All language subtitles for Human Affairs

I was born in Lyon,

the third largest
city in France.

I was raised in this
house, in Ronchin,

a small town where people talk
about leaving, but never do.

My family didn't have much,
but my parents loved us

and gave us
everything they could.

This is Gerard, the cat my
father gave me when I was five.

This is the last picture
of my parents together.

I have spent hours
looking at this picture,

trying to find clues.

Two days after this
picture was taken

my father left the house
and never returned.

He said nothing, and
never called again

Strange how things
change so suddenly.

I met Clemont the
summer after graduation.

He had dreams.

He was going to Boston
to become a chef

at his uncle restaurant.

I dreamed of starting a
family, so I went with him.

Clemont did many drugs.

He said this was normal
in every kitchen.

When he hit me I asked,
"Is this normal too?"

We said goodbye in the
New England Aquarium.

What's the difference
between something I feel,

and the way things
are in the world?

If I believe something is
true, can I trust that feeling?

And what if it turns
out to be wrong?

What do I trust in the future?

Can you ever be sure?

- Can you hear me?

- Yeah, I wasn't
sure you'd call today.

- I call every day.

You got everything packed?

- Yeah, I think so.

- I can't believe

our weekend together
is finally here.

- I know.

Do you think it will be weird?

Like staying in
the same apartment?

- It just means we get
to spend more time together.

highway.

In the five boroughs,
westbound 57th Street still

with one lane closed
between Seventh Avenue

and Broadway with
Carl and Edward.

With some construction from
Third Avenue to George,

George down to FDR,
Halliburton Drive,

and to the 80s to 106.

150s to the GW northbound,

west side of the
highway, 125th to 158.

40 minutes southbound now
only 15, outbound Lincoln.

This report is sponsored by.

- I'm Dr. Fried, it's a
pleasure to meet you finally.

- Genevieve.

- Ah,!

- Oui, Lyon.

- Ah,
Lyon. And you live in?

- Vermont.

- Vermont,
primary obstetrician

based in Bennington.

- Oui.

- All right,
this is her uterus.

And this is the amniotic sac.

And that little
black bean there.

That little thing there,
that is your baby.

- Look.

I'm sorry.

- Hi!

- Let me take your bag.

- No.

- No?

- Ready?

Yeah?

We're so glad you could
join us for the weekend.

- September
14th, day 91 of pregnancy.

Hey.

- This is gonna be
the baby's room.

We're gonna make it beautiful.

Put the crib over here and.

- I like that book.

Oops.

Thanks.

- You left her
alone in our apartment?

- She's 26.

- And?

- Well, I don't know
what the rules are.

If we treat her well,
she'll treat the baby well.

Make the right choices.

What do you say, mom?

- What do you
feel are your best qualities?

Where, if at all, do you feel
you would like to improve.

Do you have a history
of depression?

What are somethings that
make you happy or satisfied?

If accepted, what kind of
relationship do you hope

to have with the
intended parents

before, during, and
after pregnancy?

- Upstage right that
oak monster chair

just darkened a little bit.

Also can we get
a working abacus.

Transition, top of
the scene one, two,

just can I get a sharper
light cue on that?

Like, just, as opposed
to some of the cross fade

that we have, just
something like snap cue.

Cool.

- How
come you want a baby?

- What do you mean?

- Like do you think

it's a good world for a baby?

- Pattern of something.

That's, you know, it's too dark.

It's severe.

- For real
objective, what did you think?

- For real, here's
how it's gonna go.

You're gonna get rave reviews,

you're gonna sign
with a big agent,

line up your Hollywood break,

and be a household
name in 24 months.

- Sounds
about right to me.

- Listen, I heard
about your pregnancy.

People would be
really interested

in your decision
to use a surrogate.

- Welcome to our
bedroom, right, hun?

- Ya, that's great.

- How the hell does
she know, who told her?

- We're in the theater,

people sit around and talk.

- Yeah well
they shouldn't be talking

about my fucking uterus.

Today at the clinic, Genevieve.

- Genevieve.

- She's less boyish.

She was like, I don't know,

like a boy scout
with croissants.

Her face looks
better, it's changed.

- I always
wondered if it was the style

of the actors of the characters.

- They're mine,

they're just filtered
through the character.

- Oh, really?

- Be careful.

All right these are
for the curtain.

They never get used.

Okay.

- Your
apartment looks very nice.

- Thank you.

Oh Antoine, hi,
this is Genevieve.

- Hi
- Antoine.

- Nice to meet you.

- I'm from Italy,?

- Yeah.
- Cool.

- There.

I wear this in Act One.

- Whoa.

