Original subtitles

You again.

Yes.

I've already told you. I can't help you.

You can't go without papers.

Have you got any papers yet?

I'm tired.

No papers, no name.

That will only lead to problems, and I've got enough of those.

Tell me, what have you been up to?

Have you got any money yet?

Money.

Where would I get money?

But I do want to work.

If you think I'm too lazy to--

Water levels in the Rhine: Kaub 232, fall 8.

Cologne 197, rise 12.

Ruhrort 391, rise 16.

I can't lull the people at the border to sleep with your work.

Those papers are just an excuse.

You want money, right?

Papers and money, dear friend.

Coming up: a request show with the motto "You request it, we play it."

Hey, where are you going?

Leave me in peace.

Wonderful. Double the pleasure.

Erna, are you coming?

-He wants you. -A button's missing from your jacket.

Your hair is much too long.

-He doesn't bite, you know. -Why would he bite?

There's not much money to be made from me.

I have to get out of here. You understand? I have to leave.

-Let me talk to the captain. -You?

-I'll convince him. -What do you want in return?

-No money. No papers. -Erna, where are you?

My ball.

Thank you, sir.

Will you play with me?

Tomorrow.

Tell me…

-Are you all alone? -My sister's over there.

Play with me.

Gigi?

Where are you going? Aren't you playing anymore?

Tomorrow.

Bad girl. Don't you have ears? I called you at least three times.

You must stay closer to me, you understand?

And don't talk to strangers again.

-Go home, quickly. -No, no.

When will that little brat stay home for a change?

Staf, you know I can't come out without Gigi.

They should have left her where she was. Why did your parents take on that child?

She doesn't even speak Flemish. It can't have been out of charity.

What do you know about that?

-I bet it's about money. -What do you mean, money?

Some fortune that's blocked. Abroad, for example.

When the money becomes available they'll get a nice sum.

Gigi is a war orphan. She doesn't have any family anymore.

Exactly.

When the money becomes available it will go to the foster parents.

They wouldn't concern themselves with that child

if there wasn't a pile of banknotes waiting for them somewhere.

Meanwhile we're stuck with her.

-Do you really love that child? -Do you really love me?

Have you got the Gigi disease, too? God, what a name, Gigi.

It's thanks to Gigi that I can be here every day.

Come on, Staf. Let's just be grateful she keeps her mouth shut about it at home.

I'm only sixteen, and if father--

It's time, Staf.

-Are you coming tomorrow? -Of course. With Gigi.

Gigi.

-What are you doing? -Look, Daddy.

The man in your drawing looks sad.

You think so?

Go inside. It's too cold here. It's too windy.

Will you draw me something? Draw me a man who's laughing.

-No, tomorrow. -It's always tomorrow.

-Have you eaten yet? -Yes, but please draw--

-Ask Yvonne. -She doesn't want to. No one does.

-Where is Yvonne? -I don't know.

What are you doing here?

-I'm leaving. -What do you mean, you're leaving?

-Off to bed, you. -No.

My little man.

-Stop being stubborn, or I'll smack you. -No.

Still interested in me?

Still a grump? I spoke to the captain.

Hey, I spoke to the captain.

I've done that five times already and it didn't help in the slightest.

Does that guy say anything besides "money, papers"?

"Erna, where are you?"

"Erna, where are you?"

-Like you care-- -All I care about is a boat.

I wonder what happened to you. Where do you come from?

Where do you live?

Nowhere.

I don't live anywhere, either.

-You have the boat. -A boat isn't anywhere.

To you, maybe.

To me, it's salvation.

-To me… -What did the captain say?

Not much. He's angry because the freight hasn't arrived

and departure has to be delayed again, at least a day or two.

Two days is a long time.

To await being picked up.

To await finally getting to leave.

You have so little faith in me.

I'll get what I want, you can count on that.

Without money and without papers.

You're rather sure of yourself.

-I know the captain. -You seem to know men well.

We won't get anywhere like this.

It will only make things more difficult.

-It will make them worthwhile. -What if he finds out?

Don't harbor any illusions about your captain.

In Basle the Rhine is so beautiful.

Why is it so beautiful by the Rhine?

Are you ready?

-Do you know my little man? -No.

He saved my ball.

Get into bed.

-Have you been to the toilet? -Yes. I haven't been to the toilet.

-Have you been to the toilet or not? -No.

Annoying child. Get on with it.

Get in bed. And I don't want to hear another sound.

-Where is my man? -What man?

The one I drew.

Is this it?

