1 00:00:01,767 --> 00:00:03,758 VAGABOND 2 00:00:04,007 --> 00:00:06,726 Recollections, Interviews & Comments 3 00:00:06,967 --> 00:00:09,401 (18 years after the film's release) 4 00:00:11,767 --> 00:00:13,883 A policeman once told me 5 00:00:14,047 --> 00:00:16,686 he'd found a young man's body under a tree. 6 00:00:16,847 --> 00:00:18,644 He said he'd died of cold. 7 00:00:18,807 --> 00:00:20,798 Though I knew nothing about him, 8 00:00:20,967 --> 00:00:23,322 I've never forgotten that young man. 9 00:00:24,927 --> 00:00:27,760 Certain landscapes tickle one's inspiration. 10 00:00:28,607 --> 00:00:31,405 One near Montpellier had that effect on me: 11 00:00:31,567 --> 00:00:34,001 A hillock and two cypress trees. 12 00:00:34,887 --> 00:00:36,479 I've known them for ages. 13 00:00:36,647 --> 00:00:40,435 They're partly there to be in one of my films. 14 00:00:41,207 --> 00:00:44,244 I first saw this landscape during the war. 15 00:00:44,407 --> 00:00:45,760 I often went back. 16 00:00:46,687 --> 00:00:50,202 I prefer this region to Provence as it's more rugged. 17 00:00:50,407 --> 00:00:51,726 Hotter than you'd think 18 00:00:52,087 --> 00:00:54,123 and colder than you'd imagine. 19 00:00:54,647 --> 00:00:56,797 The same trees but different. 20 00:00:57,167 --> 00:00:58,486 Lone cypress trees 21 00:00:58,687 --> 00:01:00,996 or close together to provide shelter. 22 00:01:01,207 --> 00:01:03,960 Less decorative pines than on the Riviera. 23 00:01:04,527 --> 00:01:06,961 And plane trees which were dying out 24 00:01:07,487 --> 00:01:11,002 in 1984 when I was preparing the film. 25 00:01:11,847 --> 00:01:13,121 I gather material 26 00:01:13,287 --> 00:01:15,278 like writers before they write. 27 00:01:15,447 --> 00:01:17,358 They gather information. 28 00:01:17,527 --> 00:01:20,644 I travel around, investigating and visiting people. 29 00:01:20,807 --> 00:01:22,843 I talk, I learn things. 30 00:01:23,007 --> 00:01:25,475 I investigated plane trees at length. 31 00:01:25,647 --> 00:01:27,365 I did research 32 00:01:27,527 --> 00:01:31,440 into vagabonds and vagrants and where they're to be found. 33 00:01:31,607 --> 00:01:33,962 It takes time to visit shelters, 34 00:01:34,127 --> 00:01:37,164 mobile blood banks, and railway stations. 35 00:01:37,327 --> 00:01:40,683 It's wonderfully fulfilling work, but work nonetheless. 36 00:01:42,327 --> 00:01:44,636 I frequented railway stations at night 37 00:01:45,567 --> 00:01:47,637 to meet those who sleep there. 38 00:01:49,047 --> 00:01:52,562 I traveled the country to meet these vagabonds. 39 00:01:53,967 --> 00:01:57,164 The poor, the homeless, dirty and rebellious, 40 00:01:58,127 --> 00:02:00,004 drug addicts and drunks. 41 00:02:00,167 --> 00:02:01,646 They deeply moved me. 42 00:02:01,807 --> 00:02:03,798 Pr�vert would have liked them. 43 00:02:04,287 --> 00:02:07,245 No one talked about the homeless back in '84. 44 00:02:07,407 --> 00:02:12,322 "SDF" (French for "homeless") Was still police jargon. 45 00:02:13,407 --> 00:02:15,204 The Emma�s charity was dormant. 46 00:02:15,367 --> 00:02:17,881 "Restaurants of the Heart" didn't exist. 47 00:02:18,047 --> 00:02:22,245 I wanted to film young people who have no roof and dislike the law: 48 00:02:22,687 --> 00:02:24,405 I wanted to film freedom 49 00:02:24,607 --> 00:02:25,756 and dirt: 50 00:02:25,927 --> 00:02:28,964 And tell the story of a girl on the road. 51 00:02:29,567 --> 00:02:33,321 I think that Mona is a girl of today, by which I mean 52 00:02:33,487 --> 00:02:37,924 that vagrants have been around since the Middle Ages, 53 00:02:38,087 --> 00:02:41,079 but women on the road on their own 54 00:02:41,287 --> 00:02:43,801 are a relatively recent phenomenon. 55 00:02:43,967 --> 00:02:46,527 They impress me even more than boys 56 00:02:46,687 --> 00:02:49,247 simply because it's an impressive sight. 57 00:02:49,407 --> 00:02:52,638 I've seen single girls camping out in the snow 58 00:02:52,807 --> 00:02:56,766 when it's -4 degrees outside in doorways. 59 00:02:57,207 --> 00:02:59,641 I've seen them in the shelters. 60 00:03:00,167 --> 00:03:01,600 And on the whole, 61 00:03:01,807 --> 00:03:04,367 they don't whine or act miserable. 62 00:03:06,047 --> 00:03:08,515 To "feel" the road like a female drifter 63 00:03:08,687 --> 00:03:11,121 who people are wary of or reject, 64 00:03:11,567 --> 00:03:14,206 I walked... without a backpack though. 65 00:03:15,047 --> 00:03:18,437 I never imagined during the difficult preproduction 66 00:03:18,607 --> 00:03:22,077 that the film would be a success and before that, 67 00:03:22,367 --> 00:03:25,518 that it'd go to the Venice Festival. 68 00:03:26,647 --> 00:03:29,036 Here we are, Sandrine, Macha and I 69 00:03:29,567 --> 00:03:33,845 among all the grand festival-goers in our Sunday best. 70 00:03:35,847 --> 00:03:37,724 We offered our guests 71 00:03:37,887 --> 00:03:40,845 white plastic cups of wine from Le Gard, 72 00:03:41,087 --> 00:03:44,875 wine from the vineyards where we filmed a vagabond. 73 00:03:45,567 --> 00:03:48,320 And surprise! It won the Golden Lion. 74 00:03:48,487 --> 00:03:52,400 I was very pleased, because Fellini was there that night. 75 00:03:52,927 --> 00:03:57,000 I think that a silver dog would've been more appropriate 76 00:03:57,207 --> 00:04:01,086 since the dogs in the film are aggressive or strays. 77 00:04:02,287 --> 00:04:03,606 A character grows 78 00:04:03,807 --> 00:04:06,605 out of a good idea and a strong personality. 79 00:04:07,207 --> 00:04:09,801 I asked Sandrine as I think she's great. 80 00:04:09,967 --> 00:04:11,878 She's talented and rebellious. 81 00:04:12,287 --> 00:04:14,164 When you asked me, you said 82 00:04:14,327 --> 00:04:17,239 she's a smelly girl who never says "thank you". 83 00:04:21,327 --> 00:04:23,921 Whatever happens to her, she's not a victim. 84 00:04:24,447 --> 00:04:26,358 And things sure happen to her. 85 00:04:26,527 --> 00:04:27,960 She's not a victim. 86 00:04:28,127 --> 00:04:29,321 She likes freedom 87 00:04:29,527 --> 00:04:31,358 for freedom's sake, 88 00:04:31,527 --> 00:04:32,721 not to annoy 89 00:04:33,247 --> 00:04:34,805 her parents or society. 90 00:04:35,007 --> 00:04:36,884 She doesn't have an ideology. 91 00:04:37,087 --> 00:04:39,442 She wants people to get off her back. 92 00:04:39,927 --> 00:04:42,361 I like the fact that she's not talkative 93 00:04:42,527 --> 00:04:45,997 about herself, that she remains a mystery. 