- It's my aristocratic
accoutrement.

- Nice.

She's 36 years old.

She has light, auburn
hair, and green eyes.

Her friends describe her

as loyal, ambitious,
and hard-working.

- I don't know how
I'm gonna do this.

- She
likes to be looked at.

It makes her feel loved.

She's most passionate about
pushing herself to the limit,

being healthy, and the arts
section of "The New York Times".

She has always wanted a family.

She conceived twice.

Both pregnancies
ended in miscarriage.

Her favorite shows are "House
of Cards", "Big Little Lies",

and "Inside the Actor's Studio".

Her best life skills include
communicating her needs,

and making people
feel comfortable.

- Can't
believe that took so long.

We open on Saturday so,
had to make an appearance.

You know they want to do
two interviews tomorrow.

Two, before and after dress.

It's like don't

they know the fucking
pressure I'm under?

- We have reason
to suspect that they are.

NATO, President Trump will also.

2% GDP.

The NATO working out
the complication.

- Thank you.

When I was a little girl I
always leave the curtain open

so I could wake up with the sun.

My favorite thing was to
be awake before my parents

so all right for a few minutes

I was very free.

But I think now I need
all the sleep as possible.

- Goodnight.

- Sidney.

Can I just ask you,

can we hang out tomorrow?

- Sure.

- Everything
okay with Genevieve?

- Yeah.

She's great.

- September
15th, day 92 of pregnancy.

- Hi Lucinda, you
have lost nine pounds.

- I never saw him.

No, I think.

- Before
business opened.

- And that's why he
didn't go forward with it.

- He was born
in Morristown, New Jersey.

He's the youngest
of seven children.

The expression in his
eyes is warm and serious.

He tries to enjoy
every good moment,

and learn lessons
from the bad ones.

He believes each person
creates their own destiny.

- Just
shoot it, come on!

I got it!

- His
favorite movies

are "Dirty Harry"
and "The Graduate".

- Hey, come on.

- He
calls me late at night

and doesn't tell his wife.

- That's it.

- Nice.

- You alright man?

What, you a little tense?

- Yeah, you know,
tomorrow's opening night.

- Oh shit, I thought you forgot.

You know he's got his
fiancé in one bedroom,

he's got his fetus in another,

he doesn't know his
ass from his elbow.

- Wow, man.

- Boo.
- Hi.

Oh no, no.

100 calories left,
shower, massage,

shiatsu 90 minutes,
shower again.

Straight uptown.

- You're stunning.

- Huh?

- You're stunning.

Does it get lonely up there?

- Yeah, sometimes,
but I have the animals.

I feel close to them.

- Do the
animals keep you company?

- Pretty much,
except when they don't eat.

Then they get very mean.

- Lucinda's
that way too.

- Really?

- Oh yeah, but
don't tell her I said that.

- Okay.

But maybe you should go
make some food for her.

- She's
not around tonight.

- Ah okay.

- If only
I had some horses

and cows to hang out with.

There's plenty here,

you can visit them anytime.

- Yeah?

Is that an invitation?

- Sure, as long
as you're ready to work.

- Oh yeah?

You're going to put
me to work?

- Yeah, I'm gonna.

We need help on the farm.

- I know my
way around a pasture.

- Look,
honestly I'm distracted.

Forgive me, I have
to subject you

to a kind of a--

- So hard to bring in.
- Interrogation

and I'm embarrassed.

And I'm not sure how to begin.

- An interrogation?

- Yes, an
interrogation, but
innocent enough.

Let's sit.

- All right.

- It
concerns a young woman.

- Just a different,

like a different plate
of food or something.

- I want us to
talk honestly as friends

and I'm not gonna
beat around the bush,

we'll just have
this conversation

and we won't speak of
it again, all right?

- Okay, it was good,
I thought it was a good run,

I don't have many notes.

Let's see, transition
top of scene one, two.

- What's it like to be married

or engaged to the playwright?

Is it a trick question?

What's it like to be
engaged to the playwright,

is that a trick
sorry, shit.

I wasn't being professional
until I was like 16,

but I was preparing for that.

But that's something you
have when you're a child,

don't you think?

When you're a child
you're sort of naive

and you don't listen to
people, older people.

- What the fuck!

You're playing games with me.

Hiding things from Lucinda.

- It doesn't make sense
for me to tell Lucinda

because it's not gonna help.

She gets so upset about
these things right she gets.

- Come on.

- Freaked out over stupid stuff.

- I
don't feel good here.

- Okay, you know what?

Hey, hey, hey, you're
right, you're right.

- Just stop.

- I promise, I promise, I
will tell Lucinda, okay?

