You see? I built my life
by dismantling the mechanisms.
All, even the most complex ones.
As a kid
I used to harass magicians so that they would explain their tricks to me.
And I've always achieved my goal.
(Fontaine bookstore)
(Book Fair, Frankfurt, Germany)
(English) Now. Ladies and gentlemen,
I am extremely excited and very proud to announce
Angstrom Publishing's acquisition of the final book
of the Dedalus trilogy, "The man who did not want to die."
the simultaneous translation will begin in December
and the novel would be available in all good bookstores in March.
(Copenhagen, Denmark)
(Danish) I thought when we write, we do it at home.
That's why I married you. This is going wrong.
- Carl, soon everything will change. - How?
Trust me.
(Portugese) Out of the way! Move!
(Lisbon, Portugal) Let me pass!
Thank you.
I'm not coming back. I'm going to work in France. Two months.
Are you kidding me?
Shit! They fired me!
Are you not going to work in France?
Since when one job is enough to make a living?
(Italian) In Paris. I'm meeting an old friend, Oscar Brach.
What are you doing? It is mine!
Just give up. He doesn't talk.
- Konstantinos Kedrinos, Greece. - He took my phone! Damn!
Oh! You didn't read the contract.
Whatever. I have a second one.
(Gare du Nord, Paris, France)
(English) What's up, mate?
(Villette Manor, France)
How was your trip?
Here is your badge.
At least we won't forget our names.
Even during a claustrophobic attack.
Please be careful, it's very ...
Doesn't matter. No problem.
It is mine... Thanks.
This is my work tool.
I need to record.
This device and so ...
cannot connect to internet.
Your working conditions are confidential. You may not keep any traces.
- Confidence reigns. - Paper and pencil are enough.
She looks like the dead woman in Dedalus. She knows keeping the ambience.
Disordered identity. Probably the result of troubles with daddy.
Alright. Let's go.
The Translators
Impressive, isn't it?
This is just the beginning.
- Alex Goodman. - Chen Yao.
- You came straight from China? - I've lived in Paris for twenty years.
I didn't know you were so young.
Dedalus was my first job. I was an intern when the first volume came out.
Nobody wanted to take it. I was lucky.
Follow me.
Do you often sleep on the street?
This is my first time to visit Paris.
I wanted to save a little money.
I have saved more than 'a little'.
The manor belongs to a Russian billionaire
a big fan of Dedalus, who's particularly worried of the end of the world.
Thanks to his obsession We'll able to protect Oscar Brach's work.
After you.
Your task is constrained but prestigious.
This work of translation for a worldwide simultaneous publication
is unprecedented. It's a brilliant idea of Mr. Angstrom.
And also a clear political message.
Declaration of his fierce fight of defending his authors against piracy.
You may consider yourself lucky
because you come from countries where Dedalus sells the best.
All have been considered, to make your isolation comfortable.
Tonight you will see your rooms.
They have the size of my appartment.
And each has a separate bathroom.
Internet access is strictly forbidden.
But you will receive international newspaper every morning.
There is a movie collection which you couldn't finish watching till you die.
We serve breakfast at 8 o'clock, lunch at 13 and dinner at 21.
Except Sunday, working hours will go from 9 to 20.
Mr. Angstrom is strict on hours.
Not bad for distracting oneself from the apocalypse, right?
Please.
(Greek) Buried alive just to translate this crap. Yes, it is the apocalypse.
Excuse me... Good evening.
Éric
Dario Farelli. So happy to see you again. Do you remember me?
Yes. You and all the rest.
Have a seat, please.
- Have a seat. - Sure...
There are only the first 20 pages here.
I doubt you could translate them in just one afternoon.
In the evening I will collect the sheets
and I'll bring you the next 20 pages tomorrow, if necessary
In one month you will have translated 480 pages of volume 3.
You will also have a second month dedicated to corrections.
In this library you will find essentials of general knowledge,
more than anywhere else.
You don't like this place, Mr. Kedrinos?
If I wanted to work in an open-space, I wouldn't have chosen this profession.
Sheets and computers may not be taken out of this room.
The smoking room is to the end of the corridor, Ms. Alves.
Our Russian friends will watch over you.
Great. Wish you a nice working day.
And as they say in France, "chin up"!
(Two months later)
(Prison of Bois d'Arcy, France)
I didn't think you'd agree to see me.
Culpability can be helpful.
Look.
They'll publish it anyway.
They use what happened to boost sales.
Take it. I brought it for you.
Your trophy, in a way.
You see? 1% of the proposals sent to my desk are worth editing.
Of those, only 10% will be sold.
And only 1 or 2, will become a best-seller.
It took me years
to make Angstrom Publishing a triumph.
You declared war on an industry which employs millions of people
and generates billions.
You'll never get out of it.
I read it over and over again.
I've an idea that the solution must be inside it.
I can't get it out of my head.
I need to understand how you did it.
