RUST AND BONE
Written by
Jacques Audiard & Thomas Bidegain
Based on Craig Davidson's short story collection
16TH August 2011
1. THE CHILD
Gradually more and more visible in the darkness, the face
of a child, Sam. He is 6 years old, blond, pale and
miserably thin. As we move in on his eyes, we see his lids
quickly contracting.
Under his eyelids: vestiges of the day's lights and
shadows, of the day's noise.
2. EXT. - NORTHWEST LANDSCAPES. DAY
A grim region where the sky hangs low and the wind can
knock a man off his feet.
On the side of the highway, a large, muscular man with
spiked blond hair: Ali Van Versh, 25.
He has a big bag in one hand and a cell phone in the other.
He talks on the phone as he continues walking:
ALI
It's me. It's Ali... I left. I took the kid
with me. She can't take care of him anymore.
I got into a fight with the guy she's with.
I don't know where to go. What do I do with
the kid? I can't talk. I don't have any more
credit... Call me back!
He hangs up quickly and turns to Sam.
ALI
Move it!
His phone rings. He immediately answers.
ALI
Yeah! Where is it? Shit! It's so far! How do
I get there? I don't know. Today or
tomorrow. Yeah...
Ali lifts Sam onto his shoulders with one arm. Sam is tiny,
he looks like a squirrel on his father's back.
2
3. INT. TRAIN.DAY
There is a map of the French rail system near the toilets
in a regional train. While Sam pees, Ali examines it. He
follows the lines to plot out their trip. He arrives where
France ends, at the Mediterranean. Sam comes out of the
bathroom, straightening his pants.
SAM
I'm thirsty.
ALI
We don't have any money.
SAM
I'm thirsty!
4. INT. TGV. DAY
A different speed, different countryside.
Ali notices a half-empty bottle of Evian water left on a
tray. He takes it. He searches through the garbage under
other empty seats.
Ali and Sam eat leftover sandwiches and fruit, and finish
off abandoned bottles of water.
5. INT. TGV. DAY
Another TGV. Rain evaporates off the windows. Ali has
fallen asleep. He's too big for his seat. Sam watches the
landscape go by and bangs his feet against his seat. Ali
opens one eye.
ALI
Stop it.
Sam's Mickey Mouse sandals pause, then go back to their
banging.
ALI
I said to stop it.
The sandals freeze.
Cut.
3
6. THE CHILD
All of a sudden, Sam is asleep, his eyelids blinking
quickly.
7. EXT. CANNES STREET. DAY
Ali's face is turned toward the orange heat of an afternoon
sun.
Ali and Sam look at the sea, the beaches and hotels. It's
hot and beautiful. They walk by tanned people in shorts,
short skirts, sandals...
In their shapeless grey track pants, they look like hoboes.
Ali drags his sport bag with one hand and Sam with the
other.
Ali is on the phone:
ALI
I don't know. A big street that started at
the station. Yeah, by the beach. Behind? We
just came from there!
Ali pulls Sam away from one of the stairways that lead to
the beach...
SAM
I'm tired.
ALI
So am I. He's coming to pick us up. Come on!
Sam is extenuated. Ali has to heave him up onto a shoulder.
8. EXT. CANNES STREET. DAY
A four-lane avenue near the outskirts of town.
Ali is walking on the shoulder of the road, with Sam piggy-
back. A horn beeps. A refrigerated truck, blinking to get
to the side of the road. The window rolls down to reveal a
moustache and a cap: Richard.
4
9. INT. RICHARD'S TRUCK. DAY
While driving...
RICHARD
(Southern accent)... A couple miles back I
saw a blond guy. (Imitates screeching
brakes) I stop short! "You Ali?" I ask. He
says "No, me Kurt". Another few hundred
feet, another big blond guy! (Screech) I
ask "You Ali?" again. This time I didn't
even understand what he answered. Another
few hundred feet... Ten of them! Ten! Every
Kraut and Flemish guy on the coast! So I go
call your sister...
Ali is thrown for a loop.
ALI
(uncertain) You kidding?
RICHARD
A little.
SAM
(to Ali) Is he a little crazy?
RICHARD
(to Sam) What? You don't like my truck?
SAM
Yeah I do.
RICHARD
(pretending to be shocked) He doesn't like
my truck!
SAM
I do too like it!
Worked up, Sam shrieks, holding his hands over his ears:
SAM
(screaming) I like your truck!
The road hugs the seashore. Ali watches beaches, homes, a
railway line pass by... Voice over, we hear Richard's
5
distant voice.
10. EXT. SUBURBAN KITCHEN. DAY
A kitchen with mismatched furnishings. China and cheesy
wallpaper. Sam devours the cookies and Coke that Richard
gives him.
RICHARD
We all got fired after some Spanish guy
bought out the trucking company... Eight
truckers. I thought it over, discussed it
with your sister and figured I could do it
on my own. So I bought this truck with my
severance pay...
Ali has finished his cream cheese sandwiches. He gets up
and opens the old fridge.
RICHARD
Oops, poor man, not those! She'll kill you!
Start with the expired ones, on the top
shelf! They're organized by date. First the
top shelf, then move down.... Anna brings it
home from the supermarket where she works.
As soon as they reach their expiration date,
those idiots throw it all away, even if you
can still eat it for a week! (to Sam) You
want some more?
11. INT. SUBURBAN HOME. DAY
Anna empties Sam's Spiderman bag onto the table, spilling
out old, dirty, crumpled clothes.
ANNA
(with a hint of Southern accent) Is this all
you have for him?
Anna Van Versh, Ali's sister, is in her thirties. She is a
huge woman, very tall with a pretty face. She wears
leggings that make her ass look like a workhorse's and a
pair of flip flops. At the bottom of the bag, Anna finds a
passport and opens it. It is Sam's.
6
ANNA
She remembered his passport!
ALI
She didn't remember anything. It was already
in there. She forgot about it, that's all.
When they went to Amsterdam, they'd use the
kid to smuggle dope...
ANNA
You got to be kidding!
ALI
That's what she told me.
Anna shakes her head in disbelief. A beat.
ANNA
How will you tend to the kid? I won't be
able to all the time. I work, and so does
Richard... Was he in school there?
ALI
I don't know.
ANNA
You don't know if your kid's in school?
ALI
Um, no. (turns to Sam) You in school?
No answer. Sam is watching TV.
ANNA
Back at your mom's place, did you go to
school?
SAM
Yes.
ANNA
I can try to enroll him at the school. I'll
see... We also need to get him some clothes.
He can't go like that... I'll ask the
neighbors.
(gives the child her hand) Come with me to
7
the backyard. I have to feed my babies.
12. EXT. GARDEN. EVENING
Evening is falling. At the back of the garden are a home-
made pen and doghouse. Four puppies come running. Sam
touches them through the chicken wire.
ANNA
You want to pet them?
She lifts Sam up over the wire mesh.
ANNA
Careful. Don't step on their tiny paws.
They're just babies.
Anna shows him how to feed puppies, then stands back up.
ANNA
(to Ali) The breeder's picking them up next
month. Brings in some money. Otherwise,
Richard and I were thinking 300 a month for
you and the kid... That okay?
ALI
Yeah.
ANNA
"Yeah" what? Is that too much?
ALI
It's not too much, but I don't have it. I
had to pay for the train...
ANNA
So what are you going to do?
ALI
I don't know. Find a job. Whatever.
ANNA
Yeah, whatever... You think there's any work
around here? You think there's any more here
than there? Where has that ever been the
case? When you told me you were coming down,
8
I said we couldn't afford houseguests!
ALI
What should I have done with the kid? Where
should I have gone?
ANNA
I have no idea, but if you stay here you
have to pay your share, or else go somewhere
else. As far as we're concerned, it's easy:
we can't! How long were you thinking of
staying?
ALI
I don't know.
She makes a tired gesture and goes back toward the house,
calling Richard on the way. Ali hears Sam in the kennel,
giggling in delight.
He looks around: the seedy garden, a metal shed leaning to
one side, what's left of an engine, an old, orange Special
50 moped, plastic junk, etc.
Overhead, a plane descends on Nice, its landing lights
shining.
13. INT. BASEMENT. NIGHT
In the cluttered basement, Sam is rolled up in a sleeping
bag arranged on a pallet and watches his father repair the
antique Special 50 moped by the light of a flashlight.
14. INT. ELECTRONIC GOODS SHOP. DAY
Ali wanders through an electronic goods shop, pretending to
be interested in cameras. Through the shop window, he can
see Sam waiting outside in the sun.
15. EXT. ANTIBES STREETS. DAY
Suddenly, Sam sees his father run out of the shop, trying
to shake a security guard hot on his tail. Sam watches them
disappear into a tiny lane.
Sam looks around a bit frightened.
9
Farther off, in a busy shopping district…
Ali forces his way through hordes of tourists. The security
guard grabs him by the hood and forces him up against a
wall. They are both dripping with sweat and out of breath.
SECURITY GUARD
Unzip your jacket! Empty your pockets!
Ali keeps his cool.
ALI
Unzip it yourself!
Ali struggles free and smiles at the guy invitingly. The
guard tries to punch him. Ali dodges:
The guard hesitates a moment, until Ali lets fly a right
hook. The guard stumbles. A kick in the face sends him
flying into a stall. Ali lifts his arms in victory for the
benefit of the few, stunned passersby. He kisses his own
biceps, does three steps of a moonwalk and saunters off.
16. EXT. ANTIBES STREETS. DAY
Sam is walking along the street by the beach amid the
terraces and ice-cream stores, looking for his father.
Then he sees the moped at the far side of the parking lot
where they had left it chained up. He walks toward it. A
voice calls out.
ALI
Hey! Here I am!
Ali crosses the street and kneels down in front of Sam who
is sniffling, tears in his eyes.
ALI
No need to cry. I wouldn't have left you all
alone.
Ali unlocks the moped.
10
17. EXT. ALLEYWAY. DAY
In a small side street, Sam watches Ali sell a camera for a
few 20 Euro notes.
18. EXT. ANTIBES - BEACH. DAY
On the beach, Ali and Sam eat some McDonald's.
ALI
Are you happy here?
Sam nods.
SAM
Mm.
ALI
What do you like the most at Auntie's?
SAM
The dogs.
ALI
Is that all? Nothing else besides the dogs?
SAM
The truck.
ALI
The dogs and the truck. The house? Auntie?
The ocean?
SAM
The dogs and the truck.
Ali nods. Sam watches his Dad's fat fingers assemble the
plastic toy from his Happy Meal.
ALI
We have it good here...
Ali's fingers stop. Sam looks up to find his father
watching some girls in swimsuits go by.
They go for a swim, horsing around and making noise.
11
19. INT. OFFICE - THE ALTA SECU COMPANY. DAY
The logo is in the shape of a sheriff's badge and hangs
over some filing cabinets on the wall of a modest office:
"ALTA Securite".
OWNER
No criminal record? You never fucked up?
ALI
No.
The boss is in his fifties. He sits behind some files. His
hair is short and white, it looks like he's wearing a
helmet. He is squeezed into a cheap suit and wearing a tie.
He stares at Ali.
OWNER
Is that the truth? We'll be checking
anyway...
Ali nods. The owner reaches out.
OWNER
Your papers...
Ali hands him his tattered paper ID. The owner writes down
the number. Ali is 13-14 on the picture.
OWNER
What was your last job?
ALI
I worked in a slaughterhouse. Not for long.
It closed.
OWNER
Ever work in security?
ALI
Yeah. I was a night watchman in a stadium
for 6 months. Working for the city. In a
parking lot too. I did replacements.
12
OWNER
Ever do any combat sports?
ALI
Karate, for 6 years. I even won Junior
Division. And two years of boxing. Thai.
OWNER
You gave it up?
ALI
It was my trainer who gave up.
OWNER
Why?
ALI
He died.
A beat.
OWNER
And how are you physically? You stay in
shape?
ALI
Yeah.
OWNER
You don't smoke?
ALI
No.
OWNER
Drink?
He shakes his head "no". The boss notes something in a
file.
20. INT. ALTA SECURITY OFFICE. DAY.
Anna and Sam are waiting outside the office. The owner
kisses Anna on the cheek. He asks how Richard is doing,
then shows them to the door. Anna looks proud to know him.
13
21. EXT. FEVER RAY. NIGHT
Saturday evening. The door to the Fever Ray night club.
Patrons wait, bouncers pick and choose. An imposing
Caucasian maneuvers the red rope. Behind him, Ali Van
Versch and Foued Latahoui, who looks like a lightweight
boxer, guard the door.
Ali wears a faded blue "ALTA Secu" jacket and stiff,
matching pants. Looking well-groomed, Foued is wearing a
white shirt and tie. Well-groomed.
A group of girls passes through the security barrier. Foued
acts like he's hesitating:
FOUED
Okay, I'll let you through because I'm
outnumbered. Four against one, I don't stand
a chance!
The girls smile and disappear inside. Ali watches them
vanish.
FOUED
You say something nice, anything. That way,
when they leave, they remember you and you
can hit on them. If they're a little
plastered, if things didn't go too well for
them, you're there with a nice thing to
say...
ALI
And it works?
FOUED
Sometimes. But you can't be dressed like
that. Like a parking lot attendant...
They are interrupted by the bouncer.
THE CAUCASIAN
(pointing) Fight!
They go running. Three guys are fighting like savages. Ali
and Foued clean house. Foued gets rid of gawkers. Ali
delivers a few random punches, lifts one of the guys off
14
his feet and grabs another by the collar.
While Foued chases the rowdy men toward the parking lot,
Ali helps a girl back to her feet. She's a pretty blond,
must be about 27 or 28, who has taken a punch in the face.
It is Stephanie.
ALI
Are you okay? Breathe out of your mouth. In
and out. Put your head back. Walk a little.
Walk and breathe...
He demonstrates how and takes her by the arm, forcing her
to walk. She looks groggy.
STEPHANIE
I have to go home...
ALI
You have friends here?
STEPHANIE
No, I came alone. I have my car in the lot.
I'll be fine.
ALI
You can't drive like that.
STEPHANIE
I'm fine. I'm fine, I said. Thanks.
ALI
You can't drive like that. I'll call you a
cab.
STEPHANIE
How do I get my car afterwards? Seriously,
I'll be fine. Trust me!
We hear a voice from the parking lot.
ANGRY MAN
Bitch!
Stephanie looks back.
15
ANGRY MAN
Yeah... you, you cunt. Bitch!
She ignores him, pretending not to see him. She then
notices the blood stains on her T-shirt.
STEPHANIE
Shit.
ALI
Where's your car?
22. INT. STEPHANIE'S CAR. NIGHT
Ali drives. His head seems to touch the roof of the little
Fiat and his thighs are too thick for the seat. He glances
over at Stephanie.
ALI
Still bleeding? Keep your head back. Wait...
He manipulates the knob to push her seat back. He grimaces
in pain.