I will tell Lucinda, I
will tell her I called you.

Come here.

- It's the same
bunch losers

these stupid morons.

Because Connecticut doesn't
have a baseball team

they can go out to
see.

- Hey, open this.

Is she still sleeping?

- It's fuckin'
Connecticut, I mean, I haven't.

- My keys.
- You got 'em?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- September 16th,

day 93 of pregnancy.

- Let's get

here, why are you beating
around the bush, Jerry?

Why, what do you mean.

- ÷{Jerry] There wasn't
and I really recommend

that you don't push me too much.

- Oh
come on.

- The average
surrogate in the U.S. is 28,

married, employed, and
living in the middle class.

On average, surrogates
make $42,000 per pregnancy,

or $1.75 per hour.

The total cost to
intended parents can be

as high as $180,000.

In America, there are
over 2,500 children born

to surrogates each year.

- Going all day long.

And these people would come
in and didn't I just say that,

they were very conceited.

- Well it was hard, you know,

I came with very little money
and even fewer connections,

and I did do all those
day job things, literally,

I temped, I waited tables.

I was once hired to
be a toy demonstrator

at F.A.O. Schwartz.

And I was lucky enough to
find a group of friends

who were equally passionate,

and it's that real mix

of feelings I long
for sometimes,

there was an innocence
and a beauty to it

that I don't have anymore.

But, I also like how
my life turned out,

so, I don't want to go
backwards but I fell in love

with the city when I was a
teenager when I came to visit,

and I told myself
I'm coming back here,

so it was a lifelong
process, and here we are.

I wanted to ask you

about the very overt...

- What are you doing?

- Just
laying in the bed.

- Are you
feeling alright?

- Yeah, I
feel perfect right now.

- Oh, good.

No queasiness, you're finally
getting a peaceful night?

- Yeah.

My body feels like
it's changing.

- Well, I guess

that means the
hormones are working.

- Yeah, my
breasts are getting so big.

- Is that so?

- Yeah.

I'm glad you called.

I was thinking about you.

I feel it.

I feel it, the baby, for real.

- You do?
- Just now, I don't know.

- Just now?

- Yeah
- It's too soon.

- No, I mean I don't know.

Touch, maybe he's.

- Nothing.

- Yeah, wait a moment.

Wait a little.

- What are we doing?

Wait.

No, we can't do this.

- Do you like it?

- You did a
spectacular job, it's perfect.

- Thank you.

And so are you.

- No.
- You're all set.

- Thank you.

- Happy opening.

- Genevieve.

Aw.

My baby.

Really, thank you.

- They watch the play
through the window, and,

Jake, He's the lighting board.

- So,
what happens now?

- I don't know.

I have to think about it.

I just can't believe it.

- I didn't want this.

- I didn't
want this either!

- You
didn't want this?

You didn't want this!

If you didn't want this!

If I to you am blasphemy

let martyr be the mask I wear.

♪ Oh, so long

♪ Been so long

♪ So, so, long

- It was a pleasure,

I enjoyed the
performance greatly.

- Thank you so
much, thank you so much.

- I can't even tell you how
emotional it made myself

and so many other people.

- You know that.

I think the next show
is gonna be a musical.

- Yeah,
I'll write the music.

- And I'm not gonna direct it.

- Only if you choreograph it.
- I'm gonna star.

- My daughter, she's
in drama school.

19 years old, got
any tips for her?

Any pointers,
anything like that?

- Please tell
me that was water.

- Okay that was water.

Genevieve, what's going on?

What's going on?

- We
need to discuss it.

- Okay, I'm right here,
let's discuss, what--

- Sidney.

- What?

- Sidney.
- I don't.

Please, hey.

- You're like Humphrey
Bogart, Gary Cooper.

- Yeah, I'm Gary Cooper.
- Hey.

- You need to go back
to the apartment, okay?

- No.

- Yes, come on.
- No.

- I'm getting you a taxi.

- I need to talk
to you right now.

Where?

- Outside.
- No.

- Let's go outside,
me and you, outside.

- I don't wanna go outside.

Sidney!

- What is it?

Okay, talk to me, goddammit,
tell me what is going on.

Speak.

- All right, I am.

I'm going to tell you.
- Okay.

- Six more months.

No, I can't feel that inside
me, everything, like...

It's too much, it's too much.

- What we did today, what
we did can not interfere

with your responsibility.

- Finished, I'm finished.

- You're under contract,

you signed a fucking
contract, okay?

- I don't
fucking care about that.

- The police will take
you and they'll put you

in a cell--
- You got so many women.

- They'll put you--
- Pick another one!

They'll put you in a cell

and they will--
- Leave me alone.