From the moment Oscar Brach gave me the manuscript, I had never let go of it.
Apart from him and me
nobody had ever held it.
And yet
it was inevitably gotten into your hands.
When?
Do not look at me like this. I will find out eventually.
- You want some, Javier? - No thanks.
(German) - Cheers!
I have to have your attention. It will be two intensive months.
Probably not everyone is stressful.
- What? - You snore a little. And you drool.
True.
You're lucky you have this chance at such a young age.
- You must have talent. - Yes, he has talent. Especially for naps.
- Everyone has his method of working - I was late asleep.
And I never get started like that in a translation, it must mature.
Why don't we have the complete text?
The vision of the collective is crucial.
- Angstrom treats us like robots. - No.
He's just being prudent. That's all.
Are you sucking his dick or what? He is a sadist, apparently.
It's frustrating.
Thought we would find out who drowned Rebecca.
- And for what purpose. - Sometimes I think Franck will discover
that Rebbeca simply committed suicide
- To save him from his past. - No.
too disappointing.
And if it's Franck himself who killed his wife?
Maybe he was under the will of Dedalus, but he doesn't know it?
Rebecca has created this virus.
She made it from Franck, her guinea pig, and it took revenge on her.
No.
That would be too banal.
That is true.
It doesn't make sense.
We've been waiting for this for two years.
Two fucked up years.
This is not literature we are talking, just a product of consumption.
The ending,
will not make this book a masterpiece.
(Italian) What are you talking about? This is a worldwide best-seller!
- 1 Billion bucks of profits, for fuck's sake. - Remind me, how much do you get from it? Nothing!
Oscar Brach, he is just like the others.
He will begin a derived serie, then another,
and he will write the same book until he finishes paying for his chalet in Switzerland.
There are some very serious studies on Dedalus in some universities.
Universities too are entering the world of business.
I know that. I lecture in Athens.
What are you doing here then?
Same as you.
I bend my neck against the Big Capital, to not starve to death.
And we do it with joy.
- I have no choice. - For you, it's just a simple job?
It's an honor, to be of service of Dedalus.
(English) "Rebecca ...
"or rather the ghost he had made of her.
"Franck was finding it increasingly difficult to tell them apart.
"Rebecca had become a hazy presence.
"reminding him of ...
(German) "the guilt of this moment, fraught with consequences."
(Italian) "An increasingly significant feeling made of fleeting images…"
(Greek) "of the tragedy, which was constantly remembered to him…"
(Russian) "Rebecca."
"Her long brun hair wave over the water of Seine.
"In her curls were reflected the lanterns of the boats.
"Her dress rippled around her,
"like a pair of white wings."
- Good evening. - Good evening.
Thank you.
Good evening.
-Ms. Alves.
Thank you.
Mr. Farelli?
Yes, Éric.
Were you planning to meet Oscar Brach?
Is that what you tweeted?
No. It is a metaphor. I meant the book.
A little advertising won't hurt.
Please let me handle advertising.
Rose-Marie will take you upstairs, to delete your post.
Alright.
Oscar Brach doesn't follow our translations?
In these circumstances, it would be possible.
We have signed a confidentiality contract. His identity will remain safe and secret.
He is not interested in practical details.
Practical details?
If I were in his place, I would like to meet those who speak his voice.
It's about the quality of the text.
The quality of Dedalus does not need to be proved, Mrs. Korbel.
It will end soon. If necessary, I am next to you.
(Angstrom speaking English)
- What are you doing here? - Rose-Marie told me to wait here.
Did you want to meet me?
The rythme of your translation is impressive, Ms. Anisinova.
Thank you.
The publish of the third volume with a book salon
in Paris will be a great event.
I am planning a conference.
Fans ...
Fans would go crazy
at the sight of Rebecca's double.
I'd... I'd rather tell them about my work.
One does not exclude the other.
In Paris!
In Paris.
Were it not for this fascination for Oscar Brach,
maybe the text would never be leaked.
You know...
the mystery of his identity,
the fact of being the sole custodian,
it only brought me trouble.
People talk about him. That he's actually twins,
that he is a woman,
a former East Germany spy.
Some even thought it was me.
Barfleur, Normandy, France
Excuse me... The course of literature and comparative studies, it's here?
I don't teach anymore, young man. I was disappointed.
My best students prefered to go into business. They earn big money.
They don't want to be said bad writers.
Someone who is hungry knows that art won't feed him.
How do you do?
- How was the trip? - It was long and boring.
- There are no crowds to this place. - Let it stay that way.
Georges, why don't you get rid of this bookstore?
You could travel around the world with all your royalties.
- I have a great travel department. - Yes I know.
I have just finished the last dot of Dedalus.
"The man who did not want to die", is waiting for you upstairs.
- I knew! - Obviously.
Otherwise you wouldn't come here.
Oscar Brach is the only person I have never managed to look through to date.
You belong to the same category of people.
