Original subtitles

- You German? - Yep!

Born in Berlin. A Berliner.

But to an Austrian mother and Italian father.

Look, that's me.

- This you? - Yep.

No, it's Sissi.

- I resemble her. - Who's Sissi?

The Queen of Austria. She was assassinated.

Gotta find a room. My landlady's in trouble.

She's facing eviction and I'm up the creek without a paddle.

Jobs for the young and the unemployed!

There's money to be spent in the pockets of management!

You're in good health when you have a job,

but when you bum around, you're just another blob!

Resistence! Existence!

All together!

No, no, no!

No jobs! That's enough!

If you sow futility,

you harvest hostility!

CHILDREN OF THE STORK

Shit!

Otto! What happened?

The fuse blew!

What?

The fuse blew again!

What happened? A power cut?

The fuse blew, I said!

I can't hear you! I'm in the shower!

What's going on? There's no water either.

You plugged the heater in there?

Sure.

Then unplug it!

What for?

It overloads the circuit. That's why the fuse blew!

Unplug it for 5 minutes and let the socket cool down.

Want me to catch my death of cold?

If you showered more, you'd freeze to death washing!

In that case, unplug the fridge.

There. It's working again.

You were smart to take that electricity workshop.

You could've been an electrician if you'd had the guts.

You put the water back on in the bathroom?

You jerk!

Warn me! I wouldn't have gotten dressed.

And thus, every morning,

barely awoken from his jobless dreams,

Otto sinks into a ruthless world of logic.

Urine. About three-quarters of a liter.

Instant coffee.

Freeze-dried.

Supposedly decaffeinated.

20 centiliters.

Washing up.

3 to 4 deciliters.

Out of the way!

Hello.

My name is Otto.

I'm 23 years old.

I'm one of the long-term unemployed.

Very long term.

Sorry.

Excuse me.

Plug the fridge back in?

I can't hear you. I'm watching TV.

Excuse me.

No mail for Otto.

Never any sunlight for Otto.

Never any sunlight for Otto.

Ladies, gents, hello!

- I'm Bertrand. - I'm 35.

- No job! - In trouble!

Just a franc or 2 to eat

and stay clean.

Newspaper?

Buy a paper to help me, please.

A paper...

Nothing? A smile wouldn't hurt.

Otto is in love with Louna.

Hi, Louna.

Every morning, she gives him a coin.

Sometimes, she just gives him a smile.

And every morning,

Otto walks Louna

to her hairdresser's.

- I'm late! - See ya, Louna!

I'm sorry.

Buy The Itinerant...

Ladies, The Itinerant, a super anti-exclusion paper!

New York Herald Tribune!

Hi, Touti!

Things OK?

- Lovely as ever. - Thanks.

- Seen my uncle? - He's on the phone.

Your nephew, critic!

Coming!

No, 10 films a week is impossible. I'm stuffed.

Every Wed. When new films open

Otto accompanies his uncle

to press screenings.

I'm way behind. I gotta finish these reviews.

These your reviews?

NARROW-MINDED FRENCH

YANKEE

Nine Years in Nepal.

Seen all these films?

ASIAN SNOBTRAP

Let me help you!

GODARD RETROSPECTIVE

GOD

Who's that, a director?

Eh, Unc?

MASTERPIECE

ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE

MEMORABLE

Come eat!

Coming!

What'd ya say?

Yes!

What a shitty life!

You remembered this year!

Nothing smaller?

Nothing for two people.

With slices like this, no need to heat up the blood sausage.

Not bad.

- Where's it from? - The Moroccan cake shop.

The Arab must've sold it for a lot.

If I get sick tonight, I'll know why.

I'm the king!

Well?

Choosing a queen?

At this precise moment, as he chose his queen,

Otto realized he was alone in the world.

Excuse me. Coming through.

Excuse me. Coming through again.

Talking to yourself now?

Who you saying "excuse me" to?

What?

You said: Excuse me!

It's nothing.

First, he feels lonely and miserable.

Second, he wants that to change.

Third, he'll find a way to break out of his solitude.

Where can I go now?

Where can I go now?

Get up, Mrs Moulin! You'll be better off in your bed.

