Congorama (2006) Movie Script
Two years earlier
LlGE, BELGlUM
Dear Dad: Like father, like son,
they say.
This is crap.
Jeez, what's he doing there?
Dear Dad.. .
On this day when.. .
Belgium's French community
is celebrating your work,
l'm proud to be your son.
Not bad.
Come on!
How are you, Dad?
What is it?
ls this your speech?
l can't read it.
A Tupolev 144?
lt's crashing into a cat.
You forgot the flaps
on the cockpit.
Can you read it, Jules?
For.. .
For 31 years.. .
Do me a favour? Copy it out for me.
Hi, darling.
Will you take this to 4?
You have to close up!
Mike will handle it.
For the refugees on Rue de Boissy.
l'll change.
You grab your newjacket.
Bloody buildings!
You ok, Dad?
Last one.
There.
Easy does it.
''With their love,
l'll follow my part.. .
''l mean, MY path
''with great humility.
And, as the proverb says.. .
''The cellar is empty,
but not the tree.
My desire to work is still strong."
Dad knows many Congolese proverbs.
l remember one he told me
when l was knee-high.
A father always passes his nose
on to his son.
Which means, we see eye to eye.
So, that's it.
''Thank you everyone.
With great affection, Herv."
Dear Dad, l'd like to take
this opportunity.. .
Yes, come up Mr Mayor,
honoured guests.. .
What can l say?
Bravo, Dad.
What flag is it?
French?
l don't know.
Dutch!
l don't see it.
-At the back.
Red, white, blue. Holland.
Up there.
Right.
Hard!
No, follow through.
Don't listen to him. Do as l say.
Harder!
Give it all you've got. Harder!
Look, l told you,
either you call them or l do.
On the court,
l think it's me, alright?
Come on, kill it!
lt's not too bad.
Will Grandpa play tennis again?
No, he'll never play tennis again.
Of course you fell.
The key thing in tennis
is tying your laces properly.
Ok, let's go.
Mr Collignon bought
a losing operation.
l modernised, and we're now Belgium's
largest roadsign manufacturer.
Excuse me a minute.
lsn't Mr Collignon here?
He's busy right now.
But if you have questions
about our 3 Lige plants, fire away.
This is my lab. Our research
is in mechanics, electronics.. .
We test all the new products here.
You're some kind of do-it-all.
l'm some kind of engineer.
l have free rein
in developing new contracts.
What's this?
-lt's not yet patented.
People want pictures,
notjust words.
Well, come over here.
What is it?
A solar turtle.
Good, Jules.
lt's a solar-powered,
robotic lawnmower.
Go ahead, take a photo.
lt's intriguing.
But my husband mows the lawn
for exercise.
lt mows non-stop, unattended.
Shall we go?
Go ahead. l'll catch up.
How are Alice and Jules?
Well, thanks.
Michel, l'm shutting down your lab.
Four years of research, for what?
For what?
The de-icer is almost ready.
De-icer?
Germain, look beyond Belgium.
We need to crack new markets.
Patience, work.. .
Money! l'm your employer,
not your patron.
You're number 1 when it comes
to modernising facilities.
But inventing isn't your cup of tea.
-You mean yours.
What about customers, markets?
You've got 2 months to sell
one of your inventions.
Or?
-You're back on the floor.
lf not for your dad,
who gave me African contracts,
l'd have bailed long ago.
That was centuries ago.
Herv's doing just fine!
lt's kind of you to ask.
Stop by some evening.
Stay off the green, Michel.
That's cheap.
Just like you.
Guess who?
Do you want to play now?
A woman?
A man?
A shrimp? Spineless? Filthy rich?
Germain Collignon?
That's not how you play.
Stop it. Sit down.
l'm not hungry.
Sorry, Jules.
What's he like?
Tall?
Will my hair be like yours some day?
Hair like yours?
No, you have hair
like your mother's.
What do l have like you?
l don't really know.
All sorts of things.
Big ears. And you're brilliant
at drawing, like Dad.
Yeah, brilliant like me.
What's a ''bastard''?
Who called you that?
No one.
Someone at school, the caf?
Who? Who said that to you?
Don't get upset. He's curious.
Listen, Jules.
You're not a bastard.
l'm your dad and she's your mum.
Look at my dad, at his nose.
Do we have the same nose?
Do we have the same mouth?
No, but he's still my dad.
ln your veins you have
the same blood as me
and as Grandpa, promise.
Believe me, he's your dad.
Eat up, sweetheart.
Sorry.
No Dad, not tonight.
Tomorrow.
Dad's agitated. l'm worried
he'll have another stroke.
He's energetic, not agitated.
He needs help.
He's writing another novel.
He told me that.
How, exactly?
By belching, farting?
Stop. He's the family elder.
We do as he asks, ok?
l was the elder
until you brought him home.
His place is with us.
Who's going to look after him
all day?
Shit! You're at the caf,
l'm at the plant.
Jules, you and me.
Who'll look after me?
Who'll look after me?
What?
Come on, try.
What happened, Dad?
Did you fall?
Are you ok? Did you hurt yourself?
Michel?
lt's ok, he's alright.
What?
Where should l put it?
Want me to open it?
''Montral, April 8, 1960.
Dear Francine, dear Herv,
''Unfortunately,
l must return your letters.
''Baby Michel's parents.. .
What is this?
''Baby Michel's parents didn't reply,
and our mission forbids us
to look for them."
What is this?
Dad! What is this?
l'm adopted, is that it?
Looks like a gun from Star Wars.
lt's a de-icer for power lines.
And the ATA form
for your merchandise?
lt's a prototype, not merchandise.
l filled out the form, the E.. .
E-672.
But the form doesn't clear
the merchandise, l do.
Fine, but hurry. l'm late
for a meeting with National Power.
lt's not like clearing chocolate.
Without the ATA,
l have to hold it.
No, l'm not selling it.
lt's my calling card.
As essential as your uniform.
lt has to be cleared.
Montreal Airport reminds you
that security is everyone's concern.
Don't move!
The de-icer is placed on top
of the pylon.
The model doesn't show
the proportions,
but the weight is minimal.
Just ask Canadian Customs.
They have the original.
The ultrasound transmitter
relays a frequency to the line
capable of eliminating
frost and ice to -25,
preventing the collapse
of pylons and.. .
other future disasters
such as the one in 1998.
Sorry.
The system's lifetime is equivalent
to that of the grid.. .
l think we've understood.
lt's going well.
l don't know, we'll see.
l don't know, l tell you!
Michel!
ln '58 l went on a religious mission
to the Brussels World Fair.
The African Pavilion.
The Congo Pavilion.
One day l saw a show about Congo.
The power went out,
causing quite a commotion.
That's how l met your parents.
We met again.
We became friends,
and your mother confided to me
that she couldn't have children.
l know, Herv told me.
ln 1959, l phoned
your parents in Belgium.
l went and picked you up
near St Ccile.
You were born on a big farm.
Your birth mother had been hidden
in a barn.
l was to meet your adoptive parents
in a motel near Montral.
Later, Herv wrote to me,
but l couldn't contact
your birth parents.
l returned his letters.
How would l go about finding
my parents?
There must be some register
or file.. .
Your adoption never took place,
officially.
l arranged at least
100 such adoptions, you know.
Yours.. .
Yours, l still remember.
Because l hid you away
at my brother's
for one week.
And you never cried.
Your father's name was Legrand,
l believe.
Thank you.
Nothing but Legros!
Thanks.
Lousy French fries!
Legros Foods.
Hello.
Hello.
My first church in Qubec.
lt's no cathedral.
But Tuesdays the Wolf Lake choir
performs here. Then it livens up.
