Original subtitles

In honor of Gottfried Keller, To whom we owe the story of Mérette.

Leave us alone now.

- Mum was badly injured! - You don't remember, Mérette.

It's almost four years ago, that God took Mama from us.

From me - not from you!

He took Mama away from me!

Your dad feels that he's...

... let you down, yes, let you down,

so you have her portrait in your room.

Mama has been painted still,

and she's not the way I imagined her.

From now on you should pray under her gaze.

Praying to God with her.

For her.

For what?

What?

It's up to me what I'm praying for.

I want my mama back!

Your mother is in heaven, Mérette, with God.

She is happy there, happy with God.

Was not she happy with you, daddy?

With me?

Mérette is a difficult child, dear.

One never knows, after all that's happened.

Mérette...

You know you can't do that, it's forbidden!

One, dad - just one!

Nobody's allowed to pick the flowers.

Not even me.

Did you want to ban it too?

That's what happened. And you?

You can not pick flowers. One is all.

I only pick the thick red ones.

Nobody sees me, nobody notices.

But You.

You always have to think about what you're doing, and whether it's right or wrong.

God has given us free thought, Mérette,

and free will.

He sees us and judges us.

Well, don't throw one of your little tantrums.

I don't want to have to look for you. It's time to go to church.

Go to the gate.

We're late.

She plays in the garden instead of getting ready.

She hides.

- Mathilde! - I assure you she's hiding.

From now on, whenever we go to church...

- And? Simone, mademoiselle? - She's not feeling well, Madame.

Not well?

But... earlier...

Do you know what's wrong with her?

When I brushed her hair and she was about to leave, she started to tremble and shake...

And how did that happen?

Guillaume!

Get her, Simone!

Maybe she's sick...

Mérette will be better off with us.

And we won't regret it. Trust me.

That's enough, Simone.

Stand up! Get dressed!

It won't work. Simone, her hat!

Hurry up, we're waiting!

May peace be in this house,

my dear parishioners,

as the Jews of the Old Testament put it,

Since their liberation: the only Home

And this retains its importance today.

Jesus calls,

In this beautiful old saying,...

... Oh! There were so many houses,...

... sad dissonance comes too often in that concert,

The harmony of the heart.

May peace be in our hearts.

Peace with God, with us,...

With all our brothers.

Amen.

Let us pray, my brethren.

Mérette, Mérette!

Mérette!

Go to your room. Right now!

Do you understand?

Mérette!

She's got a fever. Go get somebody!

I'm going to get some rest

Sleep well.

Otherwise you'll be weak tomorrow.

I just pretend I'm sick!

Madame,

- Take a seat, Monsieur. - Thank you very much, Madame,

- Oh, my dear, how are you?

Let us rejoice, for behold, my son has died and risen.

He was lost and was found again.

And they became happy and rejoiced.

This is for you, Mérette. Pay attention!

For I have chosen the parable of the Prodigal Son,

I can't bring myself to listen, Mr. Pastor.

I'm trying hard but I can't,

I hear nothing, not anymore.

Take my hand, Olivier!

After you, Pastor!

Oh, Monsieur Olivier, you forgot the milk. Quick, my boy, quick!

What a charmer, huh?

- More sugar, my dear? - No thanks,

Your knitting needles, Celine! You're Madame de Perroude!

is our world not sick, dear friend?

Answer, Madame de Perroude!

Our Father in Heaven...

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come...

thy will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven.

Our Father in Heaven...

Our Father in Heaven...

-... in Heaven... -... in Heaven...

Our Father in Heaven...

-... Father in heaven... -... hallowed be thy name...

... thy kingdom come...

... thy kingdom come... thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

... thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven!

... thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Your will, my God, was to take my mother,

Thank you, my God, that you...

... took my mother to heaven.

We thank the Lord.

On this Easter day, Lord God,

Bless this Easter that has come today, as every day.

That you bring us together in the sweet warmth of family,

That you humbly let us share in your splendor.

Amen.

On this Easter day, Lord God,

If you are already holding my meal for your glory,

Give me something better than usual,

and make the portions larger.

Otherwise, leave me alone. Amen.

You ate everything, mademoiselle.

It wasn't that good but I was hungry,

Whatever puts on weight.

You see a lot, and everything revolves around the pastor.

M... Mérette,

Your parents have decided to send you to the country for a while.

A very nice area, I'm told.

You'll do very well there.

And Pastor Magnoux, who was recommended to me,

is a remarkable teacher.

He is used to such children,

especially children who...

- Children like you... - Difficult children!

Was this your idea, Papa? Papa wants to send me away?

Why would you think that, Mérette!

Your parents asked for advice,

and it was me, me alone,

who took appropriate steps to deal with your manners.

What does Pastor Magnoux need to teach me?

