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ALICE AND THE MAYOR
It's open.
The HR manager, Mr. Jaccottet, had something come up.
You have time to settle in.
Not much in your office yet,
just a computer.
Here are the keys.
Thank you.
See you later.
Welcome.
I'm being hired for a position that's defunct since June?
That's the gist of it.
Isabelle Leinsdorf or someone could have told me
before I quit Oxford for Lyon.
I agree entirely. That's why I thought you knew.
Anyway, Isabelle Leinsdorf asked me to explain the position
created in place of yours.
- They cancel one and create another? - Yes.
It's hardly economically efficient,
but I've seen more absurd things here.
They were so mortified
that they immediately created a new position.
Ok, so what am I supposed to do?
Your job
is idea development.
Ideas?
You're to find ideas for the mayor,
outside of speeches, editorials and press releases. That's us.
Your job is to bring perspective.
That's not a job.
What?
Bringing perspective.
It isn't a job.
What should I bring perspective to?
Everyday city hall business.
You'll do futurology. Idea development.
A fancy way of saying I have to write up cue cards?
Well, your ideas will be in note form.
What's the difference?
I believe cue cards are for TV. Here we say notes.
Ok. And who gives me the topics for the notes?
That's entirely up to you.
There must be topics you find relevant.
A quick hello.
The council meeting is in 15 minutes.
I see Mélinda brought you up to speed.
Thank you, Alice. This is very important.
So we'll talk about it again, very soon, ok?
We'll start the council meeting.
In accordance with local government code art. L.21/21.15,
I suggest appointing a secretary by a show of hands.
Ms. Lucie Tangy.
Ms. Patricia Abramovicci.
Here.
The press. As you can see.
In the middle is the mayor, on either side his deputies.
Behind him, his staff.
And to my right is the left,
to my left, the right.
Ladies and gentlemen, you've all read
the minutes of the May 28, 2017 meeting,
published in the June 16, 2017 Council Meeting Report.
If no one has any remarks about its content,
I'll put it to a vote.
Agenda item no. 2017.1700:
you will be asked to approve
the specifications for the division into units
submitted for 35 rue Paul Chenavard
at the behest of the University Hospital of Lyon,
contingent on the outcome of the vote.
It lacks lyricism.
It's routine.
Lyon has a seat
in the Property Owners Association general assembly.
I suggest the following nominee:
Ms. Ney.
Who is for? Against?
Who abstains?
On to the written questions
of the 4th district council.
The mayor of the 4th has the floor.
Thank you, Mayor.
As you know, we are particularly attached,
in the 4th district,
I could have added "of the city of Lyon,"
to consulting our residents
before bringing changes to our neighborhoods.
These consultations enrich our projects,
depending on technical and budgetary constraints,
with the ideas...
Is the mayor alright?
Yeah.
When he reads what I write, he has real flourish.
Our evening meetings
exclude large segments of our population.
Mélinda, is the language ready for pedestrianizing the peninsula?
By 3 p.m.
Ok, that'll work.
Don't hesitate. Thanks for your honesty.
See you soon.
Alice, could you read this for me within the hour?
I think so. Not entirely, but...
Very well. The mayor will see you in an hour.
Actually, a half-hour now.
Ok.
Alice Heimann?
The mayor is ready for you.
Should I come up?
He's certainly not coming down.
I'll be right there.
Are you Alice Heimann?
Have a seat.
Alice.
You'll save him for us. Go in, he's expecting you.
Good morning.
Would you like me to sign it?
No, I was reading it.
Tell me about it, then. I skimmed it between trains.
So, you're the philosopher?
I don't know. No. I'm not at all a philosopher.
I see. You're not a philosopher?
I'm not a philosopher, but I've taught philosophy.
Abroad, in particular.
As a Literature PhD, I studied philosophical works.
Well-versed in the subject then?
That's correct. Fairly well.
Let me explain my predicament.
I'll try to be concise, alright?
I can't seem to think anymore.
At all.
See what I mean?
No, not really.
Are you familiar with my career?
I know that you're a politician.
A socialist.
Mayor of Lyon.
You see, I've always had ideas.
It was once even my stock in trade.
I had 25, 40, 50 ideas on any given day.
I worked in advertising.
Early on, I went into politics.
I ran election campaigns.
I worked in ministries.
I advised many a politician.
Bursting with ideas, every waking hour.
I used a Dictaphone to keep track.