Are there a lot of wolves
around here?
Wolves? No, none.
Maybe a few raccoons.
-But lots of Legros.
Yes. Each village has its family.
ln Ducros, it's Legris.
ln Alcove, another family.
Any Legrands?
Legrands?
l don't think so. Excuse me.
Alice, Jules, it's Dad.
l wanted to hear
about the tournament.
Where are you?
Jeez, you're sleeping!
Goodnight.
Made in Belgium.
lt's a turtle lawnmower.
lt runs entirely
on its own solar power.
You won't need your tractor.
l don't dislike mowing grass.
Do people here
generally like mowing grass?
Basically?
We don't talk about it.
l see, grass is a taboo here.
''Michel.. .
That's me.
''now rolls over on his own.
He's very athletic and drinks a lot."
l was born in St Ccile in a barn.
And so?
lt's like looking for your photo
in a family album and not finding it.
Understand?
Not a bit.
For a secret adoption,
the church register's useless.
We could announce it
in the parish bulletin.
Do you want to find them,
yes or no?
Basically? l'm wondering
what the hell l'm doing here.
National Power's Hybrid Car Stalled
Here you go.
l suggest you go to the junction
down the road.
Hitch a ride to Wakefield.
There's a bus there.
l washed my hands, l swear.
Sorry, it's because of.. .
What happened to you?
Caught my arm
in a school-bus door.
Like to sign it?
Where you headed?
To Waukfield.
You're not staying?
My family's waiting for me.
You give up easily.
Mr Legros will take you.
l have a First Communion class.
Quite a man,
once you get to know him.
St Christopher.
Patron saint of drivers.
-Travellers.
ls it a hybrid motor?
Diesel-electric?
Yeah.
lt's not the original motor?
No.
ls it more or less hand-built?
More than less.
The Japanese will soon
produce nothing else.
Damn seat.
The person who built the motor.. .
Did he build others?
-He's dead.
You knew him?
A bit. He was my father.
Sorry.
-No problem.
So, were you born here?
No, l was born at Expo 67.
Where's that?
The 1967 World Fair in Montral.
No kidding.
-Yeah, prematurely.
On the site?
-On the site.
My mother was 8 months.
lt was hot, she'd stood all day and.. .
l was born at
the Man in the Universe Pavilion.
Was your dad with her?
No, he was working
in the Man at Work Pavilion.
Man at work in the universe.
Fabulous.
Want help with that?
No, it's ok.
Shit!
The great Canadian outdoors!
Bad fries! Bad beer!
l can't sleep!
What a pain!
l'm taking a piss!
Can't l piss in peace?
Excuse me, but what brings you
to St Ccile?
lt's not exactly Niagara Falls.
l'm here in Qubec for my work.
l invented a de-icer
for power lines.
l came to show it to National Power.
National Power?
You work for NP?
No, not at all.
You're not de-icing lines now,
in summer.
So?
So, what?
What are you doing in St Ccile?
Looking for my family.
You have family here?
Yes. Well, no. l was born here.
ln St Ccile?
An ostrich!
ls anyone home?
Open up, please!
Open up! ls anyone home?
There was an accident!
Open up!
On February 3, 1960,
Michel could already turn
to the ventral position.
He measures 1.21 meters.
He ate well and with a single belch
could melt up to 12 km of ice.
When he grows up
Michel wants to invent toasters,
or else, and why not,
be the king of Belgium.
l was.. .
The man in the.. .
He's been hospitalised.
Did you call it in?
No, l was with him.
You're hurt.
The other man, is he still alive?
He wasn't moving.
He's at Sacr Coeur. l'll drive you.
He's in a coma.
The surgical decompression
didn't work.
He won't wake up.
His head is like a frog's.
You always say that.
Where's it from, Rob?
We followed your map to the river.
After we blasted, we found that.
lt's the first one l found.
A present.
So you stay in touch
with us lndians.
The Minister of Energy?
Or of Natural Resources?
No, the Energy Minister.
He wants to see me and Rob?
No, just you. About your father.
What did l say about Agassi?
He creamed Roddick 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.
No, 6-1, 6-4, 6-1.
Yeah. Ok, bye.
Ok, good. Everything ok?
Louis Legros!
-Mr Minister.
Glad you came. You're going abroad?
Tomorrow morning.
Sorry to call you in.
Green tea, organic juice?
Fair-trade coffee?
Let me explain.
To mark 2000 we want to revive
NP's electric car project.
Really? You have the wrong Legros.
Right. Any news from your dad?
Not in 2 years.
He disappeared with his car.
We never saw him again.
He may be dead.
Sorry, l didn't realise.. .
Did he work on the project
after leaving NP?
No idea. l do know he accused
everyone there of sabotage.
What do you mean?
He thought that oil lobbyists
had bought off NP's bosses.
lt wasn't like that.
The technology wasn't ready.
Dollars and cents.
Now Dad's technology
is spontaneously ready?
The timing is better.
So you want to revive it?
Frankly, l don't see how l can help.
Of course. R&D is complex,
but that's fine.
Where is his research?
l don't know.
You realise it's National Power's
intellectual property.
Let's not nitpick.
When do you go?
To Belgium, is it?
''With a sky so sad
that a boat committed suicide."
Know it?
No.
Come on, Jacques Brel.
That's not quite it.
Mr Legros?
l'm Madeleine Longsdale.
l worked with your dad.
Could l have a word?
Your dad built electric motors.
The challenge was the battery.
He almost solved the problem.
His revolutionary battery was better
than today's fuel-cells.
So why did NP turn off the tap?
There was a lot of pressure
to do so 8 years ago.
Things changed.
GM, Honda.. . Now they all want
to build hybrid cars.
The government wants to force NP
to sell the plans overseas.
So they don't need Dad.
He took the plans with him.
lt's been hushed up,
but NP will want to defend itself.
Either by accusing your dad of theft
or ruining his reputation.
He did that himself,
with his paranoid biblical rants.
l'm an engineer.
l've seen your dad's results.
Sylvio had his faults,
but his paranoia wasn't unfounded.
Find his work.
Show it to journalists,
the universities,
but not politicians.
Save his legacy.
National Power's
Hybrid Car Project Stalled
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard
Flight 931 to Brussels.
We will be in the air 6 hrs. 15 min.
at an altitude of 10,000 metres.
Or maybe 75,000.
Anyway, no one gives a damn.
Passenger Louis Legros is requested
to save his dad's legacy.
Sir, please sit down.
We're about to take off.
l have to get off.
Are you sick?
Yes, l must get off.
Fine, but sit down. l'll come back.
l want to leave!
We're taking off. You must.. .
You can't. l'm getting off.
Look.. .
-lt's important!
Please call someone. Stop the plane.
Please, sir.
-And l'm not crazy.
Fine, but you must sit down.
Otherwise, l can't help you.
lt won't be long. Stay calm.
l'm thirsty.
Don't move!
l'm not thirsty!
Where did you get malaria?
ln Africa.
Where in Africa?
Congo.
Diamonds, a lost father,
a revolutionary invention.. .
lt's all so unlikely,
l have to believe it.
You scared me!
Let's see.
Sneaking up behind me.
Nothing. Got a fever?
lsn't that over?
lt's never over, Mum.
lt's ok, l'm used to it.
Does your arm hurt?
-No.
l should've told you to go.
Come on, cut it out.
You'd look for Dad's papers?
Couldn't it wait?
You don't get it,
there's stuff going down.
ln 24 hours l've met a Minister,
a lady out of James Bond,
and been tackled at the airport,
and NP has attacked Dad
in the papers.
l'm going over.
