Cassandre (2024) Movie Script
1
When I was born, the midwife said,
"it's a girl."
"Impossible," my mother grumbled,
"I was on a boy diet."
And everyone cried, except me.
To comfort my sisters, my mother said:
"Oh well, we'll just have to get
used to her vertical smile."
She wanted a little brother
for my older brother.
It's more practical for playing.
She loved him unconditionally
because he was fragile.
He had nearly died at age 2,
and she had waited
until I started school
before deciding to
enroll him there too.
At the end of elementary school,
I was a year ahead,
and he was a year behind.
So we ended up homeschooling.
- You idiot.
- You're the idiot.
And that year,
my dad decided to pass
on his passion to us.
You're dripping!
After a year,
his grades were terrible.
Are you scared? It's okay to fall.
They sent him to the priests
and then to the United States
so he could learn English.
Beautiful, Cassandra.
Wonderful.
And me, they sent me to a military
boarding school so I could get
the best education possible.
- Thank you, ma'am, have a safe trip.
- Bye 1002, have a great vacation.
I should've known that
with my vertical smile,
I wasn't going to be
laughing for long.
I'm here!
I'm hungry!
Set the table!
My name is cassandre Mariam David.
Cassandre is
the name of the first girl my
father ever loved but never got.
Mariam, the woman he married
in Africa to avoid stds.
And David is the name of my late uncle
that I would have had
if I'd been a boy.
We need to set the table.
It's the return of philiphil
from Philadelphia.
You almost got expelled?
Philiphil is back.
I don't want a skinny girl.
I warned you, this is just the beginning,
i' take it all while they're sleeping.
I don't care, sis, I'll go
graffiti all their dogmas.
I take signed photos of Bill Clinton.
Mom bought you all this?
He's still at it. Sweetheart, go on!
Philiphil, we need to
rekindle the flame.
You've grown so much in a year.
I'm writing this text.
I'm writing...
In first grade, he wrote
a love letter to a girl.
She showed it to the whole class.
It traumatized him.
After that, he became
allergic to dust mites
and wanted to play house
with me all the time.
We have to set the table.
Oh, look! She looks just
like aunt albertine.
"Hello, Cassandra."
Aunt albertine is prettier.
My mom hates cooking and eating.
- I hate fat people.
- What a mess!
It's an ecological disaster!
She was an activist in may '68
and posed nude in hara-kiri.
She was a feminist, an anarchist,
and an anti-militarist
and wanted to travel around
the world in a Volkswagen bus.
But at age 23, she met my father.
And they got married
five months later.
I wasn't ashamed of her,
and things were going very well in bed.
They slept in separate
rooms for 15 years
and says that love
only exists in movies.
It's a reproductive strategy
for the survival of the species.
As a child, he dreamed of
becoming an artist or a horseman.
Jerk.
And then he joined the army.
After a long-term sick leave
and 8 years of psychoanalysis,
he thinks he's a misunderstood genius.
It's very painful to be 30
years ahead of your time.
Good soup without pesticides
made with tomatoes from the garden.
Your father is angry
with the instructor,
you won't be going to the barracks.
Huh?
I signed you up for a club nearby.
Your mother signed you
up for driver's ed.
You'll stop by the hair salon
to find an apprenticeship
and pay us back for your license.
And that's how
that summer of 1998.
I was 14 and my brother was almost 18.
One, two, three.
It's getting closer,
less than a kilometer away.
In this life, you need to have cash.
Let go of me, it's okay.
You know, money doesn't
bring happiness,
but women love rich men.
Let go of me!
Wanna bet you can swim three
laps without breathing?
You're on!
I'm going to show you
a survival trick.
On your marks...
Ready...
Go!
- It's not working at all.
- You're the one who laughed.
You have to make a suction
cup and suck it out.
But that's lame.
What did you say?
I'll kill you for that.
I'm freezing, I'm going outside.
Traitor. You're abandoning me!
- Oh, but you have hair.
- It's fine.
It's not good
to sleep in underwear.
It needs to breathe.
It'll become a breeding
ground for yeast infections.
I never wear panties,
even when I go out on the town.
It's going to be hot,
we need to close everything up.
I've lost 300 grams.
I'll be able to eat.
Dry yourself off when
you get out of the pool,
- you're splashing water everywhere.
- You're annoying me.
Remember the way,
you'll ride your bike later.
It'll tone your calves.
- 8 kilometers.
- How much is that now?
46 cents, my dear. That's inflation.
You have to show who
they're dealing with.
A good rider has to ride everything,
especially the nags from
a lousy riding club.
Come on, get going.
Close your eyes.
Hello.
- Hi.
- Where's the instructor?
- You mean the riding instructor?
- He's at the riding arena.
Are you the new girl?
Where did you ride before?
At the cavalry regiment center
with the republican guard horses.
Wow.
Here are the boots for jumping.
Damn.
We don't wear them the rest of
the time. They aren't shod.
When school starts, I'll take my g7
at the military high school.
There's an equestrian program.
You'll see, it's
pretty laid-back here.
Let me introduce you to Orion.
Fred is super nice.
- Doesn't he yell too much?
- My dad?
Never.
I've never heard him yell.
But it works.
You push yourself harder that way.
My instructor yelled at me,
and I improved really fast.
I got my g6 in three years.
Ok, everyone at a walk.
Long reins,
no stirrups.
Close your eyes.
Is that you, Cassandra?
Have you found your seat?
So, legs, pelvis,
and diaphragm relaxed,
jaws relaxed.
And you synchronize your
breathing with your horse's.
That's good, there you go, relaxed.
Cassandre, keep your hands soft,
don't lock him up.
Try to relax, breathe.
I get the feeling like
you're holding your breath.
Don't you want to play? We're losing.
Well then?
Did you meet any cute guys?
No.
You smell like manure. Delicious.
Find a rich husband who'll pay for the
horseback riding, given the price.
I don't want to get
married or have kids.
We'll talk again once
your hormones kick in.
You'll do what everyone else does.
You'll find yourself a fine stallion.
Here, mom.
Thank you.
It was about time.
They're at least 5 mm.
Can you imagine, you fall off a horse,
you go to the hospital,
and all the paramedics seeing your
pubic hair. How embarrassing.
Let me remind you that go is a
game of territorial conquest.
Chess is a game of power conquest.
I know.
Why are you placing your stone there?
You have to conceal your strategy,
consolidate, anticipate.
Ouch, that really hurts.
Oh, come on.
You don't want an epidural, either?
She sounds just like
my mom and her drama.
Her parents had just
died in a bombing,
and she, at 15,
was hitting on her guardian,
and bam, pregnant!
Can you imagine,
the guardian's wife,
with that orphan on her hands,
the eldest one pregnant
and little dd, who's 3 months old.
That my father came along.
He was very kind to marry my mother.
My stone, placed just right,
can do anything.
It can live, kill,
flee, lock up, build,
strike, and sacrifice itself
if the cause is just.
It has character, it has skills.
Help.
My father was very kind
when my mother's younger sisters
showed up at the start of the war.
He took care of my aunts,
and my mother took care of us.
He was nicer than she was.
He would gently wake them up,
walked them to school with a snack,
picked them up from school,
tucked them in at night,
he even deflowered my aunt
dd for her education.
That's very kind.
Everyone loved him.
Not like my mom, always in a bad mood
and chasing us around
to gouge our eyes out.
If I have two eyes,
you can't kill me.
And I'm the one who's
going to crush you.
- Risk move 2.
- Risk move 2.
Reduce
the opponent's
of the opponent.
And there you have it!
Come feel how soft this is!
Wait. But the Jersey!
