Marshall Plan.”
An hour later, the real figure
is released: 650 billion.
Boom! Around 4 p.m.,
Fischtel will meet
the great historical figures of ecology.
The time for emotion. In the evening,
live on the public channels:
the big interview. Fischtel and you,
explaining the details
of the ecological change pact
in the context of Françallemagne.
Where I announce the project's
submission for approval by referendum.
Sharing France's seat
at the Security Council with Germany
could be controversial for some.
Thorigny, Chalon, Vidal:
they think I'm dead.
With this referendum,
I'll derail the presidential election.
”We can't live in a society of islands
where separatism and partition
are established.
It's time for the final blow.
We need diversity in schools, etc.”
Signed by Michel Vidal.
That was your plan.
You're happy about this?
Vidal sows the seeds,
we reap the profits.
Such a declaration will attract
the Children of the Republic
to The People Stand Up.
The harpooning
of Vidal's cruise ship can begin.
In six months,
when enough of our guys have joined,
we'll have the numbers to blow it up.
Let's get to it.
Old school: phone, file,
crosses, columns.
”Hello, Mr. Smith, Hello, Mrs. Brown.
It's John Doe
from the Children of the Republic.
I'm calling because you signed
the petition on diversity in school.”
We're going to call everyone?
Pascal, you can loan us two assistants,
Bernard and Sylvie.
They're used to cold calling.
You mean bogus jobs?
Not at all. They'll still be working.
Not for the region!
It'll only be for a week.
When you call the list, read them
Vidal's declaration and tell them
that the Republic only has one party:
The People Stand Up.
And remember to mention me.
”Do you know Philippe Rickwaert?
He came up with the proposition
of school diversity.
He joined The People Stand Up.
Yes, he chose to strengthen the only
party to support diversity, etc.”
And boom, new members.
-And?
-We industrialize it.
Mass cold calling.
Thanks to the main star:
Véro and the region's resources!
Is Véro on board with this?
Véro is rational.
She trusts what she sees.
If it works and we show her
hundreds of new members,
of course she will be.
You'll tell her the frog tale?
I helped her win the region.
It's her turn to help me.
That's friendship. When Vidal realizes,
it will be too late.
A frog?
Defending the left all your life
and working like a dog, all for what?
To end up like the rest of them,
obsessed by the presidency.
I know that you respect Michel.
In a way, I do, too.
But he chose his strategy
and it's populism! He'll never win.
Just as well.
I don't want a left-wing Trump.
-A left-wing Trump?
-That's why I must do it.
I didn't wake up and think:
”What if I became the President?”
I'm not egotistical.
He is. He's self-absorbed.
He is not reassuring and struggles
to unite people. He's too divisive.
Hold on, Philippe, I'll stop you there.
This is not a Socialist conference.
This is the presidency. Stature counts.
So this is how we end up.
Cyril believed. He supported me.
He understood it all.
He didn't need a diagram.
Wait, the merger was down
to you and Cyril?
So what? He came to me.
Should I have refused?
But you did! You shot him down
in front of Vidal. I was there.
Vidal is responsible.
I got my hands dirty to get you elected.
”I killed Cyril
to betray Michel even better.”
Do you hear what you're saying?
-That guy is clinically paranoid.
-I won't hear anymore.
A leadership war razed the left,
I won't get involved
in that again. Period.
Philippe, you're brilliant.
You know that.
Every decision I make
is imbued with the battles
we fought together.
But he is ready.
He has the vision,
the determination, the stature,
the experience and the legitimacy.
Michel will be a great president.
Not because he's the best placed,
he is just the best.
Philippe, please. Stop this nonsense.
Do what you do best.
Help him to win.
Fischtel validated
the Françallemagne statements.
-I came to thank you for your work.
-As a patriot, I didn't expect payment.
-I can take it back if you like.
-No.
Thank you. I'll open it.
Thank you. Two concert tickets.
Would you happen to be free on that day?
Unfortunately not.
-Will you head straight back to the USA?
-Yes.