But not me.
I have never had imagination.
- Are you crazy? - I thought you were gonna stay there.
I wanted to know what Rebecca felt when she drowned.
For a translator you have strange methods.
You are wrong about me, Katerina.
I am also a fan of Dedalus.
I've been watching you.
I feel the same as you.
The last volume has power.
Which writer is the inspiration for Rebecca's monologues?
James Joyce. And his stream of consciousness.
Devoid of the slightest comma like that of Molly Bloom
from Ulysses.
Who is the dominant narrator of the trilogy?
- All-knowing. - Wrong. It's Rebecca.
This is your interpretation.
- Learn to read. - The hero, anyway, is Franck.
Rebecca is the soul of this novel.
Franck's trajectory, is to understand that he passed by her.
Dedalus is more than a detective novel. It's a story of regret.
And you? What touches you in Dedalus?
I do not know.
Plenty of things. I like riddles.
You don't compare it with Joyce just because you like puzzles.
For me this book mainly talks about impossible
mourning
I know that well.
Angstrom didn't understand the subtleties of this trilogy.
The way he talks about it, is superficial.
He would do anything for money.
Someday he will regret it.
I'm glad I got to know you better
Alex Goodman.
Maybe you should give others a chance to know you.
I understand what motivated you.
Except for money, of course.
The translator lives someone's life.
A name that no one will remember, never will be on the cover.
And you ...
You have other ambitions.
And opportunities to fulfill them.
I have always treated you well.
I gave you your chance.
I can give you another.
On one condition...
Tell me what I want to know.
Talk to me, damn it!
(Portugese) Katerina is ready for the great gameplay.
It will be a great duel!
She approaches, pulls ... She strikes!
It's unbelievable!
What are you doing?
Christmas is not for misanthropes.
- I've always had a weakness for champagne. - You rascal!
- Thanks for the invitation. - You are welcome.
I didn't want to leave you with the boss. I have a good heart.
Ok Italian!
- Sorry! - Now you're sorry?
Either we play or we don't play!
Okay, we don't play.
Hands serve Italians only to speak.
- You are gonna talk all those stereotypes? - I love it.
- You're the worst. - Why don't you dance flamenco?
Oh no, it's the Spanish.
I'm always confounded by those two. Like everyone else is.
As for me, the Greeks invented,
wine, theater and democracy. Beat me.
That was 3,000 years ago.
- Exactly! - And then you rested on your laurels.
And you don't pay taxes.
I was joking.
I would like to propose a toast.
Let these 3 weeks of confinement prove wrong
to those who think that fraternity is but a fantasy.
May I cite in Shakespeare's language ...
♪ What the world needs now ♪
♪ is love, sweet love ♪
- Do you know? - Sure!
♪ It's the only thing that there's just too little of ♪
♪ What the world needs now ♪
♪ is love, sweet love ♪
♪ No not just for some ♪
♪ but for everyone ♪
♪ What the world needs now ♪
♪ is love ♪
♪ sweet love ♪
-Oh! -And I?
Hello Éric ...
(Portugese) What the hell is going on?
"The first 10 pages of Dedalus Volume 3 is not yours anymore.
"Five million euros will stop this leak.
"If you don't transfer this amount within 24 hours,
"100 more pages will appear online tomorrow.
"Keep on insisting and the whole book slips out of your hands.
"Do not hesitate, but act at once.
"Only in this way will you regain peace.
"Be happy!
"Your bad luck will make many fans of Oscar Brach happy.
"Many of them can translate it with their flawless French
"to their languages accurately and beautifully.
"The Internet overcomes cultural boundaries and reunite people.
"What the world needs now is love, sweet ... love."
Apparently you have a beautiful voice.
- Are you watching us? - The culprit is among us.
Translation is suspended for an indefinite period.
The last 100 pages will not be distributed. Whoever did this
he won't be able to carry out his threat.
Until we find him, you are techniquely unemployed.
- And if you never find him? - Do not worry, Éric.
We will find him. And we will unmask him.
Any comments, Mr. Kedrinos?
I'm sorry but if you don't pay it now,
you'll be in your ass.
Nobody will buy a book which they have already read most of it. You are fucked.
(Russian) Stop it!
Have you lost your mind?
Rose-Marie, do something!
Everything will be handled very quickly. It all depends on you.
- How much does the hacker want? - 5 million.
You must notify the police.
This leak comes from one of the translators. Let me take care of it.
I will find the greatest megalomaniac.
Maybe it's a woman. Your misogyny will lose you!
This is not a phone!
Only you know the author, and you have the manuscript.
We don't even know where you are!
That was the deal.
It's the panic. Foreign publishers are threatening with lawsuits.
Please, check. I can even help.
We live on the revenue forecasts of volume 3.
We are already in deficit. If you do nothing, it's ruin
(Portugese) Piss off!
You sons of bitches! Hands off my things!
Let go!
