Original subtitles

THE DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID

variation on the eponymous novel by Octave Mirbeau

23 September

Give me, please.

Please!

I've nothing! Sorry.

Shut your fucking mouth!

Janine!

- How was your day? - Great.

I want an ice cream. - We can't today.

Why not?

We just can't. I'll make you some food at home.

- Can we play football? - Not now.

I wanted to play with the older kids. They pushed me.

I even fell over.

That's life.

We're friends again now.

Tomorrow's the birthday of a girl at school...

Janine!

Yes?

Come and tell me a story!

You fucking snotty brat.

Aren't you on your tablet?

No, it timed out and switched off.

I can't right now. I'm cooking!

Come on. You can do that later.

Fuck you, motherfucker!

25 September

Hello!

All good?

How are you, Gianina?

Just fine.

Louen was very good today.

I was cooking. I made Thai soup.

Thai soup?

Wonderful!

- I just... - Tom kha gai, is it?

You're a real gem, you know.

How did we get by without you?

I just followed the recipe.

- Very, very good. - Good?

Yes.

- Bravo! - Thank you.

You added something extra?

Not bad.

No, I followed the recipe in your book.

No, no, there's a...

There's a dash of Romania, isn't there?

It's wonderful.

- You need to change the tablecloth. - Yes.

Something else...

I tried to dust in the...

What's it called? With the dolls in it.

With the dolls in it?

And trinkets.

- In there. - No, hands off my Wunderkabinett.

It's full of fragile and very rare items.

Hands off the trinkets. Watch out!

Like Diderot's jewels, hands off!

It's bizarre.

Yes, bizarre.

So I'm writing a book about it.

Very interesting.

I'm also writing an essay on Athanasius Kircher.

Don't know him.

A Jesuit. A 17th-century German Jesuit.

He was a man of adventure.

He wrote a heap of books.

On subjects ranging from mathematics...

to all sorts of other things:

Music, acoustics, astronomy...

Medicine and China...

He also happened to be one of the first Egyptologists.

He was a...

For his time, he possessed unbelievable knowledge.

- Kind of a walking internet, see? - Okay.

A lot of what he said turned out to be wrong.

Or even totally fanciful but...

Hands off the trinkets! Watch out!

He even dreamed up an orchestra of cats.

- Really? - Really.

You pulled their tails to make music, to compose.

And a machine for...

How to clean a volcano.

I miss you too.

But I spoke with the Donnadieus.

They're letting me come home for Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Come on, don't cry.

You'll make mummy sad.

Sweetheart, it's in just over two months.

Look, mummy.

I made my bed.

And I have a new doll.

She's called Auraş, named after Aurelia.

Because Aurelia gave her to me.

Look how pretty she is!

But, mummy...

I miss you.

I want you to come home to Romania.

Maria!

Stop now.

You want mummy to see you crying again?

Hang up already.

I don't want to hang up!

I want to keep filming!

No more filming now.

Come on...

You've been yelling so much my head hurts.

Aurelia...

Time to go home.

I want to stay some more!

- Go home to your mother. - I want to stay!

My head's killing me. Put your shoes on!

- Be good or you'll catch it! - I want to stay.

You'll come back tomorrow.

29 September

Look, love, this is the city.

And here...

Look at this bigass ship.

On the river.

See?

It's a floating hotel!

Home at last!

Look at all this shit.

3 October

Célestine, sir.

Oh, hell!

Pretty name but too long, child.

Far too long.

I'll call you Marie, if you don't mind.

It's very dainty too. And short.

And I've always called my chambermaids Marie.

You have no objection to my calling you Marie, naturally?

Yes, sir.

Pretty girl, sweet nature...

Do you have others?

Other names, sir?

No, child, other booties?

Yes, sir, I have others.

Patent leather?

Yes, sir.

Very good! Yellow leather?

No, none, sir.

You must have some.

I'll give you a pair.

Fine, fine, not a word!

Understand, child...

I have my foibles.

At my age, it's permitted, is it not?

I alone shall polish your little booties.

Your dear little booties.

Listen carefully.

Each night before bed, you shall bring your booties to my room,

you shall place them by the bed

and, each evening, when opening my windows,

you shall retrieve them.

And if you are a very good girl...

I'll shower you with gifts.

Thank you!

Marie!

Your little booties! Give them to me immediately.

I want them immediately.

Let's run the lighting cue.

And I lie down?

Yes, lie down.

Now I...

Next morning, going in to open the window,

I nearly fainted in fright.

Sir was dead!

Flat on his back, in the middle of the bed.

His body almost completely naked.

Rigor mortis already setting in.

He might have been asleep, were his face not...

purple!

The sinister purple of aubergines.

The sight was terrifying.

Sir had his teeth clamped

on one of my booties.

Clamped so hard in his teeth

that after futile and horrible efforts

I had to cut the leather with a razor

to tear it out.

I am no saint.

I know men and I have learned, through experience,

of what follies and filth they are capable of.

But a man like sir?

8 October

Look, love, they call this the Water Mirror.

All the buildings are reflected in it.

There are a lot of beautiful buildings.

And a lot of poverty.

Especially with migrants coming from all over the world.

Still, it's lovely here.

Winter's not far off. You'll get heaps of presents.

And mummy promises you,

if we save up enough money,

you can come here to see the Mirror

and all these beautiful things.

Beddy-byes now?

- Ma'am? - Yes?

I brought your coffee.

V60, your favourite.

All right.

Thanks very much. I appreciate it.

You'll have a cup with me?

No, thanks.

Just take his temperature.

Even if I insist?

Are you happy here?

Yes, and I'm very grateful to you.

Thank you for everything.