Please!

- And they will induce labor--

- Fuck you.
- With a pill,

that's what they're going to
do to you, do you want that?

- I have the power.
- No, stop.

- It's my emotion--
- Stop it, okay, I don't.

- And my body says no.
- Relax, stop!

- Fuck you!
- Stop touching me

and listen to me god dammit.
- I decide!

No!
- Yes!

- I don't fucking care.

Come on, I choose it if I
fucking say no, I say no,

if I don't want,
I don't want that.

That's it.

I don't want that,
I cannot carry

that fucking child inside me.

- Talk to me, talk to me, okay?

Talk to me.

- Sidney, I don't
have anybody here.

I called my friend Pierre.

- I don't care, I don't
care about Pierre.

- I told him,

I'm doing that thing

to be a surrogate but I
think I love that man.

- What?

- Today, we give the baby
the feeling of love, Sidney.

- Love?

You love me?

Do you love me?

Then how could
you kill my child.

- Because it's that
or myself, Sidney,

what do you want from me.

What do you want, tell me!

I'm sorry, Sidney.

- Genevieve,

Genevieve, do you mean it,

when you say you love me?

Do you mean it,
is that the truth?

- Yes.

- I need to know.

Because I love you too.

- You don't.

- Yes, I do.
- No, you don't.

- I do, look at me,
look at my face.

Why else would I come here?

- I don't wanna kiss you.

- Okay, you don't have to.

You sure you don't want to?

You wouldn't hurt
my baby, would you?

Tell me you wouldn't.

It's practically ours.

Tomorrow you don't
go, you you don't go,

you stay and I,

and I will get
you a hotel, okay?

A nice hotel.

And we start tomorrow,
we start.

- The way you touch me shows
me that you know me, Sidney.

I'm so tired.

I'm so tired.
- Okay.

- Antoine, where are you?

Ugh, lovely work, yes,
you too, wonderful.

And of course, Lucinda Greene.

To have you staying
with us for this run,

it means the world,
so thank you.

Thank you for your
beautiful work.

And to our esteemed
director, where is he?

Ronnie Savage, what can I say?

You weren't our first choice

but we're so happy
to have you with us.

- That's okay.

- Can you believe it?

We're finally having a baby.

Hey, why don't you
join me in the shower?

- Do you
want your own kids?

- Yes,
when the time is right.

- How will you know?

- At first
I have to be in love,

then I'll be ready.

- I mean, what about
work or money, commitments?

- I don't think
too much of those things.

- You're more of
a free spirit than I am.

- I just
think if you have love,

everything else will follow.

- Rain yesterday afternoon

now well off.

Rain till
late in the day tomorrow.

Cloud cover will
stay till Monday.

Looking at a
beautiful day today.

Winds still be real
cool tonight, low 72,
very cold dry air.

- Morning.

- Well off to our
Hurricane Erin,

up to the north.

Tonight--

- I'm
sorry to wake you.

I just wanted to make sure

that you could eat
something before the bus.

- It's gorgeous
Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Low 70 and the average
high is 82.

- Shadows
of this world,

hers is a performance
that cuts and nourishes.

Northwest wind is now--

- And without fail, elicits awe.

Today and tomorrow,

that means the humidity
level today is 72.

- September
17th, day 94 of pregnancy.

- It's unbelievable.
- Mm-hmm.

- You really went overboard.

- Well, you know,
four mouths to feed.

So you go home and,

and then what?

- I,

I guess everything
go back to normal.

- Ooh!

Requests?

- Whatever you like.
- Yep?

- Sidney.

Sidney.

Oui.

- Oh, let's take a picture!

No, I left my phone.

I couldn't read all
those, congratulations.

Thank you.

Excuse me, do you
mind taking a picture?

- What happened?

- I'm sorry we
didn't get a chance to talk.

- Thank you.

- Gimme a call when
you get back to Vermont.

- A full body.

Thank you.

Oh you look pretty.

- All right thank you.

Bye.

- Bye.

Get home safe.

- Bye.
- Bye.

- Surrogate
mothers still have rights

to the child until
it is surrendered.

Even with a surrogacy
agreement in place.

Screening of potential
surrogates ensures

that there will be no
emotional complications

in the surrogacy process.

98% of women who apply
to become surrogates

in the United
States are rejected

by screening organizations.

Those chosen as surrogates

almost never have trouble
relinquishing rights

to the child.

But there are exceptions.

- Hey.

Where are you?

Hey.

- Hey.

- Why aren't
you on the bus?

- Why are we here in this place?

- Genevieve.
- What?

- I spoke too soon.

My feelings for you are
real, absolutely, 100%.