Then I ran for office, I managed staff.
I brought big projects to fruition.
In all modesty, I profoundly changed my city.
Then, one morning, I woke up and the ideas were gone.
That's not exactly how it happened, but you get the picture.
What exactly do you mean by "ideas"?
You know what an idea is, don't you?
Not really, no.
Philosophers give several definitions.
Ah yes, philosophy.
Isabelle Leinsdorf recommended I see a psychoanalyst.
She even suggested a coach.
But I instantly sensed deceit of the crudest kind,
a symptom of our times.
I figured a deeper solution to my problem
could come through philosophy
rather than some trendy therapy.
You know, philosophy is a fine thing, but it's not therapeutic.
I don't need therapy.
I'm quite alright.
How can I put it? I feel like I'm running on empty.
Let me venture a metaphor:
I'd say I'm a race car with a powerful engine,
but I know I've run out of gas.
It doesn't show yet. Inertia keeps me on a fast roll.
But
the tank has run dry.
The fact is,
I feel like I stopped thinking 20 years ago.
I sacrificed everything for politics. It's more than a calling.
But...
Over time...
- What's your name? - Alice Heimann.
Alice Heimann, I need you to make me think.
At least I have a schedule, an office.
A semblance of structure. For the rest, we'll see.
Do you know where it might lead?
No idea.
But I can't even say what would interest me.
I'm a bit like you.
As if, after so many years of college and exams,
you lose all sense of direction or desire.
I haven't read for pleasure in ages.
You lose sight of yourself.
You wind up washed out, exhausted, transparent.
We've aged. We're disillusioned.
And yet, we're back to square one, not knowing what to do with our lives.
Isn't that Gauthier?
Where?
By the rest rooms.
Sure is.
I haven't talked to him in ages.
Maybe six years.
Really? What happened?
I don't know. Nothing.
Dumb stuff. I think we grew too close.
Hi.
How're you doing?
Funny meeting here.
Sure is.
Is Delphine coming?
Yes, she's on her way.
Delphine is my wife, in fact.
She wants to talk to you.
Why?
Because I told her my ex-best friend worked for the mayor.
About what?
Probably about the world's end.
Ok.
Here she comes.
Alice, Delphine.
Delphine, Alice.
'Evening.
I'll be right back. Guillaume's there.
I'm coming with you.
She's beautiful.
You seem surprised.
No, I always said you were good-looking.
It was your way of saying you didn't want to go out with me.
Let's get together. A drink next week?
Yeah, sure.
The mayor wants to see you.
Right now?
The mayor's coming. You must ride with him.
He's overbooked today, but he wants to talk to you.
- So wait for him. - Ok.
Tell him it's not a party.
And what if you're no longer with the Socialists?
Say it's a non-partisan approach.
Not even an approach.
We're looking at an idea.
Jean Chamerolle was one of the first resistance fighters deported
to Mauthausen.
He died there of exhaustion and deprivation
on January 24, 1944.
Jean Chamerolle was a royalist.
Danielle Chabron was from a family of Christian Democrats.
Some of their comrades were communists,
others Free Masons, others Jews.
They were men and women
of different backgrounds and trajectories,
sometimes with very different, even divergent convictions,
who joined forces in this fight
in the unconditional service of freedom.
In the Resistance there was no opposition
between left and right.
It brought together different individuals,
some on the left, others on the right,
who worked together against Nazism
and French collaboration.
Their combat is ours today: it brooks no rest.
It is at the price of this healthy intransigence
that we must show ourselves worthy of their legacy.
This civilization
should be experienced as a standard to uphold
rather than be taken for granted.
This freedom
should be taken as a risk,
rather than as a due.
This peace, lastly,
for which they paid the price,
has a value that we too often ignore.
Thank you.
I do something cultural once a week.
The other night I went to a poetist poetry performance.
- Never heard of it. - It's wild!
Sorry, the mayor wants to talk to me.
Oh, ok.
A petition for the 9th district daycare center.
With pleasure. Count on me.
I was thinking about you. Get in.
I have another visit. We'll talk on the way.
Are we running late?
We should be fine.
I really liked your note on modesty.
Very good to get the machine going again.
Well written...
well structured, not to mention very clear.
Thank you.
No flattery intended. No need to thank me.
I'd like you to go into more depth.
And I'd like to discuss it at the office.
Over lunch tomorrow, for instance.
We're already here. It was really very close.