ALI
Shit!
STEPHANIE
Did you hurt yourself?
He shows her his right wrist.
STEPHANIE
It's swelling up.
He rests his hand on the wheel. After a beat:
ALI
You often go to the Fever?
STEPHANIE
No.
ALI
Why do you go alone?
No answer.
16
ALI
To dance?
STEPHANIE
Yes.
ALI
To find a guy?
She turns and looks down her nose at him:
STEPHANIE
Oh yeah?
ALI
You're dressed like that just for dancing?
STEPHANIE
How am I dressed?
ALI
I don't know... Look.
He points to her skirt, riding up her thighs.
STEPHANIE
Yeah, so what?
ALI
You look like a hooker.
STEPHANIE
Excuse me?
ALI
How would you call it?
STEPHANIE
I don't believe this. Pull over here!
ALI
What?
STEPHANIE
Stop this car on the double!
17
No reaction.
STEPHANIE
It's MY car! If I tell you to stop, you
stop!
Still no reaction, as if she hadn't said a thing. She is
about to scream again, but remains silent, although open-
mouthed. She finally settles back down on the back of her
seat and looks elsewhere.
A beat.
ALI
Dressed like that, it's no surprise that...
STEPHANIE
That's enough now!
They ride in silence.
23. EXT. SIMON & STEPHANIE'S BUILDING. NIGHT
The Fiat stops in front of a small building in a flowery
residential neighborhood. They climb out.
STEPHANIE
How will you get back?
ALI
I don't know.
She takes out her wallet.
ALI
No, stop!
STEPHANIE
For a taxi.
ALI
Don't worry. Got any ice at your place?
He shows her his wrist.
ALI
Ice cubes.
18
STEPHANIE
Wait, I'll go check.
ALI
I can come up.
STEPHANIE
No!
Even she is surprised by the brusqueness of her response.
STEPHANIE
(embarrassed) Someone's up there.
ALI
So what?
STEPHANIE
Wait here. I'll be right back.
She takes a few steps, fumbling for her keys. She
hesitates, then looks back.
STEPHANIE
Okay, come on up.
24. INT. SIMON & STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT. NIGHT
They enter the apartment. The light is on. Simon comes out
of the bedroom in his boxer shorts and a T-shirt. He's
thirty, blond, and there is something commanding about his
look that could be thought to resemble Stephanie's.
He discovers Ali and the blood stains on Stephanie's T-
SHIRT:
SIMON
What the hell? What's going on?
STEPHANIE
Nothing. A fight...
SIMON
Are you okay?
19
STEPHANIE
Yeah, I'm fine.
SIMON
(pointing to Ali) Who's he?
STEPHANIE
The bouncer from the Fever. He drove me
home.
ALI
(introducing himself)... Ali.
SIMON
The Fever? What the hell were you doing
there?
Ali opens the refrigerator.
SIMON
What are you looking for?
ALI
Ice cubes.
STEPHANIE
He hurt his hand...
Simon pulls Stephanie into the bedroom.
Ice cubes in a Plexiglas salad bowl. Ali's hand in the
bowl. He looks around.
There are photos on the wall: Stephanie surfing on the back
of a killer whale, Stephanie posing with a group of young
people in diving suits in front of the Marineland logo,
Stephanie rising out of the water on Niska's rostrum, etc.
From the nearby bedroom, he hears snatches of Simon's
REPROACHES:
SIMON (OFF)
If you decide to go out, call me. That's
all! Who were you with there?
STEPHANIE (OFF)
Philippe and Christine.
20
SIMON (OFF)
I thought you went out to dinner.
STEPHANIE (OFF)
We decided to go out for a drink after.
SIMON (OFF)
You get my text messages? Why didn't you
answer me?
Stephanie comes back into the kitchen. She has changed her
T-shirt. She seems tense.
STEPHANIE
Feeling better?
ALI
Is that you in the picture with the orcas?
STEPHANIE
Not orcas. Just one orca. Her name is Niska.
ALI
Is that your job?
STEPHANIE
Yep...
Ali nods vaguely admiringly.
ALI
Fuck... I didn't think that...
STEPHANIE
That what? A whore could train whales? Well,
you see...
Simon is at the door. He is wearing a jean.
SIMON
(To Ali) Okay, are you done now? Can you
leave us alone?
Ali stares him down.
21
ALI
You talking to me?
It's as if Ali's calm, peremptory tone suddenly let Simon
know who he was dealing with.
SIMON
Yes, but...
ALI
But what?
SIMON
Nothing, forget it...
In one second, Stephanie sees Simon's face undergo a
metamorphosis, his nervous authority suddenly disappear.
She glances at Ali as if to say ‘Please go now.'
He gets up and wipes his hands on a dish rag.
ALI
Okay, I'm going. So long. (pointing to a
piece of paper on the table) I left you my
number if ever you need it...
25. INT. SIMON & STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT - BATHROOM - NIGHT
She dissolves an aspirin in a toothbrush glass. She checks
her lip in the medicine chest mirror. She notices Simon
watching her from the bathroom doorway.
SIMON
Are you okay? Are you upset?
STEPHANIE
No, I'm not upset.
She drinks the aspirin.
STEPHANIE
I saw your face before...
SIMON
Before?
22
STEPHANIE
With that guy who dropped me off. I saw your
face. I saw how you piped down.
SIMON
I piped down? Me?
STEPHANIE
Yes, you piped down... (pause) Don't tell me
what I should do, how I should live my life.
Don't give me any more orders, Simon.
SIMON
What does that mean?
STEPHANIE
Don't give me any more orders, that's all.
She turns on the faucet and runs her lips under the water.
CUT TO:
26. INT. MARINELAND. TRAINERS' OFFICE. DAY
Two rooms adjoining the locker room. Two desks, and on the
walls pictures of the trainers with their orcas, laminated
posters of various training methods, files for each animal.
Stephanie is in her diving suit, sitting in front of
Louise, a 23-year-old woman who is reading a document about
her internship.
A trainer leaves the locker room, his backpack slung over
his shoulder.
TRAINER
Coming?
No answer. Tension. He leaves without a word.
Louise looks up. She has been crying. Stephanie looks at
her, impassive. Louise swallows her tears.
LOUISE
Really... this isn't fair.
23
STEPHANIE
No, Louise, there are lots of things you can
say but not that. The pools are my
responsibility and all I care about are the
animals. I have to see to their environment
and that starts with their trainers. Do you
understand?
LOUISE
What are you trying to make me believe, that
I wasn't up to par?
STEPHANIE
No, listen.
LOUISE
Lacking in maturity? Skills?
STEPHANIE
You're not consistent. We've already
discussed that. The foundation of the
relationship with the orcas is stability.
During your internship you've had your ups
and downs. It's not your competence that...
LOUISE
You know this has nothing to do with my
internship. You couldn't care less if I was
competent or not! It has to do with that I
fucked Michael. Just say so.
STEPHANIE
Oh, please...
LOUISE
And in fact what really bothers you is not
that we fucked, but that he told me about
you. How you think you're so... How you've
become such a bitch. That's why you're
firing me. That's what you should write in
your report.
STEPHANIE
Okay, are you done? We can stop here. No
need to spoil the rest of your internship.
Louise stands up.
24
27. EXT. MARINELAND. POOL - DAY
The empty stadium above the pool. The trainers walk along
the gangplanks busily.
In her diving suit, Stephanie leans over the "beach" of
pool 3. She taps on the surface of the water. A wave
forms, whirling around the pool.
The whale washes up on the "beach" beside her. She performs
what looks like a daily ritual. She examines the whale,
caresses it. The whale responds with uncanny gurgles.
28. EXT. MARINELAND. DAY
Stock shots of a show at Marineland, or images which we
will film to resemble stock shots: wide-angle shots from
the stadium.
The sound equipment blares "Jump" by Van Halen, orcas shoot
out of the water, the audience applauds… Little kids clutch
electric-blue dolphin balloons, getting splashed by the
orcas… Images of the show are relayed on giant video
screens, orcas shoot by like torpedoes behind the plastic
protective wall in front of the main pool, etc…
CUT TO:
29. INT. MARINELAND POOL. DAY
All at once, silence. Then surface noise, but muted by the
cubic meters of water…
Underwater shots from pool number 3.
Overhead, the surface shines like a mirror. In pool number
3, a five-ton black shadow bides its time: it is Niska.
Behind the grate in pool number 3, Niska watches her mates
diving and surfacing in a spray of bubbles.
A mechanical creak, then the grate slowly begins to lift.
It's about to be her turn.
25
Niska swims into the big pool, slowly at first, but then
picks up speed. She surfaces, disappears for a long beat,
then again reappears, churning up a whirlpool of bubbles.
On the other side of the mirror, the music blares and the
crowd cheers.
What looks like a small black and white arrow dives into
the pool. We recognize Stephanie. She caresses Niska's
rostrum, then kisses it, hanging onto her fins, waltzing
with her up to the surface. Her hands look ridiculously
tiny on the huge black fins. We see her face mirrored in
one of the orca's huge black, gentle eyes. A liquid world
of greens and blues whirls around them.
Now, with her legs slightly arched on the rostrum,
Stephanie has Niska swim around the pool, accelerating the
water pressure and speed. The plastic wall rushes by, a
rush of adrenaline… clouds of sediment are lifted as if by
a gust of wind.
A young male, Tom, joins Niska in pool number 1. Niska
immediately rushes him, as if riled by the intrusion, and
flattens him against the plastic wall.
In the shifting reflections at the water's surface, we can
make out Stephanie and two other trainers' faces on the
‘beach'. Their palms beat on the water, summoning the orcas
for their next number.
Tom gathers some momentum, then shoots around Niska to jump
into first place. He disappears a moment, then is back into
the water after a dozen meters of aquaplaning.
Niska then gets into place and takes a running start, but
just as she is about to shoot out of the water, Tom appears
out of nowhere and forces the huge female to leap over him.
We sense chaos up above. Then we see Niska crash back into
the water, with, one after the other, a piece of the huge
video screen that towered over the stage, bits of scenery,
and all kinds of random objects, as if Niska had carried
away half the platform in her wake… It all seems to fall
in slow motion, like flecks of snow in a snow globe.
Something sinks toward us… a body, floating weightless and
disjointed in a cloud of red.
26
30. EXT. MARINELAND - WHALE POOL. DAY
Stephanie is on the rim of the pool. All around her: the
audience panics, a loudspeaker orders evacuation, Louise
leans over her.
STEPHANIE
What... What happened?
LOUISE
Tom and Niska... They got in each other's
way.
Then Louise sees blood spurting from the rips in her diving
suit. She tries to find a pressure point.
Stephanie sees Louise's face wet with tears:
STEPHANIE
Stop it, calm down. I'm fine!
Her hand searches for something at thigh level, without
finding it.
She faints.
31. EXT. ROAD TO THE BEACH. DAY
Ali is wearing his MP3 headset. He runs down the road to
the beach, sweat dripping into his eyes.
32. EXT. ANNA'S HOUSE. DAY
Sam's toys are lying scattered in the garden, his half-
eaten snack is on the table. Ali takes off his headset.
ALI
Sam!
No answer. There is some noise over at the kennel. He goes
and finds Sam in the kennel, talking to the puppies.
ALI
What are you doing here?
27
Sam jumps and scuttles to the back of the kennel, but Ali
reaches in and grabs him by the arm. Sam is covered in mud,
straw and dog shit.
ALI
You're gross! You stink! Who's taking care
of you?
Ali drags him over to the garage to hose him down. The
water is freezing cold. Sam hops from one foot to the other
and screams.
SAM
Stop it, Dad! It's cold. Stop!
Sam shrieks. An 18 year old tomboy wearing a skimpy tee-
shirt comes out of a neighboring house: Joelle, the
neighbors' daughter.
ALI
Aren't you supposed to be taking care of
him? What the fuck are you up to?
JOELLE
I was next doing the laundry.
ALI
Take a look at him!
JOELLE
I'll put him in the shower.
ALI
(to Sam, crying) Don't go in there. It's
disgusting. You hear?
Joelle takes Sam and disappears inside.
Ali is drawn to the living room, when through the half-open
door he notices the flat screen turned onto a news channel.
Onscreen and behind the anchorwoman, he recognizes an inset
photo of Stephanie, the same he saw at her place, riding on
the back of a killer whale.
Il manque une phrase
28
JOELLE
There was an accident at Marineland.
Ali answers without taking his eyes off the screen.
ALI
I know her.
Sam pulls off his towel. He watches his father who is
riveted to the screen, glued to the looping footage of the
accident.
33. INT. HOSPITAL - NURSES' LOUNGE. NIGHT
Silence.
The silence of an on-duty nurses' lounge: a table, a
microwave on a mini-fridge, and Louise, standing by the
window sipping coffee.
She is wearing a fleece jacket, her hair messily pulled
back. She hasn't had any sleep.
She hears a scream. She rushes into the corridor.
34. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM. NIGHT
Chaos. Louise rushes into the room. She finds Stephanie
crawling on the floor, dragging her IVs.
She hesitates, overwhelmed, then calls for help.
LOUISE
Help! Help! Please!
On the linoleum, two stumps stick out of Stephanie's
nightshirt: two thick bandages surround her thighs that
look like two wrapped hams.
STEPHANIE
My legs! What did you do with my legs?
Two nurses arrive.
Stephanie is back in bed, the IVs in her arms. Louise rocks
her gently. Stephanie's eyes struggle against sleep. She
wants to scream again, but doesn't have the strength. She
29
falls asleep in Louise's arms. She feels eight years old.
Black.
35. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM. DAY/NIGHT
A series of scenes, day and night, fade into one another,
always from the same POV.
In the foreground, looking our way, is Stephanie's face
and, behind, the visitors who succeed one another.
Stephanie's eyes are shut.
She opens them:
- The other trainers from Marineland, holding bouquets.
They are silent and look devastated. They occasionally
speak to each other in whispers.
Stephanie closes her eyes.
Black.
Stephanie opens her eyes:
- Louise is seated nearby
LOUISE
I stopped by your place. I saw the cleaning
woman. She didn't want me to pay her. She
was... in shock. She's scared to come here.
She sends her regards.
She closes her eyes.
Black.
She opens them.
- A blonde, pretty woman in her fifties is sitting
behind Stephanie, her face is close to hers. It is her
mother. She speaks with a slight accent.
MOTHER
I spoke to your brothers. They wanted to
talk to you but I didn't think it was the
right time. We'll all come with Hugo during
the next school break... I was afraid I
might lose you. I don't know what I'd have
30
done... It may seem selfish. In any case,
you've always done whatever you wanted. But
this time I was so scared that I don't think
I'll ever be scared again.
Her eyes close.
Black.
Her eyes reopen.
The surgeon and his assistants.
The orthopedist and his assistants.
Her eyes close.
Black.
Her eyes open.