- What does Oscar Brach think about this? - He doesn't know.
- How is that? - Either way, the thief is nearby.
It's just a matter of time before I catch him.
I protect what is mine.
They attack me, and I defend. I'm not preventing anyone from fighting back.
But people are so weak!
Look at you...
You are outraged, but you are afraid to say it frankly.
- If I did that, I'd lose my job. - So what?
- I like my work. - Do you like being a maid?
No. I like literature.
Then be a publisher. It is not my fault that people lack ambition.
This is a serious offense.
Angstrom is not above the law. Neither do you.
No! No! Don't touch it! It is mine!
You've been hiding for a long time, Mrs. Tuxen
This is not a transcription of Dedalus.
Anyone who knows Danish will testify.
(Danish) You have a hopeless style.
I haven't finished it yet.
This is my first novel.
How long have you been working on this?
Tell me the truth!
Eight years.
But I had a real click here.
You know ...
your contract prohibits any other activity
when working on the translation.
You don't know what family life is.
Two months in isolation is an opportunity to finish the novel.
Alright, Mrs Tuxen.
You don't have talent.
Somewhere deep inside,
there's a little voice keeping telling you that,
but you pretend you don't hear it.
Illusions are nothing good.
One day you will thank me.
What are you talking about!
- Someone wants to set me up! - "He who blushes is already guilty.
"True innocence is nothing to be ashamed of. " Rousseau.
Whoever it is - respect!
If he needs help, let me know.
Are you crazy? The hacker's also fucking us.
Who earns the least here?
What? Only the poor robs the rich? Get down to earth, Dario!
Why would this be one of us?
- Why not Rose-Marie? - Or maybe the guardians? Or chefs?
No. They didn't play bowling with us.
- They didn't hear me sing. - Rose-Marie did.
And she gave you to Angstrom.
Rose-Marie is a good girl. She would not do that.
Angstrom must pay. And quickly.
He will never pay.
In detective stories you don't pay the first ransom. And this is the beginning of troubles.
The second increases the pressure, but neither is it payed.
Nobody breaks before the third one. But it's too late.
"A puzzle is a sequence of simple things. " Dedalus, Volume 1, Chapter 4.
Exactly! We must think like the hacker!
If I were him, I would copy the text at one time or another.
When? We spent the days together. We would have noticed.
- In the night. - What about network access?
Someone must have brought into the bunker
a smartphone in spare parts.
And where would he hide it?
He always carries it with him.
Remind me how you did it
- I fell off my bike. - When?
Yes, when?
About a month ago.
Telma!
Are you crazy?
He couldn't pretend. There's nothing there.
If we look after each other, the hacker will not be able to continue.
I don't offer you a drink ...
Come on, Alex. I no longer believe in your pose, young man.
You will not sink in the paranoid, not you ...
You're lying, from the beginning.
I checked everything before coming here.
You never translated "Rebecca's Bite",
nor "The Kiss of Poison".
I got in a trouble, Katerina.
(London, England)
(English) Alright, go on.
We can't get anything out of him.
He refuses to speak to anyone but Oscar Brach.
Does he want to get paid for his illegal translations, too? Just give me the papers. Let's get this over done with.
Are you really sure you want to take this to court?
Prosecuting a fan will a be terrible publicity for the Dedalus.
You are playing with a dangerous game, young man.
In France, criminal copyrighting will give 5 years in prison,
and 300,000 euro fine, if your are lucky.
And in UK you can double that. And I am not known for my mercy.
Did you show my translations to Oscar Brach?
They are better than yours. His fans prefer mine.
Real fans do not steal, they buy.
Real fans downloaded my version 10 million times in under two weeks.
How is business for you?
You think you are really smart, don't you? Well that didn't stop you from getting caught.
Maybe I wanted to get caught.
You will never ever meet Oscar Brach.
Even if he were interested in you. Particular case I will do you a favor.
Hire me, to translate book 3,
- Officially. - You are taking a piss.
- In honor of Oscar Brach. - I already have an English translator.
Aaron Troy? He turns out shit.
Becoming a translator
will not help you meet Oscar Brach.
But it can't hurt my chances.
You have everything to gain,
and nothing to lose.
I work for free.
I know his work better than anyone. Fuck's sake.
Alright that's enough. Take him back to his cell!
I can guess the first sentence of Volume 3.
Easy.
What's he saying?
Are you afraid that I can guess?
Can you leave us for the moment, please?
Come on.
Go ahead.
Impress me.
How did you do that?
The first sentence of Volume 2
is composed by the first words of each chapter of Volume 1.
I relied on Oscar Brach's math.
and deduced that it'll also work for Volume 2 and 3.
Brilliant.
But Angstrom is now convinced that the hacker is me.
I wanted to meet Oscar Brach,
but I would never use it to make money.
I couldn't betray him.
You have already cheated on him by sharing translations of the first two volumes.
The English translation was just like Angstrom.