Thank you, Alice.
- Bye. - See you soon.
Thank you.
Hello. How are you?
Delighted to meet you.
Alice, he's very pleased with the note.
The theme of modesty was a great idea.
The mayor would like you to be in a study committee
we've organized alongside the usual staff meetings.
It's sort of futurology.
We're trying to come up with a toolbox for Lyon's future.
The meeting's Tuesday at 6 p.m. You'll come?
Ok.
A theater for the people,
that doesn't shy from entertainment.
Lead the way. After you.
Hello.
Lyon 2500: Lyon's 2500th anniversary.
All set for the videoconference?
- Yes. - Go ahead.
Greetings, all. As you can see, we're preparing
a videoconference with Patrick Brac, who can't be with us.
As we wait for the tech setup, I'll remind everyone
what we said last time and the various avenues to explore.
Hello.
Patrick Brac will be here any minute.
I'll tell you later.
The city's long history should appear as a major asset for Lyon today,
its place in France, in Europe, and in globalization.
And Lyon's 2500 years of history
are 2500 years of the past
helping us meet tomorrow's challenges.
This is not a commemoration, it's a brainstorming workshop...
On the basis of the Lyon experience, the idea
is to build avenues to profoundly reinvent citizenship.
Lyon should be a model of best practices
in France, in Europe, in the world.
Patrick!
Yes, Isabelle!
Hello, everybody.
Delighted to see you.
I wanted to read you some notes.
I made
that might be of help to us.
To discuss, at least.
It's the city - more than the people, who are often conservative -
that changed the world.
It's the city that is on the left.
Not its inhabitants, but the city's essence,
in its deepest, most metaphysical nature.
The city's Being is on the left.
That's why our little think tank
has an idea, a modest proposal,
that could shape this sense of community
that is so distinctive and so precious.
The aim would be to create, spearheaded by Lyon,
an international union of progressive megalopolises.
The IUPM.
That means a vast international political union,
the birth of a new form of federalism.
A carefully chosen, transversal federalism
without borders.
A new idea of the Nation.
Lyon 2500 is fine.
But if you want to be forward-looking,
you need a compelling idea.
The mayor wants to see you after 10 p.m.
Imagine a virtual country
made up of large, progressive, tolerant cities
that are economically dynamic.
Patrick?
Ok, I'll be right up.
Good evening. Make yourself comfortable.
Good evening.
Would you like a drink?
I don't know. A scotch?
Actually, I'm afraid there's nothing.
Just a Nespresso machine.
Never mind, then.
We'll find you some scotch.
Don't worry about it.
The mayor speaking.
Could I have a bottle of scotch?
Yes.
Ok, thanks.
Do you know Birkenstocks?
They're shoes. I know the name.
They're German sandals. Really comfortable.
I don't know where I put them.
Here they are.
So, you don't think I'm modest enough?
That's not exactly the question I ask in my note.
It's the question I'm asking you.
It's hard to answer. I don't know you well.
And I'm not familiar with political practices.
Your position forces you to put on a show for Lyon.
But my focus was political practice, and what politics can and can't handle.
Call it legitimate ambition.
You find my politics too ambitious?
Speak. Feel free.
I can't say. I don't know your politics.
I'm not here to do some sort of audit.
You wanted food for thought.
Keep going.
It's interesting to think about what politics can
and can't accomplish these days.
Go on. Sit down, please.
I think it's important to remain progressive,
but within a limited framework.
Not because of so-called economic realism,
the right's classic argument,
because of our limited resources.
Come in!
Who decides what the earth's limited resources are?
Put it there. Thank you.
It's not really debatable.
Virtually free energy is over.
Our living standard and welfare system were based on it. So now what?
For you there's no debate?
Not about fossil fuel scarcity.
Well, maybe in the U.S. within the Republican Party.
You think experts should make policy decisions.
Scientists don't have politicians' ear.
As if growth could return and oil was inexhaustible.
It's funny. A guy came here a few years ago.
He gave me this brilliant spiel,
sort of like you,
about the fact that social progress
had absolutely nothing to do with political battles.
That it was simply the result of human exploitation of coal and oil.
That everyone on welfare had hundreds of energy equivalent slaves,
and so logically those on welfare
were all much richer than Emperor Augustus.
And you know what?
He ended up trying to sell me nuclear power plants,
because they pollute less.
Experts and scientists always have something to sell.
I believe in ideas, in progress.