- Simon is there, looking stiff and ill at ease.
He tries not to make any noise as he puts a bunch of keys
on the night stand. He leans over and kisses her hair.
Her eyes close.
Black.
It's her mother again, but this time accompanied by a tall,
uncomfortable looking blond teenage boy. She leans over to
kiss her.
MOTHER
(in German) Hugo wanted to say goodbye to
you. We're leaving tomorrow but we'll pray
for you, honey.
Her eyes remain open.
Black.
36. EXT. MARINELAND. NIGHT
The bluish light at the bottom the main pool at Marineland.
A diver is raking its bottom, wiping away sludge composed
of micro algae, paint chips and fish bones. He examines the
replacement mud and then, inside the drain, the mud being
replaced. He digs his hand into the sediment and feels
something there. He surfaces and deposits his find on the
rim of the pool: It is one of Stephanie's diving flippers,
with her foot cut off at the ankle.
31
CUT TO:
37. INT. STEPHANIE'S NEW APARTMENT - BATHROOM. NIGHT
Stephanie wakes up with a start in her handicapped bathtub.
She tries to grab the bars but can't find them. She rolls
over on herself like a floating log. She panics.
CUT TO:
38. INT. HOSPITAL - PHYSICAL THERAPY ROOM - EVENING
There are several rows of parallel bars, with amputees
hanging on to them as they relearn to walk with their
prosthetics. Most of them are old. Nurses help them along.
From her wheelchair, Stephanie watches, looking glum and as
if at a great distance. Her hair is greasy and her face
swollen by her medication and induced sleep.
She looks through the big window that opens onto the
exterior. Outside, amputees smoke and chat. She notices one
group, livelier than the rest. At its center, a guy is
smoking a cigarette he holds in a pincer in the place of
his hand. His name is Gilles.
39. INT. GILLES' CAR. EVENING
Four of them are smoking a joint in Gilles' Megane.
Outside, evening is falling over the convalescent center's
parking lot.
Stephanie is sitting up front. She passes the joint to
Gilles, who takes it in his chrome pincer. She notices the
scar that deforms his face and one side of his mouth.
There is a couple in the backseat, making out: Raphael (his
arms are missing and his sleeves are pinned up at his
shoulders) and Julia.
GILLES
(to Stephanie) Want me to tell you
something?
32
STEPHANIE
GILLES
You haven't finished mourning, that's all!
STEPHANIE
Really? Mourning who?
GILLES
Your legs.
STEPHANIE
Mourning my legs?
GILLES
Yes.
He sounds as serious as a civics teacher. She looks at him,
incredulous. Raphael sticks his head up front.
RAPHAEL
Pass me the joint...
Gilles' pincer and joint go for Raphael's lips. He takes a
long hit.
GILLES
They were a part of you. When a man dies, he
gets buried. There's a ceremony, a prayer...
Now a piece of you ended up in a hospital
trashcan without a prayer, without any time
for meditation.
A beat. She is dumbstruck. She cannot believe what she's
hearing. In the backseat, Raphael exhales some smoke into
Julia's open mouth.
GILLES (cont'd)
You have to think about it symbolically...
STEPHANIE
Yeah, it's really symbolic...
33
GILLES
I know where my arm is. We buried it under a
nice oak tree behind my house in the
scrubland. My wife and kids came and we
sang...
Stephanie has a fit of the giggles.
GILLES
(a bit vexed) You think I'm kidding?
STEPHANIE
No, it's the grass. I'll stop...
She laughs so hard she cries.
RAPHAEL
Shit, it's a laugh riot up there. (to
Gilles) Can you take us home?
She looks back and, between the seats, notices the girl
toying with Raphael's fly.
GILLES
I'm too beat. I'll take a nap, then go. (to
Stephanie) How are you getting home?
40. EXT/INT. HYPERBRICO. NIGHT
A HyperBrico DIY store in an industrial zone in Cannes. Its
windows shine in the night like an aquarium.
41. INT. HYPERBRICO. NIGHT
Ali and Kadhi, a huge guard accompanied by a dog, make
their rounds. They open doors with a magnetic key, each
time recording their passage on electronic terminals.
A bit before midnight, someone knocks at the main entrance.
Ali goes to look. It's a guy in a leather jacket and
baseball cap, with a backpack and a shoulder bag.
ALI
What do you want?
34
MARTIAL
To come in.
The guy takes out a card and presses it against the glass
door: it's the business card of ALTA SECU, the security
agency.
ALI
Hey, Kadhi, come here!
Kadhi comes over and looks at the guy.
KADHI
Okay, okay... Are you Martial?
MARTIAL
Yeah.
KADHI
Give me your keys.
ALI
Who's he?
KADHI
It's fine. The boss told me he was coming.
He works for the company.
Ali hands him the bunch of keys.
42. INT. HYPERBRICO - AISLES. NIGHT
Ali goes down an aisle looking for something and finally
finds what he was looking for: a folding ladder.
43. INT. HYPERBRICO - STOCK ROOM. NIGHT
Martial has spread out his material in a stock room at the
back of the store at the end of a corridor formed by
palettes: precision tools, drills, electronic mini-cameras
still in their wrapping, cases equipped with antennae,
packs of batteries... A small radio is playing a night
program on Radio Monte Carlo.
Equipped with a small headlamp, Martial carefully cuts a
hole in a cardboard box with his Leatherman scissors. He
conceals a tiny camera inside.
35
Ali arrives with the ladder over his shoulder.
ALI
Will this do?
MARTIAL
Perfect. Put it down there.
Martial climbs the ladder to place the box high on a shelf.
MARTIAL
Imagine you're the manager of a big store
like this and the union reps have been
busting your balls. What do you do?
ALI
Fire them.
MARTIAL
You think that's how it works? What do you
do before you fire them?
He checks to make sure the lens is aligned with the hole,
then checks the screen and reception on a small pocket
monitor.
MARTIAL
Well, beforehand you try to see how long
they spend in the restroom, if they take
extra-long coffee breaks, smoke on the
premises, steal from the stockroom, rip
customers off with the sales receipts...
When you know all that, you put the pressure
on them and you fire the ones who don't
leave.
Can you give me a stroll down the aisle?
ALI
A stroll?
MARTIAL
Walk down the aisle. No, further down, like
you came out of that door there. Good,
perfect...
Ali twice passes within the camera's field of vision.
Martial climbs down his ladder.
36
MARTIAL
That's it.
ALI
Okay, then I'll be getting back.
MARTIAL
Hold on!
Martial pulls a 10 Euro bill from a jacket pocket.
ALI
It's fine.
MARTIAL
Take it.
Angle on the bill in Ali's hand.
44. INT. SUPERMARKET - SECURITY ROOM. NIGHT
Ali is in the security room reading a kickboxing magazine.
A small radio is playing a late evening program. Outside
in the parking lot, Kadhi smokes while walking his dog. The
dog takes its time. Ali watches Kadhi pull on the leash.
Ali's cell phone rings. The screen reads ‘unknown'.
ALI
Hello?
STEPHANIE (OFF)
It's Stephanie. Remember me? We met at the
Fever.
Ali is taken by surprise.
ALI
Yeah... How are you doing?
She sniggers. Her speech sounds slow and thick.
STEPHANIE (OFF)
You know what happened to me?
37
ALI
Yeah... I saw the papers… the news on TV…
How are you?
STEPHANIE
(sniggering) How do you think I am?
A beat. Ali is at a loss to answer.
STEPHANIE
How are you?
ALI
Okay... normal.
STEPHANIE
Still a bouncer?
ALI
No, not really.
STEPHANIE
You want to get together?
ALI
Yeah, but nights are tough. I'm a security
guard now. Three nights a week.
STEPHANIE
I'm... crazy busy too. Every day and every
night. I don't know how to manage...
A beat.
STEPHANIE
Now.
ALI
Huh?
STEPHANIE
Come now.
45. EXT. ANTIBES - INDUSTRIAL ZONE AND STREETS - DAWN
The Speciale 50 putt-putts in the early morning light. Ali
drives through a neighborhood of chain stores, Conforama,
38
Courtepaille, Leroy-Merlin...
46. EXT. STEPHANIE'S RESIDENCE - DAY
A gated community made up of four story buildings, lawns,
bougainvillea and lavender. It looks pretty as a picture
and squeaky clean.
47. INT. STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT. DAY
The door opens automatically. He is surprised. He hears a
tired voice from inside.
STEPHANIE (OFF)
Come in.
She is waiting in her wheelchair, holding the remote
control. She activates it and the door closes behind Ali.
Her hair is mid-length, her face has thickened and there
are bags under her eyes. She is wearing a baggy Nike T-
shirt with burn marks here and there and a pajama bottom
whose legs hang limp.
STEPHANIE
Have you been waiting long?
ALI
No... I just got here.
STEPHANIE
Was that you who rang before?
She looks exhausted but feverish.
ALI
No.
STEPHANIE
Come in. Sit down.
He sits down on a small couch.
STEPHANIE
Want something to drink? A coffee?
39
ALI
Yes.
STEPHANIE
I only have instant.
ALI
That's fine.
It takes two tries to activate the wheels on her
wheelchair.
ALI
Need any help?
She answers with a growl, as much for him as for her
wheelchair, then goes into the kitchen. He sees her pajama
legs flap like rags, he hears the noise of the tap.
ALI
Have you been living here long?
STEPHANIE
I don't know... Three or four months.
ALI
(looking around)... It's nice.
She comes back.
ALI
Are you alone? You got no one to help you?
STEPHANIE
Help me what? Walk?
ALI
No, for the cleaning and everything...
STEPHANIE
Yeah there are people. They come and go.
Hold on.
She manages to navigate from the living room into her
bedroom. He stays in the living room. He hears a kettle
whistle in the kitchen. He goes into the kitchen and pours
water into the glass/mug. He finds her hunched over in her
40
wheelchair. She is nodding off, high on her medication.
ALI
Hey, are you okay?
STEPHANIE
I'm fine.
He opens the window.
STEPHANIE
Does it stink here?
ALI
Yeah, a little.
STEPHANIE
It's me.
He opens the curtains and looks outside. It is getting hot
out. The automatic sprinklers have gone on.
ALI
Let's go out. (No answer) Hey, you hear me?
STEPHANIE
Yes.
ALI
Let's go out.
STEPHANIE
No.
ALI
Get dressed.
STEPHANIE
Leave me alone.
ALI
Where are your clothes?
He opens the closet.
41
48. EXT. STEPHANIE'S RESIDENCE - DAY
When they come out of the building's lobby, the sun hits
him on the head like a bad hangover.
ALI
Here.
Ali hands her a pair of sunglasses.
ALI
Where should we go?
STEPHANIE
I don't know. You're the one who wanted to
go out...
ALI
Should we go to the ocean?
STEPHANIE
I don't care.
He tries to push the wheelchair, but she stops him:
STEPHANIE
Stop it. I want to puke.
He notices that his moped is attached in the middle of a
sprinkler area. He goes to free it and gets splashed...
Heavy chain, padlock... he comes back with soiled hands.
When he comes back, she's gone. He sees the wheelchair
moving toward the seafront avenue. He goes to join her.
49. EXT. SIDEWALK CAFE - DAY
They are sitting at a table on a terrace facing the beach.
They remain silent. She looks at his huge fists, black with
axle grease.
ALI
I want to go in.
STEPHANIE
… ?
42
ALI
I feel like swimming!
STEPHANIE
Go ahead.
ALI
You don't want to?
STEPHANIE
Huh?
ALI
You don't feel like swimming?
She looks daggers at him.
ALI
You don't have a bathing suit?
STEPHANIE
Do you realize what you're saying?
ALI
Who the fuck cares? There's no one here!
STEPHANIE
Forget it.
He wavers a moment, then finally crosses the seafront
avenue.
50. EXT. PRIVATE BEACH. DAY
Stephanie is at the top of the steps in her wheelchair.
Ali is talking with the beach boy when he notices her.
Ali and the beach boy carry her to the deck chair area.
Ali rents the whole shebang: parasol, beach towel, deck
chair and a small tube of sunscreen 50.
Sheltered under a parasol, she pancakes her face with cream
and watches him dive in, wearing his boxers, and noisily
and clumsily crawl some laps. His body is pink and white.
Huge and buff. Then she looks out to sea, the listless
waves washing in and out. The fresh feel of it all makes
43
her want to drink it all in.
He comes back, enthusiastic and dripping wet.
She looks around. The beach is deserted, other than for a
far off, elderly couple broiling in the sun.
STEPHANIE
Actually I think I will go in.
He looks at her. She covers herself with a towel and
wiggles out of her pants, revealing what remains of her
legs. Her stumps are white, with terrible scars at their
extremities.
STEPHANIE
You have to carry me. Help me...
ALI
(makes a gesture)... How, like this?
STEPHANIE
Yes.
He lifts her up and carries her to the water. He takes her
far enough in until she begins to float.
ALI
You okay?
STEPHANIE
Don't let me go! Not right away... Do it
gently.
She feels unsure of herself. He lets go of her gradually.
She starts to sink, then crawls forward, with power and
grace. She stops but has to paddle like a dog to tread
water. He joins her. She grabs onto him.
ALI
So?
STEPHANIE
I can't stop. If I do, I sink. Wait...
She gesticulates...
44
STEPHANIE
This is bothering me!
She takes off her T-shirt and hands it to him. Her breasts
press against Ali's chest.
STEPHANIE
Okay, you can let go.
She lets herself go and crawls like a pro. He stays put,
holding her t-shirt.
Twenty-five meters later, her head emerges. He hears a
burst of laughter.
Half asleep in a deck chair, he looks up from time to time
to see how she's doing.
She calls out to him. She is sitting in the water. She
motions for him to come and get her.
He helps her out and takes her into his arms. She hangs on
to him, still out of breath.
ALI
You swim like a real pro!...
She shuts her eyes.
STEPHANIE
Fuck that's good!
The beach is crowded now. Ali carries her back to the deck
chairs. Some bathers watch them go by, others look away.
They are stretched out in their chairs. She has wrapped her
lower body in a beach towel. They sunbathe.
STEPHANIE
Thanks.
ALI
Huh?
STEPHANIE
Thanks.
45
She rolls onto her back. He sees her breasts pointed
heavenward.
51. INT. GYM. DAY
A decrepit, simple, functional, but reasonably clean
workout room. Guys of every color work the punching bags,
lift weights, do chin-ups... From the gym next door, we
hear the booming music of an aerobics class.
In a small ring at floor level, Ali and Foued, loaded down
with protective gear, pound each other. Each of their blows
lands right on target. They repeat the same series of moves
several times at varying speeds.
52. INT. GYM - CORRIDOR. DAY
Ali and Foued are dripping wet. They have towels around
their necks. They fill their small plastic bottles at a
faucet in the workout room.