I can read, I can write,...

I'm good at history and geography...

And yet, Mérette,

There are still things to learn.

Besides, Pastor Magnoux is a very religious man,

a man of strong faith.

We think highly of him and believe

your stay with him will do you good.

You are still a little girl, Mérette.

It's difficult to make you understand here,

your contradictions, your lack of understanding,

your resistance to hearing the voice of God,

and seeing the signs he gives you.

I am sure, in a different place

with other people,

and with the help of a good teacher...

Can I take my dolls?

Naturally!

And the portrait of Mama?

Will I ever come back?

Look outside, Papa.

- I'm staying here? - Madame.

Isabelle, you take care of her.

Come, I'll show you to your room,

Oh... how beautiful this is!

Show me around, Madame?

In my carriage, if you want.

My name is Samuel. And you?

Mérette.

And my doll's name is Caroline.

Here. For you.

Thanks!

The fields are beautiful, Papa! And Madame Magnoux is very nice.

And later, Samuel will drive me in his carriage.

You're going to be fine here. I'm sure of that.

But not forever?

I've been told that this is not forever.

If you want, my little daughter,

if you've decided to be reasonable, eh?

Papa.

Go!

This is supposed to be a difficult child? Do you really think so?

Thank you, Monsieur.

That's a funny way to hold the plate, Mérette.

My, that smells good!

Thank you.

Thank you, Lord, for our daily bread, today and every day. Amen.

Thank you, Lord, for our daily bread, today and every day. Amen.

Don't you thank the Lord?

You don't eat until you pray!

If I never pray, will I never eat?

Every one of us has to pray.

Otherwise God will abandon us.

What do you have to say?

Thank you, Lord, for our daily bread, today and every day. Amen.

Thank you, Lord, for our daily bread, today and every day. Amen.

- Where is my doll? - She's here.

- Are we going to look out the window? - Yes, yes, in a moment...

What's your name?

- Your name is Mérette, that's what people told me. - Yes, and you?

Jonas.

Very good.

But did you understand what you read in the chapter?

There was a traveller...

Yes?

He was in Saba, where there were other temples than at home.

And then?

And then... he stayed because it was warmer there than at home.

Cuckoo!

Here, I'll help you.

You pulled too hard.

Mérette!

Who's there?

Aren't you singing, Mérette?

I listen, Pastor,

Yes Pastor, he's going for a walk.

Come on, get up!

Yes! Good!

I have to work now.

Come on, Cravette, let's go!

Is something wrong?

She has Samuel completely enchanted.

And you too, right?

Yes.

She's very nice.

Yes, yes.

She's very nice, I know that.

Yesss!

- I like you a lot, Simon, - I like you a lot too.

Everyone knows.

Don't go with the boys, especially when it's very warm.

- And do you like Pauline too? - Yes, very much.

Me too.

And if she wants to... someday...

Jesus,

the one with sweetness

and kindness

said,

"Let the children come unto me',

Jesus,

who knew,

to be open to the joy of friendship,

Jesus,

who never rejects anyone,

Jesus,

refused to receive his mother and brothers,

who had come to talk to him.

"Who is my mother?" asked Jesus.

Who are my brothers?

Let us hear the words he said to her:

He said,

These are my mother and my brothers,

because whoever

because whoever,

obeys the will of my Father in heaven,

only they...

are my brother,

and my sister,

and my mother,

No!

Didn't you eat?

Then I'd have to pray.

Come eat.

Then I have to pray.

Eat!

That's as good as four years in church,

four years of prayer,

four hundred pleas to God.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, world without end,

Amen.

Gabriel,

If God had given us a child, it could have been Mérette.

If God had given us Mérette, he would not have been good to us.

What do you want to do?

To love her like our own child and to forgive her childishness?

Me too, Madeleine,

But I have forbidden myself.

God has not given me a child.

I'd prefer He didn't show me what I've lost.

Have you been punished for yesterday?

I had my punishment yesterday.

Have you never been punished?

Has this never happened to you?

I got a beating, yes, twice.

Wait, I'll come with you!

- Oh, did you see? - Yes, I saw four of them.

- Five at a time isn't easy. - Why don't you play with 13 stones?

It's your turn!

She can't play this. No!

She's not playing.

She wins!

Because she has a nice dress.

Don't you want to have some fun?

He says: Why don't you play with 13 stones?

Come on, say it!

She has a stomach ache.

And what a stomachache I have!

Mérette!

Wait for us!

Come on! Come on!

She's over there - with two steps!

Pastor!

You promised me, Mérette.

You see?

A door...

Walls...

A roof,

This is a house like any other.

Except...

It is the House of God.

Does he live here, like you do in your home?

In a way - yes.

And in the Church of Neuchate! too?

Yeah, sure.

