Les Engagés: XAOC (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Nous Souvenir - full transcript

Did you come by foot?

Are you OK, Claude?
Do you want a glass of water?

That would be nice, yes.

Dang hill. Say,

you have some archives, I think.

-Of?
-Old issues of Gai Pied.

I'm looking for an article
from a few years ago

about the Piano Bar in the Marais
where I worked.

I'll go and get it.

Here, look in here.

You can keep them.
I'm going to close for a while.



Oh, really, how come?

Well, did you find it?

No. It's not in these ones.

Ah.

All right, are you ready?

Yes, almost.
Just give me a minute.

There we go.
You did come back for the party.

No, that's not why.

Marwen's dead.

You think I don't know?

I saw the articles.
I know what happened.

You know what?
Saint-Étienne, our mother,

the homophobes in the family,
I don't give a fuck about them.

You really need to listen to me.
What you read is false.



Ilhem and I talked to someone.
Marwen wasn't homophobic.

He tried to defend
the guy getting attacked.

Right. Everyone is lying.

They are trying
to hide something from us.

That's why we need you.
We're up against a wall.

Are you really going
to just leave her hanging?

Why would I--

Ilhem is fighting alone over there.

Even I didn't believe her.

Even me. You really need
to come help her.

You have experience.
You'll know what to say,

what to do. Go on!

-Hicham...
-You can't ask me to do this.

Who do you want me to ask?

You're my brother.
You've lived there.

Hicham, this is really important!

Please!

OK.

I asked Nora and Yassine.
We sorted it out.

You can sleep at their place.
You won't have to see Mom.

Please.

I'm sorry, I won't go.

Are you coming?

No. I'm not coming, no.

All right, well...

THE ACTIVISTS
XAOC

REMEMBERING

-Thanks, Thibaut.
-Don't mention it.

LGBT+ CENTER

Hello.

OK. I love it when we get
nice neighbors like that.

I WON'T BE ABLE TO COME BY.
SORRY. I'll EXPLAIN.

HOPE YOU'RE OK. TALK TOMORROW?

You OK?
You don't seem too good.

You two are talking, now?

Hey, Hicham. You ready to go?

Yeah, yeah, of course.

We're going to get started.

I know some of you have noticed
Anzor hasn't been coming, lately.

Rose did a report
we're going to show you.

Ruby, will you press play, please?
Thanks.

For several years now,
LGBT people in Chechnya have been

undergoing persecution
and receiving general indifference.

HAVE THEY SHOWN MY VIDEO YET?

What is going on in Chechnya
caught up with you.

Yes, some people came to my house

and attacked me.
They wanted to kill me.

IT'S ON RIGHT NOW!

YOU THINK WE COULD TALK
FOR A MINUTE?

What are your hopes for the future?

I'd like to get my life in Lyon back,

to see my friends again.

I don't see much of anyone.

I'm not exactly sure
what's going to happen.

Good thing Thibaut was there.
Were it not for him, I'd be dead.

Hey. I can't talk long.
This is a prepaid phone.

When can we see each other?

Soon, I hope, but it'll depend
on the European Parliament hearing.

I'm going to tell the whole truth.

Soon, everyone will know.

THE WOLF IS ON HIS WAY TO BRUSSELS.
DATE OF ARRIVAL UNKNOWN.

Do you remember what you said
to Mercoeur about Anzor?

"He can't forget where he's from."

You haven't forgotten either, Hicham.