I believe in infinite growth,
in infinite human ingenuity.
I believe in the virtues of social battles.
I'm convinced humanity will always move toward more rights,
more education for all,
more dialogue, more culture,
and so I ask you:
How do we do it?
How do you manage, as a man of the left like myself,
when faced with the right, and growing numbers on the left,
who all say:
"The only thing we can do now is manage shortages"?
I'll be blunt.
Go ahead.
Haven't you been fighting a losing battle for 30 years?
Don't you feel like you can't fix a single problem?
I think citizens have that impression.
One of infinite powerlessness.
"Infinite powerlessness" was invented by journalists.
I won't list my achievements,
but I could point out scores of housing projects,
prisons and hospitals.
Not to mention people we've helped:
refugees, the unemployed, single women in distress.
Frankly, I don't feel powerless at all.
So my note didn't interest you?
Yes, it did.
What were you doing before?
Mostly studying.
And in recent years, I traveled a lot.
And later on?
What would you like to do?
I'm assuming you won't be drafting notes forever.
No, but I started 3 weeks ago. I have time to think.
Yes, but later,
what would you like to do later on?
I don't know.
You must have an idea.
Something that interests you?
No.
Are you married?
A boyfriend?
And you?
I was married, but it didn't work out.
At my level of politics,
you need a partner and spouse who's very understanding.
It's cliché but I'll say it anyway.
I sacrificed everything to my calling.
I mean "my calling,"
not "my career" or "my convictions."
Politics is like music or painting:
It's your whole life, all the time, or nothing.
Keep writing notes for me.
They're not helping me yet, but they will in time.
Don't get discouraged.
See you soon.
- Say, Alice. - What?
Did you attend that whatsit meeting?
Lyon 2500?
What do you think?
Not much good.
What about taking it over?
I've never done anything like that.
It's a study committee.
You know about committees, and studying.
Give it some thought and tell me tomorrow morning, ok?
Have a good evening!
Go on in! Hurry up.
Not you. Her.
Alice,
remind me to talk to you about Patrick Brac.
Alright.
No.
Yes.
So, Alice, are we on for Lyon 2500?
I really don't know.
You had all night to think it over.
So it's yes.
Alright. And my notes?
Keep writing them.
And don't complain, you've nothing else to do.
I'll be honest:
I hadn't read your note yesterday, not all of it.
I read it carefully last night.
I found some things unsettling.
But I really don't get the concept of "common decency."
- It's Orwell. - Yes, I don't understand.
For him, an intellectual on the left
shouldn't lose contact with simple folk.
That's obvious!
A principle I share.
For Orwell, the enemy is the leftist intellectual
whose ideas ordinary people scoff at.
To bring the socialist ideal alive,
there are values,
or traditional ways of relating to the world
that, if disregarded, cut the left off from the people.
If the left departs from all that,
it becomes merely a cynical strategy for seizing power.
A bit muddled, don't you think?
What does Orwell say about progress?
What do you mean?
What do I mean?
Progress!
Progress makes sense in a narrative that goes from point A to B.
Progress is moving closer to point B.
Do you have a narrative?
Do the socialists have a narrative?
For the rich, progress is paying less tax.
Sir, they're expecting us.
Not us. They're expecting me.
We'll talk more about it.
A Union of Progressive Megalopolises by Patrick Brac.
Isabelle wants to see you.
- Now? - Yes, it's urgent.
- What's up? - Isabelle needs to talk to you.
Wait here.
Wait for me in my office.
Be right there.
Hi, are you Alice Heimann?
I'm Bruno's sister. We met in college.
How funny. What are you doing here?
Excuse me.
Is it true about Burtin?
- When did it come out? - This morning.
- Is it on the international desk? - No, PR.
Aren't they on the interview?
Yes. I don't know. Ask Thomas.
PR needs your help.
They're wrestling with an interview.
Then I'll need you to meet with a student group
about undocumented aliens.
We need to talk about the Lyon 2500 committee.
Pierre, call Camille
at the first secretary's office in Paris.
Put her through before noon.
That's all.
- You with Itinerance? - That's right.
Follow me, please.
Alice Heimann at futurology.
Isabelle wants her to lend a hand.
Where were we?
"Not only ecology, especially ecology."
- Especially? - Yes.
"Ecology is a priority, but not the only one."
Or "not the only priority."
Can you fill me in?
That's the outrage?
The Greens are threatening to walk out.