You don't scare me.

When I was 6, I knew a fellow like you.

A filthy, beastly bailiff who came to take all our furniture.

We could only keep the table, the chair...

One chair each.

And the bed.

But me,

I had my doll.

My only doll, which I kept my whole childhood.

She had her own chair, you see?

And that fool

wanted to take the chair,

so he threw my doll down.

Know what I did?

I bit him!

On his wrist... till it bled.

Calm down, Mrs Moulin.

If I had my real teeth,

I'd do the same to you.

You already had character.

Listen, I personally knew Jaurès.

I knew Louise Michel.

I fought in the Commune...

Well, no, that was Papa.

But if I could have,

I would have.

So, you understand...

Listen!

To me,

you're just a turd.

A lot more to take?

There's the other room.

What do we do?

She won't get up.

We can't call the riot police.

She's sitting on a $3,000 Voltaire armchair.

I was in the Resistance.

You should've kept resisting.

Get up, Mrs Moulin! You'll be better in your bed. Really you will.

Shut up, you jerk!

Why are you stealing Mrs Moulin's furniture?

Call the police!

But, Madam,

I am the police.

Go home.

Bastard! This is unlawful!

I am the Law!

Mr Dugommier, court bailiff.

- Just go home. - Mrs Kremsky...

Do you know Louna?

This young German living with me.

- Hello, young lady. - Mrs Moulin, get up!

Shut up! I stay put!

Be reasonable.

Reasonable, Mr Dugommier?

Wicked Frenchman!

Think I'm a jerk?

You've been late 5 times in your two weeks here.

Shampoo these ladies who've been waiting 45 minutes

and sweep up.

- I'm homeless. - Don't care!

Leave that. I'll put it away.

Contemporary art!

You got soap in my eyes!

I have weak eyes!

Poor bitch!

Is that clear?

Did you take that in?

- What is it, Mrs. Duran? - This imbecile put soap in my eyes.

I have very weak eyes.

I've come here for 20 years.

Look, she's a trainee from the Unemployment Office.

You understand?

Why are you making faces at me?

Get out of here! Get lost!

Get the hell out!

Easy! Easy!

Easy! Give me those scissors.

Be a good girl, give me those scissors.

Give me those.

Over here!

Over here, Otto!

How's it goin', Ali?

- OK. And you? - And school?

OK.

I'm a philosophy whiz.

Take a look at this.

Philosophy's gone to the dogs!

A pistol.

7.65 automatic. 4 rounds. Three fired.

One at Oradour-sur-Glane.

A second at Toulon.

The third in Orange.

Found it in the trash.

That's bad news!

It can change your life.

What d'ya got to lose?

Nothing ever happens with your dumb papers.

Sausages and TV at home with your Mama!

Challenge your destiny!

My father! Let's hide!

Don't waste your breath. They don't like us.

Don't waste your breath.

They don't like us.

Don't waste your breath.

We're not at home here.

I accuse!

I accuse!

Letter to the President. By Emile Zola.

How much?

Step up, young man.

A real bargain. It won't cost you to try it on. Come in.

Take a look. It's quality material.

Try it on.

It's magnificent. I'll give you a discount.

It'll look fine on you. Try it on.

What're you doing in that sissy outfit?

- I paid a lot for it. - Oh, yeah?

You working?

The Itinerant.

Is it selling?

Depends.

You sell 'em how much? Buck and a half? Two bucks?

Whatever people give.

Why not try something besides peddling?

I've been telling you about our association.

If you ever wanna do humanitarian stuff,

go parachuting,

help Romanian children, for instance, get involved.

It's a bit more interesting than your papers

or your suits.

I've volunteered for 5 years.

But if you wanted to, you could do fabulous stuff.

You could go mountain-climbing.

You can say: OK, next week I want 2,000 cans of spinach,

2,000 steaks, and you distribute 'em to vagrants.

You can do that do. You can do it all.

You gotta get involved.

Action makes the difference.

The whole world's in the shit.

Not just you.

So...

As for your shit next to the shit of billions of others...!

If you don't move it and add your two cents' worth,

you won't have a thing.

So add your 2 cents' worth with us.