I think it's a shame that
someone as brilliant as you isn't
at one of our universities.
Just for a year.
Then I'll leave the pomp of Columbia
for a windowless office, such is
the charm of French universities.
Would you like a drink or...
Will we sneak off? On a scooter?
Knowing how clumsy you are,
I'd never get on your scooter!
Yeah, all right.
I don't know how to say it...
I think Columbia would cope if...
...I only did one semester.
Olivier, that isn't a good idea.
I'm sorry, it isn't you.
About 30,000 articles come out
every month mentioning my name.
Without counting social networks.
If they smell a relationship,
it'll be 60,000 and 80% of those
will discuss that relationship.
”Is it true love?
How do they organize their lives?
Are they expecting?”
The rest,
the important things, my politics,
will be relegated to background noise.
They'd soon wonder
if I was ”being influenced.”
By me?
A woman can't think for herself.
I would immediately be reassigned
to the condition I shouldn't have left:
a woman.
Above all, a woman is someone's wife.
So as head of state,
only a man can have a love affair?
It won't always be the case, but...
I'll lie on the barbed wire
for the others to pass safely.
If the memory of my presidency
is that of gossip about my private life,
I may be the first female president,
but it'd be awhile before the next.
So all I have is the Constitution.
You can only do two consecutive terms.
How are you, Philippe,
is this a bad time?
No, I was just reading.
Lucky you. I can't sit still.
The media are fuelling a horrible lie:
"Vidal equals Frexit."
But I'm not for Frexit,
I support a united Europe
breaking free from austere treaties.
That's Plan A.
If that fails, Plan B is leaving...
Yes, in collaboration
with southern countries:
Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy.
That's 40% of Europe's GDP.
Plan B is akin to socialism,
it won't work with just one country.
I don't think the European
left-wing is with you.
We're making progress on a joint text,
but the Spaniard
from Podemos is dragging his feet.
He rejects Plan B.
I'm tired of explaining
that without the threat of Plan B,
Plan A's negotiation
is already lost, but...
He won't hear it.
He's too pig-headed. You'll see.
I'll see what?
I'm leaving for Spain tomorrow
with the aim of finalizing this text.
Will you come with me?
We can continue with our meetings.
It'll be great.
Unless you have better plans?
I have clients to see.
I'll join you in two days.
Perfect!
Mr. Prime Minister.
I have informed my closest colleagues.
No regrets or remorse
on what we achieved together.
Neither in substance or in form,
of course.
Two years in office hasn't been hell,
but it has been exhausting.
And as we turn the final corner,
further momentum is needed
for the reforms.
It was an honour working with you,
Amélie.
May I ask what your plans are?
A return to the Assembly?
Probably, yes.
But most of all, unwinding, just a bit.
Yes, unwinding...
Or getting elected as head of
A United France at October's congress?
If I stay bottom of the polls,
you'd replace me
at the presidential elections.
Only if you stand down
or are prevented, of course.
Between Chalon and Vidal,
we need a credible candidate
who is competitive.
Of course.
Stéphane, you didn't work ”with me”,
you worked for me,
which was unbearable for you.
As a result, you're off to prepare
your horses for the presidential race.
Good luck.
Hola, friends.
My name is Philippe Rickwaert.
I come from the north of Francia.
Now, let's welcomenado
the presidential candidate
for the República Francesa,
Michel Vidal.
El pain in the neckas.
El buster of cojones.
El pequeño dickas.
El asshole, like a...
The problem is
that without Véro's resources,
and at the rate
I am gaining members from my list,
I can hope to win
the party's majority in 2054.
-I'm patient, but...
-Do you have a new strategy?
A primary for the left.
Like in the USA:
one candidate for the left
from the first round.
A primary with Vidal?
The left includes Vidal.
Imagine a TV studio with lecterns.
Vidal will never go for it.
-Naïma, I said, ”imagine.” Try.
-It isn't easy.
Several lecterns. Kalhenberg,
a green lefty, an old Stalinist,
a radical, Vidal and me!