No problem.

What happened where you were before?

How can I put it?

They treated me very badly.

A family from Paris.

They kept calling me a dirty gypsy, monkey, and stuff.

They cheated me out of money.

The lady even beat me.

It's difficult to believe.

Yes.

Several times.

Worst of all, they took my papers so I couldn't leave.

How come?

Yes, I wanted to see my daughter in Romania.

So they took my passport and ID card.

Why?

That's absurd.

They were sick in the head.

They threatened me, saying,

if I went to the police, I'd be in trouble

because I was working off the books,

so I'd be deported.

Good Lord!

What awful people!

I went to the police in the end and ran away but...

It was horrible.

9 October

Look, mummy, Grandma's going to slaughter the chicken.

She's afraid to slaughter one. She's such a chicken!

Hello.

Look, mummy, it's Costică Bâtu!

World's greatest chicken-slayer, ladies and gentlemen!

This'll make a good soup.

Good sauce too.

My goodness.

There, done.

When I was your age, in winter,

I'd go tobogganing on a frozen river.

There were so many children

with their toboggans on the ice.

From time to time,

the ice broke up

and it was very dangerous.

Some children even died.

They died? Really?

Yes.

I fell off the toboggan once

and it was really difficult to get out of the water.

Afterwards, I ran home in the snow,

and I changed my clothes.

But I still caught cold.

Like you.

My father, may God forgive him,

beat me really hard.

How come?

What the heck was I doing on the ice?

But those days are past.

It doesn't snow like that anymore,

and all the children have gone.

14 October

I don't think I'll ever get used to it.

When the teacher yells at me,

I get scared and start crying.

That's what teachers are like there.

Always yelling at the kids.

They even used to hit us.

The teacher hit me too.

They don't do that in France.

Then why don't you take me with you?

I told you, love, I can't just yet.

I need to pay off the bank, finish renovations on the house.

Remember Daddy will be away a long time.

But I miss you!

When I come at Christmas,

we'll spend lots of time together.

Didn't I promise?

Okay.

Listen...

I'm a giant toad, coming to eat you up!

I'm a giant toad coming to eat you up too!

Here, I'll eat you again!

17 October

Don't cry, ma'am.

We shall save him. I swear we shall save him.

All he asked of me was to read him poetry.

The poets speak to the souls

of the simple, the sad and the sick.

In that, they are eternal.

Do you know that when one has sensitivity,

one is always partly poet?

You too, little Célestine,

often you have told me things as beautiful as verse!

Monsieur Georges!

You are mocking me!

You have no idea you said such beautiful things.

Your chores can wait, Célestine.

Come close to me!

I sit here, sick.

Completely sick!

Monsieur Georges!

You do not behave!

It's not nice.

What if your mother were to come, Monsieur Georges,

and see you in this state?

You would make her cry once more,

Monsieur Georges!

Call me simply Georges.

- Wicked girl! - That I could not do. Never!

No, don't go!

Stay with me!

You have no idea how good it makes me feel!

How it warms me up!

You see? I am no longer jittery and agitated!

I am no longer sick!

I am so happy!

Monsieur Georges!

I'm not feeling well. Leave me alone!

Stay!

Leave me alone!

You see now, Monsieur Georges.

You make yourself sick with pleasure.

Behave yourself, will you?

And if you were a good boy...

do you know what you would do?

You would go to bed this moment.

This moment!

I feel within me, in my soul and in my body,

newfound vigour, a whole new life stirring!

In any case, what can you do?

Why would you love me?

You are right not to love me.

You fear you shall poison your mouth with the poisons in mine.

And catch my illness,

the illness of which I am surely dying,

through a kiss of mine!

Do not say that, Monsieur Georges.

It is horrible and wicked, everything you say.

What a stench!

My God!

Here, wicked man,

behold how scared I am!

Eat my cheese!

It was above all

an act of fervent piety.

Selfless and very pure.

As if to say,

"No, I do not believe that you are sick."

And for proof,

I do not hesitate to mingle my breath with yours.

Drink that breath and steep my bosom in it!

Monsieur Georges!

I did you wrong!

I am so happy.

Do not leave me all night long!

Alone, you see, I do believe

that I could not bear the violence, however sweet,

of my happiness.

It is nothing.

Do not be sorry

since I am so happy.

And I am not sick.

You'll see how well I sleep next to you.

I want to sleep as if I were your little child.

Between your breasts.

My head between your breasts.

What if your mother were to ring for me tonight, Monsieur Georges?

No!

She will not ring!

My kiss had the sinister touch of criminal madness.

Knowing that I was killing Georges,

I strove to kill myself too,

through the same happiness and sickness.

I inhaled,

I drank death,

all the death from his mouth.

And while he was coughing,

wracked in my arms by a violent fit,

I saw, frothing from his lips,

a large, vile gob of spit streaked with blood.

I swallowed the spit

with murderous rapacity.

Once more your mouth!

Once more your eyes!

Once more your joy!

Not tonight.

Please, behave yourself tonight.

You always say the same thing.

"Not tonight!"

Do I have time to wait?

Monsieur Georges!

So you want me to kill you?

So you want me to have a lifetime's remorse for killing you?

Be quiet!

You have no idea how good it makes me feel!

Monsieur Georges!

But...

I'm not an actress.

That's why I chose you, to make it more authentic.

We don't want actors.

We want something more amateur, more...

commedia dell'arte, Grand Guignol.

I mean,

something joyful and accessible.

Amateur.

Like Ubu Roi.

That's why we want an immigrant maid

and why Khalil plays all the male parts.

Yes, but...

I'm a bit embarrassed.

Really? You know...

Nobody's forcing you.