Through a large window in the corridor, Ali watches the
aerobic class going on in the gym: legs and feet moving in
rhythm, red faces, sweaty underarms, butts, boobs and the
braid of the instructor, who uses it to beat the measure,
as she swings it from one shoulder to the other.
FOUED
I have to get back. I need to train.
Ali nods, without actually looking at him.
53. EXT. GYM - STREET. DAY
Outside, Ali has unwrapped the sandwich his sister had
prepared for him. A bit farther off, the aerobics
instructor is smoking in the sun. She has a short, buff
body. She smokes her cigarette like someone who counts them
out sparingly.
They remain like that a while, he chewing ands she smoking.
CUT TO
46
54. INT. GYM - EQUIPMENT ROOM. DAY
A cell phone vibrates. Through a narrow transom, a ray of
sun slices through the dark equipment room. They haven't
bothered undressing. Ali and the aerobics instructor are
making love on a pile of workout mats.
Ali's cell phone continues to vibrate, goes silent,
vibrates again. He answers. We hear a crackling voice.
ALI
I'm still at the gym. I'm leaving... I said
I'm leaving!
He hangs up. They continue.
55. EXT. NUSERY SCHOOL - SCHOOLYARD. DAY
Sam is playing alone, perched up on monkey bars in the
schoolyard.
Through a wide window, he sees his father racing down a
corridor that runs alongside the schoolyard. The principal
is waiting for him at the door. Ali spurts out some quick
apologies.
Sam slowly slides off the structure. We hear the noise of
his hands skidding on metal.
56. EXT ANTIBES EVENING
The moped wheezes and sputters.
Ali and Sam are heading back home along the beach. Ali is
so big, the moped looks like a kid's bike. Behind him on
the luggage rack, he can feel Sam leaning into him. Sam's
hand rummages in his coat pocket for a box of Choco-BN
cookies. Ali takes one too.
To their left, a train noisily speeds by.
57. INT. STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT. DAY
Louise has a set of keys. She enters Stephanie's apartment
with the mail.
47
LOUISE
Steph!
Made up and well-groomed, she looks older than she actually
is.
Stephanie answers from the bathroom.
STEPHANIE (OFF)
I'm in here!
Louise puts the mail on the living room table and enters
the bedroom. Stephanie wheels herself out of the bathroom,
her hair wet and her body wrapped in a towel.
LOUISE
Shit, you're not ready! The appointment is
in a half hour!
STEPHANIE
It's fine!
LOUISE
What do you mean? You're a freaking pain! I
have to get back to work. Come on, let me
help you.
She grabs the arms of the wheelchair and pushes Stephanie
toward the closet.
STEPHANIE
Let go of me! Stop, I can manage alone.
LOUISE
Oh yeah? Okay, so manage then!
She lets go of the wheelchair and leaves the bedroom.
58. EXT. STÉPHANIE'S RESIDENCE. DAY
Louise briskly pushes Stephanie's wheelchair across the
residence garden. The warning lights on her 205 are
blinking in front of the gate.
Stephanie hangs onto Louise's neck. Louise lifts her out of
her wheelchair as best she can and into the passenger seat.
48
Louise bends down to buckle Stephanie's seat belt.
STEPHANIE
(annoyed) I can do the seat belt!
In front of the open trunk, Louise struggles to fold the
wheelchair.
LOUISE
Can't you call them to tell them we're going
to be late?
59. INT. PROSTHESIST'S OFFICE. DAY
In CU: the brochures of prosthetic manufacturers… we see
pictures of the various models go by.
Stephanie is in the doctor's office with Doctor Vitias. He
is in his fifties and is wearing a white jacket.
VITIAS
We'll order two pairs of prosthetic devices,
one for everyday life and one for the sport
you do.
Stephanie pages through the various brochures.
STEPHANIE
Don't you have something simpler, classier?
VITIAS
What do you mean by classier?
STEPHANIE
I don't know... like a wooden leg with a
piece of rubber at the end?
VITIAS
(smiling) No, sorry. We don't make those
models anymore.
Louise shuts her eyes, visibly exasperated.
STEPHANIE
Or just a plank. A plank with wheels and
straps. And irons to move forward with.
49
LOUISE
(furious) Can you cut it out?
STEPHANIE
What? If I want...
LOUISE
I've had enough of your schtick, you hear
me?
STEPHANIE
Come on...
LOUISE
Shut up!
Stephanie shuts up. Vitias still looks patient as Job.
60. INT. PROSTHESIST'S OFFICE. DAY
Sitting on an examination table, Stephanie waits for the
resin bands wrapped around her stumps to dry.
Louise is sitting on a stool across from Stephanie. Their
eyes meet.
STEPHANIE
Go if you want… I'll take a taxi.
LOUISE
I told them I was with you.
STEPHANIE
And that works? If you tell them you're with
me, do they let you do what you want?
LOUISE
Well...
STEPHANIE
Cool. If ever you want a day off, just tell
me. I'll write you a note.
Louise looks at her. She's not going to let her get on her
nerves.
There is a knock at the door. A nurse enters.
She checks the resin bands, looks at her watch.
50
NURSE
10 more minutes, just to make sure. Then
Doctor Vitias will come for you.
She smiles and closes the door.
The two young women are again left alone. Stephanie
stretches out her hand. Louise takes it.
And they remain like that.
61. INT. HYPERBRICO - SECURITY ROOM - NIGHT
In close up on the screen of a small DVD player: amateur
images of two bare-chested guys fighting in the garden of a
suburban house. It looks like a wild boxing match, free-
for-all vale tudo in which anything goes.
In the Bricorama security room, Ali, Kadhi and Martial,
excited, are bent over the screen.
A few blows to the face have one of the combatants KO on
the lawn.
KADHI
Look at the next one! Watch how he whacks
him.
A change of scene on the small screen: a courtyard between
two tower blocks, with new combatants, but with the same
amateur images and the same violence.
KADHI
(pointing to the screen)... I know him. I
fought him twice in Nationals. He's not bad.
He was at the boxing club in Marseille.
Martial watches Ali, fascinated by the images, as if he
were sizing him up.
62. INT. PROJECTS. DAY
An apartment in a Golfe Juan housing project. After-dinner
time. Kids are playing, women doing the dishes.
On the living room couch, under a tapestry of a lion hunt
in Technicolor, Martial blows on his glass of tea. His
51
cousin is sitting across from him. Ali is on a stool at the
end of the table.
MARTIAL
He says he's done Thai boxing. He can fight.
He's enormous. He's not afraid of taking
punches, and he's white.
COUSIN
I see.
The cousin turns to Ali. He takes his time sizing him up.
COUSIN
Is that true? You like to fight?
ALI
Yeah.
COUSIN
Okay, so I organize the fights. I pick the
fighters. I see if the money's there. I ref.
I collect the dough... I take a third of the
bets. The rest goes to the winner...
MARTIAL
A third of how much?
COUSIN
We don't fight for less than 800.
Ali does the division in his head.
MARTIAL
So?
Ali hesitates.
ALI
(to Martial) There's something I don't get:
how much do you take?
MARTIAL
I don't know. You tell me. How much do you
need? I'll take 20% of what you win. How's
that?
52
ALI
And how much does your cousin give you?
MARTIAL
Oh, I introduced you to him, didn't I? How's
that?
ALI
Okay.
The cousin stands up. They all shake on it.
63. INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY
Ali is in a corner of the living room, sitting in front of
Anna's old PC and watching some fight videos he's found.
Anna rushes into the room.
ANNA
Keep Sam with you for 5 minutes!
She hurries to find some papers in the drawer of a commode.
Ali hasn't budged.
ANNA
Oh! Hear me? I don't want your son in the
garden.
ALI
Yeah, I heard.
He gets up and goes to get Sam who is playing behind the
house. Anna finds her papers and leaves in another
direction.
ALI
Sam! Come here! I want to show you some
stuff!
He lifts Sam up with one arm and goes back to the computer.
ALI
Look how they fight...
He clicks on an image and the fight continues... the
audience's noise as well. Sam watches, intrigued. Ali
53
commentates, pointing to guys onscreen.
ALI
Look at him, in red. See how strong he is?
SAM
Is he the good guy?
ALI
No, he's the bad guy. Look how he tries to
grab his legs. Wait.
His phone vibrates. He takes it from his pocket. It's
Martial. He answers.
ALI
Hello? Yeah...
SAM
Why is the red one the bad guy? Daddy?
ALI
I don't know. Look and tell me who wins.
He turns down the sound, settles Sam on the stool and gets
up to go speak.
ALI
(into the phone) So? What did he say? Which
others? How many?
Sam watches the fight in silence. Dogs bark in the garden.
Sam feels something coming. He looks out the window, then
goes running.
Ali hasn't noticed a thing and continues his phone
conversation.
ALI
What is this bullshit? What do you mean, a
tournament?
64. INT. ARAB CAFÉ. DAY
Martial is leaning on the bar of a noisy Arab cafe/betting
office, talking into his phone.
54
MARTIAL
Last one standing gets the money. I know,
but he says it's better that way. Do you
think you're in a position to negotiate a
percentage? Where did you get that idea
from? He gave me a website if you want to
see the others.
He takes out a small spiral notebook.
65. INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY
From the living room, Ali hears Sam screaming in the
garden.
ALI
Tell him to give the website to his mother.
All I see is me doing more fights and him
making more dough.
Ali goes to the window.
Outside, near the kennel, Sam has lunged at a guy in a
jumpsuit who is helping Anna get the puppies into a metal
cage. Sam is screaming. Anna tries to take him into her
arms. Sam clutches the bars of the cage. The puppies bark.
Anna finally manages to rip Sam free and drag him back into
the house.
ALI
(into the phone) He's changing the rules and
so am I... I couldn't care less.
Anna storms into the living room. Sam is shrieking, having
a tantrum. He kicks and bites.
ALI
I'm on the phone!
ANNA
What the hell? I asked you to watch him for
5 minutes!
ALI
(into the phone) I'll call you back.
Ali hangs up.
55
Outside, the kennel keeper rolls the cage across the
garden. Anna hugs Sam in her arms.
ANNA
(to Sam) He's taking them to the country.
They'll be so happy there.
SAM
Leave me alone. They're my babies!
Sam refuses to calm down. Anna looks at her brother.
ANNA
What are you doing? Are you his father or
not?
ALI
You're such a pain in the ass.
ANNA
Don't talk to me like that!
Ali rips the child from his sister's grip. Sam struggles.
ALI
Stop it now! I said stop! Calm the fuck
down!
SAM
Let go of me! Let go!
Sam kicks out. Ali shakes him.
ALI
Cut it out, dammit! You're such a pain!
He flings the child away. Sam's head hits the coffee table.
Silence.
Anna rushes over and picks up Sam, who has stopped crying.
He's been knocked out. Anna is frightened. She examines his
scalp, she strokes his head. She trembles. A cut on his
head begins to bleed. She kisses the wound. Ali comes over,
upset.
56
ANNA
Don't touch him! Don't touch him I said! You
know what? You're... you're a bad person.
Huddled against Anna's breasts, Sam opens his eyes.
66. EXT. BEACH. DAY
The day is over. The beach boy has already packed away most
of his paraphernalia. In the water, Ali and Stephanie are
out with some of the last swimmers.
Faithful to what by now seems to have become a habit, he
carries her piggyback to their lounge chairs. They come out
of the water in the middle of a discussion.
STEPHANIE
What kind of boxing? Thai? Do you use your
feet?
ALI
No, just fists I think. We bash each other's
faces and whoever's still standing at the
end wins. Hey, you're strangling me!
He puts her down on her chair.
STEPHANIE
Is it the first time you're doing this?
ALI
Yeah.
STEPHANIE
And you're not scared?
ALI
Of what?
STEPHANIE
How much do they pay you for this?
ALI
I don't know. About 500, 1000 maybe.
57
STEPHANIE
You're doing that for 500 euros?
ALI
Um, yeah.
STEPHANIE
You're going to get whacked on the face and
risk your health for 500 euros?
ALI
Risk my health? What are you talking about?
Why are you getting so worked up?
STEPHANIE
I'll give you the 500! Cancel it and I'll
give it to you tomorrow.
ALI
You can give it to me if you have too much
money, but I said I was doing it and I am.
That's all.
STEPHANIE
If it's not for money, why then?
ALI
I didn't say it's not for the money!
STEPHANIE
Why are you doing it?
ALI
Oh, stop driving me crazy! I'm doing it to
fight. For fun. Why did you clown around on
your fish? For the fun of it, right?
She grins.
STEPHANIE
Yeah and look how I ended up.
ALI
Spare me. You turn on the waterworks when
you feel like it.
58
She dries her eyes. He begins to pack things up.
STEPHANIE
Your fight, if you do it...
ALI
Mm?
STEPHANIE
You think I can come along?
67. EXT/INT. MARTIAL'S MERCEDES. DAY
A narrow road. Down below, a town. The Mercedes Vito with
the tinted windows lifts a cloud of dust.
Stephanie is in the back seat and has to hold on to the
overhead strap to avoid hurting herself.
At the end of the road is a gate guarded by two huge
homies. They signal Martial to over.
He rolls down his window and the two homies peer inside.
They see Ali and Stephanie in the back.
HOMEBOY 1
Who's she?
MARTIAL
His girlfriend.
Surprised, Stephanie looks at Ali, watching for his
reaction. He looks elsewhere. The gate opens. Martial
drives in.
68. EXT / INT. MARTIAL'S MERCEDES. DAY
Ali and Stephanie are alone in the car. Through the tinted
windows, they can see a concrete yard with boats dry-docked
around it and buildings with satellite dishes studding
every balcony. Some men are over in one corner,
discussing: Martial, his cousin and some other mean looking
guys.
In the shade, a bit to one side and surrounded by his fans,
is a bare-chested, muscle-bound North African. He warms up,
59
wagging his head from left to right.
ALI
(under his breath) Motherfucker's acting
like he's on Canal Plus.
STEPHANIE
Who are the other guys?
ALI
I don't know. Guys with money. Dealers.
A beat.
STEPHANIE
You okay?
ALI
Great.
Martial comes back with a wad of banknotes and slides into
the passenger seat.
MARTIAL
It's okay. Let's go. Fall against the big
one in black shorts. I told you. They're big
guys.
ALI
Okay. And the bets? How much is there?
MARTIAL
A little over 2000 for the time being. But
it'll go up during the final match.
STEPHANIE
What do I do?
MARTIAL
No girls. Stay in the car. (To Ali) You
ready?
Ali nods.
60
69. EXT. PROJECTS COURTYARD. DAY
The blazing sun is melting the asphalt. A coin bounces
between pairs of basketball shoes.
The cousin picks it up. He points to Ali and the guy in the
black shorts.
COUSIN
You and you.
Ali pulls off his T-shirt, staring down his adversary.
Martial takes the T shirt and leans over to Ali.
MARTIAL
If you get into trouble, don't insist, just
fall.