But I'm not done.
- Hey.
- I didn't make the swimsuit.
Damn.
- Colonel Martin.
- I just got here.
- Great, kisses.
- Kisses, dad.
Come on.
Easy.
- I don't see the point.
- He's not listening to me.
Isn't it the other way around?
We think we have to subdue them,
but on foot, it changes
your perspective.
He was rescued from the
bullfighting circuit.
If you put pressure on him,
he'll get angry.
Be attentive,
and respectful.
Otherwise, he won't be
able to work with you.
Breathe.
There.
Hey, want to help me?
I'm going to feed the ponies some hay.
Welcome to my chariot.
- Isn't there a stablehand?
- He's on vacation.
Did you ever drive?
With my dad, but it was an automatic.
Press the clutch all the way
down with your left foot.
Then,
shift into gear and take your foot off
and press the gas pedal.
Go ahead.
You shift gears.
Perfect. Then you let go.
Great.
Engage the clutch.
Come on!
Oh...
Go for it, sweetheart!
Perfect.
There you go.
- Colonel Martin.
- That's me.
Actually, a horse broke
loose just as I was leaving,
- and I helped catch it.
- Hm.
I'm leaving the club right now.
I'll be home around 11:58,
I'm hurrying.
Ok.
Have we ever met your cousin Rosalie?
No.
I saw her when she came
to live with my mom.
- I was jealous of her.
- I'm sorry.
She had a son with her half-brother
while cheating on her second husband.
He had no luck with women,
but she certainly did.
He would have been better off going to
get his fix somewhere else. Anyway.
Rosalie is moving.
We went around dropping off
resumes at all the hotels.
- Philippe drove really well.
- You've never worked.
Do you think he'll
find a job like that?
He should figure it out on his own.
In six months, he'll be an adult.
When I met you, I had a job.
Before you were transferred here, too.
I quit, and you didn't
want me to go back.
A compromise made within a
couple becomes, in 95% of cases,
a constraint for both parties.
In the remaining 5%,
it may be
a sign of love, or if you don't
believe in that, a reward.
I take care of the house.
I bore you four children.
Mathematically and mathematical science
has nothing to do with accounting.
The question of concessions
is a strictly personal matter.
Qed.
- 1, 2, 3, arm-wrestling...
- Chinese.
Ah, lost.
Did you know dad cheated on mom?
I don't believe you.
Yeah.
When he was on a mission in Gabon.
Mom told me that while she was crying.
She's freaking out that he's going
to Madagascar because of that.
Have you ever slept with a guy?
No.
But I've kissed some.
- Where?
- At summer camp.
- With tongues?
- Well, yeah.
Have you ever wanted to have sex?
No.
I mean, I don't know.
Sometimes I feel things in my stomach.
I don't know, it's weird.
Me, when I was in the us,
I hooked up with a bunch of girls.
They all wanted to sleep with me.
- I don't believe you.
- Yeah, I swear.
Why are you laughing?
You don't believe me?
I know how to do it now.
I can teach you some stuff.
I melted around her fingers.
They were so cold.
They didn't look like fingers.
Except they were, actually,
because of the nails.
They had to be fingers.
What about me?
Did you fall out of bed?
You want some orange juice?
No, thanks, I'm fine.
Are you okay?
You didn't wait long enough.
But that's fine. Whose turn is it?
Stand up straight.
There.
Look up.
Keep your legs on.
Clench your fingers.
Nothing broken?
Hey!
Stop, we don't do that here.
You have a right to be angry,
but don't take it out on him.
Ok.
She was the last rider through.
You trot them for 2-3 laps, long reins,
and then out to the pasture.
You can't force it.
Not for you, and not for him.
Ok?
Here.
- What's wrong with him?
- He's old.
Want to help me?
Here, put on some gloves.
You can disinfect there,
around the jugular vein.
Have you ever given an iv before?
You look for the vein,
you press here to make it swell
and you insert the needle
from bottom to top, ok?
Your turn.
Are you sure?
He needs a shot, you can do it,
and you don't have to
be formal with me.
Breathe. I'm staying here anyway.
So, go ahead, from the bottom up.
With a sharp motion.
The skin is thick,
so you have to really go for it.
There.
If blood is flowing,
you're in the right spot.
You can screw the syringe on.
Draw up a little blood to
mix with the solution.
There you go.
And inject it slowly.
Gently.
There you go.
You can take it out.
Well, good job.
Dad?
Are they waiting for you or not?
Yeah, I'm coming.
Dad, over here.
Cassandra.
Go on, get through.
Good job.
Good job, guys.
Good job.
- Want to celebrate your win?
- I have to get home.
Don't you?
- I live here.
- I'm an apprentice.
- Don't you ever go home?
- No.
I don't get along with my stepdad,
and I'm in heaven here.
You can come to my place.
I have a big pool.
You can stay the night.
You have a pool?
Yes!
- Colonel Martin, yes please?
- Can I bring a friend?
Your mom doesn't like surprises.
It's not unannounced. I'll call you.
She's inviting me to stay the night.
You'll meet her first.
And tonight, you're not here.
Come on, please!
- Am I too heavy?
- Don't worry.
Come on.
Wow.
It's huge.
We're here!
I told my dad I was spending
the night at your place.
So just pretend your
parents are okay with it
and don't say you live at the club.
Ok.
But...
I don't really like lying.
Who's the biggest one for?
No, thank you, ma'am.
Are you a vegetarian?
You're going to lose your
hair and your teeth.
Iron deficiency. I'm just saying this for
your own good. I would have been happy
to have a sausage with my
mashed potatoes. At my house,
- it was potatoes and viandox.
- Humans have been omnivores
for millions of years.
It's not fanatics who are
going to change that.
And a 100% plant-based diet,
- that's really bad.
- If it kills people,
there'll be fewer idiots.
Otherwise,
that club,
this Fred...
He's awesome.
He trained with the horse whisperers
in the us. I love how he teaches
and how he handles the horses.
I have my doubts.
He got out of military service.
What are you saying?
Just because he acts like an
idiot doesn't mean he is one.
- How do you know that?
- I asked around.
I don't leave my daughter
to just anyone.
I respect those who
refuse to go to war.
You can respect even
assholes, if you want.
I like him too, Fred.
Well, he's not strict, and it's
not as clean as the barracks.
Your Fred, there...
It's me you love through him.
That's called the oedipus complex.
A nation without an army is finished.
You, too, will know war.
You'll have to kill to
save your own skin.
The enemies, the banks, the mafias,
the multinationals, the dictators,
they have a strategy.
And your Fred, what's his strategy?
Whispering to horses.
When will you tell us your strategy?
- Do you have an apprenticeship?
- Not yet.
So by spending all your time in front
of TV, it'll fall into your lap?
He keeps up his accent by
watching American movies.
Speaking for him,
Wii you make a man out of him?
And he mows your lawn!
There are four types of reactions
to danger or aggression.
You know the one with the horse,
ladies.
- Flight?
- Hm. The horse knows
that it is prey.
Faced with a predator,
it runs for its life
across the open plain.
Even when domesticated,
its first instinct
is still to flee.
Only the stallion, the Alpha male,
can attack a predator
to save his group after
sounding the alarm.
The attack has always
been my favorite.
And then there's the
freezing response,
which we see in barnyard
birds, for example.
A hen will freeze as if dead.
To make the fox or the
rooster that wants to mate
convincing the fox that she's
just a piece of rotten meat.
And finally, there is
the fourth reaction,
which I would say is more adaptive,
which is submission to
repeated aggression.
That's the one that
exasperates me the most.
Our reactions are instinctive
responses to stimuli
to ensure the survival of the species.