Now?
lt's about time.
We hadn't spoken in years.
Give me the bus keys.
No way! The batteries still work.
He ordered it from the States.
Nifty, isn't it?
lt's amazing.
One room that doesn't reek
of motors.
Come on, let's go.
We just got here!
What are you looking for?
l don't know: plans, sketches.. .
You won't find anything.
Really? Why do you say that?
Know what l think?
The plans never existed.
Sylvio was fired
for incompetence. So?
Those plans were his life.
His colleague said
he was just about to.. .
''Just about. lt's coming.
On the verge.. ."
Same old story.
His colleague fell for it.
She's an engineer.
She saw Dad's plans.
He designed
an electric wheelbarrow.
lmpressive to an 8-year-old.
But get real!
You do what you have to.
Stay and help!
-l'll pick you up later.
Don't bother!
Ladies and gents,
my father was a visionary,
recipient of the Grand Vase
of St Ccile.
Sorry.
Legros Electric Cars.
To invest, leave a message.
Mr Legros? lt's Father Gagnon.
Mr Legros?
Mr Legros? lt's Ducros Lumber.
Could you pick up your car?
This isn't a long-term parking lot.
lt was two summers ago.
l called, asked him to come get it.
Why did he leave it here?
lt stalled out front
and he left it in the driveway.
Asked me to watch it
while he got gas.
But he never came back.
How was he?
Nervous, acting strange?
Did he seem worried?
He was.. . polite.
Polite?
Polite?
Yeah, polite.
He was polite.
lt's like you say.
l didn't say anything.
l'm asking you.
-Cheerful?
My dad was cheerful?
You don't know him.
Not at all.
lt's hot.
''Sylvio Legros:
lnventor or dreamer?''
No way!
Gotta wait.
For what?
Until it recharges.
l guess.
Father Gagnon died
almost two years ago.
l never met him.
Too bad.
He wanted to see my dad.
Sylvio Legros. Ring a bell?
You're the son
of Lucie and Sylvio Legros?
Yeah.
Holy Father, the Vatican
The presbytery was sold.
l have to empty it.
What do l do with it?
-l don't believe it! A triporter!
For the Vatican.
John Paul ll needs one!
The parish is bankrupt
and we can't send it there.
Don't send it to the Vatican!
Dad was a little bit of a.. .
-Jesus freak?
''Most Holy Father,
''l'm honoured to give you
the SL-1000.
''Where l sought progress,
l met disappointment.
''l ask St Christopher's protection
on one more trip.
Please accept my warmest prayers,
Your Holiness, Sylvio Legros."
Poor Dad.
Sounds like a will.
l tried talking to your mother.
She must have given you.. .
Shit? Something like that.
She's at war with all black robes.
l wasn't wearing mine.
You can't blame her.
She got pregnant
by my father in '59.
They weren't married.
She was young, only 14.
Her parents hid her,
and a nun took the baby.
So for her the Catholic Church.. .
lt all happened in the red barn
at Farm Point.
She never forgave her parents,
or the Church.
Or my father.
How are you?
Hello.. .
-Lucie.
Lucie. Any suggestions?
The shepherd's pie.
A local dish?
l've heard it's from Vermont.
lt's mashed potatoes, ground beef.. .
Oh, cottage pie?
Yeah, but with corn.
Shepherd's pie, is it?
Yes, l'll try it with.. .
a coffee.
Would you know of anyone
going to Montral?
l don't but l'll check.
l do know we have soap.
l tell my son that.
lt's what parents do!
A coffee for 5.
A nice Frenchman wants a lift
to Montral.
No, Mum. With you it's priests,
with me, tourists.
Don't say, Just like Sylvio.
One shepherd's pie.
Here.
-Thanks.
Did he ever come here?
Look what l found in his car.
And? What are you getting at?
What are you hiding?
Dammit! You have a brilliant career.
Your research is promising.
And your Belgian trip?
l didn't go.
l never looked for him
when he disappeared.
Know why?
-Why?
You were glad he'd gone.
No more late calls or sermons.
Great! He wasn't dead, just gone.
Jesus Christ!
Sorry. Are you ok?
l'm fine.
St Christopher.
ln the Middle Ages
people thought his image.. .
Prevented accidents?
-Yup.
Sweet.
No damage. Good.
-Good.
Can you take him to Wakefield?
Going to Waukfield?
Wakefield.
No, to Montral.
That's even better.
Listen.
Vigneault. lt's Gilles Vigneault.
Know it?
Vigneault, yes, but not that cut.
Cut?
Song.
You know it well.
Yes.. .
l saw him in concert
in Brussels in '79.
Brussels? Are you Belgian?
-Exactly.
l'm going to Antwerp.
Antwerp? Lucky you!
Super.
That's super.
With the German accent and all,
the Flemish'll love it.
German?
So?
People don't like it.
What takes you to Antwerp?
l developed a new way
to grade diamonds.
You don't say!
lf a buyer knows a diamond
comes from Qubec rather than, say,
Congo, which sells dirty diamonds
to finance its war,
it might be useful to him.
May l?
-Yes.
My wife Alice had a tobacco pouch
full of diamonds when l met her.
She was fleeing Congo,
l was in Brazzaville.
Her dad had a store in Kinshasa.
Rebels were forcing him to launder
diamonds in order to buy guns.
When the army started
breathing down his neck,
he gave his stock to Alice,
told her to flee.
He was murdered that night.
She opened her caf in Lige
with dirty diamonds.
St Christopher.
The patron saint of drivers.
-Travellers.
Want help with that?
No, it's ok.
''Accumulator and batteries."
No way, no way!
l'm taking a piss.
''Prototype motor."
Hello. May l speak
to Madeleine Longsdale?
Louis.
Legros.
Did your dad build other types
of electric motors?
Excuse me, but what brings you
to St Ccile?
lt's not exactly Niagara Falls.
ln St Ccile.
What are you doing in St Ccile?
Looking for my family.
You have family here?
No. l was born here.
ln St Ccile?
An ostrich!
Two years later
Two years later
Madeleine Longsdale.
-What?
No, nothing. lt was demolished,
notebooks and all.
l understand your frustration.
lt's very touching, Mrs.. .
Longsdale.
But after we last spoke
l spent 6 months in a coma.
Yes.
What's our fax number?
21st Century Car: Made in Belgium
Michel Roy:
lt's my whole life's work.
We could always file
a patent circumvention.
We'd modify some elements enough
to legally circumvent the patent.
As l've been saying, we haven't
protected the technology yet.
There's a patent problem?
ln Connecticut
they produced a motor like yours.
Really?
Something that resembles
our patents.
lt's similar to the Collignon model.
The what model? Collignon?
What should we call it,
Michel Roy? The Royale?
The Germaine, Germain?
ln St Christopher in Connecticut
is a company,
Forward Electric, making things
like barn door openers.
No cars, of course.
But it seems they have a patent
like ours. And that's a problem.
We must document your work
to protect it.
ln case you're asked
what inspired you,
what made you put the motor
in the wheels, you see?
lt simplifies production.
Stop it, Michel.
Where were you? Eating what?
lt's the context l need.
ln high school.
ln high school?
Let's be pragmatic, work as a team.
A team! Let me quote you:
''With our pals at Fiat
we're forming an A-1 team."
Where do l fit in?
lt's called PR.
l let you handle product.
While Danielle handles Connecticut,
you clear up the patent mess.
l don't give a damn
if you invented it,
but l need arguments,
so work up a good story.
The Congo Pavilion stood here.
lt covered the entire area.
lt's all trees.
We can't launch his book in a forest.
Use your imagination.
At night, with candles.. . Lovely!