Only do what's right for you,

if it seems like a good idea to you.

Think it over.

Basically, we wanted to do something provocative, you see.

That's why, if you could do the scene nude,

it'd be just perfect.

Perhaps only in my underwear.

Or just topless.

What do you think?

If I can give my opinion,

I think it's one or the other.

Doing things by half makes no sense.

We'll have an intimacy coordinator so...

We have no money for that.

I understand, but we're required to have one.

We need a coordinator.

- I'll think it over. - Thanks, Gianina.

One more question...

In Buñuel's film based on Diary of a Chambermaid,

there's a line that is not in the novel.

Joseph says, reading the paper,

goodness knows how many Jews were killed in Romania.

Do you know what it means?

No.

No idea.

You know nothing about anti-Semitism in Romania?

18 October

20 October

Hagi! Hagi!

Janine, who's Romania's best goalie?

I don't know.

Look, sweetie.

That's Louen.

The boy I look after.

He's cute but you're the cutest.

When you come on holiday, you'll be friends!

Janine, can you film me in slow motion?

Ready?

22 October

Why are you just letting her cry?

What can I do? It's not my fault, is it?

Besides, I got the roof fixed.

All the money went on that.

You haven't been sending any.

I will.

You think money grows on trees here?

First let me finish paying the fucking bank.

And don't let poor Maria bang her head against walls like that.

She was beaten at school!

I don't want them touching her.

What can I do?

They do that here.

A little slap here and there.

Comrade Teacher used to slap you.

I got slapped too.

Yeah, the fucker.

Put her on.

Maria!

- Want to talk to your mother? - No!

She doesn't want to.

Tell her I want to talk to her right now!

Come on, Maria.

Please, do it for grandma. Come talk to your mum.

I don't want to talk to you!

Why not?

You take care of other children instead of me!

Seriously now?

It's my job, sweetie!

I don't want you looking after that boy!

I want you to come home!

I'll be there in the blink of an eye.

I don't want you to be with that stupid, ugly boy!

All right, my love.

Here's the deal,

tomorrow I tell them I'm done.

I'm not looking after him anymore.

Okay?

And you're coming home?

To hell with their ugly brat! I'm done with him!

But you're coming home?

I can't. I've explained before.

But I'm done with him.

Laundry, cleaning, cooking, fine.

But no more childcare!

To hell with that idiot!

You promise?

23 October

- That's Gianina. - Gianina? Thank you.

We're delighted to have Gianina.

How would we get by without her today?

Put it there.

She tells Louen the most extraordinary stories.

I can tell you, her imagination is insane.

- Are you from Romania? - Yes, sir.

Bucharest?

No, I've never been to Bucharest.

I come from a village in Moldavia.

You mean Moldova?

No, Moldavia in Romania.

- It's not the same thing? - Not quite.

- You knew? - Naturally.

Janine, sit down with us.

Eat with us and talk with us.

- No, thank you. - Come on!

- Just a little. - I'm very busy in the kitchen.

Sorry.

I heard you're in our college play, a Mirbeau adaptation.

That's true.

Madam suggested it. I'm no actress.

Some of our literature students

put on a play every year.

And usually the show is pretty well done.

They cast only non-professionals.

Yes, amateurs.

Amateurs, that's right.

As well as migrants, and seeing as...

Gianina loves acting out the stories she tells Louen,

it seemed a good idea.

- Great! - They do an extraordinary job.

- How interesting! - Yes, it's...

What kind of stories do you tell Louen?

Romanian stories and fairy tales,

picked up from my grandfather.

He was the village storyteller for all the kids.

- You're so lucky! - Yes.

And how do you feel here in France?

Good.

Really good.

I'm very lucky here.

I miss my daughter, though.

Her daughter's in Romania. She's flying home soon.

- For the holidays. - Yes.

That's great.

Her father...

After we got divorced,

he stayed in Spain and broke off contact with her.

Yes, apparently, he's not a nice man.

A bastard!

He's a bastard. Let's call things by their name.

- Yes, it was a big mistake. - A bastard.

They exist.

Gianina, can you come here?

Me?

Come on.

We need a two-tier Europe.

West, with real potential for rapid development.

And East, lagging behind.

Gianina, actually what Jacques is saying

is that Ukraine should give in to Russian demands,

NATO should abandon the Baltic states and Eastern Europe.

Otherwise, there'll never be real peace, right?

Gianina, as someone from the East,

as a Romanian, what do you say?

I don't know.

I mean...

I don't know.

Obviously! Only the Yanks and other nutjobs keep the war going.

I know that the Russians are bad, so my grandparents always said.

- She's right. They're brutes! - For sure.

I know nothing about politics.

It's not about politics, it's about principles!

I mean,

just imagine!

Half of Europe abandons the other half?

It's intolerable!

Either we stand together to help Ukraine or...

No, honestly, these leftists are all Putinists!

- Simple as that. - They're anti-Putin and anti-Ukraine.

The real bad actor is America!

That's not what you said earlier.

Personally, I adore Zelenskyy.

And he's super sexy.

Fuck him then, if you want.

The guy's trash!

My wife's family and I loathe him. Fuck that smart-arse piece of shit!

Marching us to nuclear war 'cause he's a moron!

Calm down.

I'm very calm.

Champagne socialism is over.

Look...

Over!

Somehow I wound up on a Facebook group

that posts daily...

war videos.

It's scary, more and more like a video game.

Who's filming?

Them.

Their helmet cams film it all.

You wonder, "Why don't they just surrender?"

Like us in 1940.

Why not surrender?

They're all so young.

Poor guys.

They could surrender, though, right?

It's terrifying, isn't it?