It just might

give things some oomph!

Look, Malcolm X, your association does great work, but I haven't got time.

Hey, Miss...

You gotta pay. Follow me.

I have no money!

- Come with me! - I have no money!

- I can't pay! - Come with me!

Stop, stop!

What d'ya want?

Why risk grapeshot over some grapes?

- What's it to you? - OK!

Eat your meat.

Change stations, it's the postman!

Smile!

The postman always rings twice.

Maurice, get the door.

What is it?

For police orphans.

It's for donations.

We already gave!

Eat your meat.

Half the world's starving and you won't eat. Eat your pork chop!

I don't eat pork.

For the third time: Eat your pork chop, Michel!

My name's Ali.

Your name is Michel.

Ever since we assimilated.

Everyone's called Michel in this country.

You attract attention.

My name is Ali.

You gotta be different! Not even a rapper!

You Communist!

You ass!

- Eat, Michel! - I'm Muslim, I don't eat pork.

Françoise, some water.

I'm out of saliva.

I'm not ordering you.

That's more like it.

You won't eat?

Get out!

And don't come back until you decide to eat.

Don't come crying over my grave.

Fill this up, please.

- Super Unleaded? - Don't care. Whatever.

Pay yourself, citizen worker.

Goodbye.

I've been looking for you!

What're you doing?

Torching my father's car.

Don't light that!

Get back!

Your pork chop burns like this.

The heat's on!

Get in, quick!

We have an appointment with the bailiff.

The door, please.

Sorry.

Your appointment, sir.

Show her in.

Hello, Mr Dugommier.

Hello, miss.

I have a piece

of bad news.

- Mrs Moulin is dead. - I'm sorry to hear it.

What can I do about it?

Is that why you came?

You shouldn't have taken her furniture.

Plastic?

It's well done.

It needs watering.

Tonight, we're gonna...

Tonight, we're gonna burn you out.

Tonight, we're gonna...

Tonight we're gonna burn you out!

What are you doing?

I'm watering it.

I'm a court bailiff doing my job.

No smoking in here. Please leave.

What are you doing?

You're out of a house now.

She's mad! You're mad!

Stop! You're mad!

Sir!

I don't have any money!

- No what? - No money!

We're not vandals, citizen.

Get lost!

I forgot this one.

You get lost, too!

Move it!

Heroic acts aren't covered

by insurance.

Poor bailiff! A life destroyed

in moments, a family

which well may end up on the street!

VANDALIZE, HE SAID

STELL, SHE SAID

STEAL

Think it's German? Not with two L's.

"I've understood you!"

Paris congested!

Paris polluted!

Paris laid off!

Paris

law-and-ordered!

Paris starved!

But Otto...

liberated!

FESTIVAL OF DIFFERENCES

Otto, a film festival!

- We can't get by! - It's one-way!

Let's go see the stars!

I hate movies made by bored bourgeois!

We'll see! There may be some Straub movies!

Even Philippe Garrel!

They wouldn't be caught dead with crackheads.

C'mon, Ali!

We'll begin the award ceremony

with the Savings & Loan Prize.

The Savings & Loan Prize, is awarded to, by unanimous vote...

to The Envelope

by Nicolas Grünwald!

We will now award

the Audience Prize.

The Audience Prize is awarded

to Bamboo

by Gaston Burkina Bay.

He couldn't attend.

His prize will be sent

by Parcel Post!

Our sponsors this year are the Savings & Loan, DHL and Parcel Post.

But we have more fish to fry...

or rather, pigeons!

It's time for our Grand Prize:

The Golden Pigeon.

The Golden Pigeon

is awarded to Little Pony

by South Africa's Hans C, sar...

Wait...

In a tie with

Semolina

by the Iranian Couscous Tami.

Neither is here but let me just mention

how outstanding this year's jury was. Among jury members

was that great actress...

They stole the prizes!

Stop, give me those prizes!

They stole

the festival prizes!

Madeleine, they stole the prizes! Block the roof door!

The bad guys!

Got the gun?

No, Ali has it!

Hello!

Relax, just passing through!

And presto!

I'm the best!

We're disgusting pigeons!

SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE

Debord was right.

He can't do that!

Sure, the narrator helps an art movie.

But whose car is it?

I stole it during the ellipse.

What a load of crap!

The stuff he listens to!

Stop! What's that?

Back up!

You're pissing on me!

If everybody did like you,

the world will be a dump.

It already is one.

She almost got us killed for ecology.

She's right!

What piss! No more beer for me.

Such poetry! How interesting! They don't even know

where they're going! How dull! Nothing's happening. I'm nodding off!

Otto, over here!

What is it?

Someone wounded, there! He fell in the reeds!

You sure?

She saw a wounded man.

There's nothing here!

- I don't get it. - She saw a pelican.

That's no pelican, it's a swan.

Hush, or it'll fly away.

What's the matter?

Don't touch. It shoots poison!

It needs a doctor.

A doctor?

A veterinarian, not a doctor.

Quick!

It needs a doctor.

Veterinarian!

Hurry!

There's blood!

- It's bleeding! - You'll get all bloody.

Help me get it in.

What's all this ringing?

An accident, doctor. Just do as I say.

- I'm a vet. - So what!

It's still scared.

Got any children, Doc?

Then you'd better save the pelican.

It's not a pelican, it's a stork.

You're scaring it.

No, we're not hurting you.

It's nothing.

Breathe, breathe!

What's it got, Doc?

It was wounded.

Probably by a hunter.

Fascists! They shot it out of the sky!

They took it for an alien.

Are there storks around here?

They pass on their way to Germany and Alsace.

"Storks live in black Africa and north Africa and emigrate to Europe

"in the spring to reproduce.

"They fly at high altitudes, often traveling 500-600 miles without stopping.

"Myth: Storks deliver babies to European families

in the spring."

I suppose they bring black and north African babies.

I gotta piss.

We gotta find some snake.

Some what?

Snake for the stork to eat.

Move it! I need to piss.

It's weak.

He could care less about you. Poor bird.

Marx was right.

Move it! Why so many traffic jams in France?

Traffic responds to an exponential process.

A series of decelerations,

of slowing downs.

Move it!

Mister, the toilets!

You have to order first.

- A beer. - The door!

The door!

- The toilets! - Downstairs, to the left.

Fuck! Gotta pay to piss!

Goddammit to hell!

Oh, shit!

Take that!

Otto, gotta lay off the beer.

You're awake!

Feeling better now?

My name is Mohamed.

I'm Algerian.

I'm 22 years old.

I deserted the army.

I ran away to Morocco.

From there I crossed

into Spain and France under a truck.

Who's paying?

Unemployment.

Thanks and goodbye.

What d'we do with the bird?

Find it false papers

and get it to Germany.

Are you crazy?

And why not a little job off the books! Unbelievable!

Go on!

Try to fly!

Mayday to control tower!

We've lost...

I wanna make love to Louna.

Be nice, stick to the ellipse.

Got a problem with the narrator.

He's an old jerk. Bitter.

A real pain! Fuck him!

Otto, over here.

What is it?

The stork's an Arab.

Oh, yeah?

Who were you talking to?

To the camera.

There.

You'll tire your eyes reading.

- I like to read. - So do I.

I read all Albertine Sarazin and Camus.

The Lumiere brothers invented something marvelous.

Not the cinematograph.

They invented the silent film.

My dad was a movie quiz champ.

That's why I love movies.

I only like intellectual cinema.

I've seen every film by Claude Lelouch, Claude Sautet, Claude Autant-Lara,

Claude Miller, Claude Berri, Claude Zidi, Claude Chabrol.

He's memorized the industry directory!

- Move it! - Whatcha want?

They don't like us.

Don't waste your breath.

Look.

Look what I'll do to their God.

You talkin' to me? I'll head-butt you!

Stoning a projects kid?

I'll head-butt your cross!

Come down off of there.

We're outta gas. It's not the battery.

Leave it.

Let's abandon it.

We're changing cars.

Don't stay in France.

There are cops all over.

Without family ties, children or papers, it's impossible to stay.

But I'm French. I have dual citizenship.

- We don't mean you. - Move it!