We are animals.
Those who say otherwise
are idiots who haven't
understood a thing.
By the way, did cassandre
show you the exits?
What? Once is enough!
I don't want a lawsuit if
she gets strangled and raped
by some sicko.
But eat up! It's going to get cold,
Your family is crazy!
Your dad...
Yeah, he always has to act cool.
Especially since he
got stuck for two days
with 30 dead bodies
in 104-degree heat.
Shall we go for a swim?
I'll go back to the club later.
- Why?
- Stay the night. Come on, please.
We're not having dinner
with my parents tonight.
Is that your whole family?
Yeah.
That's my dad. Me.
My mom, my dad, my mom.
My grandfather, who was
gassed with mustard gas
during WWI and made his fortune
by defusing bombs.
That's my father as an altar boy.
Cute, isn't he?
And here,
my brother and me. People
used to think we were twins.
And here, my sisters,
but my mom cut them out.
The photo, I mean.
- Why?
- On their 18th birthday,
they were 15 minutes late for dinner.
My dad yelled at them,
and the next day, they left.
They say they're crazy.
Want me to show you my room?
This is my mom's room.
Over there is my brother's.
And this is mine.
Ta-da!
I have to pee.
Ok, here it is.
Is there no lock?
What is that?
A buffalo.
Actually,
for native Americans,
when there's a storm,
buffalo run through it
and it's shorter than if they
were running away from it.
I liked the idea, so I made one.
All by yourself?
Yeah.
And will you make one for me?
Has he never seen a
girl in a swimsuit?
In my family, we swim naked.
I put one on because you're here,
but it feels weird.
I think he feels the same way.
- Wearing a swimsuit?
- Well, yeah.
They must think it's
ridiculous that I'm hiding.
I'd rather act like I
have nothing to hide
than make it obvious
that I do. You know?
No, not at all.
Here.
All right, did you pee?
No, you're crazy!
You shouldn't brush
your teeth like that.
You have to brush them from
top to bottom, like this.
- Mom!
- Wait, but this is for her.
If you want rotten teeth at 30,
that's your problem.
We'll deliver you to adulthood
with all your teeth intact.
And that's worth its weight in gold.
You don't catch flies with vinegar.
I bought you another box.
- Thanks, mom.
- Good night.
They didn't brush their teeth at my
mom's house. They were too poor.
It traumatized her,
cavities, teeth falling out.
At least we don't have
cavities. Do you have any?
Forget it.
Is that you? Do they
still have uniforms?
Yeah, in military boarding schools.
Her parents died in a bombing.
Her mother was killed
by her stepfather.
And she's not actually
her father's daughter.
The others are normal girls,
the daughters of diplomats,
ministers, aristocrats.
We're watching the world
cup final at the club.
What final?
The world cup.
- Oh, ok.
- You don't watch soccer?
My dad says it's a sport
corrupted by money.
But we're allowed to
watch Roland Garros,
the Tour de France, and rugby.
You're not your father.
You don't have to do
everything he says, do you?
There's a light in my
life shining over me.
Do you know it?
There's a light.
In my life.
Shining over me, yeah.
Let your blessings from above.
What are you listening to?
Military songs?
In my life shining over me.
Lord, sometimes
I sit and wonder.
Why strange things happen to me.
Then again I feel.
My friends are all gone, yeah.
But if I put my trust in Jesus.
My balance will return.
Don't you see there's a light.
In my life.
Shining over me.
Lord, walk with me, talk with me.
Please, stay close by my side.
Be my shelter, be my comfort.
Be my guide, yeah.
I was blind, but now I see.
Jesus came and he rescued me.
So?
What do you think of me?
Very classy.
My assignment in
Madagascar is confirmed.
- Oh, cool.
- I need to get back in the saddle.
There'll be some dressage.
Have you made up with the instructor?
No. Your club will do.
And in the meantime,
I'll give you a ride.
Ladies.
So, how was the sleepover?
Come back whenever you want,
even if you're not friends anymore.
Here, for your parents.
Thank you, sir.
If she said yes, I wouldn't say no.
Hello.
Hello.
- Hello.
- Hi.
It's a size 44,
leather. I don't fit in it anymore.
They'll be more useful
to you than to me.
They came from the
Cadre Noir in Saumur.
Thank you. I'm a size 42,
and my boots fit me well,
- but...
- My father
wants to get back on a horse.
I don't have any horses
available this week
because of the training sessions, but...
Next week?
All right.
See you next week, then.
- Dad?
- Hm?
Sunday night,
do we have anything planned?
Why?
The instructor's wife is
looking for a babysitter.
I could save up and buy
myself some new boots.
If it's paid, why not.
- Go ahead, go ahead.
- Cheers.
He'll make an excellent
apprentice sommelier.
I bet 10 francs he won't get it right.
A purple hue, rather dark.
Aroma
woody, or fruity,
with a hint of tobacco or yeast.
It has a nice finish.
It must be...
A good wine.
I only have good wines.
Grape variety, vineyard,
vintage, estate?
And the price, in your opinion?
Rich in tannins, full-bodied, powerful,
concentrated.
Saint-milion, 1990 vintage.
It deserved to age
rather than be wasted.
These wines belong as much
to me as they do to him.
Is it true that you're a lesbian?
Well, no, why?
My parents said that because
you wrote poems to a girl.
And then, since you invited
your friend Latitia...
That's nonsense!
It was for a presentation on poetry.
We had to do a portrait,
so I chose my counselor.
I wish she were my mother.
You know, when I was in the us,
I couldn't stop thinking about you.
I missed you so much.
In my host family,
I had a little sister,
but she was such a pain.
And a little silly, too.
That's when I realized you were...
An amazing little sister.
Because you succeed at everything...
You're pretty...
You're beautiful...
It's the same thing.
You're smart, you're brave.
I really mean it.
In the us, I was "The Frenchie".
So cute, so romantic.
All the girls wanted
to go out with me.
At 15,
if you haven't had sex,
you're a loser.
I'm not a loser.
I'm a winner.
You think I'm an idiot,
but I know more than you do.
I don't believe you, and I don't care.
I swear.
I've slept with tons of girls.
They wanted me to go down on them.
I don't care, I'm telling you.
Do you know what that is?
Cunnilingus.
I'm an expert at cunnilingus now.
Cunnilingus.
Bet you 50 francs you couldn't do it.
Risk 1.
To defend is to protect one's
territory from threats.
Risk move 2.
To reduce is to diminish
the opponent's potential.
I can't do it.
You can smell the fish.
Fuck you.
Do you think I should talk
to my therapist about this?
You owe me 50 francs.
Things were going really well in bed.
I can teach you a thing or two.
- But the swimsuit!
- You smell like fish.
We'll get used to her vertical smile.
- It's called the oedipus complex.
- ...With vinegar.
If she said yes, I wouldn't say no.
What about me?
Did you sleep well?
Are they infected?
No.
I have to be at my
babysitting job at 7.
All right.
- Is she giving you a ride?
- Yes.
Oh, there you are.
Have you always wanted
to be an instructor?
No.
I had a grudge against humans.
I preferred animals.
What about you? Do you
know what you want to do?
I thought about becoming
a vet at one point.
But my mom said you only
see sick or dead animals.
Soon, you'll be able to
make your own choices.
Childhood isn't a life sentence.
Do you know the legend
of the two wolves?
There's the black wolf,
manipulative, hot-tempered, threatening,
who rules through fear, who kills.
And there is the white wolf,
welcoming, joyful,
peaceful, who helps
and supports others.
Every man has these two wolves that
are constantly fighting each other.