What did l tell you?
Look, it was on the other side.
Like l said!
''On July 3, 1958,
''a blackout interrupted
the Congorama show.
''ln the ensuing commotion,
''a Canadian nun escaped
being trampled
''thanks to the aid of the journalist
and his wife.
''A year later, the couple arranged
to meet the nun
in a motel
in the Qubec countryside."
ln 1958 Belgium held an enormous fair
that lasted six months.
The Brussels World Fair
was inaugurated by King Beaudoin.
Here we see the monarch
attending the Congorama,
a sound and light show
that tells the story of the explorers
who made the Belgian Congo
into what will be
a country of the future,
if Whites and Blacks
work hand in hand.
''Congorama was a show
at the 1958 Brussels Fair depicting
the benefits of civilization
in Congo."
Today it's the name of the CC-1000,
a revolutionary car
conceived in Belgium.
Michel Roy, please tell us:
why the name Congorama?
My wife is Congolese.
lt's to honour
her courage and support.
There's also a family reason.
Your father, acclaimed writer
Herv Roy, was born there.
Yes and he fought
for its independence.
Amazing. A question we all have:
What inspired your motor?
Good question.
l worked several years in Africa.
Kids there have an ingenious toy
that l'll show you.
l never got the hang of it.
You do it, Jules.
My son Jules.
He's more athletic than me.
Show them.
African kids play
by propelling a wheel with a stick.
That image has stayed with me:
a self-propelling wheel.
But the National Factory in Lige
built a prototype in 1908.
lt's about the batteries.
20 kilos of my batteries beat
200 kilos of conventional ones.
Meaning electric cars
with greater autonomy,
and above all, zero emissions,
non-polluting.
A stroke of genius, Michel!
Proof Belgium has.. .
-More than just fries!
Happy about your one-man show?
''Made in Belgium!''
The press is wild!
lt's called PR.
l even made the cover
of ''Libre Match''!
Congorama's a shitty name!
While you clown around,
our lawyer is negotiating the patent.
Fiat's furious!
They're bigger than you.
l'd be proud
if the car were Belgian.
A proud Belgian!
Sounds like a sermon by your dad.
Have you heard Herv speak recently?
Since he wears diapers?
The man who opened up Africa to you?
Did you know Dad wears diapers?
lt's dark around the edges,
like in a tunnel.
lt's lodged here, behind the eye.
lt's threatening the optic nerve.
What is it?
lt's definitely not organic.
Are you exposed to stone
or metal splinters at work?
No.
Glass, perhaps.
Glass only shows up on a scan
if it contains lead.
We'll have to do further tests.
l'm ordering an MRl.
We're closing!
Closing?
We're having a guest for dinner.
Jeez!
A friend of yours.
He saw you on TV.
Who? l have no friends.
We'll play Who Am l?
Who is it?
You know the rules.
l can only answer yes or no.
Who's coming tonight?
Your Qubcois friend.
Hi Michel.
You're alive.
Amazing!
l'm glad. Really glad!
lt's unbelievable. l never hoped.. .
You're alive!
Not here, my family.. .
They told me you were in a coma,
that you'd never come out.
What could l do? l couldn'tjust wait.
My family, Jules, my wife.. .
everyone was waiting for me here.
You're alive!
You were in the accident.
Sure, don't you remember?
You're alive!
l'm alive.
lt's unbelievable!
Look what my dad brought me
from Qubec.
When it strikes, the cock crows.
Not now, put it away.
This is real bad!
No, it's delicious.
For us, real bad means great.
You'll have to write us
a dictionary.
So you're in the same field
as Michel?
lt's hard to say
just what field Michel is in.
So true!
Alice.. .
Sometimes it's TV, the factory.
My dad's an inventor.
Really? That's great.
What does he invent? Stories?
Does anybody ever invent?
No, they recycle.
They build on other people's ideas.
You need a cane?
No, it's alright.
The crash.
l wasn't as lucky as your dad.
What crash?
The car crash we had.. .
He didn't tell you?
Of course he didn't tell you.
Michel, what happened in Canada?
Nothing.
l went to St Ccile,
for the reasons you know.
l met Louis, who offered me
a lift to Montral.
And the car hit a sort of ostrich.
An emu, to be precise.
The doctors told me
you were finished.
l didn't tell you about it,
so you wouldn't worry for nothing.
You nearly died and
you didn't want us to worry?
Exactly.
-What else are you hiding?
ls that all?
What?
Look at me! What?
lt was a miracle,
l was barely scratched.
But l just had a scan.
There's something behind my eye.
lt's severing the optic nerve.
l have to avoid any shock!
What?
-l have a diamond in my head!
A diamond?
-l'm going to lose my left eye!
l'm going to lose my left eye.
Why all these secrets?
l won't have secrets here!
Secrets can kill.
Secrets killed my father,
and now you.. .
l'm not going to die.
l'm talking about my eye!
l'm your wife,
they're your father and son.
You've been lying since Canada!
We all tell lies.
-Meaning?
Herv lied to me for 40 years!
And you.. .
What, me?
What are you doing?
l want my father's notebooks.
ls that Dad's medal?
The nerve, give it back!
Give me the notebooks first.
Fine. Tomorrow l'll give you
what you want.
Go to bed, Jules.
What are you doing?
Alice threw me out.
Through here.
The car of the future?
We used an old body.
The revolution is here. lnside.
Your father's battery.
Lige-Turin on a single charge.
Want to go to Torino?
The nerve! Lots of people
could blow the whistle.
lt's like you found a Van Gogh
and said, Look what l painted!
Are you a thief or plain dumb?
Both. When will you denounce me?
Go on, hit me!
lt'll make me feel better.
Fuck you!
l should kill you, but given
your talent for resurrection.. .
lf only l hadn't gone to Canada!
Hadn't been born in a barn
in bloody St Ccile!
Hold it. What did you say?
Didn't you know?
l'm a bastard born
on a bed of manure.
You were born in a barn?
l should've stuck
to my solar-powered lawnmowers!
Alright.
Let me be the one
to tell my family, ok?
That won't be necessary.
You'll complete my father's work.
Here.
l'll get my stuff and go.
You ok, Dad?
l shouldn't have gone to Canada.
lt wasn't a good idea.
l screwed up over there,
you've no idea.
Not in your wildest novels.
l'm not an inventor, l'm nothing.
l'm not even your son.
Do you want to become like.. .
You know.. .
Kim and Justine?
-l'm not that good.
Jules?
Show me the back of your neck.
That a birthmark?
Yes.
What's he up to?
Here.
Thanks.
Belgians kiss only one cheek.
How did your father die?
Forgotten.
Dad's name was Sylvio.
Sylvio Legros.
Hello.
To the airport.
When will you be back?
l don't know.
Grandpa gave me this for you.
Thank you!
l did the drawing.
-You did?
lt's great!
Hello?
l'm in St Christopher, Connecticut.
l'm with the patent holder.
He's nuts,
insists on speaking to the inventor.
What do l tell him?
l don't know, Michel.
He wants to be friendly.
Play the game.
Dad?
-Shit, l can't see!
Dad, what's wrong?
Alice!
Alice!
Hello?
Hello?
You there?
''ln the dark, a young journalist
shouted,
''lndependence for Congo!
''ln the ensuing commotion,
a Canadian nun escaped being trampled
''thanks to the journalist
and his wife.
''A year later,
the couple arranged to meet the nun
''in a motel in the Qubec countryside.
''The nun secretly hid a baby
in a barn.
'' Congorama tells of
a Congo-Belgium tribe,
''born of a blackout,
but above all, a promise."