Can we come up with something better?
Other ideas?
"Ecology is an essential component of the left."
The left is ratatouille? Easy on the eggplant?
We're up shit creek.
Is a catchphrase necessary?
Can you write a book in 8 minutes?
Then sum it up in 140 characters?
We have to integrate the city majority's Green component
into the mayor's criticism, then temper that criticism.
Something like:
"The Greens in city government know ecology isn't everything."
Then we elaborate.
Democracy and ecology aren't incompatible,
but we won't compromise democracy for ecology.
You lost me. Other ideas?
What d'you mean?
It's not clear, too complicated, badly put.
Can't we think and reformulate?
No time to think.
Other ideas?
Ecology is vital, but not above debates...
You really want a right-wing mayor?
Where do we stand?
We'll have something in 10-15 minutes.
Alice, any ideas?
Basically the mayor could say
that ecology is vital,
but no public policy, even for environmental preservation,
is above democratic debate.
Very good. Take it from there. Back in 10 minutes.
I need you again.
Now?
- Did you graduate from Lyon or Ulm? - Lyon.
I'm supposed to see a student delegation
that does advocacy to help migrants.
But I need you to stand in for me.
I don't know the issue.
It can't be helped. Sorry.
- Hasn't paid taxes since '98? - Says the press.
- Does the mayor know? - Yes.
- Does he know about Camille? - Yes, he agrees.
The European affairs minister hasn't paid taxes since 1998.
The scandal in Paris will impact us and the next congress.
- What congress? - The Socialist Congress.
The mayor may take over the party, but never mind.
- Go on! - Where?
To meet the students from your alma mater.
I'll take you there.
Hello.
- Sorry to keep you waiting. - 45 minutes.
We were supposed to see Isabelle Leinsdorf.
Isabelle has to handle a number of emergencies.
The 45 undocumented migrants sleeping in the gym isn't one?
The men's dorm pipes are still clogged after 2 months,
among 53 other urgent hygiene issues on our list.
The mayor promised aid and logistic support.
Could we at least see Ms. Ricaud?
Sending an alumna to calm us down is way too cynical.
You're not familiar with the issue, are you?
I haven't introduced myself. I'm Alice Heimann.
I work on futurology in the mayor's office.
I don't have thorough knowledge of the issue,
but I'll convey your message as faithfully as possible.
I hope your non-thorough knowledge
will indeed enable you to convey our message faithfully.
Let's start with the plumbing problems.
So,
starting with the lavatories. I'm listening.
- Hi. - Hey.
What'd you do to Daniel?
Who's Daniel?
Head of PR. He wants to kill you.
Alice,
the mayor has 5 minutes for you, in 3 minutes.
The mayor? So everyone will want to kill you.
It's funny, 'cause even if I'm 40...
- Don't age yourself. - What?
- You're not 40. - Almost.
I may almost be 40,
and I still identify with the left.
I'm not surprised. You're a great guy.
Often people say,
"I'm still on the left but..."
True.
I'm still on the left but...
I find our arguments lack punch.
When I read or hear what our side puts out,
of course I'm in agreement,
with the line of argument and in terms of my political leanings.
But right as they may be,
the arguments no longer convince very many.
The right isn't more convincing.
Depends which right you mean.
Progressives have trouble today
because people feel their lives are getting worse, not better.
Then there's the right
that no longer pretends to be progressive.
They even take leftist ideas from Orwell and Pasolini,
using only what is potentially reactionary.
When I read those articles,
I'm not fooled, I see the sham,
but still, they're incisive.
I dunno, there's...
an instant relevance I don't see on the left.
The left totally misjudges that,
because it thinks the right means economic clout,
that it has a hidden agenda regarding capitalism.
But it's not true.
We could wind up with a reactionary anti-capitalist far right
without realizing what hit us.
We're almost there.
You'll see, it's Delphine's apartment.
A large, upper middle-class, enlightened Lyonnais family.
With lots and lots of money.
Sorry, it's a bit of a mess.
Delphine!
I brought Alice over.
Hi.
Good evening.
Excuse me, I forgot something.
I'll be right back.
Come in.
You're working on the world's end?
You know Donna Haraway?
Yes, but I don't read much contemporary philosophy.
After my show on the Anthropocene, I hit a dead end.
Disasters, the ravages of capitalism, the end of humanity...
I felt like doing something, taking initiative,
not sinking into catastrophism.