There are police raids

in train stations, subways, hostels.

Everywhere.

The only place to hide an illegal alien is in an attic.

Lemme sit up front. I get seasick back here.

- You can't. - Why not?

There are people up front.

What people?

People. Lots of people.

They're nuts.

This is a gypsy car!

The Che was right.

He was right.

This is a gypsy's car.

C'mon, Ali! Stand guard!

- What's up? - Switching cars. Lock up.

This car's OK!

"Lock the door."

Stand guard with Ali.

You crazy?

- Where? - Over there.

It's nothing.

Just switching cars.

What's the game?

We switch cars. Some folks are touchy.

Someone coming!

Stop!

Get out! Someone's coming.

It won't help!

You just disturb everybody

with your alarms.

Nobody gives a shit about your alarms.

Make no mistake about it.

We live in a society on its last legs.

It was founded at the turn of the last century

on differences.

On the differences not only in social classes,

but on the differences in nations.

The proletarian nations and the rich nations.

They sold to and pillaged the proletarian nations.

They sold them shirts made from flax taken from their country.

They made and sold them to us at cut-rate prices.

The capitalist society which lived off the exploitation of poor nations

is dying out.

When the Algerian War started

you were for or against the war,

without thinking what would happen in Algeria

without the war.

In my paper, The Libertarian,

then in The Libertarian World,

I promoted this anarchist notion

that the war was unjust.

But not fighting this war didn't mean

we agreed with the Algerian Freedom Fighters,

who would naturally rebuild the same class structures.

I remember the meetings when those morons used to say:

"So, you're for French colonialism?"

A bunch of assholes!

That's the word for them!

I knew that French culture was being used over there

to prepare a class society.

The Algerians will have this great vision:

To be exploited not by the colonialists,

but by themselves, with their accord...

Who's the geezer?

Maurice Joyeux.

We still haven't eaten.

Let's go eat, citizen.

Coming?

Get me a salad.

- I'll stay here. Get me a pizza. - I'm eating inside.

Ignore the camera.

Don't mind the camera, OK?

Cut it out!

Whatcha doing?

Okay, so I'm not...

So I'm not like Marilyn.

So I'm not like Madonna.

Or like Nina Hagen.

I'm like a bitch!

I'm like a hound!

Calm down, Louna! Easy!

Ja, ich bin scandalous!

In your capitalist society,

in your democracy,

in your clear consciences...

- Jean Vigo! - Cut it out!

Jean Renoir!

Jean-Luc Godard!

John Ford! John Cassavetes!

Into the trash can!

The Right, the Left,

all in the same trash can!

Cock, cunt, balls!

That's how wars start!

The cafeteria's closed!

We gotta find food!

C'mon!

Where's your girlfriend?

She got bumped off the film.

Bumped off the film?

She attacked the camera.

Attacked the camera?

She insulted Vigo, Renoir, Godard, Cassavetes.

Don't get worked up over it.

We'll get you another one.

Smooch with the stork.

She's neat.

The stork's an Arab.

His name's Mohamed. He's from Algeria.

He speaks Arabic like you.

It's an Arab. The girl gets bumped. There's the camera, the film!

Sure, that's how it works.

They're far from the road.

They stick 'em in the back!

What's your ancestor's name?

He's not here.

"Mohamed Ben Ali.

"9th Regiment.

Died for France on 5 April 1940."

We're hundreds of miles from Alsace,

and you dump the car for some dumb gas problem.

Wait up!

Don't let it get to you!

I dated zillions of chicks. A waste!

It's a bad blow for me.

Stop looking so miserable!

Got no pride?

It's a disgrace! All that over a chick!

A car!

Lend me your car, citizen?

- Lend you my car? - It's a loan.

No way! I need it!

Get out!

You'll get it back. Your jacket!

Take it all, but go easy!

Get 3 sandwiches.

Eggs for the bird, head cheese for me.

And rillettes for me!

Those motherfuckas!

- I missed you. - Me, too...

Cold, Mohamed?

I'm OK.

We'll get you to Germany.

We'll find papers in Alsace.

And get you over the border.

Thanks, Louna.

Where're your relatives?