-Okay, I can see it.
-Vidal is uncomfortable at his lectern.
He didn't want this primary.
Of course, he has a populist strategy.
He contests the word ”left”!
Why would he go?
He was forced to
by a considerable shift in opinion.
You've lost me.
Since Chalon's alliance
with the right in PACA,
the people on the left are worried.
If the dam cracks at a national level,
Chalon will verge on 40%
in the first round.
So, the deep left,
which knows how to add,
understands that we need one
left-wing candidate in the first round.
-That means a left-wing primary.
-Okay.
Pressured by the blackmail of a union,
Vidal is forced to participate.
Weakened, but the favourite.
That makes him the man to beat.
If he doesn't secure a majority,
the others will join me
to rally against him.
It's logical,
he gave them hell for 10 years.
They'd think: ”Down with the tyrant!”
I'd just have to finish him.
People won't go to the streets
with placards of ”We want a primary.”
We need a full campaign:
teasers, visuals, social media.
-That isn't my job.
-Nor mine. Don't even try.
Just think about it.
You can't keep working
for those losers on the TV!
Why not? The pay is good.
I know it isn't your usual rates...
but here.
It took great pains
to persuade my banker.
Keep your money.
I never should have agreed to help you.
I let my guard down.
You were miserable
and soaked to the bone.
Will you think about it now?
Thorigny told us the time
of his resignation announcement.
How kind of him.
1 NEW MESSAGE
1 p.m. on the channel TF1.
CHANCELLOR FISCHTEL ACCUSED
OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The German Chancellor has not made
an official announcement,
but his staff refute the serious claims.
The first of the three allegations
is from a former colleague
at the European Parliament,
who claims to have received hundreds
of messages over a few days.
Another told investigators
that Mr. Fischtel
attempted to sexually assault her
when he was Budget Minister.
Of course,
his entourage strongly denies...
Maybe you should cancel
your next trip to Berlin?
No. Tell Fischtel I need to see him
as soon as possible.
Call his office.
Madam President, you supported
the #metoo movement, it'd be...
The French President will not
boycott the German Chancellor
as a result of rumours
which could have been orchestrated
by the opposition or foreign powers.
We know nothing!
We know of three allegations.
If you're seen with him...
Tell Fischtel that I want
our meeting to remain secret.
-It's really simple.
-Here, girls.
Since it wasn't rape,
it is just clumsy flirting.
Because the guy is Chancellor, he'll
claim the chicks are lying. So, boom!
Joker: presumed innocence,
everyone shuts up!
-Isn't there presumption of guilt here?
-Not here.
This is a white,
50-year-old man in power.
The patriarchy that violates
our democracy every day.
What about the ”whitriarchy”?
Of course. It's the same thing.
She's right.
Just look at the people in power.
Vidal, Thorigny, Kalhenberg,
not to mention Chalon.
And Dorendeu?
Wait, I disagree.
You can't tar Vidal with the same brush.
-We can.
-Why?
I'll tell you why.
He just takes our struggles
to throw it back at us
when he is in power.
He's Mitterrand, but ten times worse!
-That filthy Rickwaert joined him.
-Exactly.
-Misogynist!
-It's just plain wrong.
Secularist, fascist, patriarchal,
it couldn't be worse.
Have you seen him? Let's talk
about that! He's like a dirty old man.
-He has the right face for the job.
-Thanks.
-He's gross.
-Totally.
I was an MP in Strasbourg.
Going stiff, going through a difficult
patch with my wife.
And then this assistant came along.
She was beautiful, funny, full of life.
I fell in love, that's it.
But she was already married
and she had no desire
to have an affair with her boss.
She was right, obviously.
We should have left it at that,
but I persisted. I sent her messages.
Lot of messages.
She must have thought I was...
Anyway, it didn't last long.
A week, at most.
I realized and then I stopped.
And that's it,
that's all there is to know about it.
-Two other women are claiming...
-They're lying.
I've never been near them.
They're lying, I promise you.