- A country can surrender to save all... - That's not the point.

Well, Gianina...

Imagine you're a soldier, you see?

Can we try a thought exercise?

Close your eyes and bring to mind the footage.

Now, can you tell us who you're for?

That's horrible.

When you're ready.

For the Ukrainians shooting or the Russians falling?

Stop it.

I know that the Russians tried to steal our country.

Yes! The Russians want to steal your country.

That's the truth.

Whatever else happens, there comes a time to act.

I never disputed that.

- You don't dispute it? - No, I don't.

Can you see how disrespectful you are?

How disrespectful you are!

In front of folks from the East.

You realise what you've done tonight in my home?

Look at me when I'm talking to you!

This is going too far.

25 October

Who's a clever, pretty chicken?

Of course, you're one of our best customers.

Yes.

I'm delighted to be able to supply your wines.

But I'm sorry, we're completely...

It's a tragedy.

You're full of...

There, you're full of...

You've got it on your nose.

You're always having fun, aren't you?

Yes, a lot.

Who was that behind you?

That's Janine, my nanny.

Hello, Janine. I like your scarf.

Thanks a lot.

Right, of course...

Louen's always talking about you.

Really?

Sure. He said you're very nice.

I've been to Romania.

Although it was a long time ago.

Around 1985.

- See you later. - Bye.

I met lots of Romanians.

All of them,

they all wanted me to bring them to France.

All those I met.

The poverty over there was just terrible.

Yes, I know.

I mean, I guess so.

I wasn't born then.

People must have said.

What's it like now?

I don't know.

For some people, better.

For others...

30 October

Mum, we're going to school in the next village.

Ours closed down.

It's cold outside, but we're having lots of fun.

That idiot's honking!

You blockhead!

There are no insects, no birds,

no worms that I have not eaten.

I have eaten polecats and snakes.

Rats and crickets. Caterpillars!

When an animal is found, alive or dead,

an animal that no one can identify,

the call goes out, "Take it to Captain Mauger!"

It is brought to me and I eat it.

I eat everything.

In the depths of winter,

unknown birds fly over, from America or further afield.

They are brought to me and I eat them.

I eat everything.

Bravo!

Kleber!

Kleber is my ferret. Phenomenal!

Come here, Kleber.

Have you ever seen such a tame ferret?

He follows me in the garden like a puppy.

I call him and he is there.

He eats with us, sleeps with us...

Mark my words, I love him as much as any human.

I'd refuse 1,000 francs for him.

I wager, captain sir,

that you will not eat your ferret.

Eat Kleber?

Say that again, I dare you.

I wager

that you will not eat your ferret.

I will not eat my ferret?

What are you saying?

You're saying I will not eat him?

Well then, you'll see.

I eat everything.

Nowadays, with all the vegetarians,

animal rights and so on,

that scene should go.

- What? - It's a great scene.

I don't know, Mirbeau loved to provoke.

I'd hate to smooth the edges

that make him so important.

We're not smoothing any edges, but provocation...

Go pray in church.

Throwing in racist...

God always answers our prayers.

But most often the answer is no.

Get lost!

Like I said, provocation can be futile at times.

Throwing in classism, racism, or plain vulgarity

is pointless.

What are you talking about? It's not racist!

Mirbeau is against racism, right?

No, hold on,

we can't slaughter animals like that.

It's...

We need to respect animal rights, guys. It's super important.

Sorry, but what does "animal rights" mean?

I worked in an abattoir in Spain and there were no rights of any kind.

They exploited us too.

Gianina, you can't compare.

It's one thing to kill animals in a civilised way for food.

But killing animals for fun

or to avoid looking after some kittens...

You're right,

but I remember, about ten years ago,

before I left the country,

there was a funny story online about a girl

from a country somewhere...

- Yes, maybe... - It's raining.

But let me just say...

Then we can go.

Before I left home, there was a funny story online

about a girl somewhere

who threw kittens in a river.

Everybody accused her...

She was even taken to court.

- Exactly. - But in the countryside...

at home, it's what you did with kittens and puppies.

My grandmother carried them in her apron to the river

and threw them in...

That's barbaric. It's horrible!

No, come on, barbaric?

What else could we do?

We'd have been overrun by dogs, cats and rats!

Is there nowhere to take them?

A shelter or anything?

A shelter? No, there isn't.

Anyway, in the shelters, they killed them too.

31 October

Look, love, Halloween stuff.

Suck on that, you little shit!

They're not happy I've stopped looking after their son.

Told you I'd stop doing that!

Good! That ugly, stupid boy.

But you stopped? You're sure?

Yes! To hell with that idiot!

"Janine, Janine, I'm hungry, j'ai faim!"

Grandma keeps saying Dad's abandoned us.

Put your grandmother on!

Grandma's sleeping.

Grandma.

How are you, mum?

How do you expect? Slaving as usual.

Work, work, all day long. The pigs, the chickens...

I'm an old woman.

Listen, stop telling her stuff about her dad.

And how he'll never be back.

He'll come back, just later.

But I'm not telling her anything.

Never have.

I'm staying out of that, it's your business.

But she misses you so much.

She's started crying at night again.

Well, get her to stop.

I'll be back soon.

Look at this.

She keeps count on the wall.

See that?

One line for each day that passes.

One day, one line.

In groups of seven, for each week.

Just like prison inmates.

That's good.

I'll be home soon.

Right, love?

12 November

Once upon a time, there was an emperor and his empress

who couldn't have children.

An old faith healer told them,

"I have a remedy

"but you will only have a single son."

Făt-Frumos.

Făt-Frumos?

Yes, Făt-Frumos.

Prince Charming.