In one version of the legend,
the one you feed wins.
But I prefer a more complex one.
She says that if you feed only one, the
other will fight even harder to survive.
But if you feed both,
you will find balance within yourself.
Our two wolves need each other.
The black wolf isn't all flaws.
He can be brave,
which the white wolf sometimes lacks.
Are you coming?
Come on.
There we go.
We're, we're in the finals
Wouldn't you like to be my dad?
I'm your instructor.
That's not bad, is it?
I'm not sure I'd make a good dad.
You should ask Malle.
In my opinion, sometimes
she'd like to switch.
Go, Les Bleus.
These humans are a bit off,
aren't they?
We are the champions
Come with us!
One, two, and three-zero
Good night, dad.
Good night.
Here.
I recorded a track for you.
A rap song.
Well, good night.
Damn it! I gained a pound.
It's the cream you put in the food.
If you teach him to drive the
way you tie his shoelaces,
he'll get his license when he's 40.
I should have left him
with the housekeeper.
Damn it!
Give way to the right.
Nothing on the right.
The other right?
Yes.
That's right, yeah.
The other right.
Hello.
Hello.
Dow!
Here you go.
Philippe.
Goodbye.
She wants to be mounted
by an Alpha male.
Have you been to war, sir?
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
He who wants peace prepares
for war and wages it.
- Have you killed people?
- Of course. I've always wanted
to hear bullets whistling.
Ok.
Everyone let go of their reins
and take off your stirrups.
I'm going to tell you a story.
- Quietly, that's it.
- One day,
I saw a gazelle on the top of a Ridge.
Without turning off my Jeep's
engine, I stand up and...
I shoot.
At 150 meters, the gazelle
is still looking at me.
I ask the driver to
turn off the engine.
I shoot again.
- All right, let's start the warm-up.
- The gazelle is watching me.
I get out, lean on the
hood, and shoot...
You can talk later.
The gazelle keeps going.
I lie down,
I shoot again.
The gazelle is still looking at me.
I fire three more rounds. And then,
finally, the gazelle disappears.
- Calmly.
- When we went to check, we saw
that there were two dead gazelles.
One with seven bullet holes,
and the other, just one.
Please.
There.
Sir,
we're taking it slowly.
His muscles are cold.
Keep a light hand.
Excuse me?
I'm not going to let
a p4 push me around.
That horse is fit for
the slaughterhouse.
I don't see what you're teaching
with horses like these.
Everything you seem to be
unaware of, apparently.
P4...
Stay focused, please.
I'll wait for you in the car.
You've been here for 20 minutes.
Mom says you're wasting water when
people in Africa don't have enough.
I don't care.
I won't have any hot
water left for my shower.
It's already cold.
What are they doing?
They're watching a movie dubbed
into French. It's boring.
Did you listen to my tape?
No.
You know, my biggest fantasy
is to make you come.
And mom, too.
Do you think I should talk
to my therapist about this?
Risk move 3: Enter enemy territory.
Try to stay put or flee.
Risk roll 4: Kill.
Risk move 3: Fight, invade,
penetrate enemy territory.
Risk roll 3: Invade.
Risk roll 4: Kill.
Risk move 3: Fight,
penetrate enemy territory.
Risk roll 4: Kill.
Risk roll 3: Enter enemy territory.
Risk roll 3:
Penetrate enemy territory.
I was like a soldier in his trench.
When he can no longer
bear to wait for danger,
he goes out, runs, and goes to get it.
Here, just do what they do.
Risk 3: Entering enemy territory
and attempt to survive there or flee.
Risk roll 4: Kill.
Risk roll 3: Fight,
invade enemy territory.
Risk move 3: Invade,
penetrate the enemy's territory.
I can't do it.
You're too tight.
Help me, please.
You can't leave me like this.
I'm sure it lasted two
and a half minutes.
But my arm feels like
it lasted forever.
I thought that if he got what he wanted,
we wouldn't talk about it anymore.
But 30 years later,
I'm still talking about it.
Let's go in.
Well then?
Are you sick? What's wrong with you?
My stomach hurts.
- That's it!
- You're on your period, you're a woman!
No, I have a stomachache.
- I just want to sleep.
- Given your mood, I bet that's it.
I'll go get you some granules.
Cassandra is on her period!
She's a woman!
Well done, son.
All those resumes are
finally paying off,
- all those cover letters.
- It's about time.
A three-star restaurant, no less.
Here's to your apprenticeship!
- Look me in the eye!
- That's bad luck.
Bravo, bravo, bravo.
When are you coming home?
Midnight, not before.
We'll get your brother settled in,
have dinner at a restaurant,
then it'll be time to head home.
Come on, front seat!
You stay home,
don't open the door to anyone
and lock yourself in
when it gets dark.
Ok.
Bye.
- He was great.
- Yeah, he's improved.
Hi.
Hi.
Want to try?
Close your eyes and let yourself go.
Have a drink, it'll make it hurt less.
There you go, ma'am.
I think I'm drunk.
I don't think so, I'm sure.
Cassandra, did you
take your mom's car?
Your dad's coming.
I think he'll love it.
Can you take it off?
No, I can't.
You need to drink coffee
and eat to sober up.
Am I bothering you?
You don't respect me.
You don't respect anything!
Get your things.
You can say goodbye
to your new friends.
I'll have you charged with
pedophilia. It won't be long now.
- Come on.
- Dad.
Something happened.
With Philippe.
He touched me.
And...
He asked me to touch him.
It's not their fault.
My keys.
It happened all the
time in ancient Egypt.
And it still happens in every family.
Here's the proof.
It's no big deal.
I've seen pedophilia,
sadism, homosexuality,
at a junior seminary.
I was ten years old.
A friend of mine had a sadistic
priest as his spiritual father.
He didn't want to switch.
That clearly proves
that he enjoyed it, too.
From the age of 7, a person is
responsible for themselves.
If you didn't defend yourself,
it's because you enjoyed it.
What did you say?
You've always been jealous.
You've always wanted to hurt him.
If it happened, you caused it.
You're much stronger than he is.
You can't deny it.
You're much smarter than he is.
You recorded the truth right there.
You took the bet,
you put this tape in.
I'm going to make copies
to have proof.
Nobody goes to jail over
a little "touchy-touchy."
I won't hand her over!
I'm going to save my daughter!
It's normal for siblings
to explore each other.
But...
We used to wash ourselves
in the kitchen!
When I started getting body hair,
my mom yelled at my brothers.
"Get out of here!"
She told me, "you have hair
on your private parts,
that's normal, you're growing up",
from now on, you'll wash yourself!
The way she did it
really traumatized me.
My little brother Franois,
he used to stick his fingers in there.
Well, yeah!
One finger, two, three,
it hurts, but it's okay, here you go,
doctor, thank you, goodbye.
You played "touch the
pee," that's all!
It's none of our business,
it's your business.
I really was raped.
Well, I didn't make a
big deal out of it.
Do you feel dirty?
Well, you go wash up, and move on!
Oh, really?
Were you raped?
That's news to me. When?
Before I met you,
when I was 23, at work.
It wasn't really rape,
or you would have told me about it.
My mother passed on a quality to me.
She was dignified.
We make do with what we have,
we hide our troubles.
And we don't go begging.
I wish for one thing for you.
That you focus on your studies.
So you'll never owe anyone anything
and can earn your own money!
I'm tired.
You're going to bed.
Come on.
To bed, I said.
Come on, get on.
Where do you want to go?
I'll take you wherever you want.
It's up to you, ok?
When people are nice to me,
it makes me want to cry.
Well, go ahead.
Cry.
You know what?
You can spit on me,
blow your nose on my shirt.