94 00:04:46,167 --> 00:04:49,284 Who is she? Where's she from? We never find out. 95 00:04:52,167 --> 00:04:56,524 I'm fascinated by this character, because she's really brave. 96 00:04:56,767 --> 00:04:59,281 All she has is a tent and a backpack. 97 00:04:59,447 --> 00:05:01,517 She's happy in herself. 98 00:05:01,687 --> 00:05:03,678 She makes do with very little. 99 00:05:03,847 --> 00:05:05,917 She doesn't give a shit. 100 00:05:06,087 --> 00:05:08,760 She doesn't need anyone, which I find amazing. 101 00:05:11,647 --> 00:05:14,525 What I find amazing is the way you played Mona. 102 00:05:14,687 --> 00:05:17,042 How, at 17 and a half, 103 00:05:17,207 --> 00:05:20,085 could you express such rage, 104 00:05:20,247 --> 00:05:22,044 such violence? 105 00:05:22,647 --> 00:05:25,525 At 17 and a half, I didn't understand much. 106 00:05:25,687 --> 00:05:27,405 I just did it. 107 00:05:28,567 --> 00:05:32,116 I was just there. Sometimes I really wasn't acting, 108 00:05:32,287 --> 00:05:34,084 because I had no references. 109 00:05:34,247 --> 00:05:36,886 I think it was my third or fourth film. 110 00:05:37,047 --> 00:05:41,006 I felt that I just had to be there. 111 00:05:45,647 --> 00:05:47,603 Sandrine, you're a prize kicker! 112 00:05:48,007 --> 00:05:51,079 You were great at something I really appreciated: 113 00:05:51,247 --> 00:05:52,566 Providing a presence 114 00:05:53,447 --> 00:05:56,678 and an intensity at every moment. 115 00:05:57,087 --> 00:05:58,759 When Mona sees 116 00:05:58,967 --> 00:06:02,039 that the painting is torn, we really feel 117 00:06:02,847 --> 00:06:05,042 Sandrine's disappointment and rage. 118 00:06:05,527 --> 00:06:07,279 When Mona repairs her boot, 119 00:06:07,447 --> 00:06:09,836 Sandrine is as one with the boot. 120 00:06:10,887 --> 00:06:13,321 When Mona eats sardines with her fingers, 121 00:06:13,487 --> 00:06:17,685 Sandrine communicates the feel and smell of the sardines. 122 00:06:20,047 --> 00:06:21,526 Her talent earned her 123 00:06:21,727 --> 00:06:23,877 a "C�sar" for best actress. 124 00:06:26,087 --> 00:06:28,362 Sandrine was pleased and proud, 125 00:06:28,527 --> 00:06:32,361 but worried that she'd get typecast as a dirty, tough girl, 126 00:06:32,527 --> 00:06:35,917 so she kept saying that she and Mona were different. 127 00:06:36,447 --> 00:06:39,041 It's not me at all. I mean, I'm not... 128 00:06:39,207 --> 00:06:42,438 I'm a pretty gentle, cheerful person. 129 00:06:43,847 --> 00:06:46,680 In Venice, people saw I hadn't flattered 130 00:06:46,847 --> 00:06:49,680 her figure, her beauty and her youthful grace, 131 00:06:49,847 --> 00:06:53,522 but she played the game. She accepted the conditions. 132 00:06:55,167 --> 00:06:58,318 I must admit I enjoyed being dirty. It was fun. 133 00:07:00,087 --> 00:07:01,406 Mind you, I couldn't 134 00:07:01,607 --> 00:07:03,563 wash my hair for 2 months. 135 00:07:03,727 --> 00:07:05,319 I just used dry shampoo 136 00:07:05,487 --> 00:07:07,125 so I didn't get lice. 137 00:07:07,287 --> 00:07:09,755 There was makeup too: Yellowed teeth, 138 00:07:09,927 --> 00:07:11,963 glue to make my lips look chapped, 139 00:07:12,127 --> 00:07:14,243 and things to make me look dirty. 140 00:07:15,047 --> 00:07:17,038 Dirt is one of the film's themes. 141 00:07:17,207 --> 00:07:19,721 Mona is rejected, because she's dirty. 142 00:07:19,887 --> 00:07:23,596 Our society rejects dirt even more than poverty. 143 00:07:23,767 --> 00:07:26,440 I once took part in a radio debate. 144 00:07:26,607 --> 00:07:28,916 One speaker really understood this idea 145 00:07:29,087 --> 00:07:31,396 since he'd written a book about it. 146 00:07:32,007 --> 00:07:35,363 I gave a ride to a hitchhiker, a sort of vagrant... 147 00:07:35,767 --> 00:07:37,485 My lord, how she stank! 148 00:07:37,647 --> 00:07:39,842 When she got in, I nearly choked. 149 00:07:40,007 --> 00:07:42,805 Everything stank: Her sleeping-bag, her pack... 150 00:07:42,967 --> 00:07:44,446 She was filthy... 151 00:07:44,967 --> 00:07:48,516 Stopping to give a girl a lift 152 00:07:48,687 --> 00:07:50,564 is already making a gesture. 153 00:07:50,727 --> 00:07:53,525 I don't always. Me personally - Macha. 154 00:07:53,967 --> 00:07:55,878 If I'm on my own in my car 155 00:07:56,047 --> 00:07:58,515 and I see a dirty girl like that, 156 00:07:58,687 --> 00:08:00,325 I'm not sure I'll stop. 157 00:08:00,527 --> 00:08:02,324 Would you give her a lift? 158 00:08:02,487 --> 00:08:03,636 That was the spirit 159 00:08:03,847 --> 00:08:05,917 of the promotional campaign: 160 00:08:06,087 --> 00:08:07,805 To question every moviegoer, 161 00:08:07,967 --> 00:08:09,798 make them react to Mona, 162 00:08:10,647 --> 00:08:12,000 call them to witness, 163 00:08:12,367 --> 00:08:14,278 and express their opinions. 164 00:08:16,727 --> 00:08:18,683 The advertising also included 165 00:08:19,767 --> 00:08:21,723 billboards in the subway 166 00:08:22,687 --> 00:08:24,040 suggesting that girls 167 00:08:24,247 --> 00:08:27,159 can become vagrants in 3 stages, using 3 visuals: 168 00:08:28,247 --> 00:08:29,680 Standing upright, 169 00:08:29,847 --> 00:08:31,678 then slumped, eating a sandwich, 170 00:08:31,847 --> 00:08:34,281 then as a bum, sleeping on a bench. 171 00:08:35,687 --> 00:08:37,518 So you sleep alone outside? 172 00:08:40,527 --> 00:08:42,085 For the fun of it? 173 00:08:42,447 --> 00:08:43,926 Or because you have to? 174 00:08:44,967 --> 00:08:46,195 That's it. 175 00:08:46,367 --> 00:08:49,325 - You don't have a home? - Yeah, that's it... 176 00:08:52,727 --> 00:08:55,161 - No family to go to? - Nothing much. 177 00:08:57,127 --> 00:08:59,243 My questions bother you? 178 00:08:59,887 --> 00:09:03,675 You made my character a scientist. Her job 179 00:09:03,887 --> 00:09:07,562 is looking after endangered trees. 180 00:09:07,727 --> 00:09:09,285 A plane-tree specialist. 181 00:09:09,447 --> 00:09:12,120 I know a lot about the subject now. 182 00:09:12,287 --> 00:09:16,883 I talk about Ceratocystis... fimbriata. 183 00:09:17,087 --> 00:09:19,840 Infection by fungus. I know all that. 184 00:09:20,007 --> 00:09:22,567 - Canker stain. - Right! 185 00:09:23,327 --> 00:09:27,115 The National Institute for Agronomic Research gave me 186 00:09:27,327 --> 00:09:30,205 information on how to combat the disease. 187 00:09:30,447 --> 00:09:33,166 I wanted people to understand the issue. 188 00:09:33,927 --> 00:09:35,838 We see the technician 189 00:09:36,007 --> 00:09:37,645 taking a sample. 190 00:09:37,847 --> 00:09:40,645 I wanted Mrs. Landier to talk to Mona about it. 191 00:09:40,807 --> 00:09:42,763 - Who treats them? - Technicians. 