The emperor and empress

took the remedy

and returned joyously to the palace.

A few days later, the empress sensed she was pregnant.

Just before the hour of his birth,

the child started to cry loudly.

The emperor began to promise him

every worldly good.

In vain! He kept crying.

"Quiet, my little treasure," said the emperor.

"For I will give you

"such and such a kingdom.

"Quiet, my son, for I will give you as a wife

"such and such a princess."

Since the child was still not quiet, the emperor told him,

"Quiet, my son, for I will give you

"youth without aging,

"and life without death."

Instantly, the child fell silent

and was born.

One day, when he had just turned fifteen,

Făt-Frumos stood up and said,

"Father,

"the time has come for you to keep the promise

"you made to me at birth."

The emperor felt his heart lurch.

"But how can I give you such a wondrous gift?

"When I made that promise,

"I meant only to console you."

"If you cannot give me that, Father,

"I shall have to roam the earth

"until I find what was promised to me."

Făt-Frumos went straight to the royal stables,

where the kingdom's finest stallions were kept.

He noticed a horse that was...

skinny, pustular and sickly.

He approached to take a closer look.

As soon as he grasped its tail, the horse spun around and said,

"What are your orders, sire?"

Făt-Frumos told the horse of his plan,

and the horse replied,

"It shall be done. Let's go!"

They set off

and soon they reached a field of flowers,

where spring reigned eternal.

The horse said to him,

"Ahead of us looms the palace

"where Youth Without Aging

"and Life Without Death live."

"The palace is surrounded by a tall forest

"where all the wild animals live."

"Let us go and may God have pity on us."

They soared into the sky

and saw the palace shimmering so brightly

that they could not look at it.

On the way past, with the tip of a hoof, they brushed the treetops.

And suddenly,

the forest came to life.

The feral howls made their hair stand on end.

Were the lady of the palace not in the courtyard,

feeding her little ones,

as she called the animals,

they would certainly have been torn to shreds.

She was so pleased to see them

she saved their lives for she had never seen humans there.

The lady of the palace

was a tall, attractive fairy.

He told her, "We are looking for

"Youth Without Aging

"and Life Without Death."

"You'll find them here!"

He dismounted and entered the palace.

There, he saw two other women.

The fairy's sisters.

He started by thanking her for saving his life.

They were so thrilled that they made a delicious supper.

The three young women urged him to live with them from now on.

For, as they said,

they'd had enough of solitude.

Făt-Frumos agreed there and then.

Gradually, they all grew accustomed to each other.

And soon,

he married the youngest one.

On their wedding day, the sisters allowed him

to go wherever he wished in the vicinity,

except for a valley that they showed him,

telling him to venture no further

because it would bring bad luck.

They added that the valley was named

the Valley of Tears.

He lost all sense of time in the sisters' company.

Time seemed not to pass,

for he remained as young as when he arrived.

But, one day,

when he was out hunting,

in pursuit of a rabbit,

he let loose an arrow

and missed.

Angrily, he gave chase.

But the poor fellow,

in his confusion,

failed to notice that in his pursuit of the rabbit,

he had entered the Valley of Tears.

He was returning home, quarry in hand,

when he was suddenly overwhelmed by boundless nostalgia for his parents.

He did not dare mention it to the sisters.

But...

they were alerted by his long face and the dark circles under his eyes.

"You wretch,

"you ventured into the Valley of Tears,"

they said in fright.

"Yes.

"Now I am dying to see my parents.

"At the same time,

"I do not have it in my heart to leave you.

"I shall visit my parents one last time.

"Then I shall return here, never to leave again."

"Do not leave us.

"Your parents passed away hundreds of years ago.

"Likewise, if you leave,

"we fear you shall never return."

The young women's prayers

could not appease his violent desire to see his parents again.

He was consumed by longing.

Făt-Frumos made preparations for his journey.

He embraced the women

and left them languishing behind,

with tears in their eyes.

Făt-Frumos and his horse reached the lands

of the witch Gheonoaia.

There, they came across towns.

The forests had been turned into fields.

He asked after people he knew,

and wondered where Gheonoaia's lands had gone.

The townspeople answered

that their grandparents had indeed heard from their own ancestors

such fantastical tales.

"How can this be?" asked Făt-Frumos.

"I came through here not two days ago."

The townspeople laughed at him,

as if he were delirious.

Upset,

he continued on his way,

oblivious to the fact his beard and hair had turned white.

He was perplexed.

How could these places have changed so much in a few days?

And so, he reached his father's kingdom.

There...

were new people

and new towns.

Finally, at the palace where he came into the world,

seeing the palace in ruins

and overrun by weeds,

he sighed tearfully

and tried to recall the former splendour of the place.

And the happy days of his childhood.

All he found was a small trunk.

When he raised its lid,

the enfeebled voice of Death murmured to him,

"Be most welcome, Făt-Frumos.

"If you had taken even a short while longer

"I would myself have perished eventually."

Saying this,

Death, which had shrivelled in the trunk,

slapped him.

That slight blow

was enough to kill him.

Immediately after,

he turned to dust.

That's such a sad story.

The years went by so fast

that Făt-Frumos did not see the time go by.

And his parents had died long ago.

23 November

30 November

See that?

He had the face of a fat pig.

Or more like a squirrel.

You think?

How about a fish?

With the eyes...

Of a demon!

You saw them? That man's eyes?

Look, all the Black slaves they used to have.

These statues,

they're called "mascarons" or something like that.

Look there.

Black faces!

See?

Look at the globe.

Was it you who told Louen a story about...

a young man who leaves his home...

and he doesn't notice the passing of time?

Yes.

- It's a Romanian fairy tale. - I see.