Tinsel without depth.
Readers have signed petitions
to replace the translator.
If the culprit is not found,
I'll be dead.
I almost stole the manuscript.
I could have done more. I wanted to know the ending.
Do you know where Angstrom hides it?
He never parts with the briefcase. It was easy to guess.
And the code?
123, the most common.
Immediately after - 321.
567.
765.
666, the number of Satan.
911, for September 11.
365 - number of days in the year.
069 - sexual position.
007.
777, three times the sacred number.
These are the most commonly used number combinations for suitcase locks.
Dedalus Volume 1, chapter 15.
For Angstrom, obviously, it's sex position that worked out.
You are flying to London.
Bring me everything you find about Alex Goodman.
Prove me that you really love literature.
OK. Let's not waste time ...
Éric? I'm in Goodman's apartment. Nothing here, I'm sorry.
However, there is something that worried me throughout the whole journey.
Three translators live upstairs at the mansion since their arrival.
I think they could have access to the network.
I had an eye for Mr. Farelli and Mrs. Tuxen.
But not Mrs. Anisinowa.
Alright. Everything will be clear in a moment.
We will see for whom this situation is the hardest to endure.
Come on!
Try sending me an email now!
"My Dear Érik,
I see you are in no hurry.
I have just offered 100 more pages to the world.
20 million euros will save what you have left.
You have already abused my generosity too much.
I'll give you six hours,
before my adventures continue to escape you.
Make the right decision and take a little on yourself.
"He who blushes is already guilty.
"True innocence
"is nothing to be ashamed of. "
So what? Now it's Ingrid's fault?
Yes. I said that.
It's some black magic.
"Magic is not of this world."
Dedalus, Volume 2,
Chapter 10.
You also know by heart all pages of Volume 3?
- That's how you did it, right? - Sorry?
Don't play innocent! You play Rebecca,
you work 10 times harder than the rest, put every effort
to get my attention, to let me invite you to the office.
- It wasn't premeditated ... - All of you is premeditated!
It's her! It's obvious.
- You are trying to sow discord. - I protect what is mine!
Dario, stop!
I'm still here because of you! You bitch!
Stop!
Alex, no!
Get lost!
I know it's you.
I know! And I'll prove it.
You will see! I know it!
As long as no one has reported, you won't get anything from me.
- You are not gonna let us starve? - I do not care.
It will be fine.
It will not. We need water and heating. We need more food.
Show a little more understanding!
Relax, Javier.
The worst has passed.
Great!
- Javier? - Why is it dark?
- These bastards do it on purpose. - Light!
All good?
We have to get out of here somehow.
Anyone waiting for you outside?
Maybe my dog.
My lovers.
And they ...
they can have fun without me.
My daughter.
But she is already big.
I haven't seen her in a few months.
We've become strangers.
Don't worry, Helene.
You are very lucky.
- Your husband and children love you. - But I don't.
- You don't think so? - I don't. This is terrible.
And I don't think I can be more sober.
Since I am here, I feel ...
although I try to convince myself of the contrary ...
I don't miss them.
None of them, even the baby.
As if for me they were ...
only concepts.
All I wanted in my youth
was to write novels,
travel around the world.
I never wanted children.
It's Carl who insisted.
So I made him happy.
I've always been doing that.
I make everyone happy.
That's what made me want to write. Make people happy.
But I was afraid to go action.
While wanting my husband, my children to consume my time,
my creative space.
To them, I just wanted to be a translator.
And not an author worthy of the name!
Without ever admitting it to me, but ... but cutting me off them anyway.
The truth is I can't write.
But keep telling myself the contrary.
I lost on all fronts.
You coaxed me at the first glance.
You wore a mask. I was fooled.
You and me, we are cold-blooded beings.
So give me a chance.
Give me a chance!
Please!
We have it.
And that's it. "Please."
The magic word.
It wasn't that hard, right?
For someone without imagination, you really tell some neat stories.
- I was only telling the truth. - It rests to be verified.
And you've always missed one detail.
You are the one in prison.
- Not me. - I am innocent.
- It's a matter of legal defense. - "He who blushes is already guilty."
"True innocence is nothing to be ashamed of. "
What the hell do you want?
I have said it clearly from the beginning.
To meet Oscar Brach.
If I were you,
I would finally decide to persuade him.
Inter folia fulget.
So if I finish choice of translators for the bunker
in October,
I can order printing in February.
I found an extremely secure place.
- World premiere around ... - Wait, Éric.
You want some time to polish the text?
You always ask.
And every time I tell you that everything is perfect.
And I'm right.
I don't want to work with you anymore.
- Sorry? - I have an appointment with other publishers,
next week.
- I hope it's a joke. - I have never signed an exclusive contract.
Well, I will give you a million increase.
And I'll double the royalties on sales. Does that work for you?
I will reimburse you in advance. It's not about money.
So what is it about?
About loyalty.