When I was born, the midwife said,
"it's a girl."
"Impossible," my mother grumbled,
"I was on a boy diet."
And everyone cried, except me.
To comfort my sisters, my mother said:
"Oh well, we'll just have to get
used to her vertical smile."
She wanted a little brother
for my older brother.
It's more practical for playing.
She loved him unconditionally
because he was fragile.
He had nearly died at age 2,
and she had waited
until I started school
before deciding to
enroll him there too.
At the end of elementary school,
I was a year ahead,
and he was a year behind.
So we ended up homeschooling.
- You idiot.
- You're the idiot.
And that year,
my dad decided to pass
on his passion to us.
You're dripping!
After a year,
his grades were terrible.
Are you scared? It's okay to fall.
They sent him to the priests
and then to the United States
so he could learn English.
Beautiful, Cassandra.
Wonderful.
And me, they sent me to a military
boarding school so I could get
the best education possible.
- Thank you, ma'am, have a safe trip.
- Bye 1002, have a great vacation.
I should've known that
with my vertical smile,
I wasn't going to be
laughing for long.
I'm here!
I'm hungry!
Set the table!
My name is cassandre Mariam David.
Cassandre is
the name of the first girl my
father ever loved but never got.
Mariam, the woman he married
in Africa to avoid stds.
And David is the name of my late uncle
that I would have had
if I'd been a boy.
We need to set the table.
It's the return of philiphil
from Philadelphia.
You almost got expelled?
Philiphil is back.
I don't want a skinny girl.
I warned you, this is just the beginning,
i' take it all while they're sleeping.
I don't care, sis, I'll go
graffiti all their dogmas.
I take signed photos of Bill Clinton.
Mom bought you all this?
He's still at it. Sweetheart, go on!
Philiphil, we need to
rekindle the flame.
You've grown so much in a year.
I'm writing this text.
I'm writing...
In first grade, he wrote
a love letter to a girl.
She showed it to the whole class.
It traumatized him.
After that, he became
allergic to dust mites
and wanted to play house
with me all the time.
We have to set the table.
Oh, look! She looks just
like aunt albertine.
"Hello, Cassandra."
Aunt albertine is prettier.
My mom hates cooking and eating.
- I hate fat people.
- What a mess!
It's an ecological disaster!
She was an activist in may '68
and posed nude in hara-kiri.
She was a feminist, an anarchist,
and an anti-militarist
and wanted to travel around
the world in a Volkswagen bus.
But at age 23, she met my father.
And they got married
five months later.
I wasn't ashamed of her,
and things were going very well in bed.
They slept in separate
rooms for 15 years
and says that love
only exists in movies.
It's a reproductive strategy
for the survival of the species.
As a child, he dreamed of
becoming an artist or a horseman.
Jerk.
And then he joined the army.
After a long-term sick leave
and 8 years of psychoanalysis,
he thinks he's a misunderstood genius.
It's very painful to be 30
years ahead of your time.
Good soup without pesticides
made with tomatoes from the garden.
Your father is angry
with the instructor,
you won't be going to the barracks.
Huh?
I signed you up for a club nearby.
Your mother signed you
up for driver's ed.
You'll stop by the hair salon
to find an apprenticeship
and pay us back for your license.
And that's how
that summer of 1998.
I was 14 and my brother was almost 18.
One, two, three.
It's getting closer,
less than a kilometer away.
In this life, you need to have cash.
Let go of me, it's okay.
You know, money doesn't
bring happiness,
but women love rich men.
Let go of me!
Wanna bet you can swim three
laps without breathing?
You're on!
I'm going to show you
a survival trick.
On your marks...
Ready...
Go!
- It's not working at all.
- You're the one who laughed.
You have to make a suction
cup and suck it out.
But that's lame.
What did you say?
I'll kill you for that.
I'm freezing, I'm going outside.
Traitor. You're abandoning me!
- Oh, but you have hair.
- It's fine.
It's not good
to sleep in underwear.
It needs to breathe.
It'll become a breeding
ground for yeast infections.
I never wear panties,
even when I go out on the town.
It's going to be hot,
we need to close everything up.
I've lost 300 grams.
I'll be able to eat.
Dry yourself off when
you get out of the pool,
- you're splashing water everywhere.
- You're annoying me.
Remember the way,
you'll ride your bike later.
It'll tone your calves.
- 8 kilometers.
- How much is that now?
46 cents, my dear. That's inflation.
You have to show who
they're dealing with.
A good rider has to ride everything,
especially the nags from
a lousy riding club.
Come on, get going.
Close your eyes.
Hello.
- Hi.
- Where's the instructor?
- You mean the riding instructor?
- He's at the riding arena.
Are you the new girl?
Where did you ride before?
At the cavalry regiment center
with the republican guard horses.
Wow.
Here are the boots for jumping.
Damn.
We don't wear them the rest of
the time. They aren't shod.
When school starts, I'll take my g7
at the military high school.
There's an equestrian program.
You'll see, it's
pretty laid-back here.
Let me introduce you to Orion.
Fred is super nice.
- Doesn't he yell too much?
- My dad?
Never.
I've never heard him yell.
But it works.
You push yourself harder that way.
My instructor yelled at me,
and I improved really fast.
I got my g6 in three years.
Ok, everyone at a walk.
Long reins,
no stirrups.
Close your eyes.
Is that you, Cassandra?
Have you found your seat?
So, legs, pelvis,
and diaphragm relaxed,
jaws relaxed.
And you synchronize your
breathing with your horse's.
That's good, there you go, relaxed.
Cassandre, keep your hands soft,
don't lock him up.
Try to relax, breathe.
I get the feeling like
you're holding your breath.
Don't you want to play? We're losing.
Well then?
Did you meet any cute guys?
No.
You smell like manure. Delicious.
Find a rich husband who'll pay for the
horseback riding, given the price.
I don't want to get
married or have kids.
We'll talk again once
your hormones kick in.
You'll do what everyone else does.
You'll find yourself a fine stallion.
Here, mom.
Thank you.
It was about time.
They're at least 5 mm.
Can you imagine, you fall off a horse,
you go to the hospital,
and all the paramedics seeing your
pubic hair. How embarrassing.
Let me remind you that go is a
game of territorial conquest.
Chess is a game of power conquest.
I know.
Why are you placing your stone there?
You have to conceal your strategy,
consolidate, anticipate.
Ouch, that really hurts.
Oh, come on.
You don't want an epidural, either?
She sounds just like
my mom and her drama.
Her parents had just
died in a bombing,
and she, at 15,
was hitting on her guardian,
and bam, pregnant!
Can you imagine,
the guardian's wife,
with that orphan on her hands,
the eldest one pregnant
and little dd, who's 3 months old.
That my father came along.
He was very kind to marry my mother.
My stone, placed just right,
can do anything.
It can live, kill,
flee, lock up, build,
strike, and sacrifice itself
if the cause is just.
It has character, it has skills.
Help.
My father was very kind
when my mother's younger sisters
showed up at the start of the war.
He took care of my aunts,
and my mother took care of us.
He was nicer than she was.
He would gently wake them up,
walked them to school with a snack,
picked them up from school,
tucked them in at night,
he even deflowered my aunt
dd for her education.
That's very kind.
Everyone loved him.
Not like my mom, always in a bad mood
and chasing us around
to gouge our eyes out.
If I have two eyes,
you can't kill me.
And I'm the one who's
going to crush you.
- Risk move 2.
- Risk move 2.
Reduce
the opponent's
of the opponent.
And there you have it!
Come feel how soft this is!
Wait. But the Jersey!
But I'm not done.