So he sleeps in a tent?

And you, my child,

do not you live at home in Neuchatel - and here?

I live with you, Pastor, not with my father.

You're deceiving yourself, Mérette.

Your parents

often think of you, right?

In your thoughts you also live at home in Neuchatel.

Through the thoughts God inspires in us

He lives in all his churches at once.

God is everywhere - in every church,

in the rectory,

in everyone's house,

in the fields where our bread is made,

in the woods, where you go for a walk.

God is in every one of us.

Each one of us is his most beautiful house.

You are the most beautiful house of God, Mérette.

Me?!

You deny it

but you will grow to understand.

Come.

Come!

Are we going down there?

But it's longer that way,

and Madame Magnoux will ask questions.

- You can do it. - I know.

Come on!

Come on!

A lark in the daisies!

Tomorrow morning you can see plenty of larks.

... and you can put one in a cage.

But no! You can get very close to the larks here.

No, no, you put them...

Let's go back!

Stop!

- Did you sing, Mérette? - No!

You will sing, I tell you!

No! I'm not wasting the effort!

I wasted my own life when I took communion!

Because I believe it's a false promise!

"It"?

You dare say that,

when you're speaking of God??

Miserable!

Call him by his name!

Oh, we don't want to speak the name of the Lord!

I don't believe in him! Or this promise!

Take the kids out.

- Gabriel... - Take the kids out!

Don't you have anything to do?

Mérette's absence will unfortunately continue,

and because the considerable unrest in our surroundings

originated with us, Madame de Pontes and myself,

the desire to be in our house

to have a portrait of Mérette,

that shows the growth and delicacy of your dear child,

And likewise, in our regret... a sight...

This is not a child!

This is Satan!

A Crowing Satan!

Come here, come here!

Come to me, my little fish!

Here!

It's her.

Are we going in?

She should stay in her room.

He wants you to be in the dark.

Still, you've exaggerated.

Our Lord... No!

He took my mother!

Is that why?

I'll tell you, that's why,

is that why you hate him?

Ask your dear God!

Send those clothes and I'll take her dress away, and it would be good to take away her other things too.

She'll get them back when she starts learning the discipline we need to teach her.

I understand, Pastor.

She has very nice hair. Why not cut that off too, while you're at it?

I hadn't thought of that, Madame.

Out of consideration for your family, we have until now honored all secular courtesies...

You can't treat her like dirt from the ground!

After all, she's my child!

Is our vanity not a minor thing, my friend?

It's about Mérettes salvation!

I will also keep the music out of her classroom.

Likewise, all other mundane things.

She has a lot of fun with beautiful roses.

And so she's drifted so far away from our Lord.

Isn't that going a little far, Pastor,

To curtail her activities so much?

To spoil her future?

Your future...

The future of every one of us, Monsieur,

is the Kingdom of God!

All right.

Do what you think is right.

In all things?

In all things.

Please agree, Pastor, at least to the portrait we ordered.

Mérette could see it as a kind of reward.

Right, Pastor.

Despite the measures we just agreed on?

Come here.

Well keep going.

And he was with the wild beasts, and the Angels served him. But after John was delivered...

Should I write off the whole gospel?

But after John was delivered...

Jesus came to Galilee...

Je-sus came to Ga-li-le,

and preached the gospel of God.

... preaching...

the Gospel...

God

... The gospel of God...

The gospel of God!

God!

That's fun!

How you make waves in the tub!

Right there, that's the little bitch,

who can't behave.

You're going to bring me some, right?

- The Pastor will think this is a denunciation. - Really?

He's the one who brings them.

They won't come!

Sometimes they come, sometimes not.

They'll never come, right?

Sure they will!

They'll swim away once they've seen you.

You have a beautiful smile, Mérette!

No...

The smile is just an angle.

Look...

Do you see?

You should smile more demonically.

You don't need to be there, Monsieur.

From now on I'll be here everyday.

Your true nature is to be cheerful, Mérette,

to radiate life!

What's your style? Velazquez, Monsieur.

A swab of red on her sadness.

Do whatever you want on your canvas,

but nothing on the face of this child!

Also...

... this session is over,

Put on your sheet!

Go ahead and give me that!

Come on, aren't you going with us?

She doesn't want to give me her doll.

I'd rather stay with Samuel.

Come on.

Come on.

Water. Want some?

The Pastor again?

Tell me again about winter, Samuel,

how snow is everywhere,

as the light of the fire glows,

how life is then,

how to eat chestnuts...

No! No!

I don't want to!

Mérette!

No!

- Monsieur, monsieur! - Mérette!

A little girl, monsieur,

she's had the fright of her life.

Who wants her to be so frightened?

Her parents, Monsieur.

They wrote it to me.

Good God! I already have about 60 skulls...