Maybe...
...I shouldn't...
...but I do believe you.
Well, all is not lost.
We'll have to fight and strike back.
When we've seen Françallemagne
and the New Green Deal,
none of this will matter.
History will see us...
My wife won't speak to me anymore.
My children are being insulted
at school.
There are feminist demos every night
in front of the Chancellery.
It's unbearable.
I have to resign
to defend myself in court...
...and save my family.
No.
There is a time for the courts
and there is a time
for political battle.
You'd end up being dragged down with me.
They's smear you,
as they have smeared me.
It's over.
I'm sorry, Amélie.
Philippe! Bienvenido a España!
Going for a ride?
It is so beautiful here.
”Land of Castile, lifting me up
in the rough hand...”
No. ”In the rough palm of your hand.”
By D'Unamuno, I believe.
Will you join me?
Not too long.
We're meeting the Podemos in 2 hours.
-Not like this.
-They have everything here.
Could you provide a bike
and some clothes for my friend, please?
Of course.
-See you later then.
-Yes!
Matignon is a sticky situation
for your ex-girlfriend.
If she names Boudard, the Gaullist,
it leans to the right.
If it's Mirmont, an ex-Socialist,
it's a blow to the left.
Either of them would be ludicrous.
It'd be the same policy of submission.
It isn't worth the stress.
Why not name a European Commissioner
and be done with it?
I have to keep the rhythm
to keep my legs moving.
-See you back at the hotel?
-Okay.
It is clear that
Françallemagne won't happen.
Whoever the new Chancellor is,
they won't be as obliging as Fischtel.
It takes time to form
such a privileged relationship.
The moment has passed.
Since we failed to derail
the presidential train,
you'll have to enter the race too.
You're lagging behind, Amélie.
The longer Matignon stays empty,
the weaker you become.
And the harder Thorigny will push back.
I think Boudard is trustworthy.
He's used to the shadows.
Mirmont dreams of the spotlight
and risks pulling a Thorigny.
That is always a risk.
The attraction of the presidency is such
that it could arouse ambition
in the most obscure departmental
councillor. It makes us crazy.
You.
I... Thank you.
For everything. For trusting me,
for the honour you bestow on me...
Don't say ”but”, Martin.
But I am the wrong choice.
I’m not an elected official.
The politicians will criticize.
They'll make accusations of technocracy.
I am your general secretary.
They'll say it's your last resort.
I have total confidence in you.
Given the situation,
it is my number one criteria.
The second is expertise.
You come top of my list.
Then, with deep gratitude, I'll accept
your offer to be your prime minister,
only if you throw everything
into this fight.
The PR advisors whom you refuse to meet
could help, Amélie. You must see them!
It is essential that you accept
to work on your image.
RESHUFFLE: THE EXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT
Ladies and gentlemen,
the President of the Republic has named
Mr. Martin Borde as Prime Minister.
THE ARCHITECT AND THE BEE
-Here.
-What is it?
Excellent.
The sequel is The Straw and the Grain.
It goes from 1971 to 1978.
It is a good read.
No, thank you very much.
It is mandatory, Léandra.
It is all there.
This is the logbook of a man
who rose to power
by bear hugging the Communist Party.
-Just follow the steps.
-No, PACA is an exception.
The right won't budge
at a national level.
When I take the train
to the Parliament in Strasbourg,
the Republicans switch seats
to avoid saying hello.
A right-wing union
will never see the day.
To be leapfrogged by a civil servant
so desperately transparent as Borde...
It must be tough for Boudard.
Boudard is open to offers.
Target number one: Boudard!
Boudard is the biggest Gaullist around!
He hates you!
No, he hates the party,
that's different.
I do too. I'm finding it
more and more difficult.
Did you see what happened
at that university?
Leftists organizing
a white-free meeting...
You know what that means:
ignominy has switched sides.
They are the Ku Klux Klan now.
We just needed to roll it out!
Then those jerks... those GUD Nazis...
They burst in shouting ”Arabs, out.”