In fact, the old world is a compost heap.
And we're all lichens,
living beings that must live in symbiosis with other life forms
in a collapsed world we can feed on.
Did you have a dog?
No, no dog.
My grandparents had one.
Having a dog is to live with another life form.
It's no big deal.
An amoeba, a virus, a dog, same thing.
Do you talk to Théraneau about all that?
About lichens?
You talk about left, right, lowering local taxes...
While it's 35° C in Siberia
and frozen bacteria millions of years old are ready to attack us.
I think Théraneau has more immediate fears.
Before the end of the humanity,
he fears the end of democracy, the rule of law.
The end of that cycle of history.
Art tries to see farther.
To keep one step ahead.
Fascism is not what awaits us.
It's final, absolute collapse.
Collapse could also be seen as positive if we invent a narrative for it.
- You make dresses, too? - Yes.
You make lots of things!
That's what people say when they come here.
They must think artists don't do anything.
I have to speak to Théraneau.
Do you think I could?
I don't know. I'd have to see.
It's very important.
Even if you're unfamiliar with what I'm saying,
you must understand it's essential.
I promise I'll try.
What's that?
A study for the Lyon Opera.
A production of the Tetralogy.
Going to the Wagner?
All staff members have to attend.
I love opera, anyway.
Sit, please.
We'll eat quickly, alright?
We need to speed things up on Lyon 2500.
Thank you.
Significantly.
That's why I'm appointing Alice Heimann to head the committee.
We needed a brilliant, driven mind, not ready-made ideas. We have one.
First, I want Lyon 2500
to be for all Lyonnais,
rich and poor, longtime residents or not,
educated or not.
With each action we must ask,
"What do the Lyonnais expect of us?"
Especially those who've lost hope in the left and politics.
Go on, eat. There's no second sitting.
Enough notetaking, already!
You can remember 2 or 3 important ideas for two hours, can't you?
It's not a lecture on Spinoza.
Is Alice Heimann taking notes? No.
She's listening and her brain can remember things.
We must remain modest.
And as Alice says,
aware of our limitations.
No megalomania.
No overexpansion.
At the same time, we must make Lyon.
France's leading city.
The most attractive, the most modern,
the most suited to today's world.
We must build a bridge from our deepest roots
to the most advanced modernity.
And bridge the gap between the privileged classes,
whose experience of globalization is positive,
and those who need more support than ever.
It's an ambitious, specific agenda.
We'll revolutionize the city and its uses.
We will invent
today's great democratic narrative.
Thank you.
You know,
your new office has caused a scandal at city hall.
Why's that?
It's complicated.
This office is usually given to a more senior staff member.
There's a petition asking Isabelle to put you back in your old office.
I could care less about the office.
Not them.
What nonsense.
And PR is furious at you.
They say they should be running the Lyon 2500 committee.
Where'd you get all this?
Isabelle was sent a memo.
What's it say?
That you're not the right person to handle Lyon 2500.
That they need professional events managers.
That an academic shouldn't head a study committee.
All that for something that's not even started.
Jeez, it's Patrick Brac.
Not answering?
He's hounding me with messages and I forgot to call back.
To say what? His union idea is ridiculous.
But he's very close to Isabelle!
So what?
He funds lots of projects in Lyon. You can't ignore him.
I'll call him tomorrow.
You recognize Lyon, your city.
What comes to mind?
You, for instance.
I dunno.
Nightlife, bars, friends.
So an idea of conviviality.
A city is a place where we live with others.
Anything to add at this stage?
History.
History!
The history of Lyon.
My son's class worked on the Resistance. He found it fascinating.
I'm glad you mention history.
That's pretty ugly.
And if I say Lyon is 2500 years old?
Damn, he gave the info too soon.
- May I step in quickly? - That's what you're here for.
No relation to the photos.
That's ok. We're here to talk.
Speaking of history,
before you turn Lyon into a theme park...
I'm a printer.
I love well-made books.
What comes out now is real crap.
6 years ago, I bought an old print shop,
with old machines and old lead type.
It was the last old-style print shop in the area.
So I started my business.
It was hardly booming, but made enough not to lose money.
The books were beautiful, the publishers were happy.
But then the accounts didn't balance.
I asked city hall if there was any sort of aid.
I needed a little help to preserve the last place in Lyon
that made real books.
After several weeks
of getting the runaround,
a man replied that the future was digital.