Ali doesn't flinch. The cousin, the bettors and the other
fighters move away.
70. INT. MARTIAL'S MERCEDES. DAY
Stephanie watches the faces leaning over the balconies
overhead. She hears the spectators' hostility and cheers.
A circle has formed around the fighters.
She sees the shadow, and only the shadow, of his opponent's
fist barely miss Ali's face.
Then things speed up. Ali uses his feet, knees and fists.
When his opponent begins to totter to one side, Ali hangs
onto him like a pit bull. When he falls, Ali pounds on his
face with his fists and elbows. The ‘ref' has to enlist
Cousin's help to pull Ali away.
Ali returns to his place in the car. Stephanie looks at
him: he can't sit still.
ALI
I have to go.
Another combat begins, while Ali jogs around the hangar.
Stephanie watches other combats, whether featuring Ali or
not.
61
She sees feet dancing on the concrete.
She sees the banknotes in people's hands.
She sees heads leaning over balconies.
She sees an opponent's fist hit Ali behind the ear.
She sees another of Ali's opponents get back to his feet,
and Ali's fist split open his nose like a ripe fig.
She sees another opponent's head bounce off the concrete.
She sees a tooth roll across the concrete, like dice in a
crap game.
She sees Ali perform three steps of a moonwalk and kiss his
own biceps.
71. EXT. ROAD. DAY
A cloud of dust, a narrow, bumpy road. Martial's car is
headed for the town below.
72. INT. MARTIAL'S MERCEDES. DAY
CU on a long cut behind Ali's ear. Stephanie's fingers use
a Kleenex instead of cotton.
Bare-chested with a towel around his neck, Ali leans
forward to make his wound more easily accessible.
STEPHANIE
It's nothing, just a cut. (to Martial) Got
anything to disinfect it with?
MARTIAL
(driving) No.
STEPHANIE
(to Ali) Keep this on it. It's the only one
I have.
Ali looks up at her.
ALI
You liked it.
62
STEPHANIE
Yes.
ALI
Me too.
He again lowers his head.
STEPHANIE
Put this on it. It's the only one I have.
Ali straightens up, covers himself with the towel and
remains like that: invisible, out of breath, clearing his
throat and spitting out the window... Stephanie observes
the welts on his body.
A big service station appears a bit farther down the road.
Ali sits back up.
ALI
Pull over here. I'll go rinse off my face.
(puts out his hand) Give me 50.
Martial uses his turn signal.
73. INT. MARTIAL'S MERCEDES. DAY
Behind the wheel of his stopped car, Martial counts the
bills spread out on his lap.
MARTIAL
Have you known him for long?
STEPHANIE
No, not very.
Alone in the back seat, Stephanie looks out at the service
station.
STEPHANIE
What do you want to know? If I knew him
before the accident?
Martial looks back.
63
MARTIAL
What?
STEPHANIE
You find it weird that we're together? You
wonder what he's doing with me?
MARTIAL
No, since you know him, I just wanted to
know if you've seen him like that before?
STEPHANIE
No.
Martial finishes counting the bills.
MARTIAL
He freaks me out.
He takes his share and hands Stephanie the envelope.
MARTIAL
1200 for him.
She looks at the envelope without taking it.
STEPHANIE
Why are you giving me that?
MARTIAL
It's for Ali.
STEPHANIE
Exactly. So why give it to me?
He looks at her, suddenly surprised.
MARTIAL
Hey, you make it complicated. Either you
take it or you don't. And either I talk or I
keep my mouth shut.
He tosses the envelope at her. She looks away. Ali finally
gets back into the car with a big box. It's a toy: a green
John Deere tractor with all the accessories.
64
ALI
For my kid.
STEPHANIE
You have a kid?
ALI
Yep.
74. EXT. BEACH - ROAD. DAY
The afternoon sun has the entire coast sparkling. Ali is on
his moped, with the box between his knees, driving up the
coastal road. He looks splendid, wearing new clothes.
He finally sees what he was looking for: a group on the
beach, Anna, Richard and their neighbors, having a picnic.
CUT TO:
75. EXT. BEACH. DAY
CU Ali and Anna are off to one side, talking.
ANNA
You see what you're like with him? You're
not around and when you are, you scream at
him. Damn, you hit him! Why did you take him
along if you act like that? You should have
left him.
ALI
Cut the shit. He's not dead. I didn't do it
on purpose. I'm sorry about it.
Anna avoids his glance. He rummages in his pocket, pulls
out the envelope of money and hands it to her.
ALI
Here.
ANNA
What's that?
ALI
Money. What I owe you plus the next few
65
months. You can count it.
She looks at the bills.
ANNA
Where did you get this? (pointing to his new
clothes) Same place?
ALI
I won a fight.
ANNA
A fight? What kind of fight? Is that the
only job you could find?
Is that why you have marks on your face?
ALI
Hey, will you take the money or not? Why are
you looking at me that way?
ANNA
Nothing.
He leaves her with the envelope and trots over to the rest
of the group.
They are packing away ice chests and folding things up. Sam
and his little friends are playing in the sand with the
John Deere tractor. Sam has a bandage on his forehead. Ali
sits down in the sand next to him.
ALI
(pointing to the tractor) You like it?
Sam continues to play, ignoring him. Behind them, Richard
is folding up parasols with the help of Che, a bearded
neighbor who is also there with all his family.
RICHARD
Have you eaten?
ALI
Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.
CHÉ
You don't want to drink something before I
66
pack up?
Ali shakes his head ‘no'. He looks at Joelle, Che's
daughter: a tomboy with boobs.
ALI
(to Sam) You want to go for a swim?
76. EXT. BEACH. DAY
Ali and Joëlle take turns tossing Sam into the waves. The
child laughs so hard, he swallows water.
Ali takes Sam into his arms.
ALI
Give me a kiss.
SAM
I don't want to.
ALI
Give Daddy a kiss!
SAM
No.
ALI
(using a deep voice) Give Daddy a kiss!
SAM
(deep voice too)... No!
Ali kisses him and hugs him tight.
77. INT. JOELLE'S ROOM. EVENING
A nearby house. Evening is falling. Ali and Joëlle make
love in her bedroom. His cell phone rings. The screen
reads: "Stef". He doesn't answer. Joëlle comes noisily. Ali
puts his hand over her mouth.
Through the window, we see Sam in Anna's garden, playing
with his new tractor. Richard is hanging towels and swim
suits on the line to dry.
67
78. INT. STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT. EVENING
Sitting on the couch in a T-shirt and boxers, Stephanie
finishes her dinner, watching TV distractedly.
Balancing on her stumps, she puts her plate in the
dishwasher. Then, supporting herself on her hands, she
leaves the kitchen, wiggling her way into the bedroom. She
lifts herself into bed as best she can.
Evening falls over the bougainvilleas. Stephanie watches
old people coming home in their wheelchairs or hanging on
to their Zimmer frames.
79. INT. FORMULE 1 - HOTEL ROOM. DAY
Ali walks up a long standard hotel corridor lined with
numbered doors. He stops and knocks at room 429.
No answer. He knocks again. Finally, room 431 opens behind
him. Martial looks out.
MARTIAL
Hey! I'm here.
ALI
They told me 429.
Martial motions him in.
MARTIAL
Normal. This one is for the equipment.
Boxes of equipment are piled up under the window and the
small table has been converted into a work surface. A
camera is plugged into the TV set. It shows a still
picture: an empty location, one sector of an industrial
site filmed from above.
MARTIAL
I have to watch this. Have a seat.
You wanted to see me.
Ali sits on the edge of the bed. Martial watches the screen
out of the corner of his eye.
68
ALI
I need to find a coach. A real one. Someone
who has me work on my takedowns.
MARTIAL
Foued?
ALI
Foued doesn't know jackshit. Just jiu-jitsu
and rap stuff. You need to ask Cousin. His
guys must train somewhere.
MARTIAL
Think so?
ALI
Yeah. And I'll need some time to train.
MARTIAL
I'll talk with Alta Secu. We'll be able to
work something out.
ALI
Work it out how?
MARTIAL
I'll have my company pay you and I'll bill
them what you cost me. They'll keep paying
you but now you'll work directly for me. You
won't have to spend your nights there.
There is some movement on the screen. He interrupts
himself. Gray silhouettes cross the screen, open a door and
disappear before coming back to cross the screen once
again.
ALI
Where's that?
MARTIAL
At the Mousquetaires.
Martial rewinds and zooms in on some faces.
MARTIAL
I'll make a copy and you'll take it to the
69
owner. Ask for Steve at Security. He'll tell
you what to do.
80. INT. RICHARD'S TRUCK. DAY
Sam is on Richard's lap, ‘driving' the truck. He is in
seventh heaven. In front of them, a man is running down the
shoulder of the road.
RICHARD
Look who it is! Go on, honk!
81. EXT. ROAD. DAY
The horn beeps. Out of breath, in a sweat, Ali looks back
and sees Richard and Sam in the truck. They slow down and
pull up to him. Richard lowers his window.
RICHARD
We're going to school. Want to come along?
Ali shakes his head and continues jogging. The truck
disappears.
82. INT. NEW GYM. DAY
This new gym is large, clean and light. In one corner there
is a genuine ring, and on the other side, a piece of
tatami.
Ali is working out with Joao, a Brazilian in a kimono. They
try out some foot-fist series. On the mat, Ali shadows and
deconstructs Joao's gestures.
83. EXT. ANTIBES. STREET. DAY
A street near the beach. The weekend is beginning. The
streets are crowded. Ali is on the phone.
ALI
Where are you? I can't see you. Where?
He looks every which way until he sees her, a few feet
away. She is standing upright, in a light pair of pants,
with her canes hidden behind her back. It takes some time
to register. She smiles at him.
70
ALI
That's fucking amazing! I was looking for a
wheelchair...
STEPHANIE
Stop looking. No more wheelchairs!
ALI
Since when?
STEPHANIE
Two days.
ALI
You could have told me!
STEPHANIE
Why? Is it a problem?
ALI
No, I don't know. You're like before.
STEPHANIE
Well, not exactly.
ALI
Go on, let's see.
She takes a few steps forward, leaning on her canes. He
whistles in admiration.
STEPHANIE
I need to get my balance but supposedly that
doesn't take long.
ALI
It must be like walking on stilts...
STEPHANIE
I don't know. I've never walked on stilts
before.
ALI
You look taller. Does it hurt?
71
STEPHANIE
A little, but it feels good too.
ALI
Want to go for a swim?
She stops.
STEPHANIE
The beach... pff, I don't know... It's
different today... I don't think I want to
get undressed.
84. INT. STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN. DAY
They are at the kitchen table, eating salad. Stephanie is
in her wheelchair. Ali has finished his plate.
ALI
Is this all you have?
STEPHANIE
Look in the fridge. There must be some
cheese left.
ALI
You don't have any pate?
STEPHANIE
No, I don't have any pate.
He gets up and opens the fridge. He takes the cheese,
sniffs it, then takes some yoghurt too. He notices a box of
cereal on a shelf and takes it. He returns to the fridge
for some milk. She watches, her mouth open in suspense.
STEPHANIE
You're a good eater, aren't you?
ALI
I'm hungry.
He begins with the cheese.
ALI
No bread?
72
She shakes her head "no" and points to a box of biscuits on
the shelf.
STEPHANIE
There are crackers up there. Do you have a
girlfriend?
He shakes his head.
STEPHANIE
You don't have anyone?
ALI
Yes, but they're not girlfriends.
STEPHANIE
What are they? Quick fucks?
ALI
Yeah.
She hesitates.
STEPHANIE
A lot?
He looks at her.
STEPHANIE
You mind talking about this?
ALI
No, I don't care. (pause) How about you? Did
you have a lot of boyfriends?
STEPHANIE
When, before?
ALI
Yeah.
STEPHANIE
I was with Simon...
ALI
That's all?
73
STEPHANIE
No, there were others. But not a lot either.
I... I wasn't very... In fact, I liked it
when guys looked at me... I liked to feel
that I turned them on... Afterwards, I don't
know... they bored me.
Ali looks at her, strangely attentive, as if he didn't
understand, or didn't believe her.
ALI
And now?
STEPHANIE
Um, nothing. I don't even know what it looks
like anymore... I don't even know if it
still works...
ALI
You don't want to?
STEPHANIE
Did I say I didn't want to anymore? Of
course I still want to...
ALI
How do you go about it?
STEPHANIE
How do you think I go about it? If I were a
guy I'd say I jerk off to a porn video...
I'm a girl.
Ali is dumbstruck.
STEPHANIE
Okay, let's change the subject...
She begins piling up plates and silverware.
ALI
You want to fuck?
She is thrown for a loop.
STEPHANIE
Huh?
74
ALI
You want to know if it still works, so let's
fuck and that way you'll know.
He looks at her, simply, naturally. She has a nervous
laugh.
STEPHANIE
Just like that?
ALI
Um, yeah. Give me that.
He takes the plates, gets up and puts them in the
dishwasher.
STEPHANIE
I... I don't know if I can like that...
ALI
Whatever you want... You tell me...
She hesitates.
STEPHANIE
Wait.
She wheels herself away from the table and into the
bedroom. He remains alone, quickly cleaning the table.
ALI
What do I do?
STEPHANIE (OFF)
Wait!
He waits. Then:
STEPHANIE (OFF)
Come here.
85. INT. STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM. DAY
He enters the room. The shutters are closed. She is in bed,
under the covers. She watches him sit down on the bed, undo
75
his pants and turn toward her.
ALI
Okay? Ready?
Unsure of herself, she pulls a face.
STEPHANIE
Let's try.
He slips under the covers, spontaneously tries to kiss her,
but she pushes him away gently.
STEPHANIE
(a little nervous) Do you mind if we don't
kiss?
ALI
No. Your breasts... can I?
STEPHANIE
Yes.
He licks her breasts, then lies on top of her, covering
her. She tries to wriggle herself free.
STEPHANIE
You're crushing me!
ALI
Maybe you should stop talking now...
STEPHANIE
Okay, I'll stop.
His hands caress her, they grab onto what remains of her
thighs. He enters her. She is about to scream, but lets
herself go.
She grabs hold of him.
STEPHANIE
Gently!
76
86. INT. STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN. DAY
Ali opens the fridge. He is dressed again. Stephanie
appears in a robe, sitting in her wheelchair. We can tell
she feels too shy to look at him.
ALI
Are you okay? How was it?
She blushes.
ALI
Is it still working?
STEPHANIE
Um, yes... no... I don't really know. It's
different... It's hard to tell after just
one try...
ALI
Yeah but I don't have time right now. I have
to go!
STEPHANIE
(blushing) No, no! That's not what I
meant... I just meant that it's too soon to
tell... like too many things are happening
at once...
Ali doesn't understand.
ALI
But did you enjoy it or not?
STEPHANIE
I did.
A beat.