- To myself. - What about loyalty to me?
I have always respected your wish of anonymity.
I fought for Oscar Brach to become someone. That's how you thank me?
Do you know how much we've invested in it? This must be a success of the year!
We need it badly. I need it.
Stay here overnight.
And read it calmly.
I want you to be the first one who knows the ending.
It's really an honor!
You piss me off!
I can never please you! Nothing has changed since university!
When I came to you
Angstrom Publishing was a small building
who treated her books like real works.
Now you are selling Dedalus like ordinary toothpaste,
to gain maximum out of it.
You are consumed by profit.
Success is nothing dirty.
If you dared to write yourself, you would understand me.
You can't do this to me!
You are ready to lock the translators in the bunker,
to treat them like cattle.
You've lost your sense of humanity, of creation.
- What are you doing? - I'm working.
Others have forgot why we are here.
Me too. I have always found refuge in books.
IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME
You know why I force the resemblance to Rebecca?
This is like an armor.
I feel invincible.
It's strange to find your strength by identifying yourself with a victim.
She is not a victim.
Au contraire. She got killed because she had power.
First sentence of Volume 3,
is not composed by the first words from each chapter of Volume 2.
You lied to me.
- You're the hacker. - Stop it! I will never hurt you.
- I do not know who you are anymore... - I'm just a fan of Dedalus.
I didn't lie to you on the eseentials. Don't you want to know who Oscar Brach is?
I respect his will of remaining anonymous.
I don't know your story,
but it has done something to you.
You became one of his heroines.
He could express your suffering. Only he understands you.
What do you say to him if you can meet him?
Nothing. When you stand in front of Oscar Brach, you wait for him to speak first.
I want to be there too.
I have come to give you a lesson of magic.
Why have you changed your mind?
- You hurt me too much yesterday. - Fuck off.
What is the golden rule of Franck Hardy?
"Always look in the right direction."
which echoes Rebecca's drowning.
If he had gone to starboard first, Franck could have saved her.
Thanks. I know the story.
That is what he will then try to do during his investigations.
To look in the right direction.
And?
Your mistake,
- is that you think everthing happened in the bunker. - You acted in advance.
But that still doesn't explain to me how you took over the manuscript.
- I always had it with me. - I know.
And I also know that your day is regulated like clockwork. You leave Angstrom Publishing,
every evening at 19:40,
and you go straight home.
You sit in the same place every time,
in the middle of the metro train.
Melted with the crowd.
More punctual than a train.
You have 13 stations between Glacière and Passy.
Intervals between 2 stations of lines 6 are 1 minute and 18 seconds,
therefore your whole journey would be 15 minutes and 36 seconds.
A week before entering the bunker,
unconsciously you did
a journey with an empty briefcase.
I replaced it in your journey.
You crazy!
-Good evening. -Good evening.
666.
911.
365.
- Come on! - No!
069.
We don't have time.
Come on! Come on!
007.
Come on.
- We are doomed. - Shut up!
777.
We have it!
Riso GD7630 is the Rolls Royce among photocopiers.
It copies 170 pages per minute.
With two machines,
we need 1 minute and 36 seconds,
to get to the end of 480 pages
of Dedalus, Volume 3.
- Do you know what our risk is? - Prison.
You're already in prison, Ingrid. We serve an absurd system
who oppresses us, though it needs us.
You are too intelligent to obey.
Liberty is an abstract concept in China.
Do you censor your translations yourself? Or there's a committee who does it?
A committee. I have learnt to censor in advance.
Publishers like Angstrom accept it to access the market.
They are the criminals.
You don't gain any profit from the sales.
While 500 million people speak your language.
Is it fair?
- I don't have a choice. - We always have a choice.
It must be tripping you to be treated like a ... sh-sh-shit.
- (Spanish) Don't you make fun of me! You hear that? - The best thing is,
that nobody will suspect you.
I am your chance in life, Javier.
I chose the craziest ones. The smartest.
The most exploited. The bravest.
Tell me. Why would I trust you?
This is not the first time I do so.
(Portugese) Please.
Thanks.
Wait, Chen!
Move it, damn it!
What, what the hell ...
Watch out!
Bastard!
Out of the way, sheep!
Oh fuck!
We are dead! Shit!
Alex!
Shit!
Who helped you?
- Who? - I've told you how.
I won't tell you who.
Magician never reveals all the tricks.
It looks...
But we will catch them in one way or another.
If you say so ...
-Do you believe this kid capable of diverting millions?
He would never say where the money is anyway.
"Crime is a form of theater."
Dedalus, Volume 1, chapter 9
You are worse than me.
- Thank you, sir. - That was unbelievable.
They are awful. I didn't dare to touch them.
Horses, birds,
pigs ... cool, but rats?
- Where did you learn to drive like that? - Trust me. You do not want to know.
- Do you have a license? - I had to toucht it! Touch a rat!
I was afraid!
- I hate it! - Quiet!