Don't take our Lord's name in vain, Monsieur,

I pray,

That God is taking your fear as the first sign of your capitulation.

I still love him! I still love my father!

Through the power of the Lord and the mercy of God, your parents take part in your suffering.

With what sorrowful piety they send thee on the way of atonement!

Please...

No!

I beg you, Monsier, I'll take care of it.

There's no need for her to hold it.

Do you know what atonement is, Monsieur?

What's your concept of it?

To work!

Salvation...

Salvation!

Salvation, Salvation!

That's nice!

Come on!

Mérette!

Oh, your beautiful dress!

Come on!

Come on, come on!

Come, come on!

Yes, yes!

Alright...

No, no, Gabriel, no!

No. No.

- No! - Look at her!

Look at her, and her dress!

- It will be a huge effort to save! - I understand.

She didn't see that she could fall into the water.

Let me discuss it! Let me talk to her!

She's a little kid, Gabriel!

Mérette couldn't foresee that she'd fall into the water.

Is it also unforseeable that she's so naughty, this miserable little girl?

Look at her! She's nothing but arrogance!

Nothing but self-glory! She is the goddess herself!

Completely naked, Pastor, they were all seen naked in public!

She was not ashamed to show herself to the boy and to my daughter. She showed everything! This spawn!

She had them all dancing naked!

- A real savage, Pastor. - Madame Coudray, who do you mean?

The damn savage, that devil!

Witch!

The witch, Pastor.

A hell she pulled our little one into, a hell!

Do you understand?

I didn't do anything bad!

Marie didn't do anything bad, is that clear?

We bathed,

we danced in circles.

Completely naked?

Tell them you were forced!

I didn't want to!

I didn't do anything wrong!

I didn't do anything wrong, Madame!

We bring our children to the Lord Pastor.

She has also promoted fornication with boys.

Reaching out to Samuel - that's one of her machinations, always in his arms, and what eyes she makes at him...

She must be driven away, Mr. Pastor, driven away,

before another misfortune happens.

Samuel!

Where is Samuel?

Come quickly! Mérette...

He's going to kill her!

Pastor!

This doesn't have to be! it's too much!

At least you know what she did?

Most of them were just games, Pastor.

A little girl!

A little girl...

Some little girl who turns away from God.

A demonic little girl.

A devilish little girl!,

devilishly perverse!

Yes. Yes, perverted!

And you, you cling to her like no one else!

Don't you see how she bewitches you?

Don't you see how you validate her?

Delivered to the fail at the age of seven,

lost to Satan, that is the demon, a demonic person.

Let go of her, Samuel!

Let go of her!

Get away from the demon.

Alright...

No... do it yourself!

You're no good for anything.

You're dead to me.

It's locked.

She won't come out anymore.

This is not the...

What are you doing?

I've already forbidden you to hang around here!

Pauline!

Pauline!

He'd chase me away.

Never, never will I love your dear God!

And what about her parents?

I called you because of her condition,

- They don't want to take her back. - Not at all?

They're not sending any more payments.

They don't even want their portrait anymore.

- Do they have another child? - Maybe, I don't know.

I don't know them, so I can't say.

Will she never return to her parents?

Don't ask me, Monsieur.

The Pastor doesn't want a scandal.

But it's probably the parents who don't want a scandal.

How will all this end?

She's not always going to be a kid.

She's eaten next to nothing, like yesterday.

You have to discuss this with the Pastor.

He knows, Pauline.

You have to discuss it anyway,

- Is she in her room? - No. In the garden.

You have to elicit something from him.

I've already tried.

Me too.

Little, little, little... Mérette.

Mérette!

All birds...

of heaven have come...

and then...

all children...

all children...

of the sky...

will escape...

will escape...

all children...

of the sky...

will escape tomorrow...

Mérette!

Mérette!

All birds...

of the sky...

have come...

in my hand...

all children

of the sky

will escape tomorrow...

- My God! Where did you find her? - In the forest.

- The poor... - She ran away,

Thank you, Lord,

For your pity on a wretched creature.

Is that your only concern?!

Go, go.

She's lost!

She's going to die!

Pull yourself together, Pauline,

Every one of us has to submit to God.

My little daughter...

She's dirty.

It makes me despair.

As she does herself, my friend.

It is the will of God.

Each of us is alone before him.

These kids are unbearable!

What do they want anyway?

Send them away, Pauline.

I remember,

when she was three or four years old,

she went for a walk with her mother...

Mérette!

Why?

Why?

Attention, Thomas!

The birds...

all birds of the sky...

have come...

all birds of the sky...

have come...

in my hand...

And all children...

all children of heaven...

will escape...

escape...

All children of the sky...

will escape tomorrow...

All children of the sky...

have come into my hand...

All children of the sky...

will escape tomorrow...