ALI
When you're up for it and you can't find
anyone, ask me. If I'm oper, we'll do it.
STEPHANIE
What's "oper"?
77
ALI
Operational... If I'm available. If I can, I
mean!
STEPHANIE
If you're "oper" we...
ALI
Yeah.
She sketches a vague gesture.
ALI
What?
Her throat is constricted, she is unable to answer.
STEPHANIE
Nothing. Great.
87. EXT. MARINELAND - STAFFROOM. DAY
Stephanie uses one of her canes to push open the door to
the staff room. The room is apparently empty.
STEPHANIE
Louise? Louise, are you here? Is anyone
here?
No answer.
She looks over the office she once knew so well and that
hasn't seen again since her accident: the photos on the
wall, the diagrams, the case histories, the animals' names,
etc...
88. EXT. MARINELAND - BLEACHERS. DAY
Up in the bleachers, Stephanie looks over all the pools,
the big one as well as the others... suddenly, in n° 3, a
huge but limp black dorsal fin appears.
89. EXT. POOL N3. DAY
Weighed down by her prostheses, Stephanie has to lie down
on the rim of pool n° 3 to reach the water. She reaches out
and slaps the water with the palm of her hand. Nothing
78
really happens, a black mass just keeps circling at the
bottom of the pool... She slaps again and the black mass
swims faster and faster... a wave is formed around the
sides of the pool, a wave that swells higher and higher...
Stephanie's hand again slaps the water and, suddenly, Niska
emerges.
CUT TO:
90. EXT. POOL N3 - DAY
Niska washes up. Stephanie caresses her and weeps softly,
like someone caught unawares.
LOUISE (OFF)
(gently) Stephanie?
Stephanie looks back to discover Louise and three other ex-
colleagues. They have been there a moment, surprised,
unsettled and ill at ease.
STEPHANIE
I stopped by the office but there wasn't
anyone.
Stephanie stands up with the help of her canes. The guys
rush over to help her. They hug and kiss. All four remain
like that for a moment.
91. EXT. MARINELAND - CAFETERIA. DAY
Sun and music. The public is beginning to invade the lanes
and paths.
Stephanie, Louise and the other keepers are on the terrace
of the employees' cafeteria. They are thrilled and
reassured to see her again. At times a hand touches her
arm or shoulder. Sometimes an acquaintance comes over and
kisses her.
Under the table, Stephanie types ‘oper?' into her cell
phone, then looks up and returns to her surroundings.
We can imagine the "How are you?" "And you?" "Great". The
"Let me get a look at you... You look wonderful!"...all a
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bit strained, but friendly. Louise, who is sitting next to
her, leans over to her:
LOUISE
(softly) See? It wasn't hard!
They smile at each other and return to the conversation in
progress. Stephanie's cell phone vibrates on the table. She
discreetly checks the answer, and when she looks up,
exchanges a glance with Louise.
From that glance, we cut to:
92. INT. SUPERMARKET. DAY
Stephanie and Louise are out shopping. Stephanie holds
herself up thanks to the shopping cart she is pushing. We
join their conversation already in progress.
STEPHANIE
When I feel like it, I send him a text
message and ask if he's oper. If he is, we
hook up.
Louise reacts.
LOUISE
What's oper?
STEPHANIE
If he's up for it. If he's free. If he is,
we fuck.
LOUISE
Is that all?
STEPHANIE
Yes, that's all. What else do you want?
LOUISE
I don't know. Is that enough?
STEPHANIE
For me it is.
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LOUISE
What does he do?
Stephanie hesitates a moment, as if worried about how
Louise will react.
STEPHANIE
He fights.
LOUISE
What kind? MMA?
STEPHANIE
No. Illicit fights in the projects.
Louise reacts.
STEPHANIE
Whatever I say, you make a face.
LOUISE
Just give me a second to react... Are you in
love?
She hesitates.
STEPHANIE
He does me good.
93. EXT. PARKING LOT. MARINELAND. DAY
The group of trainers has accompanied Stephanie to a taxi.
94. INT. TAXI/PARKING LOT - MARINELAND. DAY
Stephanie waves good-bye. They return her wave.
The taxi drives away. The group scatters.
CUT TO:
95. INT. BASEMENT. DAY
A dark cellar. We hear Ali and Stephanie labor and sigh. A
door suddenly opens above and we hear voices.
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ALI
Shit!
STEPHANIE
Who is it?
He looks for his clothes...
96. EXT. GARDEN. DAY
... then goes to the garden where he startles Anna:
ANNA
I didn't know you were here. You scared me.
What were you up to?
ALI
I was talking?
ANNA
You're not alone?
ALI
I'm with a friend.
ANNA
You bring girls back to my place now?
ALI
She's a friend, I said.
Just then, the basement door opens and Stephanie appears on
her crutches. Anna is dismayed. Ali motions to Stephanie:
ALI
(to Stephanie) Let me introduce you to my
sister! (to Anna) This is Stephanie. You
know the girl from Marineland.
Stephanie offers her hand to Anna who takes it, then
realizing what she's doing, puts the other to her mouth:
ANNA
Oh, my God. Poor thing!
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Sam arrives with his snack. Stephanie looks at him.
STEPHANIE
So that's him?
They are sitting around the garden table. Anna comes
carrying a tray.
ANNA
They were out of grapefruit. I took tropical
fruit.
She puts some glasses and two tetra packs of fruit juice on
the table. Through a hole in the oilcloth, Stephanie can
watch Sam playing under the table.
ANNA
I'll make tea. I have some cookies. You
drink tea, don't you?
STEPHANIE
Don't bother. This is perfect, I swear.
Thanks.
Before Stephanie can even finish, Anna is already on the
way back to the kitchen.
ALI
You don't want to get going?
STEPH
Wait, your sister...
ALI
You freak her out. Can't you see? She feels
like a cashier with you. Pathetic with her
tea and cookies. It's a pain.
Stephanie leans on a cane to stand up.
ALI
What are you doing?
STEPH
I'm going to help her.
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ALI
No need to overdo it.
97. INT. ANNA'S HOUSE. DAY
Later, Sam guides Stephanie up the narrow stairs of the
house. She has a hard time with her ‘legs' and canes.
98. INT. SAM'S ROOM. DAY
A child's room with cheap wall paper depicting dolphins.
Stephanie is sitting on the edge of the bed.
STEPHANIE
So this is where you sleep? It's a nice
room.
Sam nods in agreement. He gives her a strange look.
STEPHANIE
Why are you looking at me like that? Does it
scare you? You want to see them, is that it?
He nods.
She lifts one of her pant legs to show the prosthesis
underneath. Sam looks attentively, stretches out his hand,
touches it carefully.
SAM
Does it hurt?
Stephanie smiles at him.
STEPHANIE
No... Want to touch it?
Sam reaches out his hand.
99. INT. MARTIAL'S CAR. DAY
In CU through the tinted windows of Martial's Mercedes
Vito: the face of a boxer who is lying on the ground and
being pummeled.
Ali is sitting bare-chested in the back seat, a towel
around his neck and a bottle of water between his knees.
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Ali watches the fight. Sitting next to him, Stephanie fills
a plastic bag with ice cubes. She hands it to him.
STEPHANIE
Here.
He applies it to his eyebrow. She displaces a bloody strand
of hair and replaces it with another.
We see Martial return to the car and open the front door.
MARTIAL
You okay?
He puts a wad of money in the glove compartment.
MARTIAL
You ready?
Ali nods ‘yes'. He opens his door, gets half out and
empties the bottle of water over his head.
Stephanie is left alone in the car. She hears the
spectators' cheers. She closes the window and turns on the
air conditioning full blast.
100. EXT. PROJECTS - COURTYARD. DAY
His opponent's guard is up, closed tighter than a safe.
Behind his fists, Ali can see the guy's frozen stare. And
then suddenly he breaks loose: a series of feints and a
kick behind the ear.
He hears himself growl, the light becomes electrifying. He
is on the ground, protecting himself as best he can. He
tries to block his opponent's arm. He hears himself
wheezing and panting like a pair of bellows. He sees his
blood splatter his opponent.
ALI (OFF)
... All of a sudden, in your mouth, it's
like it tasted like bone. A taste of rust
and bone.
STEPHANIE (OFF)
Because you think bone has a taste?
85
ALI (OFF)
Yeah, there I did.
Then, through the spectators' legs, he sees something:
sunlight reflected off the Mercedes door that has just
opened on a pair of shoes attached to two prostheses, a
pair of shorts… He also sees the heads of the tough guys
who turn back to look.
He breaks free, struggles to his feet, spits up a clot of
blood and returns to the task at hand.
His opponent tries to get up. Ali jumps on him to finish
HIM OFF
101. INT. MARTIAL'S CAR. DAY
The car is driving back into town. Martial is driving. The
windows are open. Ali holds a bag of ice against his cheek
bone, while Stephanie applies her Band-Aids to a cut over
his eyebrows. They are talking, but we can not hear what
they say. All we hear is the noise of the wind against the
open windows. Ali suddenly breaks out laughing. Martial
does too in the rear view mirror. Stephanie follows suit…
102. INT. MOUSQUETAIRES. DAY
Muzak.
Ali and Martial follow the head of security into the store.
Some of the personnel are near the cash registers, silent,
hostile and immobile. The morning customers wonder what's
happening.
The head of security elbows his way through.
HEAD OF SECURITY
Let them through, please!
The personnel reluctantly make way.
103. INT. MOUSQUETAIRES - STOCKROOM. DAY
Red graffiti on the wall: "A SPYING BOSS IS A CRIMINAL
BOSS!"
86
Ali recognizes the place with the palettes up to the
ceiling. In the back, he also recognizes the manager,
protected by two guards and being harangued by union
representatives.
MARTIAL
(to Ali, pointing to the manager) Go get the
equipment. I need to see him.
Ali obeys.
UNION REP
Don't bother. We're the ones who will call
the police. The police and the press. That
way they'll know you spy on your workers!
The manager looks away, accompanied by his two guards.
UNION REP
At least have the courage to look at me when
I talk to you!
CUT TO:
The cameras, the ripped out cables, the phony boxes have
been piled up on the floor. It looks more like the crime
squad has been at work. Ali opens a garbage bag and bends
over to retrieve the equipment.
WOMAN (OFF)
What are you doing there?
She's a young employee in the store uniform.
ALI
(suspicious) Packing up.
WOMAN
Is it your stuff?
ALI
No.
He notices that she's taken out her cell phone to take a
picture.
87
ALI
Don't you take a picture!
WOMAN
You work for them?
She continues to manipulate her phone.
ALI
I said no picture!
WOMAN
Why shouldn't I? You film us!
He straightens up menacingly.
ALI
I'm going to slap you!
A hand grabs his arm. It's Martial.
MARTIAL
Forget it. Let's get out of here!
ALI
And the equipment?
MARTIAL
Forget about it. We're fucked here. The cops
are going to question the managers and the
managers will turn us in.
They leave.
104. INT. MARTIAL'S FORMULE 1 ROOM. NIGHT
Martial's fingers slowly play with the hair on his chest.
He is lying nude on the bed of his Formule 1 hotel room. He
smokes and stares at the ceiling. His suitcases and bags
are packed, all he has to do is close them.
He hears knocks next door. He gets up with a sigh, pulls on
his pants and opens the door. Stephanie is waiting in front
of room 429.
88
MARTIAL
In here.
Stephanie looks back, surprised. Martial motions her in.
MARTIAL
I have to go away for work. 3 or 4 months, I
don't know yet... Since Ali wants to keep
fighting, I thought maybe you tend to that
while I'm not here...
She is thunderstruck.
STEPHANIE
Is he okay with that?
MARTIAL
He's the one who asked me to call you.
STEPHANIE
Why me?
MARTIAL
I guess he trusts you.
STEPHANIE
(laughs, thrown for a loop) Yes, sure
but.... I don't know anything about that
scene... I don't know those guys!
He hands her an old spiral notebook.
MARTIAL
I wrote it all down here. As for the rest,
ask me your questions and I'll answer them.
STEPHANIE
How do I do the bets?
MARTIAL
You can count on your fingers, can't you?
STEPHANIE
Honestly, can you see me dealing with those
beasts?
89
MARTIAL
Yeah.
A beat.
MARTIAL
And you need money to cover the bets, and
you have money.
She looks at him.
MARTIAL
What? You're not rich? What did the
insurance company give you for your legs?
200,000? 300,000? Those jobs must have good
health plans. Am I wrong?
STEPHANIE
No.
A shadow crosses Stephanie's mind. She looks at the open
bags and suitcases, without really seeing them. The place
looks like it's expecting a police raid.
STEPHANIE
Where are you going?
MARTIAL
Grenoble, then Vienne.
STEPHANIE
Austria?
MARTIAL
No, in the Isère.
STEPHANIE
Was the insurance money your idea?
MARTIAL
Yes.
A beat. He gives her time to wrap her head around that one.
Then, since she still looks troubled, he taps her on the
hand.
90
MARTIAL
It's me, I said. Don't worry. I'm the bad
guy.
105. EXT. FEVER RAY. NIGHT
Through the door of the club, we hear snatches of the
introduction to Thunderstruck.
People are sweating and trying to get into the Fever. Foued
lets Martial, Ali, Stephanie and Khadi through. Virile bear
hugs and handshakes.
FOUED
The Cousin's waiting for you inside. Table
to the left of the bar.
Ali knows and greets everyone. Stephanie is in the middle
of the group. She holds herself up on the shoulders of
these big, caring guys and lets herself be carried along.
She feels good
106. INT. FEVER RAY. NIGHT
The club is hot as a steam bath. Loud music blares out of
loudspeakers. Bodies dance and eyes shine bright.
At the table "left of the bar": Cousin and three friends
who are with him. Another round of bear hugs and
handshakes. Martial, Stephanie and Cousin regroup face to
face. Martial speaks, Cousin listens and at times looks
over at Stephanie, who looks at him too. She notices one of
the tattoos on his arm: a green and red snake that seems to
be slithering out his sleeve. The barman brings two bottles
of champagne.
Ali leans toward her:
ALI
Want to boogie?
She doesn't understand.
ALI
(loud) You want to dance?
91
She looks frightened, but then smiles when she sees what
he's up to.
ALI
Come on!
STEPHANIE
No, no!
ALI
Whatever you say.
He goes to the dance floor and begins to rock. He dances
badly, clumsily. Martial pours champagne.
107. EXT. FEVER RAY. NIGHT
The smoking area is located outside, and a bit farther off,
the dope smoking area. Behind the smokers, we hear noise
from the club. Cousin is puffing on a spliff. Stephanie
watches, holding her champagne goblet. He offers it to
her. She accepts and takes a drag.
COUSIN
Can I talk to you?
She nods "yes".
COUSIN
There's something I'd like to know... The
fish that ate your legs...
She wasn't expecting that.
STEPHANIE
Yes?