192 00:09:42,967 --> 00:09:45,845 A fungus that invades the tree and kills it. 193 00:09:46,527 --> 00:09:48,597 We can't stop it. Not yet. 194 00:09:49,287 --> 00:09:51,118 All plane-trees are doomed. 195 00:09:51,727 --> 00:09:52,876 When? 196 00:09:53,807 --> 00:09:56,275 Within 30 years. Unless we solve it. 197 00:09:58,567 --> 00:10:00,523 We even made farmers 198 00:10:00,687 --> 00:10:02,882 have their sickest trees cut down 199 00:10:03,047 --> 00:10:05,766 and I filmed one of those scenes. 200 00:10:10,007 --> 00:10:12,441 It had to be carefully coordinated, 201 00:10:12,607 --> 00:10:15,246 because we didn't have a second chance. 202 00:10:17,567 --> 00:10:19,285 As for Mrs. Landier... 203 00:10:19,607 --> 00:10:22,326 There's something of a sociologist about her, 204 00:10:22,487 --> 00:10:24,398 understanding a girl like that. 205 00:10:25,407 --> 00:10:27,443 Sometimes I work. Any old thing... 206 00:10:27,607 --> 00:10:29,837 Picking strawberries, grape harvest... 207 00:10:30,007 --> 00:10:31,918 I'd like to babysit. 208 00:10:32,327 --> 00:10:35,558 - Dressed like that? - I don't have the right look! 209 00:10:35,727 --> 00:10:38,366 Not the clean look that parents like. 210 00:10:38,567 --> 00:10:41,559 We aspire to justice, not to charity, 211 00:10:41,727 --> 00:10:45,003 but unfortunately, there are cases like that 212 00:10:45,167 --> 00:10:47,442 which are so cruel. You try to help 213 00:10:47,607 --> 00:10:49,996 by giving something: Loose change, 214 00:10:50,167 --> 00:10:52,727 a sandwich, or in the film, the "chichis". 215 00:10:52,887 --> 00:10:55,355 I love the scene where we eat "chichis". 216 00:10:56,327 --> 00:10:58,443 - They're "chichis". - What? 217 00:10:58,607 --> 00:10:59,926 Local delicacy. 218 00:11:02,327 --> 00:11:05,000 You don't think you'll really do any good, 219 00:11:05,167 --> 00:11:07,556 but you can't just abandon them. 220 00:11:07,727 --> 00:11:13,563 You believe that they're already past the point of no-return. 221 00:11:14,247 --> 00:11:15,521 Be careful. 222 00:11:20,327 --> 00:11:21,806 Bread for some bread? 223 00:11:23,847 --> 00:11:26,520 She doesn't contribute to society. 224 00:11:26,727 --> 00:11:29,116 I'm more on the side... 225 00:11:29,527 --> 00:11:32,405 of people who judge people like that. 226 00:11:32,567 --> 00:11:34,717 You think we shouldn't judge them? 227 00:11:35,807 --> 00:11:37,718 No, I'm not very judgmental. 228 00:11:37,887 --> 00:11:39,639 The film doesn't judge her. 229 00:11:39,807 --> 00:11:41,206 That's the beauty of it. 230 00:11:44,487 --> 00:11:47,126 A woman gives Mona a lift quite simply 231 00:11:47,287 --> 00:11:48,879 to help her out. 232 00:11:49,647 --> 00:11:53,083 Take out your things and wait for me in the hall. 233 00:11:53,927 --> 00:11:56,236 She brings her into her boss's house. 234 00:11:56,407 --> 00:11:58,238 Madame's sister died in there. 235 00:11:58,407 --> 00:12:00,284 There's a spare room. 236 00:12:00,687 --> 00:12:03,406 I couldn't wait to see Mona put 237 00:12:03,607 --> 00:12:07,282 her filthy boots on the embroidered white cotton bedspread. 238 00:12:09,007 --> 00:12:11,043 Yolande Moreau is now 239 00:12:11,207 --> 00:12:13,402 a famous comic actress in France. 240 00:12:13,567 --> 00:12:15,046 I met her in '84. 241 00:12:15,207 --> 00:12:18,995 She performed a monologue at the Avignon Fringe Festival. 242 00:12:19,167 --> 00:12:20,486 I put her in my short... 243 00:12:20,647 --> 00:12:22,365 Is everyone here? Can we eat? 244 00:12:22,727 --> 00:12:24,445 ..."7 Rooms, Kitchen, Bathroom". 245 00:12:24,847 --> 00:12:26,360 I love breaking eggs. 246 00:12:26,527 --> 00:12:28,404 She played the maid. 247 00:12:29,607 --> 00:12:32,440 Can't make an omelet without breaking eggs! 248 00:12:41,407 --> 00:12:44,080 Sir likes 'em nice 'n' dribbly! 249 00:12:45,647 --> 00:12:47,877 This time, I had her play the maid 250 00:12:48,047 --> 00:12:50,925 for a lady who insists on good housework. 251 00:12:52,127 --> 00:12:54,004 Be careful of my little cup! 252 00:12:54,167 --> 00:12:55,998 I'm very fond of it. 253 00:12:56,167 --> 00:12:58,886 The old lady has a 7-room apartment. 254 00:13:01,167 --> 00:13:02,919 So Yolande can put up Mona... 255 00:13:03,087 --> 00:13:04,315 It's high time! 256 00:13:04,607 --> 00:13:07,201 You know she wants to eat at 12:30 sharp. 257 00:13:07,367 --> 00:13:08,800 ...and her foul boyfriend. 258 00:13:08,967 --> 00:13:10,320 You slept all morning. 259 00:13:10,487 --> 00:13:12,523 I'm sick of being cooped up here. 260 00:13:14,007 --> 00:13:17,841 I wish that Paulo would dream with me, 261 00:13:18,287 --> 00:13:20,039 like the lovers in the ch�teau 262 00:13:20,767 --> 00:13:22,359 in each other's arms. 263 00:13:24,087 --> 00:13:26,806 The characters are connected. Yolande's uncle 264 00:13:27,007 --> 00:13:28,281 guards a ch�teau. 265 00:13:28,447 --> 00:13:31,200 Mona squats it with another vagrant. 266 00:13:39,327 --> 00:13:41,397 When I had grass, she was nice. 267 00:13:42,287 --> 00:13:44,517 But less so when I ran out. 268 00:13:45,887 --> 00:13:48,355 When I got slugged, she split. 269 00:13:48,927 --> 00:13:51,202 When you play an unpleasant character, 270 00:13:51,367 --> 00:13:53,483 you always want to find excuses... 271 00:13:54,447 --> 00:13:57,564 You want to like her so that you can... 272 00:13:57,767 --> 00:14:00,281 I like to create an unpleasant character. 273 00:14:00,527 --> 00:14:03,519 She's free, alone, selfish, and she walks. 274 00:14:04,727 --> 00:14:06,683 These long traveling shots 275 00:14:06,847 --> 00:14:09,759 are discussed in another bonus on this DVD. 276 00:14:10,807 --> 00:14:13,958 All the characters Mona meets bear witness to her 277 00:14:14,127 --> 00:14:16,436 and form a portrait of this stranger. 278 00:14:16,647 --> 00:14:19,036 They're all a piece of a jigsaw puzzle 279 00:14:19,207 --> 00:14:21,437 which is inevitably incomplete. 280 00:14:22,127 --> 00:14:24,243 I gave each comment a certain form. 281 00:14:24,407 --> 00:14:28,036 The dark image lights up at the person's words, 282 00:14:28,207 --> 00:14:31,199 then at the end, goes dark again. 283 00:14:31,367 --> 00:14:34,279 It's what's known as a fade-in, fade-out. 284 00:14:34,647 --> 00:14:37,400 It acts as a parenthesis or quotation. 285 00:14:38,967 --> 00:14:41,925 The spontaneous comments are filmed normally. 