But I can't leave Lucinda.

It would never work.

I mean, you know how
she is, she's delicate.

C'mon, it wouldn't last.

I could be your father.

Do you understand?

I mean do you agree?

- Yes, sure.

- Yeah?

Really?

Because I need to know it.

That you understand.

I mean I need to know
that you're okay with it.

Are you okay with this?

Genevieve?

Say something, okay?

I need to know that you're okay.

Genevieve?

- I
can't have your baby.

- Here they are.

- What is a life?

What makes a person
who they are?

- Hey!

Hey, hey, fuck.

- Is there
any way to be free?

- I'm confused,
I don't know, I wanna.

Listen, I'm gonna
get you a hotel.

I'll meet you in the hotel,
we'll figure this out.

It'll be nice.

I'll tell Lucinda, come on.

- Did you see my neck
when I kissed him?

It cranked around like an owl.

It was crazy awkward.

God, it must've
looked ridiculous.

- No, that is real.

That's real and I wanna know,

honestly, how do you do it?

- Oh, shut up!

- No, answers, now!

Don't forget, you have
a responsibility to...

You are responsible
for my development.

- What?
- Yup, it's true.

- Here, pass me
that bag, will you?

Sidney was supposed to be here,

I don't know where he could be.

- She said that there are 10
to 20 people outside waiting

to get your
autograph!

- Lily.

- What?

- That was Genevieve.

- What, she
just now got home?

- She didn't go home.

She didn't get on the bus.

- What do you mean?

- She kept saying," I
can't, I can't, I can't",

about the baby.

I met her at a Starbucks.

She used the word abortion.

- And what did you do?

- I got her a hotel.
- What?

- I'm going there now to
meet her to calm her down.

- I'm going there now.

- Hey Lucinda.
- No, not right now.

- Just sign the paper!

- Together, we need to
handle this together.

- Move.

- I take the lead.

- Hey.

- I think it
it's time we all talk.

- What is this?

- Genevieve.

- You don't know?

You don't know.

- No.

I don't know.

- What.
- I don't know.

What is going on?

- We're gonna work this out.

- I hate you so
much, I hate you.

- Okay.
- Fucking bastard.

- Okay.

- I hate you.
- It's okay.

We're gonna talk about this.

- How could you do this!
- Fuck you!

- Let's talk about it, okay?

What's going on?
- Fuck you.

- We'll talk about it okay?
- Get out of here!

- Whatever it is--
- Leave, fuck you.

- We're gonna--
- It's okay, it's okay.

Sidney!

- No, but he's such an asshole.

- Sidney, Sidney leave.
- Hey, hey!

- Get out of here!
- Please, leave!

- All right, all right!

I'm gonna go.
- Fucking bastard!

- I'm gonna go in
the bathroom, okay.

- Right now!

Fuck, oh my god!

I hate you, I fucking hate you.

- Calm down.
- You need to leave.

- I hate you so much!
- Go outside, please, Sidney!

- I'm gonna go in the bathroom.

- Our fucking baby!

Go outside now!

- Five minutes!
- You man, get out of here!

- Five minutes, five minutes!
- It's okay.

It's okay.

I don't now anything,
I'm in the dark, okay?

What's going on?

Why are you still here, huh?

Sidney mentioned an abortion.

What are you doing here?

- I'm free, I'm fucking free,

I stay where I wanna stay,

I'm sorry!
- Okay, okay!

Okay, I just,

I just wanna know
what's going on.

What don't I know, Genevieve?

What the fucking
hell is going on?

Please!

- I need a room on the
8th floor, 802 or 803.

- Cheeseburger,
cheeseburger, cheeseburger!

- It's okay, it's an--

- Cheeseburger right now!

- Oh, I'm sorry, sir.

The only thing that I have
available is the penthouse suite

for 1295, busy weekend,
with the dog show and all.

- I want a cheeseburger.

Okay, I want a cheeseburger.

- He's your son.

- Cheeseburger,
cheeseburger, cheeseburger,

- I can't do that for you.
- Cheeseburger, cheeseburger.

- I'm sorry, I don't know.
- Cheeseburger, bud!

- I want a cheeseburger.

- You don't eat cheeseburgers.
- I want a cheeseburger.

I want a ketchup!
- Why don't we just get.

- No!

- Good morning.

I wasn't sleeping, I was,

I was just resting my eyes.

If you could just
tell me something.

Anything, please.

- Hey, last night,

I know you don't deserve it.

- If I did something to
you, I didn't mean it.

- I was, I think I was

a little bit nervous,
and then I got afraid.

Afraid.

- Afraid of what?

- To be alone.