Do you know what you did
Mother, Mother

You made me very greedy
Mother, Mother

My emotions are all bottled up
Mother, Mother

And you're castrating them unaware
Mother, Mother

What with not letting anything show
Mother, Mother

Well you even wound up caging them
Mother, Mother

With overly discreet turns of keys
Mother, Mother

That just lock in your strong face
Mother, Mother

Tell me what you did
Mother, Mother

What I don't know how to undo
Mother, Mother

All these awful little knots
Mother, Mother

That are weighing down my heart
Mother, Mother

I promise one day I'll be less ugly
Mother, Mother

If only I had drunk your milk
Mother, Mother

Maybe it would have given me lakes
Mother, Mother

Of tears and kisses in bulk
Mother, Mother

Tell me what you did
Mother, Mother

You made me less chatty
Mother, Mother

You made my urges into deadlocks
Mother, Mother

Now I'm ignorant in love
Mother, Mother

I keep it all close to my chest
My shit, my shit,

And I play it stiff as a gang
My shit, my shit,

To protect myself from your filth
My shit, my shit,

Which comes back like a boomerang
My shit, my shit,

Promise you one day that I'll do it
Mother, Mother

Tell you how much and not be quiet
Mother, Mother

But for now, I'll play it proud
Mother, Mother

As impermeable as your airs
Mother, Mother

Promise you one day that I'll do it
Mother, Mother

Tell you how much and not be quiet
Mother, Mother

But for now, I'll play it proud
Mother, Mother

As impermeable as your airs
Mother, Mother

My sweet, my sweet, my sweet
My sweet, my sweet, my sweet

Promise one day that I'll manage
Mother, Mother

Mother, Mother, Mother, Mother

Mother, Mother, Mother, Mother

Promise one day that I'll manage
Mother, Mother

To just simply look at you
Mother, Mother

Without resenting the whole world
Mother, Mother

One day, I'll call you Mom

Hope I'm not being a bother.

We're happy your here.
It would've made your cousin happy.

Thanks.

The cops must be hiding something.

-Marwen didn't just die like that.
-No way.

What we need is a good lawyer.

We have one at the org.

Laurent. I'll call him.

You hear what they're saying on TV?

I know, but...

They think we're the violent ones.
Journalists aren't asking us.

You have to give journalists
images to work with,

something other than buildings
and cars on fire.

In fact, I was thinking something.

If you know someone who could...

Who are you to give orders?

He's not.
He's just contributing ideas.

Fuck his ideas.

Ever organized
a 20,000-person demonstration?

He does it every year,
so shut the fuck up and listen.

All right, Hicham,
what are you thinking?

BRUSSELS

We run security checks.
They're mandatory for new people.

-We'll bring it back to your office.
-All right.

-I just need half an hour.
-All right.

Your first task.

I want you to monitor
the 17 Chechen refugees.

Had you not told me about Anzor,
I wouldn't have known for three days.

Each town has a support person,
like Amaury.

I want you to be the person
to contact,

so any problems can get back
to us quickly.

OK, I'll handle it.

Thibaut, this is Fabienne,
my assistant.

Fabienne, Thibaut.

Hello.

You'll be here.

Very well.

Virginie, I have a suggestion
about Anzor.

-Can we talk here?
-Yes, of course.

With what's going on
in Saint-Étienne, I had an idea.

Remind me.

Hicham's cousin's death.

The police chief lied to absolve
the cops of responsibility.

He said Marwen was homophobic,
that he'd attacked someone, so...

I figured we could be
creative with the truth, too.

If we slip some false information
into Anzor's testimony,

something that will have
to attract their attention,

we can see what comes up.

"Creative" with the truth?

I like that.

There was more violence yesterday.

Honest folk whose cars were burned.

The family calling for calm
can make a big difference.

Listen, Mr. Police Chief,

we just want our son back.

-That's all we're asking for.
-I have some good news.

Since among Muslims,

the burial must take place
within three days,

we've done everything
to be mindful of that tradition.

We got you passports.

We're going to book plane tickets
for Morocco...

Is Ilhem not here?

Marwen is French.
Why wouldn't he be buried here?

We'll wait for Ilhem to decide,
regardless.

Ilhem is your daughter,
is that right?

Yes.

And you are?

That's Hicham, our nephew.

Oh, right.

On our end,
we need some quick decision making.

I know this is a difficult situation.

I came to help you.

Why haven't you gone back
on what you said yet?

Marwen intervened
to defend the victim.

An investigation is underway.

I am sure it will shine light
on the circumstances.

So, what are you deciding?

Can you leave us your number, sir?

Of course.

Don't let the situation fester.
That would be unreasonable.

Claude?

Claude, are you there?

It's Kenza.
Thibaut gave me your keys.

I'm coming in.

Claude?

Oh, shit...

Claude, are you OK?
Claude, can you hear me?

Oh, fuck...

Hello,
I just walked into a friend's house

and found him unconscious
on the floor.

I don't know if he's breathing.
I have no idea.

I felt like he wasn't doing well.

I should have...

You can't do anything about strokes.

Well, let's take it in turns.

That way, he won't be alone
when he wakes up.

Nadjet, are you OK? Eh?

I'm OK, thanks.

Do you remember the first time
Claude and I saw each other?

Didn't he mostly see the back of you?

I can still hear him.

He scared me at first,
when in reality,

he's the sweetest guy.

Hear that?

-What?
-Hush, listen.

I was detained, excuse me.

Oh, cheers!

Well, all right.
By popular demand,

I'm going to perform Mister Vicar,

an "ecclesiastophile" song.

It's a waltz.