286 00:14:42,167 --> 00:14:45,637 They often tell us more about themselves than about Mona, 287 00:14:45,807 --> 00:14:49,402 depending on whether they pity, judge or admire her. 288 00:14:50,847 --> 00:14:52,565 She's got character. 289 00:14:53,567 --> 00:14:55,159 She knows what she wants. 290 00:14:56,167 --> 00:14:58,635 If I'd sent you packing at her age, 291 00:15:00,767 --> 00:15:02,200 I'd be better off. 292 00:15:02,607 --> 00:15:06,395 Marry the wrong man and you're stuck for life. 293 00:15:07,527 --> 00:15:08,846 I liked that hippie. 294 00:15:10,447 --> 00:15:12,563 She came out of nowhere. 295 00:15:12,807 --> 00:15:15,844 She sat down by the fire. She seemed to be cold. 296 00:15:18,407 --> 00:15:21,956 Dare I speak to her? I didn't know if I should. 297 00:15:22,727 --> 00:15:25,878 Girls who wander around are quite rare. 298 00:15:26,887 --> 00:15:29,481 To be all alone like that... 299 00:15:29,927 --> 00:15:31,963 I should've spoken to her. 300 00:15:36,207 --> 00:15:37,879 She blew in like the wind. 301 00:15:38,367 --> 00:15:40,323 No plans, no goals... 302 00:15:40,487 --> 00:15:42,682 No wishes, no wants... 303 00:15:43,327 --> 00:15:45,158 We suggested things to her. 304 00:15:45,327 --> 00:15:47,921 She didn't want to do a thing. 305 00:15:49,927 --> 00:15:51,599 Wandering? That's withering! 306 00:15:51,767 --> 00:15:56,079 By proving she's useless, she helps a system she rejects. 307 00:15:56,607 --> 00:15:58,916 It's not wandering, it's withering. 308 00:16:03,327 --> 00:16:06,125 I met this man when out walking near N�mes. 309 00:16:06,527 --> 00:16:08,882 I went back with my crew. 310 00:16:09,287 --> 00:16:11,562 He'd been a philosophy teacher 311 00:16:11,767 --> 00:16:14,361 who'd quit to go back to nature 312 00:16:14,767 --> 00:16:17,042 with his wife and kid to breed goats 313 00:16:17,207 --> 00:16:20,119 and sell their cheese far away from society. 314 00:16:20,887 --> 00:16:23,117 He agreed to repeat his thoughts 315 00:16:23,727 --> 00:16:24,637 for the film... 316 00:16:24,807 --> 00:16:26,001 You don't get lonely? 317 00:16:26,207 --> 00:16:28,675 ...and to play himself opposite Mona. 318 00:16:28,847 --> 00:16:30,599 I don't care, I move. 319 00:16:31,087 --> 00:16:34,523 Maybe you're freer than I am. Good for you. 320 00:16:35,727 --> 00:16:37,285 The time comes when... 321 00:16:37,447 --> 00:16:39,802 if you go on, you destroy yourself. 322 00:16:40,447 --> 00:16:41,675 You head for destruction. 323 00:16:41,887 --> 00:16:44,959 My friends who stayed on the road are dead now. 324 00:16:45,167 --> 00:16:47,601 The loneliness ate them up, in the end. 325 00:16:50,487 --> 00:16:52,921 If you want to live, you stop. 326 00:16:53,607 --> 00:16:57,236 But Mona refuses to stop or to get on with other outsiders. 327 00:16:57,407 --> 00:16:59,045 She refuses other people. 328 00:16:59,207 --> 00:17:01,596 She rejects them as she is rejected. 329 00:17:04,207 --> 00:17:07,438 - Where can I buy cigarettes? - Not here. Further on. 330 00:17:12,807 --> 00:17:14,160 She walks. 331 00:17:14,407 --> 00:17:17,240 I realized I had to mark the passing of time 332 00:17:17,407 --> 00:17:18,886 through to her death. 333 00:17:19,247 --> 00:17:22,557 She's worn down by time, losing the little she has: 334 00:17:22,927 --> 00:17:25,805 A jacket whose zipper gradually gets stuck, 335 00:17:26,127 --> 00:17:28,800 down-at-heel boots, and a sleeping-bag. 336 00:17:29,527 --> 00:17:30,516 It's a film. 337 00:17:30,687 --> 00:17:32,757 We don't shoot the scenes in order, 338 00:17:32,927 --> 00:17:35,964 so we had 3 pairs of boots: A down-at-heel pair, 339 00:17:36,807 --> 00:17:39,321 a second with a broken zipper, 340 00:17:39,687 --> 00:17:41,484 and a third, worn-out pair 341 00:17:41,687 --> 00:17:45,362 with the lining over her feet like medieval "poulaine" shoes 342 00:17:45,527 --> 00:17:48,280 that miserable wretches used to wear. 343 00:17:51,007 --> 00:17:52,963 Her sleeping-bag - her cocoon, 344 00:17:53,367 --> 00:17:54,846 her cosy nest - 345 00:17:58,007 --> 00:18:00,396 was lost in the fire in the squat. 346 00:18:08,007 --> 00:18:10,362 All she has is this shabby blanket. 347 00:18:11,207 --> 00:18:12,196 This loss 348 00:18:12,407 --> 00:18:14,238 marks the beginning of her end 349 00:18:14,607 --> 00:18:18,361 when her rigid body is laid in that most atrocious bag, 350 00:18:18,967 --> 00:18:21,845 the white plastic body bag. 351 00:18:22,927 --> 00:18:27,159 Sandrine spoke in an interview of how she felt doing this scene: 352 00:18:28,207 --> 00:18:31,119 Being put alive into that plastic shroud was 353 00:18:31,287 --> 00:18:33,278 overwhelming. I was suffocating. 354 00:18:33,447 --> 00:18:35,358 I felt like discarded trash. 355 00:18:38,887 --> 00:18:42,163 We shot this scene as fast as possible, of course, 356 00:18:42,327 --> 00:18:47,640 but her words show that emotions are at the heart of an actor's work, 357 00:18:47,847 --> 00:18:50,202 even if she calls it "being there". 358 00:18:52,047 --> 00:18:53,446 Mona's only tribute 359 00:18:53,607 --> 00:18:57,282 comes from these men, farm workers and police. 360 00:18:57,447 --> 00:19:00,962 They are like characters in the nativity or in a painting. 361 00:19:01,127 --> 00:19:03,243 The hillock is like a burial mound. 362 00:19:03,407 --> 00:19:06,444 The two cypress trees guard Mona's temporary tomb 363 00:19:06,607 --> 00:19:09,519 before she goes from the ditch to potter's field. 364 00:19:10,527 --> 00:19:13,200 I wanted this girl who died of cold 365 00:19:13,367 --> 00:19:15,597 to be seen right from the start 366 00:19:15,767 --> 00:19:18,281 so that there's no hope of a reprieve. 367 00:19:18,647 --> 00:19:22,799 This terrible image corresponded to things that disturb me: 368 00:19:23,527 --> 00:19:27,759 That in the late 20th century, despite all the progress made, 369 00:19:27,927 --> 00:19:29,565 you could die of cold. 370 00:19:29,727 --> 00:19:32,082 Alas, it's still true 20 years later. 371 00:19:32,527 --> 00:19:37,317 Who died? Vagrants, the poor, old women, and this girl on her own. 372 00:19:38,207 --> 00:19:41,916 To imagine the reality of her death and what preceded it, 373 00:19:42,087 --> 00:19:44,123 to imagine that terrible image, 374 00:19:44,287 --> 00:19:47,279 and to remain outraged by such "incidents" - 375 00:19:47,447 --> 00:19:49,881 that's what spurred me on. 376 00:19:50,647 --> 00:19:52,524 The cold killed Mona. 377 00:19:52,687 --> 00:19:54,086 She was rebellious. 378 00:19:54,247 --> 00:19:56,203 The film is, too. 379 00:19:58,407 --> 00:20:01,126 Mich�le-L�a and I discussed it when visiting 380 00:20:01,327 --> 00:20:03,363 the two cypress trees. 