There, I told you.

I'd like you to stop telling him stories like that.

Of course.

Is something wrong?

Two nights running, he cried.

Last night, we had to console him in our room.

He was scared we'd die. Anyway...

He was badly affected.

- I'm sorry. - There's nothing to be sorry about.

I love the stories you tell. They're superb.

I'd far rather you tell him those than...

mindless Asterix and Obelix.

With his crappy little dog.

That's the real scary stuff.

Scares the life out of me!

- Take it easy. - No, it's Obelix!

Yes, all right, fine.

Besides that...

I've forgotten, I didn't write it down.

You go away on...

the 22nd, right?

22 December?

And you're back when?

- 4 January. - Yes, that's right.

All right.

The 22nd to the 4th.

Your daughter's well?

Yes, ma'am.

Not very well.

I mean, she misses me.

I understand. But you'll see her soon.

Yes.

Yes.

She can't wait.

I can't either.

5 December

Khalil's been deported with his family.

Or is about to be.

How come?

It's my fault. I posted on our website

about the play's premiere, with a profile of Khalil.

It was going to be you next week.

I'm really so sorry.

It's not your fault. How could you know?

What happened?

Mathilde posted that it was a play performed by amateurs.

And that Khalil had been assaulted.

Beaten up by a customer and so on.

A moron of a student

asked the police to investigate the matter

and charge the aggressors. He only meant well.

But first of all, the police checked his papers.

Irregularities were detected,

so they deported him.

He had big problems we knew nothing about.

I messed up but I swear I meant no harm.

I was trying to help him.

Of course.

Yes, but fucking hell!

If you'd asked me...

If you hadn't gone it alone,

it wouldn't have happened.

Hold on now,

how was I to know his papers were problematic?

He told no one, he lied to us.

It never occurred to you to ask.

Just a simple question.

Basically, you've destroyed our whole concept.

We work with non-professionals to help them.

With the underprivileged and migrants.

It's community theatre.

Augusto Boal said it.

The aim is not to cause trouble and get them deported.

- It's easy to say that now. - No kidding.

I hold my hand up and get attacked. Great community spirit!

A man gets deported and you...

You have an issue with our community spirit!

Yes, it feels really shitty, you guys not sharing responsibility.

When I uploaded the post, everybody read it.

Nobody spoke up.

I was busy, I just skimmed through it.

Yeah.

So much for the community spirit!

You're all piling on me and nobody owns it.

Stop yelling at each other, please.

You know, Gianina, it could easily have been you.

Me?

No, my papers are in order.

I'm here legally; I came in through an agency.

They can't touch me, and I'm from an EU country.

Anyway, Khalil, I'm really sorry,

but he had zero accent.

Nothing suggested his immigration status was precarious.

There was nothing to show he wasn't one of us.

There you go, just like in Faulkner,

the white black man.

The question is, what now?

We give up, obviously. "What now?"

Without Khalil, there's no point.

I don't agree. Our opening night's scheduled.

Leave me be, I have a chicken to slaughter.

The lady asked me to do it.

Joseph is in charge of killing chickens, rabbits and ducks.

He kills ducks using an ancient method from Normandy

that involves driving a needle into their heads.

He loves to prolong their agony with sophisticated forms of torture.

He loves to plot and count

and feel in his hands their death throes.

Their suffering.

Their death!

One time,

I witnessed a duck's death at Joseph's hands.

One hand clasped its neck.

The other drove a needle in its skull,

in one slow, steady movement.

The animal had freed itself from Joseph's kneehold.

Its wings kept flapping and flapping.

Even held by Joseph, it spiralled horribly.

And then, Joseph tossed the animal on the flags of the kitchen floor,

and elbows propped on knees,

he sat and watched, with savage joy

and a hideously smug expression,

its convulsions, the frantic scraping of its feet on the floor.

Finish it off, Joseph!

Kill it outright!

It's horrible to make animals suffer.

It has to suffer!

The more it suffers,

the better the blood tastes.

It amuses me.

I love it.

It was you who raped little Claire in the woods.

Yes, I'm sure of it now.

It was you!

It was you, you old pig!

14 December

Mummy, look at all the snow!

When I come back from school, I'll make a snowman!

He'll wait for you.

He won't melt with all that snow.

He'll be the awesomest snowman!

Look!

Fuck it!

Fucking stay there.

Fucking tinsel.

Look at the Santas, my love!

Heaps of them floating around!

16 December

You have to stop that.

Calm down, mummy.

Stop! No!

Stop it! Just calm down!

Respect people. Stop yelling at them!

What? I already told you...

I told you to stay at home, didn't I?

I don't know, she needs someone with her at all times.

- Everything okay? - No, not okay!

Pierre's mother went out and fell.

- She was rushed to hospital. - Oh my God!

She slipped on black ice and broke her leg.

Come on now.

- Is it serious? - No, it's not serious.

I should cancel tonight's dinner party, right?

- Yeah, sure. - There we are.

I'll go up and finish...

So I need to call Jean-Baptiste.

Come on.

It'll be fine.

I don't want grandma to die.

What are you talking about?

For sure, she'll get better.

Not for sure.

For sure.

Yes, Jean-Baptiste, this is Marie.

Bad time?

Something's come up...

Do you want a story?

It's Pierre's mother.

She tripped and fell, of course.

Yes, sorry, we have to cancel.

18 December

Right here. Hold on, there's a code.

There we go.

Bring my bag!

Bring my bag, will you?

You look like Mishima after his hara-kiri.

- With your bandage. - I don't give a hoot!

- Can I help? - No, it's fine.

Who's she?

- Sure? - Yes.