Are we going again tomorrow?

He's coming back to play with me. I want to play with him.

-With that tramp? No way. -You play with a boy.

That's none of your business. Go on, go to sleep.

-I'll tell Mummy all about it. -Are you done?

-Are we going tomorrow? -Of course, stupid child.

-Really? -We'll see.

Yvonne, I'm thirsty.

Higher, higher.

Again.

What's your name?

My name is Gigi. What's yours?

I don't have a name.

Do you really not have a name? Everyone has a name.

I'll give you a name.

I will call you Prince.

Prince?

I'm not rich. I don't have anything.

But you're very nice.

Catch.

Shall we play? Come on.

Again.

Go and get it.

Can you not find it?

My ball. Where is my ball?

-Stay here, Gigi. -I don't like the look of that guy.

Prince.

That's it. You're never coming along again.

-I guess that's it for today. -Sorry.

Prince.

-What do you think? -Come on.

Excuse me, Gigi.

Are you coming, Gigi?

-Not so fast. -Where did you get that?

Who are you? What do you want?

Nervous, aren't you?

Come on, we might as well sit down.

Where did you get that ball?

Make yourself comfortable. Cigarette?

Yes.

Calm down.

-Where is the child? -Go on, sit down.

-What do you want? -Me? Nothing. But you want to leave.

-That's none of your business. -Are you sure about that?

I thought I might be able to do you a favor.

Help you get out of the danger zone.

Maybe with this.

You know Gigi, don't you?

I don't understand.

Little girls like that are worth money.

If you keep your ears open you'll always find one worth money.

And money means liberty, freedom.

Gigi is worth money?

Absolutely. A lot. You just have to know.

-What do you know? -You're far too nosey. Here, catch.

If you need me, you'll find me.

If you give me that little girl, I'll help you get away from here.

Don't worry about the rest.

We take some, we give something back, and we keep some for ourselves.

-A bag of fries, please. -Big or small?

Small.

-Any toppings or sauces? -No.

That'll be five francs, please.

A 10-franc bag of chips, please, and two francs worth of mayonnaise.

Thank you, sir. Good evening.

Don't bother. He doesn't have a single penny.

That won't help our profession.

Damnit.

They call this "suffering in silence."

Ready for love from head to toe.

Preferably with the head rather than the toe.

Shall I dampen it?

A man without a woman is like an electric cushion without electricity.

Completely useless.

Give me that, I'll hold it. Here, drink up. It'll do you good.

Once the kettle boils you'll get a cup of coffee.

Better?

Rest a bit, if you can.

I know that illness of yours.

It's not just in here, but also in here, isn't it?

Troubles.

In my case it's my feet. My shoes, actually.

Twenty centimetres. What misogynist came up with that?

The coffee.

I'm ready for love From head to toe

Why did you bring me here?

It's not too bad here, is it?

Don't worry too much about the rest.

Sooner or later you'll find a hole big enough to crawl through.

Let's see what's on there. You're not much of a conversationalist.

Coffee.

It's been a while, then? That's the thing about men wandering around.

They begin with a small blunder and end with a big one.

They should have realised long ago that the game isn't worth the candle.

I know all about it. About men, I mean.

This music is far too cutesy. Not my thing.

There's the milk, here's the sugar.

You're one of the difficult ones, aren't you?

They think too much and don't know what to do with themselves.

Too soft, can't stand the sight of blood…

And suddenly it all becomes too much and they stand there, thunderstruck.

And they don't understand that they have destroyed themselves.

How old are you?

-Sixty. -Not yet sixteen, I suppose?

At any rate, I'm too young to die and too old to live.

Do you know what it's like to be skint? To go hungry?

To only come out when it's dark?

To sleep on straw, not even having a roof over your head that doesn't leak.

Unable to see a way out, no one to help you.

-Alone among people. -I do know.

Hunted down like a dog.

Do you know what it's like to be sixty?

Your coffee's getting cold. Drink up. It will do you good.

It's raining again.

It's always raining.

It rained yesterday.

It rained back then.

It rained back then…

in Germany.

Labor camp. It rained.

And I thought of my wife.

Of Denise.

Come on, try to sleep.

Sleep.

Letting off a final round?

Let me guess, none of my business?

Awake already? Is business not going well?

I can't be working all the time.

Sounds like you're growing old.

-You're right. I feel like I'm sixty. -Wrong move.

That would mean I have to sack you and you're still too presentable for that.

Besides, I'll make you feel like 20 again if I have to.

Leave me alone. I didn't ask you.