381 00:20:03,887 --> 00:20:08,199 She'd agreed to join us, along with other non-professionals. 382 00:20:08,487 --> 00:20:10,079 I asked her to play... 383 00:20:10,287 --> 00:20:13,484 ...the kind of roadside hooker you sometimes see here. 384 00:20:13,647 --> 00:20:15,956 This was near Bellegarde cemetery. 385 00:20:20,567 --> 00:20:22,364 Wanna buy some cheese? 386 00:20:22,607 --> 00:20:24,404 Goat cheese. I work there. 387 00:20:24,727 --> 00:20:27,036 Never thought I'd do my shopping here! 388 00:20:27,247 --> 00:20:30,444 It caused me all sorts of trouble, 389 00:20:30,607 --> 00:20:32,165 especially with parents. 390 00:20:32,327 --> 00:20:33,680 I'm a math teacher. 391 00:20:33,847 --> 00:20:37,760 Some couldn't handle it. They confused the role and reality. 392 00:20:41,127 --> 00:20:42,799 Go away, you scare them off. 393 00:20:42,967 --> 00:20:45,527 Sorry to say that, but I "work" here. 394 00:20:48,767 --> 00:20:52,316 She kept in touch with B�bert, a tramp from N�mes. 395 00:20:52,487 --> 00:20:55,445 She kept me posted. She informed me of his death. 396 00:20:55,607 --> 00:20:57,677 She wrote an article about him. 397 00:20:58,447 --> 00:21:00,039 He was so pleased to play 398 00:21:00,247 --> 00:21:02,124 the harmonica in the film. 399 00:21:04,967 --> 00:21:07,356 I like asking real people to act 400 00:21:07,567 --> 00:21:09,285 in familiar surroundings, 401 00:21:09,487 --> 00:21:11,284 doing what they usually do. 402 00:21:12,047 --> 00:21:14,402 That's what this garage owner did. 403 00:21:15,207 --> 00:21:17,357 He and his son allowed me 404 00:21:17,527 --> 00:21:21,406 to shoot scenes inspired by his opinion of female drifters. 405 00:21:21,607 --> 00:21:23,404 Female drifters, all alike. 406 00:21:23,567 --> 00:21:25,080 Loafers and men-chasers. 407 00:21:25,367 --> 00:21:28,439 I gave her a car to wash. Got her hands clean! 408 00:21:29,167 --> 00:21:33,479 He let me add fiction to his role by making him the villain. 409 00:21:35,447 --> 00:21:38,837 Mona is more or less obliged to let him go with her. 410 00:21:39,167 --> 00:21:41,397 I wanted to provoke a bit of disgust 411 00:21:41,567 --> 00:21:44,559 when he comes out, pulling up his trousers. 412 00:21:45,127 --> 00:21:47,402 That scene with the garage owner 413 00:21:47,567 --> 00:21:50,286 adds to Mona's character. 414 00:21:50,447 --> 00:21:52,005 OK, she goes with him, 415 00:21:52,207 --> 00:21:55,404 but she couldn't really care less. 416 00:21:55,567 --> 00:21:58,525 I really think that's a powerful scene. 417 00:21:59,007 --> 00:22:01,123 She almost said I had dirty hands. 418 00:22:01,287 --> 00:22:03,243 No, that's not what she said. 419 00:22:03,407 --> 00:22:05,921 She said: "You've got a dirty mind." 420 00:22:06,727 --> 00:22:09,958 He didn't understand who he was... that he was... 421 00:22:11,767 --> 00:22:14,361 a dirty old man who takes advantage of her. 422 00:22:15,407 --> 00:22:18,444 We all know that girls who seem abandoned or free 423 00:22:18,607 --> 00:22:20,245 are easy prey for men. 424 00:22:20,407 --> 00:22:23,046 There are prowlers, voyeurs, rapists... 425 00:22:23,687 --> 00:22:26,565 It's an occupational hazard for these girls. 426 00:22:27,447 --> 00:22:29,722 It's obvious that a girl in the woods 427 00:22:29,927 --> 00:22:31,246 might get raped. 428 00:22:31,407 --> 00:22:33,557 We expect it from the start. 429 00:22:35,367 --> 00:22:36,925 I didn't agree at first. 430 00:22:37,127 --> 00:22:39,641 I really wanted her to be... 431 00:22:40,447 --> 00:22:44,042 a repugnant girl that no guy would touch. 432 00:22:44,207 --> 00:22:45,925 A girl alone in the woods 433 00:22:46,087 --> 00:22:49,841 that stank so much that even guys would reject her. 434 00:22:50,767 --> 00:22:54,043 But seeing the film again, I think it's good. 435 00:22:55,407 --> 00:22:58,604 I wanted there to be no doubt as to the outcome, 436 00:22:59,767 --> 00:23:03,555 but I didn't want to film a rape or virtual rape scene. 437 00:23:05,127 --> 00:23:06,799 I chose to suggest it, 438 00:23:06,967 --> 00:23:09,879 then the camera pulls away violently and quickly 439 00:23:10,047 --> 00:23:13,357 into the tangled branches and the music of Bruzdowicz 440 00:23:13,527 --> 00:23:16,803 whose emphatic notes add to this violence. 441 00:23:20,447 --> 00:23:23,200 A different kind of violence happens to Mona 442 00:23:23,367 --> 00:23:25,085 when she goes into a village 443 00:23:25,287 --> 00:23:28,802 during an annual event, "Paillasse" Day. 444 00:23:33,967 --> 00:23:38,438 When I saw those big bags of straw and those masks, I was terrorized. 445 00:23:38,887 --> 00:23:40,286 A fur mask 446 00:23:40,687 --> 00:23:42,678 and a costume stuffed with straw, 447 00:23:43,047 --> 00:23:45,197 as well as feathers and branches... 448 00:23:45,647 --> 00:23:48,525 It is a rather cruel, supposedly medieval game. 449 00:23:48,727 --> 00:23:51,195 They run after volunteers dressed in white, 450 00:23:51,807 --> 00:23:52,796 soil them with 451 00:23:53,007 --> 00:23:54,679 rags soaked in wine dregs, 452 00:23:55,047 --> 00:23:57,481 catch them and throw them in tubs 453 00:23:57,647 --> 00:24:01,322 full of these wine dregs and piss too, 454 00:24:01,527 --> 00:24:03,119 so they say. 455 00:24:03,967 --> 00:24:07,323 We tried to negotiate with them to shoot 20 minutes, 456 00:24:07,487 --> 00:24:09,557 but they soon caught us. 457 00:24:09,767 --> 00:24:12,076 Poor Sandrine got plunged in a tub. 458 00:24:12,247 --> 00:24:15,000 They smothered me with a rag over my face. 459 00:24:15,207 --> 00:24:17,880 Yes, and they got the camera filthy. 460 00:24:18,367 --> 00:24:19,561 It sure was violent. 461 00:24:20,327 --> 00:24:22,158 We hid. We got cleaned up. 462 00:24:22,327 --> 00:24:24,045 We fled from the place. 463 00:24:24,287 --> 00:24:25,845 Later, somewhere else, 464 00:24:26,007 --> 00:24:28,316 with the help of a few "Paillasses"... 465 00:24:28,527 --> 00:24:31,087 When we redid the scene, 466 00:24:31,807 --> 00:24:33,684 I was still very wary. 467 00:24:33,847 --> 00:24:35,485 When the guy came near... 468 00:24:36,407 --> 00:24:37,396 I was terrorized. 469 00:24:39,687 --> 00:24:41,757 They certainly weren't pretending. 470 00:24:41,927 --> 00:24:43,918 They didn't go easy on Sandrine. 471 00:24:47,887 --> 00:24:50,037 The scene was supposed to scare her. 472 00:24:50,207 --> 00:24:51,879 Why such violence? 473 00:24:52,767 --> 00:24:54,644 Even hiding in the phone booth... 