Mister vicar heard my confession
I like to go confess

Mister vicar fondled me

From my head to my tippy-toes

He kissed me, lathered me up

And stuck a finger in my ear...

He sure committed some nice sins
Mister vicar, he confessed them to me

Excuse me.

Sorry, it's age.

We aren't all lucky enough
not to have aged.

Nils!

Won't you tell me what's going on?

I've been keeping a secret
for Claude,

something left unsorted.

Since then,
he's been doing worse and worse.

I never told anyone
why he left all of a sudden.

Thomas.

Thomas?
What's he got to do with it?

You know that story Claude would tell

about his lover who died of AIDS...
His name was Nils.

Thomas is his son.

Sorry, I thought...

Doing all right, Thibaut?

Yeah.

You want one?

Yes, thank you.

Little flaws look good on you.

What are you talking about?

Your scars, there.

Hicham must be happy
you came back.

I'm happy, too.

It's not like Paris, here.

You know, I like what I do.

People don't believe me.

They think being a sex worker
is degrading.

But I don't think so.

It's a way of helping people,

of helping lonely people.

When I got kicked out of my house,
I looked for a solution,

and it cost me.

I was working to pay back
my debt, in Paris.

I didn't know.

Only Hicham does,
and not about everything.

When you can't choose your customers,
you have to deal with sick,

violent guys...

So you can identify
guys like that afterwards.

You see the signs.

You know, I haven't forgotten.

What?

When I got beat up, you helped me.

Thanks, Bastien.

I'm going to get back to it.

THE SLOPING BOOK

THE SLOPING BOOK

-Hello, Virginie.
-Hello, Fabienne.

Do we know each other?

No, I don't think so.

You're Hicham's boyfriend.

It was you on the poster.
He told me you were together.

Just breathe,
and it will all be fine.

Thank you both.

When you're locked in a camp,

they ask you a lot of questions.

Sometimes, it doesn't go well...

you learn somebody died.

I almost died once, too.

Would you mind telling us about it?

They knew there was this place
in Grozny where I'd go,

a kind of discreet bar.

They wanted to know

who else would go, who I'd seen...

They really went in on me.

I'm sorry.
It's hard, remembering all this.

I talked... I gave them names.

I don't know
if I can ever forgive myself.

Everything I have been doing
since then is because of that.

You're very brave.

We have set aside some time,
so those who would like

to can ask questions...

Frédéric Demy, France.

Reprisals against Chechen opponents
have been very violent.

In Lille, one of your compatriots
was stabbed 137 times.

How do you explain that you survived?

Mr. Demy, please.

It's a real question.
I have others.

You describe these terrifying camps.
Yet here you are, talking about them.

Security must've been fairly lax.

Are you going anywhere with this?

The Chechen government
has denied it has camps.

They claim homosexuals are not
the victims of any organized systems,

just family honor crimes.

I heard president Kadyrov say

homosexuals didn't exist in Chechnya.

Even their lies aren't coherent.

I also believe

you received some support
during your escape.

That's true.

in Ukraine,
the government helped us

by giving us fake passports,
so we could get across Europe.

Last question.
Chechnya is a Muslim country.

Don't you think that Islam
and LGBT rights are incompatible?

No. I am Muslim, too.

Congressman Demy,

clearly your obsessions
remain the same.

I would like to get back
to the attack

you fell prey to on European soil.

We knew we were in danger.

Because of this policy
of persecuting LGBT people?

Those who are doing it know something
that you don't know yet.

The gentleman said he was surprised
I was able to get out of the camp,

but he didn't really ask me about it.

-I'll ask it, then.
-In the name of my party,

I'll point out
this hearing's improvised nature,

which was added belatedly
to the agenda...

Your objection
was already taken into account.

We were able to escape
because one of the guards helped us.

A soldier.

Those who attacked me
were looking for that soldier.

They don't want anyone
to hear him testify,

because he will prove

that the Chechen government
is behind the camps.

And where is that soldier today?

He is hidden among us,

among the 17 refugees
who came with me to Europe.

I came here
so that important people

would know that that soldier
must be protected at all costs.

That is what matters most.

NATIONAL POLICE

You're communicating
with all the others.

You're what connects the 17.

You know where they all are,
where the soldier is.

Don't say it. Being part of the 17
still protects him a bit.

What difference does it make
if they're attacked one by one?

No, there has been no attack since.

Only three addresses leaked.

And we still don't know how.

Which is what our little story
about fake Ukrainian passports

will help us find out.

That was made up.