- Hey.
- I didn't make the swimsuit.
Damn.
- Colonel Martin.
- I just got here.
- Great, kisses.
- Kisses, dad.
Come on.
Easy.
- I don't see the point.
- He's not listening to me.
Isn't it the other way around?
We think we have to subdue them,
but on foot, it changes
your perspective.
He was rescued from the
bullfighting circuit.
If you put pressure on him,
he'll get angry.
Be attentive,
and respectful.
Otherwise, he won't be
able to work with you.
Breathe.
There.
Hey, want to help me?
I'm going to feed the ponies some hay.
Welcome to my chariot.
- Isn't there a stablehand?
- He's on vacation.
Did you ever drive?
With my dad, but it was an automatic.
Press the clutch all the way
down with your left foot.
Then,
shift into gear and take your foot off
and press the gas pedal.
Go ahead.
You shift gears.
Perfect. Then you let go.
Great.
Engage the clutch.
Come on!
Oh...
Go for it, sweetheart!
Perfect.
There you go.
- Colonel Martin.
- That's me.
Actually, a horse broke
loose just as I was leaving,
- and I helped catch it.
- Hm.
I'm leaving the club right now.
I'll be home around 11:58,
I'm hurrying.
Ok.
Have we ever met your cousin Rosalie?
No.
I saw her when she came
to live with my mom.
- I was jealous of her.
- I'm sorry.
She had a son with her half-brother
while cheating on her second husband.
He had no luck with women,
but she certainly did.
He would have been better off going to
get his fix somewhere else. Anyway.
Rosalie is moving.
We went around dropping off
resumes at all the hotels.
- Philippe drove really well.
- You've never worked.
Do you think he'll
find a job like that?
He should figure it out on his own.
In six months, he'll be an adult.
When I met you, I had a job.
Before you were transferred here, too.
I quit, and you didn't
want me to go back.
A compromise made within a
couple becomes, in 95% of cases,
a constraint for both parties.
In the remaining 5%,
it may be
a sign of love, or if you don't
believe in that, a reward.
I take care of the house.
I bore you four children.
Mathematically and mathematical science
has nothing to do with accounting.
The question of concessions
is a strictly personal matter.
Qed.
- 1, 2, 3, arm-wrestling...
- Chinese.
Ah, lost.
Did you know dad cheated on mom?
I don't believe you.
Yeah.
When he was on a mission in Gabon.
Mom told me that while she was crying.
She's freaking out that he's going
to Madagascar because of that.
Have you ever slept with a guy?
No.
But I've kissed some.
- Where?
- At summer camp.
- With tongues?
- Well, yeah.
Have you ever wanted to have sex?
No.
I mean, I don't know.
Sometimes I feel things in my stomach.
I don't know, it's weird.
Me, when I was in the us,
I hooked up with a bunch of girls.
They all wanted to sleep with me.
- I don't believe you.
- Yeah, I swear.
Why are you laughing?
You don't believe me?
I know how to do it now.
I can teach you some stuff.
I melted around her fingers.
They were so cold.
They didn't look like fingers.
Except they were, actually,
because of the nails.
They had to be fingers.
What about me?
Did you fall out of bed?
You want some orange juice?
No, thanks, I'm fine.
Are you okay?
You didn't wait long enough.
But that's fine. Whose turn is it?
Stand up straight.
There.
Look up.
Keep your legs on.
Clench your fingers.
Nothing broken?
Hey!
Stop, we don't do that here.
You have a right to be angry,
but don't take it out on him.
Ok.
She was the last rider through.
You trot them for 2-3 laps, long reins,
and then out to the pasture.
You can't force it.
Not for you, and not for him.
Ok?
Here.
- What's wrong with him?
- He's old.
Want to help me?
Here, put on some gloves.
You can disinfect there,
around the jugular vein.
Have you ever given an iv before?
You look for the vein,
you press here to make it swell
and you insert the needle
from bottom to top, ok?
Your turn.
Are you sure?
He needs a shot, you can do it,
and you don't have to
be formal with me.
Breathe. I'm staying here anyway.
So, go ahead, from the bottom up.
With a sharp motion.
The skin is thick,
so you have to really go for it.
There.
If blood is flowing,
you're in the right spot.
You can screw the syringe on.
Draw up a little blood to
mix with the solution.
There you go.
And inject it slowly.
Gently.
There you go.
You can take it out.
Well, good job.
Dad?
Are they waiting for you or not?
Yeah, I'm coming.
Dad, over here.
Cassandra.
Go on, get through.
Good job.
Good job, guys.
Good job.
- Want to celebrate your win?
- I have to get home.
Don't you?
- I live here.
- I'm an apprentice.
- Don't you ever go home?
- No.
I don't get along with my stepdad,
and I'm in heaven here.
You can come to my place.
I have a big pool.
You can stay the night.
You have a pool?
Yes!
- Colonel Martin, yes please?
- Can I bring a friend?
Your mom doesn't like surprises.
It's not unannounced. I'll call you.
She's inviting me to stay the night.
You'll meet her first.
And tonight, you're not here.
Come on, please!
- Am I too heavy?
- Don't worry.
Come on.
Wow.
It's huge.
We're here!
I told my dad I was spending
the night at your place.
So just pretend your
parents are okay with it
and don't say you live at the club.
Ok.
But...
I don't really like lying.
Who's the biggest one for?
No, thank you, ma'am.
Are you a vegetarian?
You're going to lose your
hair and your teeth.
Iron deficiency. I'm just saying this for
your own good. I would have been happy
to have a sausage with my
mashed potatoes. At my house,
- it was potatoes and viandox.
- Humans have been omnivores
for millions of years.
It's not fanatics who are
going to change that.
And a 100% plant-based diet,
- that's really bad.
- If it kills people,
there'll be fewer idiots.
Otherwise,
that club,
this Fred...
He's awesome.
He trained with the horse whisperers
in the us. I love how he teaches
and how he handles the horses.
I have my doubts.
He got out of military service.
What are you saying?
Just because he acts like an
idiot doesn't mean he is one.
- How do you know that?
- I asked around.
I don't leave my daughter
to just anyone.
I respect those who
refuse to go to war.
You can respect even
assholes, if you want.
I like him too, Fred.
Well, he's not strict, and it's
not as clean as the barracks.
Your Fred, there...
It's me you love through him.
That's called the oedipus complex.
A nation without an army is finished.
You, too, will know war.
You'll have to kill to
save your own skin.
The enemies, the banks, the mafias,
the multinationals, the dictators,
they have a strategy.
And your Fred, what's his strategy?
Whispering to horses.
When will you tell us your strategy?
- Do you have an apprenticeship?
- Not yet.
So by spending all your time in front
of TV, it'll fall into your lap?
He keeps up his accent by
watching American movies.
Speaking for him,
Wii you make a man out of him?
And he mows your lawn!
There are four types of reactions
to danger or aggression.
You know the one with the horse,
ladies.
- Flight?
- Hm. The horse knows
that it is prey.
Faced with a predator,
it runs for its life
across the open plain.
Even when domesticated,
its first instinct
is still to flee.
Only the stallion, the Alpha male,
can attack a predator
to save his group after
sounding the alarm.
The attack has always
been my favorite.
And then there's the
freezing response,
which we see in barnyard
birds, for example.
A hen will freeze as if dead.
To make the fox or the
rooster that wants to mate
convincing the fox that she's
just a piece of rotten meat.
And finally, there is
the fourth reaction,
which I would say is more adaptive,
which is submission to
repeated aggression.
That's the one that
exasperates me the most.
Our reactions are instinctive
responses to stimuli
to ensure the survival of the species.