- Who wants to be the first one to read this? - (English) Be our guest, sir.
No privileges. We read it aloud.
Wonderful!
Who's gonna read it?
Not me. That could ...
take some time.
May I start?
Go ahead. I see you are dying to do it.
Oscar Brach. Volume 3, Dedalus.
"The man who did not want to die"
Let these 3 weeks of confinement prove wrong
to those who think that fraternity is but a fantasy.
May I cite in Shakespeare's language ... "What the world needs now"
Rather sing it. Go ahead, again.
How is it?
♪ What the world needs now ♪
Ah yes!
♪ is love, sweet love ♪
And together, come on!
♪ No not just for some, but for everyone ♪
It's ok?
(Italian) Help! Help!
She cracked before being exposed.
Mrs. Tuxen didn't have courage of a pirate.
She lacked courage of big things, to be frank.
She finally faced reality.
That's it. Your collaborators will come and get us out.
- as soon as they learn about Helene's death. - They must find out first!
It's cold enough here that the body will survive for some time.
Nobody will leave the library!
Our sincere condolences.
- Did I wake you up? - Tell me what's going on, Rose-Marie.
The apartment was reliable, except for one small detail.
There were no toiletries in it. No soap, nothing.
Nobody lives in it.
Neighbors have confirmed that they've never seen Goodman.
He's the one you want.
We have no discover when we have nothing to hide.
So where does he live?
I don't know ...
You are gonna start doing something, idiot!
You are gonna move heaven and earth and find me his hideout!
Do you understand?
You are not tired?
I hope Angstrom pays your overtime.
If you want to relax, we can find a secluded place.
I can do some great massages.
- What? - Maybe we will never leave here.
Just as well take advantage of the time we have left.
Chen! Éric knows ... He knows.
- He knows what? - That it's us.
He makes us pay for it from the start.
When I fell ... his pen dropped out ... from the briefcase.
What are you talking about?
He certainly noticed.
Listen... We must stay calm now.
What are you doing?
Enough of this!
It must end!
I understand how you feel.
But Helene would have acted out here or elsewhere.
You know nothing!
I'd rather be in jail than spend even a second more here.
Javier.
Are you the hacker?
I asked you a question, Javier
You are the hacker.
"My Dear Érik,
"I didn't know you had self-destructive tendency.
"200 more pages have just slipped out of your hands forever.
"80 million. That's the total amount of your punishment.
"You have 20 minutes from now.
"Before the whole book goes to other places.
"Make the right choice.
"I protect
"what is mines."
Tell me how to stop it or I'll shoot you!
A remote system sends emails at specific dates and times.
If you shoot me you will say adieu to the third volume.
Ah, you want to play? Great. We'll play now.
We'll start with the country where we earn the least.
He has nothing to do with it. It's a matter between us.
You could have thought of this.
Shoot me, son of a bitch. At least I will have some vacation.
- (Spanish) We have to do something... - In French, stuttered.
He does not understand.
If we unite we can defend ourselves.
- What shall we do? - Let's split into two groups.
First group distracts the guards, the other takes care of him.
- They are persuading each other. I don't know Spanish. - You should know better, you moron!
- I'm on your side. - (Mandarin) Fuck!
- I do not know Spanish! - I know.
(Spanish) Continue. I'll translate.
Stop this!
All can be stopped now, it just depends on you.
And what do you suggest?
Call Oscar Brach and pass the phone to me.
- Too late, Alex. - We are almost there.
(Spanish) We must act together.
Telma, Chen and Javier,
deal with the guards.
Ingrid and me, we throw ourselves on this bastard.
- Stop! - (Mandarin) Telma, Chen and Javier.
Deal with the guards. Ingrid and me, we throw ourselves on this bastard!
(Greek) I don't speak Spanish nor Mandarin.
You asked for it!
Whatever you want to do, do it now.
(Spanish) Let's do it! On three!
Wait! Everyone knows counting to three in Spanish.
Even him.
In Mandarin. (Mandarin) One...
- Two... - Three!
-Katerina.
I'm not the only one under time pressure.
I can do nothing. Everything sends from my computer in London.
If you don't make the transfer, the text will be automatically sent to the net.
Give me your address. The real one!
- Give me that! - Do something!
Call an ambulance.
- Code? - 1415.
Find me that goddamn computer.
You have won. Call an ambulance now!
Everything alright, Éric?
Yes, Rose-Marie. Everything is so great.
You are going to save Angstrom Publishing.
If I have been hard on you, it's because I've always believed in you. Sales Director. Will it be good for you?
Your shit life will change into bright future.
Rose-Marie, are you there?
Have you found it?
Rose-Marie, have you found it?
Call a fucking ambulance!
Smash that goddamn computer.
If necessary, even with a hammer!
Éric?
I really love literature.
Yes? So what?
Well, go fuck youself.
We have to pay now.
But Éric, we don't have that amount.