We'll have any reference to that
taken off transcripts.

If it still gets out,

then the mole was in the room today.

You'll get him killed
with this bullshit!

Don't move!

I'll write the article tonight.

I think my editor-in-chief
will post it tomorrow.

You think it will get people
talking about Marwen?

With those images?

Yes, definitely.

You must stop provoking them.

We didn't provoke anyone.

You should've just left.

And let them get away with it?

-I didn't say that.
-They're lying to us.

They want to kick us out,
and we're not meant to say a thing.

Say so when you disagree, but...

They're not listening!

Look, Ilhem,
I've already lost a son.

You're right, Nora.
We'll be careful.

I can't stay in Brussels.
There is a meeting

of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
police chiefs happening.

They're scared there will be
riots in Saint-Étienne.

Have you heard from Hicham?

None at all. I haven't had time
to talk to him, with all this.

I don't get why

they're putting in so much work
to defend a homophobe.

Marwen wasn't homophobic.

Really?
That's what I've read all over.

Take care of yourself.

Yes, Dad.

Anzor, I am not your...

My biological father renounced me.

You've always been there for me.

Yes, hello?

Yes, that's me.

OK.

All right.

Thank you, goodbye.

What they did worked.

Things need to calm down.

We can't risk violence breaking out.

We had problems,
yesterday, in Minguettes.

So I'm counting on you, really.

No, Thibaut, we haven't won a thing!

-We know nothing more.
-What do you mean?

They bought time. They did
their own autopsy behind our backs.

You'll see, they'll say
Marwen was sick.

-What you want to do?
-Find the victim.

He's the only one the media
will believe.

He'll say what the cops
did to Marwen.

Good idea. Let's talk soon.

THANKS FOR COMING
TO THE DEMONSTRATION. I NEEDED YOU.

WE'RE AT THE HOSPITAL.
WE'RE THINKING OF YOU.

There are three of us.
It feels weird.

Hicham...

Everyone is weird.

There are plenty of ways to love.

Love is something you can share.

And we don't care
if you can't say "I love you."

The two of us
will say it for you.

We'll say it for all three.

Mister vicar married us

We were so handsome
in our frock coats

But the repressed were in a hurry

To be done with fags

AIDS split us apart

Leaving me alone with my old age

You, your youth, and your beauty

Forever

You always kept them...

I miss you so much, you know.

You too.

It has been too long.

I don't want
to leave you alone anymore.

I can wait for you.
He really is alone.

Thomas?
He doesn't want to see me anymore.

Take good care of him, OK?

You came back.

Nadjet called me.

She insisted. She was right.

She's always right.

Yes, hello?

Thibaut, it's me.

Your plan worked.
Come, now.

OK, I'm coming.

I guess your bookstore
did open at 11.

What happened?

The Ukrainian ambassador
was summoned to the Kremlin.

He'll seem plenty credible
when he denies it.

I have the list of everyone
who was in the room

at the time of the hearing.

We have 56 suspects.

I'm sure you'll agree with me.

The sense of impunity
in these projects is absolute.

Such permissiveness...

What is he on about?

This is where we are.
Neighborhoods seceding.

Yes, of course.

According to witnesses who posted
on social media,

a French flag was burned
during a demonstration

after Marwen Benkhadra died.

It would have been better
to do a real report there

rather than take pictures
of a radical few.

Honestly.

The guy hasn't even left Paris!

The media was talking...

You didn't really burn a flag,
did you?

No, we didn't burn a flag, dammit!

Who is she?

Do me a favor and study
the Parliament's organization chart.

There are just too many.

A German Green Party MEP.
I know her. It couldn't be her.

Excuse me.

-Yes?
-You couldn't have told me?

About what?

It's on the TV now.
It's too risky.

He can't stay in Brussels.

If I'm just suddenly leaving,
something happened.

No. You know Amaury.
He frets over nothing.

He'll be waiting for you in Lyon.
Here, your tickets.

But they're in your name.

-What if they ask for my papers?
-They won't.

What's going on?

Nothing. Everything is fine.
I'm telling you. Come on.

Take care of yourself.

I KNOW WHO HAS IT IN
FOR THE CHECHEN REFUGEES.

I CAN SPEAK UP IF I GET PROTECTION.

Hey! What's going on?

Why did I have to leave so fast?
Thibaut wouldn't say.

Don't worry.
It's just a precaution.

If it's to be locked
in another hotel room...

What's wrong?

The guy behind me
is one of the ones who attacked me.

Go in the cafe.

-What?
-Wait for me inside.

Go!