Seriously, how stupid can you be?
They have come in useful.
Yeah, well...
Boudard could help me win.
Go on.
He received the Order of the Francisque.
Without Plan B,
Plan A is just a knife without a blade
that is missing the handle.
Philippe, finally! I was worried!
My name is Philippe Rickwaert.
-Welcome.
-I come from the north of France.
Sorry, Michel, I got lost.
You cycled from the north of France?
That's far.
What did he say?
Here.
He got lost
in your beautiful countryside.
My friend Philippe took a long time
to break from the socialists.
He was very attached to the old world,
but don't worry, by my side,
he has made great progress
in his rehabilitation.
UPPITY
It is the sign
of a damaged relationship,
but it can be revived.
From our viewpoint, there is a fire.
But you have gallons of water
to extinguish that fire.
Except the jerrycans have been hidden,
so you can't use them.
Of course I am authoritative.
I am the President of the Republic.
It is a quality, not a flaw.
For a man, yes.
But for a woman, it's more complex.
The term ”woman” only came in 7th place
in all focus groups.
If the name Amélie Dorendeu
evokes my politics before my gender,
I congratulate myself.
I'd advise you to do the same.
When you were elected,
you were the first female president.
But we have lost...
Am I no longer
the first female president?
Maybe I'm no longer a woman.
No, of course.
But as the French people don't see you
with a partner, it is a disadvantage.
You don't know who the woman is
behind the president.
Now what? Are you going to sign me up
to a dating website?
What I mean is your femininity
is an asset, Amélie, not an obstacle.
Karine Lemarchand's show
An Intimate Ambition.
It is very popular.
No politician had any complaints...
I have work to do.
Amélie.
-Amélie.
-I want Naïma Meziani.
Naïma Meziani is not available.
Who is she working for? Thorigny?
No, she left politics.
She does crisis PR
for media personalities in danger:
presenters, actors, singers...
For top dollar.
-Double her rates.
-I tripled them. She still refused.
-Philippe...
-I'm going to kill him!
-The guy is cruel and perverted.
-Stay calm, Philippe.
He probably had a hidden motor.
It has happened in cycling.
It isn't just doping.
Hold on, Naïma.
Shit.
I'll call back.
Had enough of tapas?
That Spaniard, huh? He says yes,
he says no, he says nothing.
He's slippery, but he doesn't know me.
I won't leave without his signature.
To start, I'll send him the Portuguese
guy from Bloco de Esquerda.
He'll put some pressure on him.
Why don't you like me?
What?
What did I ever do to you?
Nothing.
Why won't you give me anything?
With Laugier, it was a sight to behold.
Always whispering secrets to each other.
And I won't even mention your ex.
”Amélie, Amélie, Amélie...”
With me... nada.
You don't like me and that hurts.
What do you want?
Do you want it gift-wrapped?
”Michel! Michel!”
They'll soon be throwing panties
as if you're a pop star.
That isn't politics, Michel.
You produce shows
where you're the only star.
Populism can't be left-wing.
I can't. It isn't in my culture.
Do you think it is mine?
”The Young Guard” lyrics.
We are the children of Lenin and Trotsky
By the hammer and sickle...
At a rally in Toulouse,
they started singing:
We are the children
of Lenin and Michel...
So it is almost like being a pop star.
It affects you, believe me.
And it makes me very happy because
it validates my political strategy.
It scares me. You scare me, Michel.
For years, I worked in my corner
to renew the socialist doctrine.
Texts, speeches, books,
propositions by the truckload.
Did they listen to me?
Did they read my work? No.
They laughed at me.
They caricatured me as a fossil
of the past. Now, it's a miracle!
Each intervention I make is
taken and dissected,
put under the microscope.
Welcome to the Fifth Republic,
my friend.
I embody, I personify.
I haven't become coquettish,
but I'm riding the waves.
I am my program.
And my program is about breaking
with this masked monarchy.
I'm riding through.
That is all I am doing.
What is Vidalism?
Michel Vidal.