474 00:24:54,807 --> 00:24:56,240 I was very scared. 475 00:24:56,447 --> 00:24:57,926 I didn't have to act. 476 00:24:58,087 --> 00:24:59,725 In the phone booth... 477 00:24:59,887 --> 00:25:01,798 I was so scared to death that... 478 00:25:01,967 --> 00:25:04,162 you just filmed me - I wasn't acting! 479 00:25:04,687 --> 00:25:06,723 Acting or faking or real life? 480 00:25:06,887 --> 00:25:09,276 This was about violence and fear. 481 00:25:10,127 --> 00:25:13,039 I now have the chance to show it in slow motion. 482 00:25:13,207 --> 00:25:15,243 I wanted to, for ages. 483 00:25:15,927 --> 00:25:18,395 By stretching the 19-second traveling shot 484 00:25:18,567 --> 00:25:22,355 - which was prepared, but depended on the "Paillasses" - 485 00:25:22,527 --> 00:25:26,076 I can show you how Mona's journey lead her 486 00:25:26,247 --> 00:25:28,681 from the sea when she was all clean 487 00:25:31,647 --> 00:25:33,285 to this final defilement 488 00:25:33,447 --> 00:25:36,086 by these legendary monsters. 489 00:25:39,327 --> 00:25:42,603 Filming up close makes it even more abstract. 490 00:25:43,327 --> 00:25:45,363 Seeing the scene in slow motion, 491 00:25:45,527 --> 00:25:49,406 you discover the meaning of the scene more than the memories. 492 00:25:49,567 --> 00:25:51,239 I haven't gone back there. 493 00:25:52,247 --> 00:25:54,283 But I went back to Bellegarde. 494 00:25:54,687 --> 00:25:57,645 I like to revisit the locations I've filmed. 495 00:25:57,807 --> 00:26:00,401 They are loaded with the crew's energy, 496 00:26:00,567 --> 00:26:03,161 our laughter and emotions on the shoot. 497 00:26:04,807 --> 00:26:08,720 I wanted to see the farm where Mona stayed with a Tunisian 498 00:26:08,887 --> 00:26:11,924 and the place he lived with all the Moroccans. 499 00:26:12,727 --> 00:26:14,445 Assoun, vine cutter 500 00:26:14,847 --> 00:26:16,439 Jacques Deschamps chose him 501 00:26:16,887 --> 00:26:18,764 among the North African workers 502 00:26:18,967 --> 00:26:20,844 he met for the film. 503 00:26:21,607 --> 00:26:24,121 Assoun was chosen for his eyes. 504 00:26:24,607 --> 00:26:28,646 They showed that his exchange with Mona/Sandrine would be warm. 505 00:26:29,167 --> 00:26:31,283 It's the only time she says 506 00:26:31,487 --> 00:26:33,205 her name: Mona. 507 00:26:34,727 --> 00:26:36,957 No one knows her name 508 00:26:37,407 --> 00:26:39,045 except him. 509 00:26:40,287 --> 00:26:42,437 Mine was Simone. Now I'm Mona. 510 00:26:44,287 --> 00:26:46,278 Mona's good. 511 00:26:47,327 --> 00:26:49,079 And your father's name? 512 00:26:49,647 --> 00:26:50,921 Bergeron. 513 00:26:54,207 --> 00:26:57,483 He's one of the only people who accepts her as she is. 514 00:26:57,647 --> 00:27:00,081 It's probably why she shows him affection. 515 00:27:00,247 --> 00:27:02,556 He's the only one she's fond of. 516 00:27:04,247 --> 00:27:06,044 I saw him since, you know. 517 00:27:06,247 --> 00:27:07,919 Is he still in the south? 518 00:27:08,087 --> 00:27:09,759 Still on the same farm. 519 00:27:09,927 --> 00:27:11,076 Really? 520 00:27:13,567 --> 00:27:15,797 I filmed here in '84. Were you here? 521 00:27:15,967 --> 00:27:17,082 Sure I was. 522 00:27:17,287 --> 00:27:19,198 - You didn't take part? - No. 523 00:27:19,367 --> 00:27:21,642 - Why? - I didn't want to. 524 00:27:21,807 --> 00:27:23,718 I don't know. I'm a bit... 525 00:27:24,927 --> 00:27:26,804 I'm a bit difficult! 526 00:27:27,127 --> 00:27:31,006 I filmed a man called Assoun Yahiaoui. 527 00:27:31,167 --> 00:27:33,237 That's right. Yaya. Assouna. 528 00:27:33,407 --> 00:27:35,238 - Is he still here? - Sure. 529 00:27:35,407 --> 00:27:37,159 - Is he with you? - No. 530 00:27:37,327 --> 00:27:39,238 He's over in the cellar. 531 00:27:42,607 --> 00:27:44,996 - I haven't seen you in ages. - How long? 532 00:27:45,167 --> 00:27:46,964 At least 15 years. 533 00:27:47,287 --> 00:27:48,686 It's been a while. 534 00:27:48,887 --> 00:27:50,161 - Assoun? - Yes. 535 00:27:50,327 --> 00:27:53,000 - It's very... - It's good. 536 00:27:53,167 --> 00:27:54,759 It is good to be here. 537 00:27:55,847 --> 00:27:58,998 You look after the wine now, not the vines? 538 00:27:59,447 --> 00:28:02,007 Just at pruning time, 539 00:28:02,167 --> 00:28:04,158 but it doesn't take long. 540 00:28:04,327 --> 00:28:06,477 We mainly work in the cellar. 541 00:28:06,647 --> 00:28:10,435 The boss and I work together almost all the time. 542 00:28:10,607 --> 00:28:12,165 There's a lot to be done. 543 00:28:12,327 --> 00:28:14,557 Is it better than what you did before? 544 00:28:14,727 --> 00:28:15,876 Better paid? 545 00:28:16,047 --> 00:28:17,605 Yes, it's not bad. 546 00:28:17,767 --> 00:28:20,361 We're alright here. 547 00:28:20,527 --> 00:28:22,006 Just fine. 548 00:28:22,287 --> 00:28:23,606 When I met you, 549 00:28:23,767 --> 00:28:25,120 you were all alone. 550 00:28:26,047 --> 00:28:29,039 Since we last met, I've started a family. 551 00:28:29,207 --> 00:28:30,925 Things are just great. 552 00:28:31,407 --> 00:28:32,635 Introduce them to me. 553 00:28:32,807 --> 00:28:36,686 OK, this is my family. All the people here are my family. 554 00:28:37,807 --> 00:28:39,718 That's my wife. 555 00:28:40,087 --> 00:28:42,965 That's my little boy that you see there. 556 00:28:43,767 --> 00:28:45,723 That's his sister next to him. 557 00:28:45,887 --> 00:28:48,003 This is my little girl. 558 00:28:49,927 --> 00:28:52,282 Assouna, they're magnificent. 559 00:28:52,447 --> 00:28:53,800 Tell me their names. 560 00:28:56,247 --> 00:28:59,319 My wife's called Kasri. 561 00:29:01,607 --> 00:29:04,121 Then, there's Faref... 562 00:29:05,327 --> 00:29:07,397 Safia and Fatima. 563 00:29:08,207 --> 00:29:09,401 When you lived 564 00:29:10,367 --> 00:29:13,006 with the Moroccans, life was hard. 565 00:29:13,207 --> 00:29:16,085 Oh, yes, it was very hard back then. 566 00:29:22,087 --> 00:29:23,520 Sandrine cut the vines. 567 00:29:23,687 --> 00:29:25,757 Her hands were full of blisters. 568 00:29:25,967 --> 00:29:29,164 One here, one here, another here... 569 00:29:29,327 --> 00:29:30,646 But you... 570 00:29:30,847 --> 00:29:34,317 your hands are all soft, because you work at home. 571 00:29:35,207 --> 00:29:37,926 Sandrine really learned to prune the vines. 572 00:29:38,087 --> 00:29:42,399 She made it a point of honor not to add makeup to her blisters. 573 00:29:44,327 --> 00:29:47,683 So, she'd rub them against spade or broom handles. 574 00:29:48,167 --> 00:29:51,239 - You hurt yourself? - Learning my trade! 