It's all good. We're fine.

There we are, all done.

Here, let me...

Everything's just fine.

Take my slipper off.

Pierre!

How are you, Anne?

Look, mummy...

- I'm not very well. - How can I help?

Here, look...

This button raises it. Look.

The room's not too cold?

There's a remote control, mummy.

Press here and it goes up.

See? And press here...

Yes, my boy, I see.

20 December

We have a favour to ask.

A big favour.

You know our skiing holiday's booked for tomorrow.

We have two options. Either...

we cancel our skiing holiday,

which would be a tragedy for Louen. He loves skiing.

He waits for it like it's the Second Coming.

Or, we thought, perhaps you could postpone

your...

I mean...

your trip to Romania

so you're free to look after mummy.

Have you looked after elderly people before?

- See? It works fine. - That's not the issue.

It wouldn't be a problem.

But my daughter's expecting me.

I promised to go home. She's expecting me.

Yes.

We know.

That's why we'll change our return flight

to be back on 30 December instead of 5 January.

But my flight's in two days. I have a ticket.

Don't worry about a thing. We'll get you another one.

So...

you can fly out on 1 January.

5 January would be just perfect, Gianina.

No. Please, the 1st at least.

1 January.

I've put it off too long for Maria.

All right.

Please...

31 December, does that work?

To be there for New Year's. It's important for Maria.

There's only a seat in Business Class on the 1st.

Should we take it?

We'll take it.

But you know you'll get a little extra.

We'll top up your pay.

It's not necessary, thanks.

Sure it is, it's important to compensate you.

No arguing.

We'll bring your bed down.

It could be easier to stay in the attic

and ask Madam Anne to call me when she needs me.

I mean, sleep upstairs.

- And come down during the day. - Perfect.

Shall we take this one?

It's the most expensive, but never mind.

All right.

Never mind.

- Shall I book it? - That's fine.

21 December

It's sad to end up like this, in nappies!

The nappies are only temporary. Not for long, don't worry.

- It's nothing. - It'll heal quickly.

It's just a broken leg. You'll be as good as new soon.

- It's next to nothing. - Stop...

- Please! - Be gentle.

Stop!

Don't be embarrassed with me.

You know, I'm very experienced.

I was a badante.

Is that what you...

Stop it, will you?

- In French, bandante means... - Yes...

It means, it's like when...

We know.

It's what you call women who give...

men an erection.

I've cared for patients with Alzheimer's.

I don't have Alzheimer's.

No, of course not.

I was just saying.

You're sweet. I can tell, you're a sweetie.

We'll get on fine.

Yes!

- Just fine. - You're a love.

Mummy, if you had Alzheimer's, you'd never know.

I wanted to give you a little gift for...

For Christmas, so you can go shopping, buy clothes...

That's for Christmas.

- Thanks. - Our little gift.

And this is what we discussed...

For you staying with my mother.

All there. Count it, if you want.

Thank you so very much.

No, I should be thanking you.

And as Léon Bloy used to say,

who knows whether the winner is the one who gives or receives?

I like to think that I...

I win by giving to you, see?

- Yes, sir. - It's my pleasure.

And little Louen is delighted by...

He adores your stories.

It's way better than Asterix and Obelix because...

Obelix is just disgusting with his fat belly.

It's disgusting!

Whereas your story about the walking cup-and-ball is...

It's full of joy.

Even if the cup-and-ball breaks in the end, right?

Is that right? It breaks?

You should change that story.

Change the ending...

Let's say the cup-and-ball isn't broken at the end,

it's full of joy.

That's a wonderful story for little Louen.

23 December

That's lovely, sweetie!

I couldn't find a topper,

but grandma will get the tinsel from the attic tomorrow.

- It's old, but... - Wow, that red one!

I had that as a kid!

Go back in before you catch a cold.

Look, grandma's bought firewood.

The house is warmer now!

I know, I sent her the money.

I know.

Well, see?

It's good to have money.

My love, here's the thing...

I'll be a few days late.

What?

Yes, love, their grandma slipped and fell like an idiot.

I need to stay and wipe her butt.

They're paying me loads.

I don't want that!

You swore you'd come!

You said it yourself! You lied to me!

I didn't, my love. That's life.

Sometimes you do what you must,

not what you want.

What difference does it make if...

You're an idiot and a liar!

Idiot! Go to hell!

Come on, don't be silly.

Mummy will bring you lots of presents!

I promise! And you can come here in spring.

Mummy will come loaded with gifts,

just like Santa in picture books!

What's wrong with the kid?

I have bad news.

They're working me to the bone.

Their old bat slipped and fell.

I need to stay to wipe her backside.

The poor girl has been waiting for you like...

I can't help it!

Just reassure her a few more days.

Just a few days.

Fuck that stupid old bat.

Die, you fucking idiot.

Just call me Anne, will you?

No, really.

I can't do it.

How could I do such a thing?

I'm terribly embarrassed.

Don't be.

Hold on, as if you're on a bus, and lift yourself up.

Exactly.

Lift up your hips. Perfect.

This one person, an Alzheimer's patient...

I looked after him until he died tragically.

- I don't have Alzheimer's. - I know.

God forbid.

Stop saying that.

You attract the forces of evil.

A real bother, the Alzheimer's guy?

No, not at all.

They're the best patients, actually.

There's nothing to do.

They behave like little kids.

Real cuties.

You're very beautiful.

Fuck your stinky ass.

24 December

They're called Călușarii.

- How amusing. - Yes, they're fun.

That's Ceausescu's palace?

Yes.

The House of the People.

Casa Poporului.

You know, I...

When I was young, and I'm ashamed to admit it,

my friends and I

loved Ceausescu.