COUSIN
Is it true it's still there?
STEPHANIE
Yeah... where else would it be?
COUSIN
They didn't shoot it? Or put it down,
whatever?
92
STEPHANIE
Why would they do that?
COUSIN
I don't know... when a dog attacks you, they
kill it. And the fish gets off. Don't you
mind that the thing that ate your legs is
living it up in its shitty fucking aquarium?
STEPHANIE
No. And I don't want anything to happen to
it. Now more than ever!
He looks at her, incredulous, but with admiration.
COUSIN
(imitating her) "Now more than ever". Listen
to you!
He takes another drag.
COUSIN
(imitating her) Tututu-tu-tutu...
They laugh.
STEPHANIE
Do I sound like that?
COUSIN
Tututu...
108. INT. FEVER RAY. NIGHT
We are back inside. Ali is working on a girl a bit farther
off on the dance floor. Stephanie follows Cousin through
the noise and sticky heat. When she next looks at the dance
floor, Ali is no longer there.
Ali and the girl are on their way to the exit. Ali looks
for a friendly face, meets Stephanie's glance and motions
that he's leaving. She waves: "Yeah, ok, I get it."
Ali disappears with the girl.
Stephanie is at the bar, drinking. She types an SMS into
her cell phone: "operational?" She hesitates, then puts
93
away her cell phone. She hadn't noticed a guy sitting next
to her. She also failed to notice that he's been speaking
to her for a while now.
STEPHANIE
(loud) Huh? I can't hear you...
GUY
(loud) No problem. What are you drinking?
STEPHANIE
(loud) Champagne?
The guy orders. He is blond, lean and athletic-looking. He
might be thought to resemble Simon.
GUY
What's your name? I'm Pierre.
STEPHANIE
Hey there. I'm Marie.
GUY
Come here often?
Stephanie is on automatic pilot. When she turns to the
room, she feels the blond guy's eyes locked onto her. She
can pretty much tell what he's thinking about the breasts
under her T-shirt. She answers his questions, she returns
his smiles. When she finishes her glass and puts it down on
the counter, he kisses her. She doesn't push him away
immediately, like a frightened virgin, she takes the time
to put a good face on it.
STEPHANIE
No... No, please. I don't feel like it. Not
tonight. I can't...
The guy looks disappointed, then manages a ‘good loser's'
smile.
GUY
Okay, no problem...
STEPHANIE
It's best I go. Good night and thanks.
94
He sees her lean over to retrieve her canes and then hobble
away.
GUY
Sorry. I couldn't know.
Stephanie freezes.
STEPHANIE
You couldn't know what?
GUY
Huh?
STEPHANIE
You couldn't know what, asshole?
Foued runs to warn Martial, Khadi and Cousin that something
is wrong.
When Martial arrives, he sees Stephanie collared by a
bouncer three times her size. She lashes out with one of
her canes, while under the bar, another bouncer tries to
help the blond guy back to his feet. There's a deep gash on
his skull.
Cousin comes to give the bouncer a hand.
109. EXT. ANTIBES - BEACH -CAFÉ. DAY
Early morning. The shrill screech of the sea gulls and the
milky light of a day that looks like it's going to be
sunless.
Stephanie drinks her coffee at the only table on the
terrace. Behind her, chairs are still piled up and the
waiter is slowly getting to work.
A silhouette appears on the sidewalk. It's Ali, in the same
clothes as last night. He joins her and takes a seat.
ALI
You okay?
STEPHANIE
Fine.
95
ALI
Did you stay late?
STEPHANIE
I can't remember. Afterwards the cousin took
us to a club at la Colle sur Loup... It
sucked and it was 5 a.m. And you?
ALI
Normal. (to the waiter) A large coffee with
milk and bread with butter!
A beat.
STEPHANIE
You think it's good that we're having this
conversation?
ALI
What conversation?
STEPHANIE
That I ask how it was with the girl last
night and you answer normal.
ALI
What do you want me to say?
STEPHANIE
Nothing.
He grimaces at her mood.
ALI
Oh la!
STEPHANIE
"Oh la" what? You think it's normal leaving
with that bimbo in front of me? What would
you say if I did the same thing?
ALI
Nothing.
STEPHANIE
Oh yeah? You wouldn't care?
96
ALI
You're pissing me off. What's your problem?
STEPHANIE
Wait, let me put it differently. What I am
for you? A friend? A pal?
Sort of a buddy, like Foued and the others?
ALI
STEPHANIE
Tell me something: do you and your buddies
fuck every now and then?
He snickers.
STEPHANIE
No? Really? Never?
That's the difference.
Her looks at her.
STEPHANIE
Dammit, stop looking at me that way!
ALI
How am I looking at you?
The waiter arrives with Ali's order. She tones her voice
down a notch.
STEPHANIE
You wanted us to continue... Isn't that what
you told Martial?
ALI
What are you talking about, fucking or
fighting?
STEPHANIE
Well, we have to go about it well. We have
to show each other manners, and
consideration...
ALI
Manners?
97
STEPHANIE
Hey! Stop acting like an idiot. Do the words
bother you? You know what I mean.... Tact...
You've never stopped being tactful with me.
A beat. He looks away.
STEPHANIE
So... is that a plan?
She waits for his mind to come back before continuing.
STEPHANIE
We'll continue... but not like animals.
He smirks, with a flick of the chin.
STEPHANIE
Cat got your tongue?
Ali stirs his cup without answering. He feels her eyes on
him. He smiles.
ALI
I'm oper now.
STEPHANIE
What?
ALI
You made me oper. It's you! It's because
it's all you're talking about!
STEPHANIE
(softly) You are really a dog.
He stands up.
STEPHANIE
What are you doing?
ALI
I'm getting out of here.
STEPHANIE
Why?
98
ALI
I'm fed up.
STEPHANIE
You're bored?
ALI
Yeah.
STEPHANIE
What I'm saying bores you?
ALI
Yeah.
STEPHANIE
Are you acting like a jackass on purpose?
ALI
Aren't you being an ass by putting words
everywhere?
He sits back down. She watches him eat his sandwiches.
STEPHANIE
I'm the one who's leaving.
She gets up.
Ali finishes his coffee.
110. INT. TATTOO PARLOR. DAY
The buzz of a small electric compressor.
In extreme close up: the needle of a tattoo machine
pricking skin. Ink flows, a cotton swab wipes... a tattoo
slowly appears.
Lying on a table, Stephanie is having what remains of her
legs tattooed.
CUT TO:
99
111. EXT/INT. BANK. DAY
Stephanie is at a teller's window, withdrawing a rather
large amount of cash.
A machine counts out the bills, while the employee stuffs
wads of them into an envelope.
112. EXT/INT USED CAR DEALERSHIP. DAY
Pennants flap in the wind, the pennants of a used car
dealership.
CU: car doors opening, automatic gearboxes, Stephanie's
"feet" testing pedals, bucket seats, backseats, tinted
windows opening and closing, etc.
113. INT. PROJECTS - APARTMENT. DAY
A painting of a lion hunt and, under it, Stephanie and
Cousin on a couch, talking shop.
Leaning over a computer and a cell phone, they go over
potential adversaries.
Some kids stick their heads in to see what Stephanie looks
like.
114. INT. NEW GYM. DAY
Foued, wearing protective gear, spars with a black
cruiserweight. The fight is close, the sound of flesh on
flesh resounds. Outside the ring, Ali cheers Foued on.
He notices on the other side of the ring a young thin,
bearded guy in a Lacoste polo shirt buttoned up to his neck
- Leonardini - who is following the fight with the eye of a
pro.
When Ali and Joao are later working out on their bit of
tatami, Ali sees Foued sitting on a bench, with a towel
around his neck and talking with Leonardini.
FOUED
He saw me at la Ciotat. We spoke a few times
on the phone. When he has it in for you, he
never lets up. Leonardini is well-known.
100
He was a club in Strasbourg with a training
center. He's taking me on a trial basis for
three months. If it works out, he'll make
challenger in the nationals.
115. INT. LOCKER ROOM - NEW GYM. DAY
Ali and Foued are off to one side in the locker room.
ALI
So are you going to Strasbourg?
FOUED
What do you think? I'd be an idiot...
ALI
And when are you leaving?
Leonardini enters the locker room.
FOUED
Mr. Leonardini, this is my buddy Ali. Ali
Van Versh.
Leonardini shakes his hand.
ALI
Pleased to meet you.
116. EXT. PROJECTS - COURTYARD. DAY
Through the tinted windshield of a Nissan Pathfinder SUV,
Ali watches Stephanie, wearing a tight T shirt and leaning
on her cane, talking with Cousin and some bettors. The
discussion looks intense.
Stephanie returns to the car. Below her pedal pushers, her
prostheses sparkle in the sunlight. We hear salacious jibes
from the surrounding buildings.
She opens the car door.
ALI
How much is there?
101
STEPHANIE
3400. Are you ready?
Walking with a slow, deliberate sway - aware of the effect
she's having - she ceremonially opens the passenger door.
The remarks cease.
117. INT. STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT. NIGHT / DAWN
CU: a black and red arrow with, in industrial characters:
"RIGHT".
It's the tattoo on Stephanie's right thigh. Ali's hand
grips and squeezes the thigh. They are making love.
The room is half-lit. Ali growls and grinds his teeth in
his sleep. Stephanie slowly and noiselessly rolls over to
her side of the bed. She gets up and, using her hands,
drags herself toward the bathroom.
Suddenly, feeling like he's suffocating, Ali awakens. It
takes a few seconds for him to realize where he is. His
hand sweeps across the bed.
ALI
Where are you?
STEPHANIE (OFF)
Here.
He sits up. She is embarrassed.
STEPHANIE
No, don't look!
ALI
What are you doing?
STEPHANIE
I'm going to pee.
ALI
Is it early?
STEPHANIE
Five.
102
ALI
Shit, I collapsed...
Ali slips out of bed, naked, yawning and groggy. He comes
and leans over her...
STEPHANIE
I don't like it when you see me like this...
ALI
Hold on.
She hangs onto his neck. He lifts her up and, both naked,
he carries her into the bathroom.
118. INT. STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT - BATHROOM. DAWN
Stephanie is sitting on the toilet, while Ali pees in the
shower.
STEPHANIE
I called the numbers they gave me at the
gym. I spoke to an organizer, Günther Bower.
She yawns.
STEPHANIE
There's a gala in Turin next week. He told
me that we'd have time to meet there. I'm
going to go.
ALI
Yeah. And when do I see him?
STEPHANIE
Later, in his gym in Dortmund. He wants to
organize a test match, to see what you're
worth. To see if you've got the "Göttlicher
Zorn""...
Ali comes out of the shower.
STEPHANIE
Turn on the water.
103
ALI
Huh?
STEPHANIE
Turn on the water when you pee. It's
disgusting.
He runs some water.
119. INT. STEPHANIE'S APARTMENT. DAWN
He carries her back into the bedroom. She looks at his
face, the scar on his forehead, the scar over his nose.
STEPHANIE
How's your nose?
ALI
Mm.
STEPHANIE
It doesn't seem broken.
ALI
No.
They look at each other.
He puts her down on the bed and lies down next to her.
Stephanie slides over to him. He lifts her up and places
her on her stomach. They remain like that, without moving.
She looks like a mermaid lolling on a rock.
She leans over and kisses him on the mouth. He pulls away,
surprised.
ALI
Now we're allowed?
No answer.
They make love.
In CU: the tattoo on Stephanie's left thigh. A red and
black arrow with, in industrial characters: "LEFT".
120. EXT/INT. NISSAN SUV. DAY
Music.
104
The road speeds by. Sun. Road signs with the names of
Italian cities. The landscape has changed.
Wearing her baseball cap and sunglasses, Stephanie drives
with her elbow out the window. On the radio, we hear the
voice of an Italian DJ.
121. EXT. COASTAL ROAD. DAY
Ali jogs along the sea shore. He sweats, huffing and
puffing. He stops, takes a few steps, then continues, but
soon stops again. It looks as if his feet are weighing him
down. Traffic speeds by. He stands still and stares into
the near distance.
Nothing.
122. INT. TURIN - HOTEL. EVENING
A standard hotel lobby.
Curious, Stephanie looks at the crowd of fighters the day
before the ‘Ultimate' tournament: muscle-bound giants
squeezed into tight jackets, with bashed in eyebrows,
collapsed nostrils, cauliflower ears...
Every language can be heard, some greet each other, some
hug, they all size each other up...
CUT TO:
Propped up on her cane, she heads for a table in a corner
of the bar where a man is consulting his cell phone.
STEPHANIE
(in German) Mr. Bower?
GÌNTHER
(in German) Yes?
STEPHANIE
(in German) I'm Stephanie Granget.
Günther looks about fifty and has obviously spent many of
those years in the ring.
CUT TO:
105
Settled in a corner in front of their open PCs, Stephanie
and Günther talk shop.
CUT TO:
They are about to separate.
STEPHANIE
(in German) Can you get me a ticket for
tonight?
GÌNTHER
(in German) I don't know. I'll see what I
can do. (pointing to her legs) What happened
to your legs?
STEPHANIE
An accident. In another life. I was an
animal trainer. I worked with orcas... The
show took a turn for the worse.
GÌNTHER
(it dawns on him) Oh, of course! In France!
The accident! It was you?! I'm talking to a
star!
Stephanie makes a face.
GÌNTHER
Yes, I am... Amazing. What courage! Bravo!
I'm very honored, really. I was an idiot
before!
STEPHANIE
Why?
GÌNTHER
I acted like an arrogant business man. I'm
so ashamed. Will you forgive me?
STEPHANIE
Of course, Mr. Bower.
GÌNTHER
Call me Günther. Of course you can come
tonight. As my guest!
106
123. INT. TURIN - GYM. NIGHT
Bleachers have been set up in a gym, surrounding a cage-
like, fenced-in ring. Inside, combatants fight, no rules,
no holds barred.
On the floor, two wrestlers clasp and elbow each other.
One is bleeding from the forehead.
Below the ring, Stephanie is mesmerized by this carnival of
violence.
Günther leans toward her:
GÌNTHER
(in German) Funny, huh?
STEPHANIE
(in German) What? That?
GÌNTHER
That... and you!
124. INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. NIGHT
Stephanie walks down a corridor. She stops in front of a
door and knocks. Günther opens. He looks surprised. He is
barefoot, in a pair of trousers and an unbuttoned shirt.
He looks at her inquisitively, and when she still doesn't
SAY ANYTHING:
GÜNTHER (in German)
Are you okay? Do you need anything?
She hesitates.
STEPHANIE (in German)
I... I came to see if I got it wrong, or
not.
He knits his brow.
GÜNTHER (in German)
Got what wrong?
STEPHANIE (in German)
You don't understand?
107
GÜNTHER (in German)
Excuse me?