I have an uncle in Frankfurt. He fled the Freedom Fighters in '62.

I phoned him several times.

But he doesn't speak

- Arabic or French. - What's he speak?

Just German.

Get out! Scram!

Long live Le Pen!

Immigrants go home!

We'd like 4 sandwiches.

We're closed, I said.

Head cheese, rillettes, two omelette.

Get out, I said!

- Closed! - And a beer.

We said,

four sandwiches.

It's not a stickup, citizen! We're hungry!

- What's this? - Freeze!

Make us sandwiches!

I'm out of bread.

Long live the National Front!

- What's your name? - Michel.

Can I have the phone for a call to Germany?

Filthy Arab!

The fascist upsets him.

France for the French!

Immigrants go home!

Cunt!

Cunt!

Shut up!

Watch it, I'm armed, too.

I don't understand. It's in German.

I want to speak to Mr Slimane.

Hello, Mr Slimane.

I'm with your cousin, Mohamed.

He's in France.

He came under a truck.

He wants to come see you

in Frankfurt.

Impossible? Impossible isn't Algerian.

- What'd he say? - He hung up!

- Why? - He said to go back to Algeria.

Happy birthday, Daddy!

You remembered!

The cuckoo... That's from Stéphanie.

My pork roast!

Time to eat, children!

Champagne!

- We're here for lunch. - For lunch?

Unemployment.

- Your name? - Michel.

Have a seat, Michel.

And your name?

Josiane.

Don't be scared, kids.

Josiane...

The stork doesn't eat pork.

We'll have an herb omelette.

String beans?

Into the kitchen!

Don't worry. It's not pork.

I'm going for a stroll around the grounds.

Take the stork with you.

Got an extra pair of pants, Josiane?

Say, Michel, got a map of France?

Can you get it?

The kids stay here, by the fireplace.

We're just hungry, that's all.

Show us where we are?

Come quick!

- What is it? - Mohamed took off!

Where?

He flew off that way. The pig scared him.

We gotta find him!

Ugh! You're no beauty.

Come back, brother!

Come back! The pig's gone!

Not too bumpy?

There he is! Stop, Otto!

Don't move! Otto, over here!

Don't be afraid, brother.

Throw him down.

C'mon, Momo!

Watch it!

Catch him!

Wait here while we ditch the car.

Hello, Ma'am.

Know the Chateau bookshop?

I don't understand Alsatian.

What writer did Ali want?

Gérard Guéguand, published by Champ Libre.

Guéguand isn't published by Champ Libre.

Boris sent me.

I don't know any Boris.

The biker.

She's with me.

We need papers for an alien.

And a loft to hide him in.

Don't be afraid.

They'll get you papers.

Where you from?

Algiers. And you?

My family's from Oran.

My brother wants to move back.

There's a lot of poverty there.

The country's a shambles.

Why didn't you stay and fight with them?

Fight with who?

Against who?

Tell me.

It's an old stork's nest.

Your friend will be all right here.

It takes some doing to build a nest like this.

650 lbs of branches and earth.

As solid as a house.

- Come by later today. - Great.

What a view!

It's nice here.

Come back!

You can't leave!

Welcome to Photomaton.

Introduce your coin.

Don't be scared. It's a recorded voice.

Put the coins in.

Confirm your choice by pressing the green button.

Stay in front.

Don't move.

"Djibaou, Firmin."

I gave him a Kanak name.

This is fine.

What will you do in Germany?

They don't like us.

You're better off back home.

Goodbye, brother.

The passport!

Momo, your passport.

Goodbye.

Thank you, Louna! Thank you, Otto!

May God protect you!

There will be better times.

With charred beams,

with earth and blood,

we will build anew,

without gates or borders,

and never again shall we live on hope.

There will be better times.

With charred beams,

with earth and blood,

we will build anew,

without gates or borders,

and never again shall we live on hope.

This image is dedicated to Miloud,

a young Moroccan who came to France under a truck.

It's nice here.

Groucho Marx.

Gérard Lebovici.

Balthazar Gratien, The Hero.

The Immigrant Nightmare.

Gustav Landauer, The Revolution.

They're all here!

Even Bob Marley!