Translation: J. lrving
& R. Gray, Kinograph
LlGE, BELGlUM
Dear Dad: Like father, like son,
they say.
This is crap.
Jeez, what's he doing there?
Dear Dad.. .
On this day when.. .
Belgium's French community
is celebrating your work,
l'm proud to be your son.
Not bad.
Come on!
How are you, Dad?
What is it?
ls this your speech?
l can't read it.
A Tupolev 144?
lt's crashing into a cat.
You forgot the flaps
on the cockpit.
Can you read it, Jules?
For.. .
For 31 years.. .
Do me a favour? Copy it out for me.
Hi, darling.
Will you take this to 4?
You have to close up!
Mike will handle it.
For the refugees on Rue de Boissy.
l'll change.
You grab your newjacket.
Bloody buildings!
You ok, Dad?
Last one.
There.
Easy does it.
''With their love,
l'll follow my part.. .
''l mean, MY path
''with great humility.
And, as the proverb says.. .
''The cellar is empty,
but not the tree.
My desire to work is still strong."
Dad knows many Congolese proverbs.
l remember one he told me
when l was knee-high.
A father always passes his nose
on to his son.
Which means, we see eye to eye.
So, that's it.
''Thank you everyone.
With great affection, Herv."
Dear Dad, l'd like to take
this opportunity.. .
Yes, come up Mr Mayor,
honoured guests.. .
What can l say?
Bravo, Dad.
What flag is it?
French?
l don't know.
Dutch!
l don't see it.
-At the back.
Red, white, blue. Holland.
Up there.
Right.
Hard!
No, follow through.
Don't listen to him. Do as l say.
Harder!
Give it all you've got. Harder!
Look, l told you,
either you call them or l do.
On the court,
l think it's me, alright?
Come on, kill it!
lt's not too bad.
Will Grandpa play tennis again?
No, he'll never play tennis again.
Of course you fell.
The key thing in tennis
is tying your laces properly.
Ok, let's go.
Mr Collignon bought
a losing operation.
l modernised, and we're now Belgium's
largest roadsign manufacturer.
Excuse me a minute.
lsn't Mr Collignon here?
He's busy right now.
But if you have questions
about our 3 Lige plants, fire away.
This is my lab. Our research
is in mechanics, electronics.. .
We test all the new products here.
You're some kind of do-it-all.
l'm some kind of engineer.
l have free rein
in developing new contracts.
What's this?
-lt's not yet patented.
People want pictures,
notjust words.
Well, come over here.
What is it?
A solar turtle.
Good, Jules.
lt's a solar-powered,
robotic lawnmower.
Go ahead, take a photo.
lt's intriguing.
But my husband mows the lawn
for exercise.
lt mows non-stop, unattended.
Shall we go?
Go ahead. l'll catch up.
How are Alice and Jules?
Well, thanks.
Michel, l'm shutting down your lab.
Four years of research, for what?
For what?
The de-icer is almost ready.
De-icer?
Germain, look beyond Belgium.
We need to crack new markets.
Patience, work.. .
Money! l'm your employer,
not your patron.
You're number 1 when it comes
to modernising facilities.
But inventing isn't your cup of tea.
-You mean yours.
What about customers, markets?
You've got 2 months to sell
one of your inventions.
Or?
-You're back on the floor.
lf not for your dad,
who gave me African contracts,
l'd have bailed long ago.
That was centuries ago.
Herv's doing just fine!
lt's kind of you to ask.
Stop by some evening.
Stay off the green, Michel.
That's cheap.
Just like you.
Guess who?
Do you want to play now?
A woman?
A man?
A shrimp? Spineless? Filthy rich?
Germain Collignon?
That's not how you play.
Stop it. Sit down.
l'm not hungry.
Sorry, Jules.
What's he like?
Tall?
Will my hair be like yours some day?
Hair like yours?
No, you have hair
like your mother's.
What do l have like you?
l don't really know.
All sorts of things.
Big ears. And you're brilliant
at drawing, like Dad.
Yeah, brilliant like me.
What's a ''bastard''?
Who called you that?
No one.
Someone at school, the caf?
Who? Who said that to you?
Don't get upset. He's curious.
Listen, Jules.
You're not a bastard.
l'm your dad and she's your mum.
Look at my dad, at his nose.
Do we have the same nose?
Do we have the same mouth?
No, but he's still my dad.
ln your veins you have
the same blood as me
and as Grandpa, promise.
Believe me, he's your dad.
Eat up, sweetheart.
Sorry.
No Dad, not tonight.
Tomorrow.
Dad's agitated. l'm worried
he'll have another stroke.
He's energetic, not agitated.
He needs help.
He's writing another novel.
He told me that.
How, exactly?
By belching, farting?
Stop. He's the family elder.
We do as he asks, ok?
l was the elder
until you brought him home.
His place is with us.
Who's going to look after him
all day?
Shit! You're at the caf,
l'm at the plant.
Jules, you and me.
Who'll look after me?
Who'll look after me?
What?
Come on, try.
What happened, Dad?
Did you fall?
Are you ok? Did you hurt yourself?
Michel?
lt's ok, he's alright.
What?
Where should l put it?
Want me to open it?
''Montral, April 8, 1960.
Dear Francine, dear Herv,
''Unfortunately,
l must return your letters.
''Baby Michel's parents.. .
What is this?
''Baby Michel's parents didn't reply,
and our mission forbids us
to look for them."
What is this?
Dad! What is this?
l'm adopted, is that it?
Looks like a gun from Star Wars.
lt's a de-icer for power lines.
And the ATA form
for your merchandise?
lt's a prototype, not merchandise.
l filled out the form, the E.. .
E-672.
But the form doesn't clear
the merchandise, l do.
Fine, but hurry. l'm late
for a meeting with National Power.
lt's not like clearing chocolate.
Without the ATA,
l have to hold it.
No, l'm not selling it.
lt's my calling card.
As essential as your uniform.
lt has to be cleared.
Montreal Airport reminds you
that security is everyone's concern.
Don't move!
The de-icer is placed on top
of the pylon.
The model doesn't show
the proportions,
but the weight is minimal.
Just ask Canadian Customs.
They have the original.
The ultrasound transmitter
relays a frequency to the line
capable of eliminating
frost and ice to -25,
preventing the collapse
of pylons and.. .
other future disasters
such as the one in 1998.
Sorry.
The system's lifetime is equivalent
to that of the grid.. .
l think we've understood.
lt's going well.
l don't know, we'll see.
l don't know, l tell you!
Michel!
ln '58 l went on a religious mission
to the Brussels World Fair.
The African Pavilion.
The Congo Pavilion.
One day l saw a show about Congo.
The power went out,
causing quite a commotion.
That's how l met your parents.
We met again.
We became friends,
and your mother confided to me
that she couldn't have children.
l know, Herv told me.
ln 1959, l phoned
your parents in Belgium.
l went and picked you up
near St Ccile.
You were born on a big farm.
Your birth mother had been hidden
in a barn.
l was to meet your adoptive parents
in a motel near Montral.
Later, Herv wrote to me,
but l couldn't contact
your birth parents.
l returned his letters.
How would l go about finding
my parents?
There must be some register
or file.. .
Your adoption never took place,
officially.
l arranged at least
100 such adoptions, you know.
Yours.. .
Yours, l still remember.
Because l hid you away
at my brother's
for one week.
And you never cried.
Your father's name was Legrand,
l believe.
Thank you.
Nothing but Legros!
Thanks.
Lousy French fries!
Legros Foods.
Hello.
Hello.
My first church in Qubec.
lt's no cathedral.
But Tuesdays the Wolf Lake choir
performs here. Then it livens up.