The good news is
that Michel Vidal is just me.
Only me, Philippe! Do I scare you?
Just bouncing ideas around.
Young people have told me
that presenting myself in a couple
would re-feminize my image.
Which people? They sound great!
Give them jobs!
What now? Announcements in the media?
I also suggest coming to New York.
You could meet
the Senate's democratic candidate.
Two women, two progressives.
No, I have another idea.
TIME FOR THE PEOPLE!
With that, the Greeks swing towards us.
Just the Germans left.
They arrive tomorrow.
You'll make us drink that?
But we didn't do anything wrong!
I got my machine changed.
The hardest part was
giving myself permission.
-The authorization.
-To do what?
To claim the French presidency!
You need to be overconfident
and audacious to step into the shoes
of François Mitterrand
or General de Gaulle.
You can't even imagine it
because you need to experience it
for yourself,
but it is quite unsettling.
Measuring up
to those we dare to imitate.
Inevitably, you feel very small.
-Short, long?
-Short.
For not being coquettish,
that's a lot for five days.
Oh, that.
I have four literature students
who make reading notes for me.
When I find an interesting one,
I read it myself.
I don't like delegating
the intellectual work.
THE MAN WHO REMEMBERED THE FUTURE
Amélie, I have a question for you.
-I'm listening.
-Your voice.
Deep and gravelly.
I find it very sensual.
Now, it has become your signature.
I imagine that the gravelly tones
weren't easy to live with as a teenager?
I had my fair share of insults.
Which I still hear today.
-You must've noticed.
-Yes, it's true.
Maybe not because of that,
but does your adolescence
hold happy or difficult memories?
I think I went through
all the usual stages.
I wouldn't come out of my room,
or I'd spend hours in front
of the mirror, trying crazy hairstyles.
-No more?
-No!
-You haven't the time.
-No.
How does it work here?
Do you have a team of hair
and makeup artists
-who come all day every day?
-No.
-No, I manage on my own.
-Really?
And I'm the pop star?
Really?
My tolerance level expired
a long time ago.
Everything I told her not to do.
The She-Wolf, Jupiter,
Mother of Dragons...
All in the trash.
You seem sad about it.
Me? Not for one second!
Amélie, Madam President,
it is the end of the show.
Thank you for such a lovely afternoon.
I thought you were very sincere,
and that will show.
-Thanks, Karine.
-I must ask one final question.
Madam President,
will you be running for re-election?
Wait. Put the sound back on.
-Come on.
-Go on! That's her she-wolf face.
It was fun to confide in you
about my teenage agony.
But as I was talking,
I couldn't help but imagine
General de Gaulle doing the same thing.
I do believe
he wouldn't have been able to.
You're avoiding the question.
I also had a nice time
in your company, Karine.
If some of our compatriots
who aren't interested in politics
found me likable,
-I'll be pleased
-Of course.
But if their vote depends on that,
we have a problem.
When personality overtakes
the political program,
democracy is weakened so badly,
that it is at risk.
Our institutions have always taken
that risk,
but since installing the five-year term
and reversing the calendar,
which automatically makes
the legislative results dependent
on the presidential outcome,
political life boils down to that vote.
The presidential election
is a soap opera, a TV series,
in which image and personality
are more important than ideas.
Look how this overpersonalisation
impoverishes debates.
It is vital for our country
to rebalance power
and to return deliberation
and democracy to where today,
it all rests on one man... or woman.
That is why I believe
the moment has come
to collectively question
the foundations of our democratic pact:
our institutions, our constitution.
As always in these cases,
the people will cast their vote
in a referendum: it is their decision.
A sixth Republic?
The numbers aren't important.
I will, of course, be consulting
with legal and constitutional experts,
but the road map is clear:
we must democratize our institutions.
When will that begin?
Tomorrow morning.
-Thank you, Madam President.
-Thank you.
Well, between beauty tips,
she just stole your Constituent.
It is in consultation,
she'll name a committee of experts.
It is far from a Constituent.
She's opened the door to a new Republic.