And they offered me training on some software
to do I don't know what.
And?
Maybe for a city hall to keep history alive
is to give a little help,
to preserve the beauty of the past in people's lives.
Daniel, see you tomorrow?
Goodbye. Thank you.
Excuse me.
Good evening.
Bye.
I was at the meeting.
I didn't see you.
- I was behind a glass. - Oh, ok.
I work at city hall and what you said moved me.
Ok.
Maybe we could get together
to talk about it.
Ok.
Are you free tomorrow?
Yes.
Do you like Wagner?
Hi.
- How're you? - Good.
Thanks.
Not sure why I suggested this.
We won't be able to chat. It ends at 1 a.m.
That's ok.
We'll talk another time.
Isabelle needs to speak to you.
Ok.
Right now, actually.
Where is she?
I don't know, but she said to keep you here.
Physically?
Yes, physically. I'll call her.
- Let's go and... - Stay there.
I'm here.
You didn't call Patrick Brac back?
I'll do it tomorrow.
At your level, you can't not call Patrick Brac back.
He's furious.
I told him you weren't well. He'll be here tonight.
Talk to him and apologize.
Sure, but what can I say about his inane idea?
I'm counting on you and your sense of duty.
Who was that?
The mayor's chief of staff.
And Patrick Brac?
Some rich guy.
Nice going for the office! Not too big?
It's ok.
Your boss is here.
Yes.
First names?
Of course.
- Sorry, he's calling me. - I see.
Be right back.
I want to introduce you to an interesting figure.
Alice Heimann, Mr. Brown.
Alice Heimann is a philosopher. She's kindly advising me.
Sorry.
What'd you used to do?
It's complicated. A lit PhD, then I taught abroad.
I have to go to the cocktail at city hall.
I'll head home.
You must have lots of people to see.
But we didn't even talk.
You warned me!
Never mind. The music was lovely.
We'll have another chance, I hope.
Alice!
Going to the cocktail?
I have to see the city hall people.
Did you like it?
Yes, it was beautiful.
I have to warn you, Delphine wants to speak to Théraneau.
She went on about it last night.
The more I tried to talk her out of it,
the more she saw it as her absolute duty.
You can imagine.
So, does total art inspire you?
It was very beautiful.
Sorry I didn't get back to you. I wasn't well.
I hear you have a huge office now.
It hasn't gone to your head, I hope.
Modesty is an important quality,
especially in politics.
So many people lose contact with life, with people.
Well, I just started.
You were at Oxford before, right?
Right.
Perfect way to lose contact with terra firma.
Don't take it badly.
Oh, you're touchy.
I wanted to find the right words to talk about your project.
I'm bad at conversation. For me it takes hard work.
I have to think very hard about what to say.
Aren't you simply a chicken?
You're very pretty, anyway.
How are you?
- Patrick Brac. Delphine... - Good evening.
It was beautiful.
I can't see it anymore.
Can you introduce me to Théraneau?
Now?
See you soon.
It's important.
Look, I don't even know if he stayed.
He's over there.
Shall we?
Delphine.
Delphine Bérard.
I'm a friend of Alice's.
Pleased to meet you.
I'm glad. I thought she had few friends.
I've come to offer a peace treaty.
A peace treaty? Are we at war with St. Etienne?
A treaty with other species.
A new alliance.
Which species?
You're well placed to know that industrial society,
dependent as it is on fossil fuels, is doomed.
Of course.
And we just launched
a sustainable development and green growth plan 6 months ago.
Can you imagine Lyon in 50 years, if we do nothing?
A heap of rubble.
Humanity will be gone.
There may remain some small mammals and insects.
We must invent new symbiosis with other life forms.
I must meet with you.
I think we should transform Lyon 2500
into something subversive.
Something about the disappearance of the human race.
We must come up with a new narrative.
Artists and scientists
need politicians to devise it and spread it.
Were you part of tonight's performance?
I designed some sets.
It was remarkable. Congratulations.
I'm walking home. Will you walk with me?
Forgive me, I'm going home.
Good night, then.
Your friend is nice.
She's an enthusiast.
He has the mayor's schedule for the 2 days in Paris.
I don't see any problem, but check with him.
I have to go. Only 5 min before my next meeting.
Yes. Goodbye.
Excuse me.
Alice.
We need to talk fast but seriously.
First, I'm very pleased with your work with the mayor.
He's much better, more combative since you arrived.
Thanks.