Are there a lot of wolves
around here?
Wolves? No, none.
Maybe a few raccoons.
-But lots of Legros.
Yes. Each village has its family.
ln Ducros, it's Legris.
ln Alcove, another family.
Any Legrands?
Legrands?
l don't think so. Excuse me.
Alice, Jules, it's Dad.
l wanted to hear
about the tournament.
Where are you?
Jeez, you're sleeping!
Goodnight.
Made in Belgium.
lt's a turtle lawnmower.
lt runs entirely
on its own solar power.
You won't need your tractor.
l don't dislike mowing grass.
Do people here
generally like mowing grass?
Basically?
We don't talk about it.
l see, grass is a taboo here.
''Michel.. .
That's me.
''now rolls over on his own.
He's very athletic and drinks a lot."
l was born in St Ccile in a barn.
And so?
lt's like looking for your photo
in a family album and not finding it.
Understand?
Not a bit.
For a secret adoption,
the church register's useless.
We could announce it
in the parish bulletin.
Do you want to find them,
yes or no?
Basically? l'm wondering
what the hell l'm doing here.
National Power's Hybrid Car Stalled
Here you go.
l suggest you go to the junction
down the road.
Hitch a ride to Wakefield.
There's a bus there.
l washed my hands, l swear.
Sorry, it's because of.. .
What happened to you?
Caught my arm
in a school-bus door.
Like to sign it?
Where you headed?
To Waukfield.
You're not staying?
My family's waiting for me.
You give up easily.
Mr Legros will take you.
l have a First Communion class.
Quite a man,
once you get to know him.
St Christopher.
Patron saint of drivers.
-Travellers.
ls it a hybrid motor?
Diesel-electric?
Yeah.
lt's not the original motor?
No.
ls it more or less hand-built?
More than less.
The Japanese will soon
produce nothing else.
Damn seat.
The person who built the motor.. .
Did he build others?
-He's dead.
You knew him?
A bit. He was my father.
Sorry.
-No problem.
So, were you born here?
No, l was born at Expo 67.
Where's that?
The 1967 World Fair in Montral.
No kidding.
-Yeah, prematurely.
On the site?
-On the site.
My mother was 8 months.
lt was hot, she'd stood all day and.. .
l was born at
the Man in the Universe Pavilion.
Was your dad with her?
No, he was working
in the Man at Work Pavilion.
Man at work in the universe.
Fabulous.
Want help with that?
No, it's ok.
Shit!
The great Canadian outdoors!
Bad fries! Bad beer!
l can't sleep!
What a pain!
l'm taking a piss!
Can't l piss in peace?
Excuse me, but what brings you
to St Ccile?
lt's not exactly Niagara Falls.
l'm here in Qubec for my work.
l invented a de-icer
for power lines.
l came to show it to National Power.
National Power?
You work for NP?
No, not at all.
You're not de-icing lines now,
in summer.
So?
So, what?
What are you doing in St Ccile?
Looking for my family.
You have family here?
Yes. Well, no. l was born here.
ln St Ccile?
An ostrich!
ls anyone home?
Open up, please!
Open up! ls anyone home?
There was an accident!
Open up!
On February 3, 1960,
Michel could already turn
to the ventral position.
He measures 1.21 meters.
He ate well and with a single belch
could melt up to 12 km of ice.
When he grows up
Michel wants to invent toasters,
or else, and why not,
be the king of Belgium.
l was.. .
The man in the.. .
He's been hospitalised.
Did you call it in?
No, l was with him.
You're hurt.
The other man, is he still alive?
He wasn't moving.
He's at Sacr Coeur. l'll drive you.
He's in a coma.
The surgical decompression
didn't work.
He won't wake up.
His head is like a frog's.
You always say that.
Where's it from, Rob?
We followed your map to the river.
After we blasted, we found that.
lt's the first one l found.
A present.
So you stay in touch
with us lndians.
The Minister of Energy?
Or of Natural Resources?
No, the Energy Minister.
He wants to see me and Rob?
No, just you. About your father.
What did l say about Agassi?
He creamed Roddick 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.
No, 6-1, 6-4, 6-1.
Yeah. Ok, bye.
Ok, good. Everything ok?
Louis Legros!
-Mr Minister.
Glad you came. You're going abroad?
Tomorrow morning.
Sorry to call you in.
Green tea, organic juice?
Fair-trade coffee?
Let me explain.
To mark 2000 we want to revive
NP's electric car project.
Really? You have the wrong Legros.
Right. Any news from your dad?
Not in 2 years.
He disappeared with his car.
We never saw him again.
He may be dead.
Sorry, l didn't realise.. .
Did he work on the project
after leaving NP?
No idea. l do know he accused
everyone there of sabotage.
What do you mean?
He thought that oil lobbyists
had bought off NP's bosses.
lt wasn't like that.
The technology wasn't ready.
Dollars and cents.
Now Dad's technology
is spontaneously ready?
The timing is better.
So you want to revive it?
Frankly, l don't see how l can help.
Of course. R&D is complex,
but that's fine.
Where is his research?
l don't know.
You realise it's National Power's
intellectual property.
Let's not nitpick.
When do you go?
To Belgium, is it?
''With a sky so sad
that a boat committed suicide."
Know it?
No.
Come on, Jacques Brel.
That's not quite it.
Mr Legros?
l'm Madeleine Longsdale.
l worked with your dad.
Could l have a word?
Your dad built electric motors.
The challenge was the battery.
He almost solved the problem.
His revolutionary battery was better
than today's fuel-cells.
So why did NP turn off the tap?
There was a lot of pressure
to do so 8 years ago.
Things changed.
GM, Honda.. . Now they all want
to build hybrid cars.
The government wants to force NP
to sell the plans overseas.
So they don't need Dad.
He took the plans with him.
lt's been hushed up,
but NP will want to defend itself.
Either by accusing your dad of theft
or ruining his reputation.
He did that himself,
with his paranoid biblical rants.
l'm an engineer.
l've seen your dad's results.
Sylvio had his faults,
but his paranoia wasn't unfounded.
Find his work.
Show it to journalists,
the universities,
but not politicians.
Save his legacy.
National Power's
Hybrid Car Project Stalled
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard
Flight 931 to Brussels.
We will be in the air 6 hrs. 15 min.
at an altitude of 10,000 metres.
Or maybe 75,000.
Anyway, no one gives a damn.
Passenger Louis Legros is requested
to save his dad's legacy.
Sir, please sit down.
We're about to take off.
l have to get off.
Are you sick?
Yes, l must get off.
Fine, but sit down. l'll come back.
l want to leave!
We're taking off. You must.. .
You can't. l'm getting off.
Look.. .
-lt's important!
Please call someone. Stop the plane.
Please, sir.
-And l'm not crazy.
Fine, but you must sit down.
Otherwise, l can't help you.
lt won't be long. Stay calm.
l'm thirsty.
Don't move!
l'm not thirsty!
Where did you get malaria?
ln Africa.
Where in Africa?
Congo.
Diamonds, a lost father,
a revolutionary invention.. .
lt's all so unlikely,
l have to believe it.
You scared me!
Let's see.
Sneaking up behind me.
Nothing. Got a fever?
lsn't that over?
lt's never over, Mum.
lt's ok, l'm used to it.
Does your arm hurt?
-No.
l should've told you to go.
Come on, cut it out.
You'd look for Dad's papers?
Couldn't it wait?
You don't get it,
there's stuff going down.
ln 24 hours l've met a Minister,
a lady out of James Bond,
and been tackled at the airport,
and NP has attacked Dad
in the papers.
l'm going over.
Now?
lt's about time.