STEPHANIE (in German)
I got the impression, the way you were
looking at me before... Try to understand
because this is getting hard for me...
GÜNTHER (in German)
No, you didn't get it wrong.
He smiles and opens the door.
GÜNTHER (in German)
I have someone in my life, you know.
STEPHANIE
So do I.
He draws her inside. The door closes.
125. INT. SUPERMARKET. DAY
Anna is about to open her cash register, when a West Indian
in a security uniform whispers into her ear, apparently
asking her to follow him. Another cashier is already
waiting to take her place.
Anna joins three other employees waiting in a corridor.
They exchange a few words under their breath.
126. INT. SUPERMARKET - CORRIDOR - ADMINISTRATION. DAY
Anna comes out of an office, looking distraught. She has to
lean against the wall to hold herself up. A colleague comes
to help.
COLLEAGUE
So?
ANNA
I got fired.
COLLEAGUE
Come on. There's something we want to show
you.
108
In the locker room, we recognize the girl who had
photographed Ali while he was trying to reclaim Martial's
camera equipment. The girl says something to Anna. When it
seems that Anna can not believe her ears, the girl takes
out her cell phone and confronts her with the evidence.
Anna needs to sit down.
127. EXT. HOUSE. DAY
Out of breath, Ali pushes open the gate and climbs the
stairs.
128. INT. KITCHEN. DAY
In the kitchen, Anna and Richard are sitting at the table
in front of a meal they haven't had the appetite to start.
ALI
You okay?
No answer.
ALI
You don't seem it.
He goes to open the fridge.
ANNA
What are you doing?
ALI
I'm hungry.
ANNA
Close it! Don't eat here.
Ali stares at her, stunned.
ANNA
Don't eat here.
ALI
What the hell is going on?
ANNA
I was fired this morning. I'm unemployed.
109
ALI
Shit... But what's the problem if I eat
here?
Anna stands up.
ANNA
They had cameras in the storeroom... They
filmed us when we took the expired food.
They fired us.
Ali's head spins.
ANNA
You had your sister fired. How does it feel?
How much did you get for that? You get paid
per person or a flat rate? Nothing to say? I
take you in, I take care of your son and you
have nothing to say?
ALI
I couldn't know...
ANNA
You couldn't know? You couldn't know what?
That you were screwing us out of jobs? That
you were hurting people?
Ali tries to find something to say, but his sister's hand
delivers a resounding slap.
He takes it like a man. A moment passes. Ali is red from
the slap, red with shame… until he suddenly straightens up
and knocks over the table.
RICHARD
Calm down. Calm down, I said!
Ali looks back. He sees Richard's grim face at the other
end of a hunting rifle.
RICHARD
Take your stuff and get out of here. We
don't want to see you around here anymore.
110
A sudden noise draws their attention: Sam is watching from
the top of the stairs.
ANNA
Go to your room. Go upstairs immediately.
129. INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - BASEMENT. DAY
An SMS arrives from Stephanie: “Almost there. I miss you.”
Ali is lying on his mattress. He puts down the phone. He
hears Anna and Richard's voices upstairs. He sits up and
begins to stuff things into a bag.
A new message arrives: “I'm home. Oper?” Ali hesitates,
then turns off his phone and clicks his bag closed.
130. INT. ANNA'S HOUSE - SAM'S ROOM. EVENING
Night has fallen. Sam's nose is stuck to his bedroom
window. He sees his aunt sitting at the plastic table in
the garden downstairs with her face in her hands.
A door slams. Sam rushes to the bathroom window. He sees
his father stomp down the street, never once looking back.
Sam remains glued to the window pane.
Ali's silhouette moves through the halo of a streetlight
before again disappearing into the dark. Sam watches him
for as far as he can.
Fade to black.
131. INT/ EXT. BASEMENT. DAY
In the half-light of the basement, a rectangle of light has
formed where the door opens onto the street. Stephanie
looks over Ali's mess: his magazines, body building
equipment, dirty T-shirts, track suits hanging over a
trestle...
Anna is standing against the light at the door and, a bit
farther off, Sam is sitting on the stairs watching them.
ANNA
In his message he said he was in Strasbourg.
No news since. I don't know what he's doing
111
there, or even if he's still there. Has he
called you?
She shakes her head "no".
ANNA
Did you try the gym?
STEPHANIE
Yeah. They don't know.
ANNA
If I had an address or a number, I'd give it
to you... Even if I think it's dumb. Do you
believe me?
STEPHANIE
Yes.
ANNA
After what he did to me...
Sam sees Stephanie join Anna near the door. She's about to
leave.
ANNA
He abandoned his kid. He doesn't give a fuck
about anything. All he ever cared about was
himself. He's totally selfish.
Sam watches the two women swallowed up by the light.
STEPHANIE (OFF)
You don't know him.
ANNA (OFF)
Me? What did you expect with him?
STEPHANIE (OFF)
I don't know. Not this.
Fade to black.
Black.
112
132. EXT. ALSATIAN COUNTRYSIDE. MORNING
A frosty landscape with trees that look like they've been
engraved in ink... A group of twelve joggers in blue track
suits run across a landscape of gray sky and snow. Some
shadowbox while running.
Ali is wearing a wool cap pulled down around his ears. He
runs alongside Foued.
133. INT. HOLIDAY VILLAGE. GYM. DAY
A ring has been set up in the middle of the gym. A few guys
have gathered round to watch Ali rhythmically pound on his
trainer's bear-like paws.
Leonardini sets the pace.
LEONARDINI
1,2... 1,2,3,4... Faster! 1,2,3. Yes.
Faster! Move! You're stepping back!
Ali pounds harder and harder. He times his respiration to
match the movement of his fists.
134. INT. HOLIDAY VILLAGE REC ROOM. EVENING
Young athletes, some tall, some short, some heavyset, some
not, are sitting on refectory chairs to watch TV. Ali does
too. His hair is cut short and his face is closely shaven.
He looks younger. He could be a student.
135. EXT. RICHARD'S TRUCK. NIGHT/DAY
A truck rushes headlong through the countryside. First it
is day, then night.
136. INT. HOLIDAY VILLAGE. DAY
Through the window, Ali sees a twelve-ton Scania pull to a
stop at the entrance to the parking lot and beep its horn.
Ali runs out to meet it.
137. EXT. HOLIDAY VILLAGE - PARKING LOT. DAY
Richard lowers his window.
113
RICHARD
I can't come in any further or I won't be
able to get back out!
Ali checks out the huge semi.
ALI
Looks like you changed trucks!
RICHARD
Bosses, in fact. I'm back to being
exploited.
Ali doesn't insist. Richard opens his door to let out Sam
who is already trampling him, trying to get out.
RICHARD
(to Sam) Got everything? Your bag, your
coat, your hat, your mittens? You haven't
forgotten anything? Now give me a kiss.
Sam gives him a kiss. Richard slips him out and into Ali's
arms.
ALI
How are things there?
RICHARD
They're okay.
ALI
My sister?
RICHARD
She found a job at a school cafeteria. She
seems to enjoy it.
ALI
Does she know about today?
RICHARD
Yes. She says it's good for the kid.
ALI
Tell her I can't help out for the time being
but that as soon as I have a little money...
114
RICHARD
Don't worry. When's your fight?
ALI
Next month. On the 9th.
Richard smiles admiringly.
RICHARD
Keep us posted if you win.
ALI
Sure I will.
RICHARD
Yeah, right... Okay, I'm off. I'll deliver
my load in Colmar and pick up the kid at
around 7, okay?
ALI
Okay.
RICHARD
No later, because I have to be back tomorrow
at 11.
The two men say good-bye. Sam waves good-bye.
138. EXT. ALSATIAN COUNTRYSIDE. DAY
A path runs through fields and into a clump of fir trees.
Ali pulls a plastic sled with Sam on top. Whenever there is
a slope, he lets Sam glide down it and runs after him.
Snow falls from the trees. He looks up and sees a couple of
squirrels jump from branch to branch. Sam has never seen
any before. Ali neither.
Sunlight filters through the branches. A group of cross-
country skiers trudges by.
SAM
I want to skate too!
115
ALI
They're not skating. They're skiing.
SAM
No, they're skating.
ALI
They're skiing, I said!
SAM
Skating.
A few steps on:
ALI
Skiing.
SAM
You're annoying me.
They take a break at a picnic area, where they eat some
sandwiches and drink orange soda.
ALI
(his mouth full) Does Auntie still have
dogs?
SAM
No, now it's chickens.
ALI
In the garden?
SAM
Yeah, in the cage. They lay eggs.
ALI
That's good.
SAM
But Auntie doesn't want me to take the
chicks in my room.
ALI
She's right. They're disgusting. (pointing
to his sandwich) Finished? You want some
116
applesauce?
Afternoon.
On the way back, they find a frozen pond. Ali carefully
advances on the ice. He tests it. Jumps on it. Then he
lets himself go and glides across the ice.
ALI
You can go. But not too far!
Sam starts slipping and sliding. He falls down. He lies on
the sled and lets it glide.
Ali pees behind a tree.
Sam is far away.
ALI
Come on, we have to head back!
SAM
5 minutes.
ALI
Now!
SAM
(showing his fingers) 5 minutes!
ALI
5 minutes.
And then suddenly, instead of gliding, the child sinks. He
tries to climb out and sinks again. A thin layer of ice is
forming over him.
SAM
Daddy! Daddy!
ALI
Shit!
Ali rushes to the pond, but Sam is already iced over. He
kneels down and then crawls on his stomach toward the hole.
Sam has disappeared. Ali shoves aside snow. He looks
everywhere, but sees nothing. And then he hears a noise,
blows like signals coming from under the ice. Ali crawls
117
over and clears away snow as best he can. Under the ice, he
sees Sam's face, staring wide-eyed.
Ali begins to pound both his fists on the ice, like pistons
or pestles... As if pounding on his punching bag.
139. UNDER THE ICE. DAY
Underwater, we hear the sound of dull thuds. Sam sees his
father's fists pound on the ice. He sees bloodstains.
The ice cracks, a bloody fist searches the water for him.
Sam closes his eyes.
140. EXT. POND. EVENING
Evening is falling. Ali has stretched Sam out on the rim of
the pond. The child has turned blue. He tries mouth-to-
mouth resuscitation, he massages his heart and rubs him
down.
141. EXT. COUNTRY ROAD. EVENING
Ali's respiration has become a grunt, then a groan.
He runs. He has stowed Sam behind the front of his parka
and runs as fast as he can. He slips, gets back up and runs
again... he again breathes into Sam's mouth... while still
running...
142. INT. STRASBOURG - HOSPITAL - ICU. DAY
Leaning against the window of the Intensive Care Unit, Ali
sees Sam's nude, tiny body being worked on by doctors...
his skin is blue from the cold... there is a tube in his
mouth... his ribs rise and fall to the rhythm of a
respirator... his mouth spits out brackish water
brutally...
A door opens and a nurse appears. Ali straightens up.
NURSE
We'll take care of you. Come with me.
He doesn't understand. Then he notices the blood prints his
hands have left on the ICU window. He looks at his scarred
fingers, his broken, bloodied hands.
118
143. INT. SAM'S HOSPITAL ROOM. EVENING
Sam is lying in a hospital bed. His eyes are closed and
coils of tubes attach him to control apparatus.
Ali is at his side. His hands are now wrapped in thick
bandages. The disinfectant makes him look like he is
wearing yellow gloves halfway up his arms.
Richard is standing behind him, near the window.
Ali takes Sam's fingers, places them in the palm of his
bandaged hand and looks at them.
Sam's eyes begin to dart wildly under his eyelids... his
fingers quiver... his eyes open.
144. INT. HOSPITAL - CORRIDOR. NIGHT
There are not many people in the corridor at this late
hour. Richard is bent over a coffee machine. A cup slowly
fills up. Farther off, Ali is KO, leaning against a wall.
Richard brings him a coffee. Ali takes it clumsily into his
damaged hands.
Richard's cell phone rings. He moves away to answer and
speaks into it softly. A few moments later, he returns to
Ali and hands him the phone.
RICHARD
Here. She wants to talk to you.
ALI
Anna?
Richard shakes his head.
ALI
Hello?
STEPHANIE (OFF)
It's me. (pause) Do you mind?
ALI
No.
119
STEPHANIE
How is he?
ALI
Okay. He woke up an hour ago.
STEPHANIE
Is he injured?
ALI
No, I don't think so.
STEPHANIE
And how are you?
ALI
I fucked up my hands on the ice.
STEPHANIE
Is it serious?
ALI
They're broken.
A beat.
ALI
How are you?
STEPHANIE
I'm okay.
ALI
What are you up to?
STEPHANIE
You mean in general? In my life?
ALI
I wanted to say that...
STEPHANIE
I'm not asking for anything. I'll be going.
I'll call you back to see how Sam's doing.
Give him a kiss him from me...
120
ALI
Don't hang up.
STEPHANIE
ALI
Don't hang up!
STEPHANIE
I won't hang up...
ALI
He was in a coma for 3 hours... Three
hours... For three hours he was dead... I
was scared to lose him.
His eyes well with tears.
ALI
Don't leave me.
STEPHANIE
I won't leave you.
Black.
ALI
I love you.
145. INT. POLAND. HOTEL ROOM. DAY
A child sleeps.
His eyes are darting under his eyelids: vestiges of light
and shadow, of noise.
Sam opens his eyes: he is in a hotel room. At the foot of
the bed, a TV with the sound turned down low is
broadcasting a cartoon of mice fighting in Polish.
Stephanie comes and goes, picking up things littering the
floor and packing their bags.
Over these images, we hear Ali's voice:
The human hand contains 27 bones. Some
monkeys have more: gorillas have 32, five in
121
each thumb. For humans, it's 27.
If you break an arm or a leg, after a while
calcium gathers around the bone and joins it
together. In the end, it's stronger than
before. But if you break a bone in your
hand, you know it'll never fully heal.
You'll think about it before every fight.
You'll pay attention... And even if you pay
attention, the pain will come back... like
needles, like broken glass...
Ali is wearing a T-shirt. He still bears the marks of
yesterday's fight. His eyebrows and hands are bandaged.
ALI
Wake up, kiddo. It's over. We're going home.
SAM
Did you win?
He smiles and kisses his biceps.
146. INT. POLAND. HOTEL - LOBBY. DAY
The lobby of a Holiday Inn, the day after an Ultimate
tournament... (much the same ambience as in Turin) The
fighters, winners and losers, are about to leave. They
greet each other, pose for photographers, answer
interviewers, sign autographs... Ali's hands are still
bandaged. He is being interviewed along with a kind of
Viking with a closed eye and broken arm.
Ali goes to join Stephanie and Sam outside the hotel, where
a taxi driver is loading their luggage. A young Polish fan
calls out: "Ali! Ali!" He wants a photo.
Ali lifts Sam into his arms and pulls Stephanie closer.
They pose.
THE END
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