Add in my shares.
- Account number? - I've already sent it.
Done.
It's over now.
"My Dear Éric,
"Dedalus has slipped away from you.
"Even the pages you haven't given to me.
"You will have nothing against the twists and turns
"that made the glory of the trilogy.
"I don't give a damn to your money.
"It's your skin that I want. And I think I've had it. "
Call Oscar Brach.
(Russian) No! Stop!
Enough!
Angstrom has just lost his job. We too. Come on.
"Something hanging in the air, something like a caress,
"seemed to be calling him.
"Rebecca.
"No matter how much she forgave him in imaginary oaths
"that he addressed only to himself,
"she accused him as soon as he closed his eyes.
"Truth remained truth.
"He was his only murderer,
"the one he had wanted to confuse so desperately
"that he had looked in the face every morning of his quest
"without knowing it,
"while watching himself in the mirror."
80 million euros.
You have extorted 80 million from me.
Where's the money?
What good will it do to you?
The last thing.
When we met in London, you guessed the first sentence of Volume 3.
That was before you stole the manuscript.
How did you do that?
Shit. I can't hear them.
What's happening there?
It's me who wrote it.
I hope this book to be worth it.
You know what I mean.
I wanted to know the ending. I left mine at home.
A round trip to get it would have been more reasonable.
It's in my mom's, in London.
I spend summer with my dad. He's French and a spoiler, like you.
Shall we make a deal?
If you guess who is the Orient Express killer
you may keep the book.
What if I don't guess?
There is a lot to do here.
I think everyone is guilty.
You see this cardboard box?
Take the books out of it and place them on the shelves.
Yes yes. Work.
What is your name?
Alex Goodman.
I read Dedalus.
It's shitty. You can say that.
It's really great.
The perfect marriage of Anglo-Saxon dramaturgy and the French language.
Impressive. And I know exactly whom I will send it to.
I didn't write it because I wanted to publish it. I just wanted to prove to you that I can do it.
And you've proved it.
You finally listened to me. Your heroes are alive.
You learned to observe people, describe them in your own way.
But we don't write for ourselves.
People need good books.
- And this one is more than good. - No, Georges.
I never dare.
"The wind is breaking up. You have to try to live."
I will not let this text stay in the drawer.
If you really want it to be published,
You have to pretend to be the author.
You are not serious?
Why not?
Then we should come up with a nickname.
And you chose...
"Oscar Brach".
Fix this mess up here. I hear nothing!
- Enough! I'm going to get the kid. - Wait. We don't have any evidence.
There is only one culprit in this story. Éric. It's you.
Lock the translators in a bunker? Treat them like cattle?
This guy doesn't have any respect. Neither for people nor creation.
You wanted to stay in the shadows. Let me handle the affairs.
You don't handle anything.
Angstrom tells nonsense about Dedalus. He sells it like ordinary toothpaste.
Whether you want it or not, you owe him success.
I owe myself and no one else!
Have you read this book?
IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME
It opened it to me infinite perspectives.
People don't care who sold it to them.
From between the pages,
is knowledge.
Inter folia fulget.
Text has more power than anything else, you know?
Only the text will remain.
Writing.
Trust the literature.
Ladies and gentlemen. I am extremely excited and very proud to announce,
Angstrom Publishing's acquisition of the final book of the Dedalus trilogy,
"The man who did not want to die."
... this is very very tough negotiation between Oscar Brach and myself
and I could also safely say that I got the advantage.
Protect what's yours and do not stop.
I'm sure Oscar Brach will not regret it.
the simultaneous translation will begin in December
and the novel would be available in all good bookstores in March.
So, ladies and gentlemen, your second quarter is going to be a...
Real English translation of Dedalus 1 and 2
You can't be Oscar Brach!
You really think I replaced your suitcase in the metro without your knowing it?
You had the original manuscript all the time.
I didn't need to steal it.
Just need to let the others believe it.
The truth, is that you have nothing to be stolen from.
"Protect what’s yours"?
What is really yours?
My books?
You only buy them. And you know what is the funniest?
When I tell investigators to check your account ...
they will find 80 million on it.
What are you talking about?
The story is marketable, right?
The publisher locked translators in the bunker,
to make it look like he was hacked
and put everyone to sleep by diverting a monstrous ransom.
- Nobody will believe you. You're the hacker! - Nobody accused me, except you."
Neither Rose-Marie nor the translators, not even the guards.
You bribed them, hacker!
Now you know who I am.
You're lying!
You can't be Oscar Brach. Because he is dead!
I killed that bastard with my own hands!
That's all I wanted to hear.
I 'm going in.
I didn't kill Oscar Brach. Oscar Brach, it's him!
- It's him. - Sure.
I'm telling you it's him.
I couldn't have killed him. Because it's him. He is Oscar Brach!
Don't be sad, big boy. You will come back here next year.
The Translators
English subtitle: sysuzhao@PTer