We hadn't spoken in years.
Give me the bus keys.
No way! The batteries still work.
He ordered it from the States.
Nifty, isn't it?
lt's amazing.
One room that doesn't reek
of motors.
Come on, let's go.
We just got here!
What are you looking for?
l don't know: plans, sketches.. .
You won't find anything.
Really? Why do you say that?
Know what l think?
The plans never existed.
Sylvio was fired
for incompetence. So?
Those plans were his life.
His colleague said
he was just about to.. .
''Just about. lt's coming.
On the verge.. ."
Same old story.
His colleague fell for it.
She's an engineer.
She saw Dad's plans.
He designed
an electric wheelbarrow.
lmpressive to an 8-year-old.
But get real!
You do what you have to.
Stay and help!
-l'll pick you up later.
Don't bother!
Ladies and gents,
my father was a visionary,
recipient of the Grand Vase
of St Ccile.
Sorry.
Legros Electric Cars.
To invest, leave a message.
Mr Legros? lt's Father Gagnon.
Mr Legros?
Mr Legros? lt's Ducros Lumber.
Could you pick up your car?
This isn't a long-term parking lot.
lt was two summers ago.
l called, asked him to come get it.
Why did he leave it here?
lt stalled out front
and he left it in the driveway.
Asked me to watch it
while he got gas.
But he never came back.
How was he?
Nervous, acting strange?
Did he seem worried?
He was.. . polite.
Polite?
Polite?
Yeah, polite.
He was polite.
lt's like you say.
l didn't say anything.
l'm asking you.
-Cheerful?
My dad was cheerful?
You don't know him.
Not at all.
lt's hot.
''Sylvio Legros:
lnventor or dreamer?''
No way!
Gotta wait.
For what?
Until it recharges.
l guess.
Father Gagnon died
almost two years ago.
l never met him.
Too bad.
He wanted to see my dad.
Sylvio Legros. Ring a bell?
You're the son
of Lucie and Sylvio Legros?
Yeah.
Holy Father, the Vatican
The presbytery was sold.
l have to empty it.
What do l do with it?
-l don't believe it! A triporter!
For the Vatican.
John Paul ll needs one!
The parish is bankrupt
and we can't send it there.
Don't send it to the Vatican!
Dad was a little bit of a.. .
-Jesus freak?
''Most Holy Father,
''l'm honoured to give you
the SL-1000.
''Where l sought progress,
l met disappointment.
''l ask St Christopher's protection
on one more trip.
Please accept my warmest prayers,
Your Holiness, Sylvio Legros."
Poor Dad.
Sounds like a will.
l tried talking to your mother.
She must have given you.. .
Shit? Something like that.
She's at war with all black robes.
l wasn't wearing mine.
You can't blame her.
She got pregnant
by my father in '59.
They weren't married.
She was young, only 14.
Her parents hid her,
and a nun took the baby.
So for her the Catholic Church.. .
lt all happened in the red barn
at Farm Point.
She never forgave her parents,
or the Church.
Or my father.
How are you?
Hello.. .
-Lucie.
Lucie. Any suggestions?
The shepherd's pie.
A local dish?
l've heard it's from Vermont.
lt's mashed potatoes, ground beef.. .
Oh, cottage pie?
Yeah, but with corn.
Shepherd's pie, is it?
Yes, l'll try it with.. .
a coffee.
Would you know of anyone
going to Montral?
l don't but l'll check.
l do know we have soap.
l tell my son that.
lt's what parents do!
A coffee for 5.
A nice Frenchman wants a lift
to Montral.
No, Mum. With you it's priests,
with me, tourists.
Don't say, Just like Sylvio.
One shepherd's pie.
Here.
-Thanks.
Did he ever come here?
Look what l found in his car.
And? What are you getting at?
What are you hiding?
Dammit! You have a brilliant career.
Your research is promising.
And your Belgian trip?
l didn't go.
l never looked for him
when he disappeared.
Know why?
-Why?
You were glad he'd gone.
No more late calls or sermons.
Great! He wasn't dead, just gone.
Jesus Christ!
Sorry. Are you ok?
l'm fine.
St Christopher.
ln the Middle Ages
people thought his image.. .
Prevented accidents?
-Yup.
Sweet.
No damage. Good.
-Good.
Can you take him to Wakefield?
Going to Waukfield?
Wakefield.
No, to Montral.
That's even better.
Listen.
Vigneault. lt's Gilles Vigneault.
Know it?
Vigneault, yes, but not that cut.
Cut?
Song.
You know it well.
Yes.. .
l saw him in concert
in Brussels in '79.
Brussels? Are you Belgian?
-Exactly.
l'm going to Antwerp.
Antwerp? Lucky you!
Super.
That's super.
With the German accent and all,
the Flemish'll love it.
German?
So?
People don't like it.
What takes you to Antwerp?
l developed a new way
to grade diamonds.
You don't say!
lf a buyer knows a diamond
comes from Qubec rather than, say,
Congo, which sells dirty diamonds
to finance its war,
it might be useful to him.
May l?
-Yes.
My wife Alice had a tobacco pouch
full of diamonds when l met her.
She was fleeing Congo,
l was in Brazzaville.
Her dad had a store in Kinshasa.
Rebels were forcing him to launder
diamonds in order to buy guns.
When the army started
breathing down his neck,
he gave his stock to Alice,
told her to flee.
He was murdered that night.
She opened her caf in Lige
with dirty diamonds.
St Christopher.
The patron saint of drivers.
-Travellers.
Want help with that?
No, it's ok.
''Accumulator and batteries."
No way, no way!
l'm taking a piss.
''Prototype motor."
Hello. May l speak
to Madeleine Longsdale?
Louis.
Legros.
Did your dad build other types
of electric motors?
Excuse me, but what brings you
to St Ccile?
lt's not exactly Niagara Falls.
ln St Ccile.
What are you doing in St Ccile?
Looking for my family.
You have family here?
No. l was born here.
ln St Ccile?
An ostrich!
Two years later
Two years later
Madeleine Longsdale.
-What?
No, nothing. lt was demolished,
notebooks and all.
l understand your frustration.
lt's very touching, Mrs.. .
Longsdale.
But after we last spoke
l spent 6 months in a coma.
Yes.
What's our fax number?
21st Century Car: Made in Belgium
Michel Roy:
lt's my whole life's work.
We could always file
a patent circumvention.
We'd modify some elements enough
to legally circumvent the patent.
As l've been saying, we haven't
protected the technology yet.
There's a patent problem?
ln Connecticut
they produced a motor like yours.
Really?
Something that resembles
our patents.
lt's similar to the Collignon model.
The what model? Collignon?
What should we call it,
Michel Roy? The Royale?
The Germaine, Germain?
ln St Christopher in Connecticut
is a company,
Forward Electric, making things
like barn door openers.
No cars, of course.
But it seems they have a patent
like ours. And that's a problem.
We must document your work
to protect it.
ln case you're asked
what inspired you,
what made you put the motor
in the wheels, you see?
lt simplifies production.
Stop it, Michel.
Where were you? Eating what?
lt's the context l need.
ln high school.
ln high school?
Let's be pragmatic, work as a team.
A team! Let me quote you:
''With our pals at Fiat
we're forming an A-1 team."
Where do l fit in?
lt's called PR.
l let you handle product.
While Danielle handles Connecticut,
you clear up the patent mess.
l don't give a damn
if you invented it,
but l need arguments,
so work up a good story.
The Congo Pavilion stood here.
lt covered the entire area.
lt's all trees.
We can't launch his book in a forest.
Use your imagination.
At night, with candles.. . Lovely!
What did l tell you?