575 00:29:52,247 --> 00:29:55,239 On the day, she had really big blisters. 576 00:29:57,327 --> 00:30:00,160 - Good, isn't she? - Yes, she is. 577 00:30:00,807 --> 00:30:02,798 She's a good worker. 578 00:30:06,087 --> 00:30:08,999 It's the only time she doesn't want to leave. 579 00:30:09,887 --> 00:30:13,163 - She's rejected. - She usually does the rejecting. 580 00:30:13,807 --> 00:30:15,126 You know, Mona... 581 00:30:15,287 --> 00:30:17,437 The others won't agree. 582 00:30:17,967 --> 00:30:19,320 You gypped me. 583 00:30:19,487 --> 00:30:22,320 - Take your tent. - You take back your scarf! 584 00:30:27,247 --> 00:30:29,283 All the others talk about you, 585 00:30:29,447 --> 00:30:32,837 but I thought he should just think about you. 586 00:30:33,007 --> 00:30:35,760 Yes, when he kisses the scarf and then, goes 587 00:30:35,927 --> 00:30:37,599 like that, that's great. 588 00:30:37,767 --> 00:30:40,156 It's much better for him 589 00:30:40,327 --> 00:30:41,840 to say nothing. 590 00:30:42,207 --> 00:30:46,359 It's the only time we see her crying, just after that. 591 00:30:47,487 --> 00:30:48,966 To act out this sadness, 592 00:30:49,127 --> 00:30:52,597 I took Sandrine to a depressing ruined building. 593 00:30:52,807 --> 00:30:54,320 She cried right away. 594 00:30:57,247 --> 00:31:00,683 I asked her to do what girls on the road do: 595 00:31:00,847 --> 00:31:02,644 Try to make a shelter, 596 00:31:03,487 --> 00:31:05,239 secure the exits, 597 00:31:05,407 --> 00:31:07,045 hide their things, 598 00:31:07,207 --> 00:31:11,041 or not leave them visible, because vagrants rob each other. 599 00:31:23,287 --> 00:31:26,404 The person who taught me most about their way of life 600 00:31:27,047 --> 00:31:30,039 was a girl I met while I was location scouting 601 00:31:30,207 --> 00:31:31,720 near St. Etienne du Gr�s. 602 00:31:32,167 --> 00:31:35,045 I gave her a lift. She was called Setina. 603 00:31:35,407 --> 00:31:38,240 We hit it off and she told me a lot of things. 604 00:31:38,607 --> 00:31:41,599 Her stories fleshed out Mona's character. 605 00:31:41,767 --> 00:31:44,440 In fact, the production company paid Setina 606 00:31:44,607 --> 00:31:46,598 for her ideas and information. 607 00:31:47,127 --> 00:31:50,085 Well, I'm on the road, because... 608 00:31:50,727 --> 00:31:54,197 I couldn't get a job, because of the way I am, 609 00:31:54,367 --> 00:31:56,642 because of my employers and things. 610 00:31:56,807 --> 00:31:59,401 We had a row. Maybe I was too hard on them, 611 00:31:59,567 --> 00:32:02,365 maybe they weren't too cool with me. 612 00:32:02,567 --> 00:32:06,526 I got kicked out of lots of jobs. 613 00:32:06,967 --> 00:32:08,685 Because of that, 614 00:32:08,847 --> 00:32:11,964 I couldn't find work or a place to live. That's all. 615 00:32:12,127 --> 00:32:14,595 I'm on the road, and it's good. 616 00:32:14,767 --> 00:32:17,440 I mean, I like it... 617 00:32:17,967 --> 00:32:19,605 because you're so free. 618 00:32:19,767 --> 00:32:22,679 I didn't think I was capable of doing it alone. 619 00:32:22,847 --> 00:32:26,999 If people had said, "Get lost. Look after your own shit" 620 00:32:27,167 --> 00:32:29,123 I'd have said no, because... 621 00:32:29,287 --> 00:32:32,484 I mightn't have been capable of it. 622 00:32:32,647 --> 00:32:34,205 But I can actually do it. 623 00:32:35,207 --> 00:32:36,879 I thought she was capable 624 00:32:37,047 --> 00:32:38,924 and I gave her some money 625 00:32:39,087 --> 00:32:41,043 to play a small part 626 00:32:41,207 --> 00:32:42,560 in a squat first 627 00:32:42,767 --> 00:32:46,237 - she knew about that and dope - then in a scene 628 00:32:46,447 --> 00:32:50,076 with a man I met on a train. He told me his life story. 629 00:32:50,527 --> 00:32:53,166 I asked him to come to N�mes station to talk 630 00:32:53,367 --> 00:32:54,595 to Setina. 631 00:32:54,767 --> 00:32:57,839 It's the only truly real scene in the film. 632 00:32:58,007 --> 00:33:01,363 Listen, it's easy to criticize if you've got money. 633 00:33:01,527 --> 00:33:03,597 We're just hanging out here, 634 00:33:03,767 --> 00:33:05,883 we're fucked, we got nothing. 635 00:33:06,047 --> 00:33:07,526 I've been there, too. 636 00:33:07,687 --> 00:33:10,155 I grew up in an orphanage. 637 00:33:10,327 --> 00:33:12,841 That makes two of us. So did I. 638 00:33:13,607 --> 00:33:15,916 We're brothers and sisters. 639 00:33:16,287 --> 00:33:19,518 But this is fiction acted out by the same man... 640 00:33:19,847 --> 00:33:21,121 Look... 641 00:33:21,367 --> 00:33:23,005 Bug off, old man. 642 00:33:23,447 --> 00:33:25,278 ...with Sandrine and Setina. 643 00:33:26,287 --> 00:33:28,323 It's not safe to peddle here. 644 00:33:28,647 --> 00:33:32,242 This station and the squat are dreary, confined spaces 645 00:33:32,447 --> 00:33:36,838 that are as far as possible from the huge beach at the start. 646 00:33:40,327 --> 00:33:43,603 Mona shows what revolts polite society the most: 647 00:33:44,407 --> 00:33:47,205 Filth, drugs, lack of privacy, noise, 648 00:33:47,367 --> 00:33:49,437 drunkenness, and vomiting. 649 00:33:51,007 --> 00:33:54,397 I must say, Sandrine amazed me when she did all that. 650 00:33:59,287 --> 00:34:01,881 She scares me because... she revolts me. 651 00:34:03,487 --> 00:34:04,476 In the station? 652 00:34:04,727 --> 00:34:06,604 It seems a bit caricatured now. 653 00:34:06,767 --> 00:34:08,837 Maybe I should've played it down. 654 00:34:09,807 --> 00:34:10,876 I don't think so. 655 00:34:11,047 --> 00:34:13,436 She played low points in her exuberance. 656 00:34:13,607 --> 00:34:15,757 Those low points proved deadly. 657 00:34:17,487 --> 00:34:19,682 The death scene was the hardest. 658 00:34:19,847 --> 00:34:23,044 I was filthy and I stank. It was really horrid. 659 00:34:24,007 --> 00:34:25,156 It was even worse. 660 00:34:25,327 --> 00:34:27,124 Her worn-out boots hurt her, 661 00:34:27,287 --> 00:34:29,562 and she had to slide up the bank. 662 00:34:29,967 --> 00:34:31,241 We put a pipe there. 663 00:34:31,767 --> 00:34:33,644 It's visible at the start. 664 00:34:33,807 --> 00:34:35,957 She had to trip over this pipe. 665 00:34:36,687 --> 00:34:38,643 I'd explained it all to her, 666 00:34:38,807 --> 00:34:40,843 but then, she was on her own. 667 00:34:41,007 --> 00:34:42,486 It was all up to her. 668 00:34:42,687 --> 00:34:44,598 It's true that it did help 669 00:34:44,767 --> 00:34:47,759 that I was freezing to death, so to speak. 