Yes, because he was part of the Non-Aligned Movement, and he was...

for Palestine,

against apartheid...

It was only after the revolution in...

- December '89. - Exactly.

It was only after the revolution...

After the revolution in '89,

that we realised what a monster he was.

A lot of Romanians are nostalgic for him.

Me too.

Apparently, he worked for the good of the people.

People's memories are short.

They forget the shops were empty, there was no food.

There was no heating.

They forget all that.

So it goes.

Yes, but...

But what?

I have to say, I was...

I was very political.

Very politically active when I was young.

- Really? - Really.

I was part of May '68.

What was that?

It was a movement of young people demanding change.

And even today, you can be sure

that what we did was good. We achieved change.

That's right.

All the good guys were on our side.

There was Sartre, there was Foucault.

It was fabulous.

We went on demos, we wanted the workers on our side.

We'd left the universities

and we were...

We wanted to bring Chinese communism

to Paris.

Yes, we were Maoists.

- Wonderful. - Yes.

A TV channel sent a correspondent

to report from Mao's China.

Her name was Marceline...

Marceline Loridan-Ivens.

- A correspondent? - I swallowed...

I'm fine.

She was told to ask the Chinese prime minister,

under Mao, whose name was Zhou Enlai...

To find out what he thought of our movement, you see?

When she came back,

she told us his answer.

Which was?

Go back to university!

We wanted to take to the streets with the workers, you see?

We were...

We were disappointed, you know.

And I was young.

We were idealists.

I'm 80 years old, I have osteoporosis,

my health is declining...

No, you've aged really well. Honestly!

This fucking carcass is just fine!

So I'm putting on an act?

Wasn't it...

on Christmas Day that he was...

decapitated?

Ceausescu.

25 December, 1989.

- 1989? - Yes.

It was...

It was jaw-dropping, wasn't it?

I've only seen it on YouTube.

His wife yelling at soldiers tying her up,

"My children!

"Don't tie me up!

"You are my children!"

- You like acting, don't you? - I guess.

- You want to be an actress? - No.

But madam suggested I act in a play

at the Literature Faculty.

- Really? - Yes.

Can you act out a scene from your play?

Yes.

She was a young woman from Brittany.

Madam came over to talk to her.

"Goodness me!

"How tiny you are!

"Why did you leave home?"

"Because...

"My father beat me.

"My mother beat me.

"Everybody beat me."

"Why did everyone beat you?"

"I don't know.

"In every family, there's always one girl

"who is beaten because..."

"How ugly you are, little one!

"If I take you on, it's because...

"I feel sorry for you."

"You see, little one, this is a unique opportunity

"that won't come along again.

"I am not like all the others.

"I am alone.

"I have nobody.

"My family

"is my maid.

"What do I ask of my maid?

"To love me

"a little.

"That's all.

"My maid

"lives with me,

"eats with me,

"except for the wine.

"Sleeps with me.

"When I die...

"because I am very old

"and sickly...

"When I die...

"Come closer, little one.

"Goodness me, what is wrong with you?

"What is that odour of yours?

"So you have corruption in your body?

"So you have cancer in your nose,

"in your stomach perhaps?"

"That...

"is my big failing."

What's this here?

Hey, sweetheart, do you love me?

Sweetheart!

Bitch! Fuck you and your dirty, rotten cunt!

Why won't you pick up? Neither you, nor Maria!

What the hell? I told you I need to talk to her!

Call back right away!

25 December

- What's that? - A Christmas movie.

Why the fuck don't you answer? I keep calling.

What?

Come again?

What happened to her?

Just tell me!

Put her on.

Why can't I talk to her?

Put her on the phone!

Okay, I'll come.

My daughter...

Hello, I'm glad you answered.

My daughter,

tried to commit suicide using rat poison.

I have to fly to Romania urgently.

No, she isn't dead but...

It's serious. She's in hospital.

They pumped her stomach.

I'm sorry but I have to go.

She tried to kill herself.

With rat poison.

What? I don't understand a word.

My daughter tried to kill herself with rat poison.

Rat poison?

Why?

She said she missed me.

I told her I was coming.

I told her I would be just a bit delayed.

With you, I couldn't just leave.

Why couldn't she wait a few more days?

- How old is she? - Nine.

How can a nine-year-old be suicidal?

How is she now?

You're not lying about her being fine?

Put her on the phone.

Why won't she?

Tell her there's no reason to be upset, damn it!

Send me a video of her.

Because I want to see that she's all right!

Film her right now!

Little sweetie.

Want to talk to mummy?

Come on, say something!

Your mum wants to see you're all right.

I don't want to.

Why did you do it?

Give her a break.

You want to die?

Don't you know you go to hell for killing yourself?

Don't tell her off.

Yes, she's completely stupid.

She should have told her off before.

No, don't tell her off at all.

Yes, Mr Donnadieu?

Getting better.

They're taking her home.

Most likely, she's already there.

Yes, I understand but...

I have to go.

I don't know what to say.

It's better if I go.

All right.

I'll send you the birth certificate, ID and details on WhatsApp.

Yes, I can. They have the signature.

No, I'd hate you to pay that much.

My room's fine for all three of us.

Just perfect.

Thank you.

Well?

That was Mr Donnadieu.

He says it's very hard to leave the mountains.

Louen's crying, so he came up with another solution.

He'll fly Maria here for a few days and I'll stay with you.

That's not a bad idea.

Yes, and he's paying for it all.

Yes, it's better that way.

They want to see Bordeaux.

All this time I've been promising them...

I can't wait to meet them, your daughter especially.

She's a love.

She's even learned some French.

Little sweetie!