Look, it was on the other side.
Like l said!
''On July 3, 1958,
''a blackout interrupted
the Congorama show.
''ln the ensuing commotion,
''a Canadian nun escaped
being trampled
''thanks to the aid of the journalist
and his wife.
''A year later, the couple arranged
to meet the nun
in a motel
in the Qubec countryside."
ln 1958 Belgium held an enormous fair
that lasted six months.
The Brussels World Fair
was inaugurated by King Beaudoin.
Here we see the monarch
attending the Congorama,
a sound and light show
that tells the story of the explorers
who made the Belgian Congo
into what will be
a country of the future,
if Whites and Blacks
work hand in hand.
''Congorama was a show
at the 1958 Brussels Fair depicting
the benefits of civilization
in Congo."
Today it's the name of the CC-1000,
a revolutionary car
conceived in Belgium.
Michel Roy, please tell us:
why the name Congorama?
My wife is Congolese.
lt's to honour
her courage and support.
There's also a family reason.
Your father, acclaimed writer
Herv Roy, was born there.
Yes and he fought
for its independence.
Amazing. A question we all have:
What inspired your motor?
Good question.
l worked several years in Africa.
Kids there have an ingenious toy
that l'll show you.
l never got the hang of it.
You do it, Jules.
My son Jules.
He's more athletic than me.
Show them.
African kids play
by propelling a wheel with a stick.
That image has stayed with me:
a self-propelling wheel.
But the National Factory in Lige
built a prototype in 1908.
lt's about the batteries.
20 kilos of my batteries beat
200 kilos of conventional ones.
Meaning electric cars
with greater autonomy,
and above all, zero emissions,
non-polluting.
A stroke of genius, Michel!
Proof Belgium has.. .
-More than just fries!
Happy about your one-man show?
''Made in Belgium!''
The press is wild!
lt's called PR.
l even made the cover
of ''Libre Match''!
Congorama's a shitty name!
While you clown around,
our lawyer is negotiating the patent.
Fiat's furious!
They're bigger than you.
l'd be proud
if the car were Belgian.
A proud Belgian!
Sounds like a sermon by your dad.
Have you heard Herv speak recently?
Since he wears diapers?
The man who opened up Africa to you?
Did you know Dad wears diapers?
lt's dark around the edges,
like in a tunnel.
lt's lodged here, behind the eye.
lt's threatening the optic nerve.
What is it?
lt's definitely not organic.
Are you exposed to stone
or metal splinters at work?
No.
Glass, perhaps.
Glass only shows up on a scan
if it contains lead.
We'll have to do further tests.
l'm ordering an MRl.
We're closing!
Closing?
We're having a guest for dinner.
Jeez!
A friend of yours.
He saw you on TV.
Who? l have no friends.
We'll play Who Am l?
Who is it?
You know the rules.
l can only answer yes or no.
Who's coming tonight?
Your Qubcois friend.
Hi Michel.
You're alive.
Amazing!
l'm glad. Really glad!
lt's unbelievable. l never hoped.. .
You're alive!
Not here, my family.. .
They told me you were in a coma,
that you'd never come out.
What could l do? l couldn'tjust wait.
My family, Jules, my wife.. .
everyone was waiting for me here.
You're alive!
You were in the accident.
Sure, don't you remember?
You're alive!
l'm alive.
lt's unbelievable!
Look what my dad brought me
from Qubec.
When it strikes, the cock crows.
Not now, put it away.
This is real bad!
No, it's delicious.
For us, real bad means great.
You'll have to write us
a dictionary.
So you're in the same field
as Michel?
lt's hard to say
just what field Michel is in.
So true!
Alice.. .
Sometimes it's TV, the factory.
My dad's an inventor.
Really? That's great.
What does he invent? Stories?
Does anybody ever invent?
No, they recycle.
They build on other people's ideas.
You need a cane?
No, it's alright.
The crash.
l wasn't as lucky as your dad.
What crash?
The car crash we had.. .
He didn't tell you?
Of course he didn't tell you.
Michel, what happened in Canada?
Nothing.
l went to St Ccile,
for the reasons you know.
l met Louis, who offered me
a lift to Montral.
And the car hit a sort of ostrich.
An emu, to be precise.
The doctors told me
you were finished.
l didn't tell you about it,
so you wouldn't worry for nothing.
You nearly died and
you didn't want us to worry?
Exactly.
-What else are you hiding?
ls that all?
What?
Look at me! What?
lt was a miracle,
l was barely scratched.
But l just had a scan.
There's something behind my eye.
lt's severing the optic nerve.
l have to avoid any shock!
What?
-l have a diamond in my head!
A diamond?
-l'm going to lose my left eye!
l'm going to lose my left eye.
Why all these secrets?
l won't have secrets here!
Secrets can kill.
Secrets killed my father,
and now you.. .
l'm not going to die.
l'm talking about my eye!
l'm your wife,
they're your father and son.
You've been lying since Canada!
We all tell lies.
-Meaning?
Herv lied to me for 40 years!
And you.. .
What, me?
What are you doing?
l want my father's notebooks.
ls that Dad's medal?
The nerve, give it back!
Give me the notebooks first.
Fine. Tomorrow l'll give you
what you want.
Go to bed, Jules.
What are you doing?
Alice threw me out.
Through here.
The car of the future?
We used an old body.
The revolution is here. lnside.
Your father's battery.
Lige-Turin on a single charge.
Want to go to Torino?
The nerve! Lots of people
could blow the whistle.
lt's like you found a Van Gogh
and said, Look what l painted!
Are you a thief or plain dumb?
Both. When will you denounce me?
Go on, hit me!
lt'll make me feel better.
Fuck you!
l should kill you, but given
your talent for resurrection.. .
lf only l hadn't gone to Canada!
Hadn't been born in a barn
in bloody St Ccile!
Hold it. What did you say?
Didn't you know?
l'm a bastard born
on a bed of manure.
You were born in a barn?
l should've stuck
to my solar-powered lawnmowers!
Alright.
Let me be the one
to tell my family, ok?
That won't be necessary.
You'll complete my father's work.
Here.
l'll get my stuff and go.
You ok, Dad?
l shouldn't have gone to Canada.
lt wasn't a good idea.
l screwed up over there,
you've no idea.
Not in your wildest novels.
l'm not an inventor, l'm nothing.
l'm not even your son.
Do you want to become like.. .
You know.. .
Kim and Justine?
-l'm not that good.
Jules?
Show me the back of your neck.
That a birthmark?
Yes.
What's he up to?
Here.
Thanks.
Belgians kiss only one cheek.
How did your father die?
Forgotten.
Dad's name was Sylvio.
Sylvio Legros.
Hello.
To the airport.
When will you be back?
l don't know.
Grandpa gave me this for you.
Thank you!
l did the drawing.
-You did?
lt's great!
Hello?
l'm in St Christopher, Connecticut.
l'm with the patent holder.
He's nuts,
insists on speaking to the inventor.
What do l tell him?
l don't know, Michel.
He wants to be friendly.
Play the game.
Dad?
-Shit, l can't see!
Dad, what's wrong?
Alice!
Alice!
Hello?
Hello?
You there?
''ln the dark, a young journalist
shouted,
''lndependence for Congo!
''ln the ensuing commotion,
a Canadian nun escaped being trampled
''thanks to the journalist
and his wife.
''A year later,
the couple arranged to meet the nun
''in a motel in the Qubec countryside.
''The nun secretly hid a baby
in a barn.
'' Congorama tells of
a Congo-Belgium tribe,
''born of a blackout,
but above all, a promise."
Translation: J. lrving
& R. Gray, Kinograph