We are animals.
Those who say otherwise
are idiots who haven't
understood a thing.
By the way, did cassandre
show you the exits?
What? Once is enough!
I don't want a lawsuit if
she gets strangled and raped
by some sicko.
But eat up! It's going to get cold,
Your family is crazy!
Your dad...
Yeah, he always has to act cool.
Especially since he
got stuck for two days
with 30 dead bodies
in 104-degree heat.
Shall we go for a swim?
I'll go back to the club later.
- Why?
- Stay the night. Come on, please.
We're not having dinner
with my parents tonight.
Is that your whole family?
Yeah.
That's my dad. Me.
My mom, my dad, my mom.
My grandfather, who was
gassed with mustard gas
during WWI and made his fortune
by defusing bombs.
That's my father as an altar boy.
Cute, isn't he?
And here,
my brother and me. People
used to think we were twins.
And here, my sisters,
but my mom cut them out.
The photo, I mean.
- Why?
- On their 18th birthday,
they were 15 minutes late for dinner.
My dad yelled at them,
and the next day, they left.
They say they're crazy.
Want me to show you my room?
This is my mom's room.
Over there is my brother's.
And this is mine.
Ta-da!
I have to pee.
Ok, here it is.
Is there no lock?
What is that?
A buffalo.
Actually,
for native Americans,
when there's a storm,
buffalo run through it
and it's shorter than if they
were running away from it.
I liked the idea, so I made one.
All by yourself?
Yeah.
And will you make one for me?
Has he never seen a
girl in a swimsuit?
In my family, we swim naked.
I put one on because you're here,
but it feels weird.
I think he feels the same way.
- Wearing a swimsuit?
- Well, yeah.
They must think it's
ridiculous that I'm hiding.
I'd rather act like I
have nothing to hide
than make it obvious
that I do. You know?
No, not at all.
Here.
All right, did you pee?
No, you're crazy!
You shouldn't brush
your teeth like that.
You have to brush them from
top to bottom, like this.
- Mom!
- Wait, but this is for her.
If you want rotten teeth at 30,
that's your problem.
We'll deliver you to adulthood
with all your teeth intact.
And that's worth its weight in gold.
You don't catch flies with vinegar.
I bought you another box.
- Thanks, mom.
- Good night.
They didn't brush their teeth at my
mom's house. They were too poor.
It traumatized her,
cavities, teeth falling out.
At least we don't have
cavities. Do you have any?
Forget it.
Is that you? Do they
still have uniforms?
Yeah, in military boarding schools.
Her parents died in a bombing.
Her mother was killed
by her stepfather.
And she's not actually
her father's daughter.
The others are normal girls,
the daughters of diplomats,
ministers, aristocrats.
We're watching the world
cup final at the club.
What final?
The world cup.
- Oh, ok.
- You don't watch soccer?
My dad says it's a sport
corrupted by money.
But we're allowed to
watch Roland Garros,
the Tour de France, and rugby.
You're not your father.
You don't have to do
everything he says, do you?
There's a light in my
life shining over me.
Do you know it?
There's a light.
In my life.
Shining over me, yeah.
Let your blessings from above.
What are you listening to?
Military songs?
In my life shining over me.
Lord, sometimes
I sit and wonder.
Why strange things happen to me.
Then again I feel.
My friends are all gone, yeah.
But if I put my trust in Jesus.
My balance will return.
Don't you see there's a light.
In my life.
Shining over me.
Lord, walk with me, talk with me.
Please, stay close by my side.
Be my shelter, be my comfort.
Be my guide, yeah.
I was blind, but now I see.
Jesus came and he rescued me.
So?
What do you think of me?
Very classy.
My assignment in
Madagascar is confirmed.
- Oh, cool.
- I need to get back in the saddle.
There'll be some dressage.
Have you made up with the instructor?
No. Your club will do.
And in the meantime,
I'll give you a ride.
Ladies.
So, how was the sleepover?
Come back whenever you want,
even if you're not friends anymore.
Here, for your parents.
Thank you, sir.
If she said yes, I wouldn't say no.
Hello.
Hello.
- Hello.
- Hi.
It's a size 44,
leather. I don't fit in it anymore.
They'll be more useful
to you than to me.
They came from the
Cadre Noir in Saumur.
Thank you. I'm a size 42,
and my boots fit me well,
- but...
- My father
wants to get back on a horse.
I don't have any horses
available this week
because of the training sessions, but...
Next week?
All right.
See you next week, then.
- Dad?
- Hm?
Sunday night,
do we have anything planned?
Why?
The instructor's wife is
looking for a babysitter.
I could save up and buy
myself some new boots.
If it's paid, why not.
- Go ahead, go ahead.
- Cheers.
He'll make an excellent
apprentice sommelier.
I bet 10 francs he won't get it right.
A purple hue, rather dark.
Aroma
woody, or fruity,
with a hint of tobacco or yeast.
It has a nice finish.
It must be...
A good wine.
I only have good wines.
Grape variety, vineyard,
vintage, estate?
And the price, in your opinion?
Rich in tannins, full-bodied, powerful,
concentrated.
Saint-milion, 1990 vintage.
It deserved to age
rather than be wasted.
These wines belong as much
to me as they do to him.
Is it true that you're a lesbian?
Well, no, why?
My parents said that because
you wrote poems to a girl.
And then, since you invited
your friend Latitia...
That's nonsense!
It was for a presentation on poetry.
We had to do a portrait,
so I chose my counselor.
I wish she were my mother.
You know, when I was in the us,
I couldn't stop thinking about you.
I missed you so much.
In my host family,
I had a little sister,
but she was such a pain.
And a little silly, too.
That's when I realized you were...
An amazing little sister.
Because you succeed at everything...
You're pretty...
You're beautiful...
It's the same thing.
You're smart, you're brave.
I really mean it.
In the us, I was "The Frenchie".
So cute, so romantic.
All the girls wanted
to go out with me.
At 15,
if you haven't had sex,
you're a loser.
I'm not a loser.
I'm a winner.
You think I'm an idiot,
but I know more than you do.
I don't believe you, and I don't care.
I swear.
I've slept with tons of girls.
They wanted me to go down on them.
I don't care, I'm telling you.
Do you know what that is?
Cunnilingus.
I'm an expert at cunnilingus now.
Cunnilingus.
Bet you 50 francs you couldn't do it.
Risk 1.
To defend is to protect one's
territory from threats.
Risk move 2.
To reduce is to diminish
the opponent's potential.
I can't do it.
You can smell the fish.
Fuck you.
Do you think I should talk
to my therapist about this?
You owe me 50 francs.
Things were going really well in bed.
I can teach you a thing or two.
- But the swimsuit!
- You smell like fish.
We'll get used to her vertical smile.
- It's called the oedipus complex.
- ...With vinegar.
If she said yes, I wouldn't say no.
What about me?
Did you sleep well?
Are they infected?
No.
I have to be at my
babysitting job at 7.
All right.
- Is she giving you a ride?
- Yes.
Oh, there you are.
Have you always wanted
to be an instructor?
No.
I had a grudge against humans.
I preferred animals.
What about you? Do you
know what you want to do?
I thought about becoming
a vet at one point.
But my mom said you only
see sick or dead animals.
Soon, you'll be able to
make your own choices.
Childhood isn't a life sentence.
Do you know the legend
of the two wolves?
There's the black wolf,
manipulative, hot-tempered, threatening,
who rules through fear, who kills.
And there is the white wolf,
welcoming, joyful,
peaceful, who helps
and supports others.
Every man has these two wolves that
are constantly fighting each other.
In one version of the legend,
the one you feed wins.