A bit touchy, are we?

Leave me alone.

Don't bother looking, there is nothing.

Nothing, nothing.

We don't want tramps here.

Or are you going to turn this place into a charity?

Remember this, once and for all.

You don't have time for love.

Do you know that guy?

-What guy? -Don't pretend you don't know.

The one who just went down the stairs. William the Silent.

I do know him, and maybe I can do something you can't.

Did he reveal anything?

What would he reveal? And why to me?

What do you know about him?

My ball. Where did you find it?

Where did you lose it?

Let's play.

Throw it.

Again.

What are you looking for?

Are you tired?

Me? No.

I am.

My little man.

-Your little man? -Yes.

It's you, Prince.

I look sad.

-You think so? -Yes.

How can we make him laugh? I know. Just a minute.

See?

There.

Now he's happy. This one's happy but the other one isn't.

-Is the one who's laughing also Prince? -Actually, they're the same person.

Can you be both sad and happy at the same time?

Maybe you can, maybe you can't.

We're never completely happy or completely sad.

The one that's laughing isn't you?

It used to be.

-But it's a long story. -A sad story, then.

It's a fairy tale. A fairy tale for grown-ups.

Tell me. I love stories. Tell me.

It was a long time ago.

It was a long time ago.

Tell me.

Okay. Just for you.

What's the matter?

I don't care about the sordid things you do.

Sordid things? You're wrong, girl. If you think that's what I mean.

I'm going to help that guy out of his predicament.

That surprises you, doesn't it?

Never heard of a certain idiot who wants to leave the country?

Or rather, has to?

Otherwise he'll end up in jail sooner or later.

I'm talking to you. You know about this, don't you?

What do you know about what I know?

Tricky, isn't it?

Not knowing what you can say and what you must keep to yourself.

-Got any cigarettes? -No.

Will you go buy them, or me?

Heads, you go, tails, I go.

Tails.

As for the guy you're trying to protect, forget it.

I'll protect him.

-And yourself at the same time? -Yes, what do you think?

Is that the princess?

Yes.

They got married.

But they didn't live happily ever after.

Did they live happily?

No one has ever told me such a lovely story before.

They didn't live together for long.

And they weren't happy.

A stupid war started.

And with the war came foreigners…

who took the prince with them to a distant country.

The princess stayed behind, all alone.

Many years later the liberators came. There were celebrations everywhere.

But the liberators were young and strong, in the flush of victory.

They enchanted the princess and made her forget the prince

and everything that had joined them together.

Now that there was peace everywhere, one day, the prince also returned.

But no matter how much he begged, his sorrow was to no avail.

The princess was and remained enchanted.

The prince didn't know any magic spells that could save the poor princess.

And he became sad.

Very sad.

And then he became angry.

So angry that he put the princess into a deep sleep forever.

But the people got angry with him.

So angry he had to flee for his life.

And he's still fleeing.

So it's a sad story, because you're crying.

I don't want you to cry. You're very nice to me.

Can I stay with you?

It's dirty here.

What is this? Is it something to eat?

Can I light it?

Hey, wait a moment.

Not so fast.

Did you come for… Or did you succeed? Do you have her?

No.

-Tomorrow. -But--

I said tomorrow.

-Is that all you have to say? -Same time.

Is that why you came here? Where is she, then?

I don't know.

Why did you leave me all alone?

You have go home.

Your mother will be worried, and so will your sister.

No, they don't love me at home.

-I'm staying here with you. -You can't. You have to go home.

I have to leave. I can't take you with me.

Be good.

I'll come and see you tomorrow, and we'll play with the ball, okay?

Come on. Come with me.

I'm staying here.

-Who is gone? -Gigi.

-That brat again. -Now everything will come out.

Let it. We're not children anymore.

-What do I do? -Wait until she's back.

-Is that all you can say? -Do you want me to search for her?

-You think that guy took her? -You watch too many movies.

-The captain? -Gone.

-Whereto? -What does a woman know about a man?

They walk off and say nothing. You're just in time. We're departing soon.

-You have to help me. Hide me. -Why?

Everything is okay. You can come along.

You should use your common sense.

All that kissing is no good. Do more of what you should do.

You should have looked after Gigi better. If anything happens it's your fault.

What did that guy look like?

I have to go somewhere really quickly. I can't just leave her like that.

-Her? -Gigi.

-Are you one of those guys? -She's a six-year-old child.

Prince.

Prince.

We're departing in five minutes.

You and your sweetheart won't get a minute longer.