The oligarchy won't let that happen.
She's trying to derail the election
with a referendum.
It is purely tactical.
A classic diversion maneuver.
She picks any subject at all,
which is neither social, nor Europe.
She'll saturate the media for six months
to avoid discussing awkward subjects.
It isn't a random choice.
She chose the Sixth Republic
to siphon you off and weaken you.
It starts with a Constituent.
It won't be revolutionary.
Better proportions here,
less use of ordinances there...
Peanuts, a drop in the ocean,
a lick and a prayer.
Maybe, but she used your words:
personalization, presidentialization.
You think I'm worried?
-It's the vibe I'm getting.
-Me, scared?
My program isn't about
rebalancing the institutions.
I don't want to turn a few screws,
add some oil
and straighten the handlebars!
My program is a citizen's revolution!
Go on then, start your revolution.
A program isn't for fun.
-A program is applied!
-Yes.
She has you pinned down. Turn it around!
-Use her.
-Amélie is Louis XVI.
When he summoned the Estates General,
he thought he had the upper hand.
He never thought he would end up
with his head on the chopping block.
She is the same.
Without realizing,
she launched your citizen's revolution.
Questions arise...
Who will choose them? On which criteria?
An obscure committee of sages
can't decide the rules of a new regime.
Since 1789, in France,
-it has been the people's task!
-Good.
It is for the people to write
their own constitution.
Since they have not been summoned,
they will summon themselves!
Wherever you are,
show yourselves,
go onto the streets, gather in
the squares of our towns and villages.
Gather, unite and debate,
propose, exchange, dream.
Express your hopes,
needs, desires, frustrations!
And write! Never stop writing.
Write new lists of grievances.
The issue with a rallying cry
is that if people don't join,
you'll be ridiculed forever.
Do you think it could work?
Honestly? No.
You can't just click your fingers.
But it could make you President.
Well, that's good.
How many members do you have?
600,000, three times more than
the Socialists ever had. I have 7,400...
And among those 600,000,
how many will follow you
without question when instructed?
60,000, maybe 70,000.
60,000 on the streets is a good start.
As the books of grievances
will be nationwide,
they'll bring in thousands of contacts,
e-mail addresses, and phone numbers.
She is tripling your database.
Amélie will become the best tout
for The People Stand Up.
As for the presidency,
you will be the only one
to have given the people their voice.
The Black Baron...
I'll call the camera crew.
Wait, people have just watched
two women, two beautiful women,
chatting on white couches
next to a duck pond.
And then you show up in spectacles
and a grey suit in a hotel room.
You're already beaten, comrade.
-I could change...
-Chuck the image away.
Hold on, Philippe.
If she wants to lose the image,
then do it right.
De Gaulle, 18 June: no image.
Allende in the Moneda in 1973: no image.
People can imagine whatever they want.
No staging.
You make them focus on your words.
Transport them.
Tell them their future
and what they are capable of.
Switch on your phone's mic and start.
No recordings. You'll speak live.
You're better on the fly.
Above all, quaver from time to time.
You quaver in an old-fashioned way.
That's good. I like it.
Okay.
It is a brilliant idea, Philippe.
Admittedly, he's good. It helps.
-Philippe!
-I'll call you back.
...as they heard the call
from their leader, Michel Vidal.
Is that right, Caroline?
Absolutely, Frédéric.
Representatives have rallied...
Look at my soldiers.
...I'd like to talk
about the call itself.
As well as
its successful form, nobody...
Isn't it beautiful?
...contest Michel Vidal
as a great orator.
-There's a connection...
-I want to dance!
...a tradition which this call imitates:
that of the Sans-culottes
who organized...
Oh, no. What are you doing?
Oh, yes!
Thank you. 400 in Clermont,
500 in Rennes, 250 in Pau.
It is still within
the The People Stand Up network,
but people are joining.
If we want to disperse them,
it's now, before it sets in.
We do nothing.
The wolf's mouth. Vidal.
Subtitle translation by Elaine Scott