But I prefer a more complex one.
She says that if you feed only one, the
other will fight even harder to survive.
But if you feed both,
you will find balance within yourself.
Our two wolves need each other.
The black wolf isn't all flaws.
He can be brave,
which the white wolf sometimes lacks.
Are you coming?
Come on.
There we go.
We're, we're in the finals
Wouldn't you like to be my dad?
I'm your instructor.
That's not bad, is it?
I'm not sure I'd make a good dad.
You should ask Malle.
In my opinion, sometimes
she'd like to switch.
Go, Les Bleus.
These humans are a bit off,
aren't they?
We are the champions
Come with us!
One, two, and three-zero
Good night, dad.
Good night.
Here.
I recorded a track for you.
A rap song.
Well, good night.
Damn it! I gained a pound.
It's the cream you put in the food.
If you teach him to drive the
way you tie his shoelaces,
he'll get his license when he's 40.
I should have left him
with the housekeeper.
Damn it!
Give way to the right.
Nothing on the right.
The other right?
Yes.
That's right, yeah.
The other right.
Hello.
Hello.
Dow!
Here you go.
Philippe.
Goodbye.
She wants to be mounted
by an Alpha male.
Have you been to war, sir?
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
He who wants peace prepares
for war and wages it.
- Have you killed people?
- Of course. I've always wanted
to hear bullets whistling.
Ok.
Everyone let go of their reins
and take off your stirrups.
I'm going to tell you a story.
- Quietly, that's it.
- One day,
I saw a gazelle on the top of a Ridge.
Without turning off my Jeep's
engine, I stand up and...
I shoot.
At 150 meters, the gazelle
is still looking at me.
I ask the driver to
turn off the engine.
I shoot again.
- All right, let's start the warm-up.
- The gazelle is watching me.
I get out, lean on the
hood, and shoot...
You can talk later.
The gazelle keeps going.
I lie down,
I shoot again.
The gazelle is still looking at me.
I fire three more rounds. And then,
finally, the gazelle disappears.
- Calmly.
- When we went to check, we saw
that there were two dead gazelles.
One with seven bullet holes,
and the other, just one.
Please.
There.
Sir,
we're taking it slowly.
His muscles are cold.
Keep a light hand.
Excuse me?
I'm not going to let
a p4 push me around.
That horse is fit for
the slaughterhouse.
I don't see what you're teaching
with horses like these.
Everything you seem to be
unaware of, apparently.
P4...
Stay focused, please.
I'll wait for you in the car.
You've been here for 20 minutes.
Mom says you're wasting water when
people in Africa don't have enough.
I don't care.
I won't have any hot
water left for my shower.
It's already cold.
What are they doing?
They're watching a movie dubbed
into French. It's boring.
Did you listen to my tape?
No.
You know, my biggest fantasy
is to make you come.
And mom, too.
Do you think I should talk
to my therapist about this?
Risk move 3: Enter enemy territory.
Try to stay put or flee.
Risk roll 4: Kill.
Risk move 3: Fight, invade,
penetrate enemy territory.
Risk roll 3: Invade.
Risk roll 4: Kill.
Risk move 3: Fight,
penetrate enemy territory.
Risk roll 4: Kill.
Risk roll 3: Enter enemy territory.
Risk roll 3:
Penetrate enemy territory.
I was like a soldier in his trench.
When he can no longer
bear to wait for danger,
he goes out, runs, and goes to get it.
Here, just do what they do.
Risk 3: Entering enemy territory
and attempt to survive there or flee.
Risk roll 4: Kill.
Risk roll 3: Fight,
invade enemy territory.
Risk move 3: Invade,
penetrate the enemy's territory.
I can't do it.
You're too tight.
Help me, please.
You can't leave me like this.
I'm sure it lasted two
and a half minutes.
But my arm feels like
it lasted forever.
I thought that if he got what he wanted,
we wouldn't talk about it anymore.
But 30 years later,
I'm still talking about it.
Let's go in.
Well then?
Are you sick? What's wrong with you?
My stomach hurts.
- That's it!
- You're on your period, you're a woman!
No, I have a stomachache.
- I just want to sleep.
- Given your mood, I bet that's it.
I'll go get you some granules.
Cassandra is on her period!
She's a woman!
Well done, son.
All those resumes are
finally paying off,
- all those cover letters.
- It's about time.
A three-star restaurant, no less.
Here's to your apprenticeship!
- Look me in the eye!
- That's bad luck.
Bravo, bravo, bravo.
When are you coming home?
Midnight, not before.
We'll get your brother settled in,
have dinner at a restaurant,
then it'll be time to head home.
Come on, front seat!
You stay home,
don't open the door to anyone
and lock yourself in
when it gets dark.
Ok.
Bye.
- He was great.
- Yeah, he's improved.
Hi.
Hi.
Want to try?
Close your eyes and let yourself go.
Have a drink, it'll make it hurt less.
There you go, ma'am.
I think I'm drunk.
I don't think so, I'm sure.
Cassandra, did you
take your mom's car?
Your dad's coming.
I think he'll love it.
Can you take it off?
No, I can't.
You need to drink coffee
and eat to sober up.
Am I bothering you?
You don't respect me.
You don't respect anything!
Get your things.
You can say goodbye
to your new friends.
I'll have you charged with
pedophilia. It won't be long now.
- Come on.
- Dad.
Something happened.
With Philippe.
He touched me.
And...
He asked me to touch him.
It's not their fault.
My keys.
It happened all the
time in ancient Egypt.
And it still happens in every family.
Here's the proof.
It's no big deal.
I've seen pedophilia,
sadism, homosexuality,
at a junior seminary.
I was ten years old.
A friend of mine had a sadistic
priest as his spiritual father.
He didn't want to switch.
That clearly proves
that he enjoyed it, too.
From the age of 7, a person is
responsible for themselves.
If you didn't defend yourself,
it's because you enjoyed it.
What did you say?
You've always been jealous.
You've always wanted to hurt him.
If it happened, you caused it.
You're much stronger than he is.
You can't deny it.
You're much smarter than he is.
You recorded the truth right there.
You took the bet,
you put this tape in.
I'm going to make copies
to have proof.
Nobody goes to jail over
a little "touchy-touchy."
I won't hand her over!
I'm going to save my daughter!
It's normal for siblings
to explore each other.
But...
We used to wash ourselves
in the kitchen!
When I started getting body hair,
my mom yelled at my brothers.
"Get out of here!"
She told me, "you have hair
on your private parts,
that's normal, you're growing up",
from now on, you'll wash yourself!
The way she did it
really traumatized me.
My little brother Franois,
he used to stick his fingers in there.
Well, yeah!
One finger, two, three,
it hurts, but it's okay, here you go,
doctor, thank you, goodbye.
You played "touch the
pee," that's all!
It's none of our business,
it's your business.
I really was raped.
Well, I didn't make a
big deal out of it.
Do you feel dirty?
Well, you go wash up, and move on!
Oh, really?
Were you raped?
That's news to me. When?
Before I met you,
when I was 23, at work.
It wasn't really rape,
or you would have told me about it.
My mother passed on a quality to me.
She was dignified.
We make do with what we have,
we hide our troubles.
And we don't go begging.
I wish for one thing for you.
That you focus on your studies.
So you'll never owe anyone anything
and can earn your own money!
I'm tired.
You're going to bed.
Come on.
To bed, I said.
Come on, get on.
Where do you want to go?
I'll take you wherever you want.
It's up to you, ok?
When people are nice to me,
it makes me want to cry.
Well, go ahead.
Cry.
You know what?
You can spit on me,
blow your nose on my shirt.