670 00:34:47,927 --> 00:34:51,636 But actually falling into that ditch had no effect on me. 671 00:34:57,047 --> 00:34:59,607 It did on us, the crew. 672 00:34:59,767 --> 00:35:01,678 It made a big effect on us. 673 00:35:01,847 --> 00:35:03,565 It really impressed us. 674 00:35:05,007 --> 00:35:06,679 And we did two takes. 675 00:35:06,847 --> 00:35:10,362 I was ashamed to ask for a retake. The first was great. 676 00:35:10,527 --> 00:35:12,802 I had tears in my eyes as she fell. 677 00:35:12,967 --> 00:35:14,320 I had a lump in my throat. 678 00:35:14,487 --> 00:35:17,365 What should we do? Should we use that one? 679 00:35:17,527 --> 00:35:19,404 To be safe, you do two takes. 680 00:35:20,607 --> 00:35:22,484 You use another magazine 681 00:35:22,647 --> 00:35:25,445 just in case there's a processing problem. 682 00:35:26,007 --> 00:35:28,441 I managed to lay my hands on Take 2. 683 00:35:28,607 --> 00:35:30,802 It's a bit moldy, but here it is. 684 00:35:35,327 --> 00:35:37,522 Good work! Well done! 685 00:35:38,687 --> 00:35:40,678 How to choose between the takes? 686 00:35:40,847 --> 00:35:42,803 We watched them in slow motion. 687 00:35:44,087 --> 00:35:46,362 This is Take 2. 688 00:35:51,567 --> 00:35:54,684 We see the hand coming forward to break her fall. 689 00:35:57,327 --> 00:35:58,965 In Take 1, 690 00:35:59,127 --> 00:36:00,799 Mona opens her arm. 691 00:36:00,967 --> 00:36:03,879 Her blanket becomes a falling bird's wing. 692 00:36:07,167 --> 00:36:08,919 It's far more interesting. 693 00:36:12,567 --> 00:36:14,762 Regarding the scene of her death, 694 00:36:14,927 --> 00:36:17,919 Sandrine spoke about it to a journalist: 695 00:36:18,407 --> 00:36:21,319 I thought we should see death in her eyes. 696 00:36:21,527 --> 00:36:23,916 Her eyes should roll upwards. 697 00:36:24,087 --> 00:36:27,159 When I fell in the ditch, covered in wine dregs, 698 00:36:27,327 --> 00:36:30,000 I fell much harder than expected. 699 00:36:30,167 --> 00:36:32,362 I felt humiliated in front of the crew. 700 00:36:32,527 --> 00:36:35,246 I thought, "Making films is so dumb". 701 00:36:35,407 --> 00:36:39,639 I started to cry, but I thought she should open her eyes. 702 00:36:40,127 --> 00:36:41,765 In the end, it was OK. 703 00:36:44,167 --> 00:36:47,796 Let's go from the hardest scene to the happiest one: 704 00:36:48,687 --> 00:36:52,077 Mona pinches Yolande's housecoat and approaches the lady. 705 00:36:53,927 --> 00:36:56,441 The wine-glasses should be put away. 706 00:37:05,047 --> 00:37:07,038 You're not Yolande. 707 00:37:07,207 --> 00:37:10,404 You don't look like her. And you're smaller. 708 00:37:10,567 --> 00:37:11,966 You're not Yolande. Who is it? 709 00:37:12,127 --> 00:37:13,276 It's Mona. 710 00:37:14,047 --> 00:37:15,844 What's your first name, Granny? 711 00:37:16,007 --> 00:37:18,646 Lydie. You scared me. 712 00:37:18,807 --> 00:37:20,479 Relax, Granny! 713 00:37:20,647 --> 00:37:22,285 I'd rather have a glass... 714 00:37:27,967 --> 00:37:29,878 It's so good... 715 00:37:44,127 --> 00:37:45,560 Another! 716 00:37:46,367 --> 00:37:47,959 One more shot! 717 00:37:48,127 --> 00:37:50,038 Another shot! 718 00:37:50,687 --> 00:37:52,120 Just a tiny one. 719 00:37:53,007 --> 00:37:54,998 You're so funny! 720 00:37:55,647 --> 00:37:57,683 I really like that scene. 721 00:37:58,287 --> 00:38:00,721 - What a character! - Yes. 722 00:38:01,287 --> 00:38:03,881 - She wasn't an actress. - I know. 723 00:38:04,047 --> 00:38:06,402 I met the old lady by chance 724 00:38:06,607 --> 00:38:07,756 in the summer of '84 725 00:38:07,927 --> 00:38:09,155 when making my short, 726 00:38:09,327 --> 00:38:11,204 "7 Rooms, Kitchen, Bathroom". 727 00:38:11,407 --> 00:38:15,480 She was the only old lady I found who would agree 728 00:38:15,647 --> 00:38:18,957 to be filmed naked as she took a shower of feathers 729 00:38:19,487 --> 00:38:23,844 in a bathroom created by Christian Tobias and Jean Tartaroli. 730 00:38:26,127 --> 00:38:27,480 On this DVD, 731 00:38:27,647 --> 00:38:31,117 there's another bonus devoted to Marthe Jarnias. 732 00:38:33,407 --> 00:38:37,320 Early in '85, I asked her to appear in "Vagabond". 733 00:38:37,487 --> 00:38:39,398 She wrote me the following reply: 734 00:38:40,087 --> 00:38:41,520 "...good memories. 735 00:38:41,687 --> 00:38:43,837 I don't want to do any nudity. 736 00:38:44,007 --> 00:38:46,475 I was a bit shocked last time." 737 00:38:47,047 --> 00:38:50,437 I reassured her. She'd be a rich, well-dressed lady. 738 00:38:50,607 --> 00:38:53,326 Her apartment would have at least 7 rooms. 739 00:38:54,487 --> 00:38:57,001 We got on very well during the shoot. 740 00:38:57,447 --> 00:38:59,244 She reminded me of my mother, 741 00:38:59,407 --> 00:39:01,716 who'd come to visit us on set. 742 00:39:02,287 --> 00:39:04,881 Marthe was always in high spirits, 743 00:39:05,287 --> 00:39:07,084 laughing all the time. 744 00:39:07,287 --> 00:39:08,959 The whole crew adored her. 745 00:39:09,327 --> 00:39:11,204 Afterwards, we'd phone 746 00:39:11,407 --> 00:39:13,204 and write. She sent me cards 747 00:39:13,407 --> 00:39:16,319 of her village and told thousands of stories. 748 00:39:16,727 --> 00:39:19,446 She even sent me a cushion she'd embroidered. 749 00:39:19,607 --> 00:39:21,837 This is the cushion. This is Zgougou. 750 00:39:22,847 --> 00:39:25,281 So long, Marthe who is no more. 751 00:39:25,847 --> 00:39:28,122 She's absolutely wonderful. 752 00:39:28,927 --> 00:39:31,236 The Tunisian, Assoun... 753 00:39:31,407 --> 00:39:32,886 Incredible. 754 00:39:34,367 --> 00:39:38,076 It was very moving to see it again, because it's a bit like 755 00:39:38,247 --> 00:39:39,919 a travel album. 756 00:39:40,847 --> 00:39:42,166 What a journey! 757 00:39:42,327 --> 00:39:46,115 It taught me a lot about what I wanted to achieve with my films. 758 00:39:46,287 --> 00:39:48,562 I was really doing it this time. 759 00:39:49,767 --> 00:39:53,316 Creating a strong character and seeing it well acted 760 00:39:53,487 --> 00:39:56,240 in a fiction about an important issue. 761 00:39:56,687 --> 00:39:58,279 Immersing myself in places. 762 00:39:58,447 --> 00:40:01,325 Getting across the variations in space. 763 00:40:01,487 --> 00:40:04,923 Filming this fiction with a documentary texture. 764 00:40:05,087 --> 00:40:07,885 Moving and questioning audiences. 765 00:40:08,207 --> 00:40:10,562 Calling them to witness. 766 00:40:24,727 --> 00:40:27,400 Credits continued in the booklet 767 00:40:27,767 --> 00:40:31,123 Subtitles: J. Miller