But I'll be frank.
You've become too important to him.
Meaning?
Paul is taking over the party,
then he'll be the Socialist presidential candidate.
That means your influence must stop.
I read your notes to him.
They stimulate him,
but they cloud his mind as well.
We can't afford that now.
They cloud his mind?
Yes. We need to focus on the message.
The time for futurology is over.
In short, he has to stop thinking?
Paul is becoming a key figure in France.
Maybe in the world.
I'm sorry, the stakes are no longer the same.
And I want to thank you.
Alice, I've thought it over.
We're scrapping Lyon 2500.
It's totally ludicrous. Do you agree?
Yes.
But I don't see how it could have ended otherwise.
First, it was a committee of academics, legislators, organizers.
Then I was attending qualitative marketing meetings.
Look no further.
Sure, but activists and academics
are only good at organizing colloquia.
They invite other intellectuals to talk in a closed circuit.
We need external consultants to give us really fresh ideas.
If only people would listen to us.
Intellectuals believe
that sound reasoning is an end in itself, not a means.
But as mayor, sound reasoning doesn't help me much.
First, I lose elections,
I'm powerless in face of the populists,
my majority and the opposition.
I need intuition, compelling ideas, courage.
De Gaulle's June 18th speech wasn't the act of an intellectual.
In June 1940 intellectuals were totally at sea!
Just read the authors of that time.
Have you read Marc Bloch's Strange Defeat?
Heard of it?
It's a brilliant, accurate and uncompromising analysis
of the situation in June 1940.
Written by a medieval historian, hence an intellectual.
He was shot by the Nazis for resistance.
Read it, and then we'll talk about intellectuals.
Don't get angry.
Know what I have to do this evening?
Have dinner with my ex-wife
to tell her that I'll probably run for president.
It kept me up all night.
I couldn't sleep a wink.
That's why I'm a bit tired.
You can't imagine how much women intimidate me.
What do you do at city hall?
I advise the mayor.
What advice do you give?
I don't want to talk about it right now.
I'm supposed to give him ideas.
Advice or ideas?
Ideas.
I really liked what you said the other day...
about books, about your print shop.
I studied literature. It's my world. I tend to forget that.
So it affected me.
But...
I don't know how to put this.
How'd you end up in that mess at city hall?
Isn't it horrible?
Not exactly horrible.
I've dealt with politicians several times in my life.
I was struck by their intellectual mediocrity.
It's unthinkable until you experience it firsthand.
There they are,
they don't read,
they're interested in nothing.
It's all hot air.
They only care about their career. Behind that, there's nothing.
Princes and philosophers have always existed.
Can't ask Louis XIV to be Molière or La Fontaine.
I don't know if Louis XIV was as dumb.
I've never spoken to him, myself.
Sorry, I think you're really cool.
But I can't see you hobnobbing with that crowd.
I'm a mess.
I can see that.
What's going on?
I don't know.
I'm totally depressed.
I have the feeling
that there's nothing in my life.
My job isn't a job.
It's like politics is making me stupid.
I don't know what to do with my life. Nothing interests me.
No kids, no man... no family.
And I'm 30 years old.
You still have time. It's not like you're...
Not really, no.
I don't even want kids. I just want to keep the door open.
Mind if I get into my pajamas?
No, go ahead.
Thanks.
Gauthier!
C'mere.
Did Delphine ask questions?
No.
But you know, she's not home.
She's at the psych ward.
She'll be out tomorrow.
It's ok. Don't worry.
It's not the first time.
But it happens less and less often.
Don't worry about it.
It's the flip side of her perspicacity.
Her close relationship to truth.
She doesn't delude herself,
so she sometimes leaves us by the wayside.
I don't know if it's... madness that makes her see the truth,
or if it's the truth that drives her mad.
But don't think about that tonight.
But are you ok?
Yes, I'm fine.
I have a bit of anxiety, but...
I'm fine.
Go to sleep.
Yes.
Hang on, I'll get her.
Alice.
It's Paul Théraneau.
- Alice? - Yes?
I had to talk to you.
I had dinner with my ex-wife, and it threw me for a loop.
Why?
She's an intellectual, a bit like you.
She keeps saying, every time I see her,
that the world of politics is bullshit.
At least you're not like that.
You're not like that, are you?
No.
Did I wake you?
I don't know why I'm telling you all this.
I think we're similar.
We have few friends.
Friendship is not my forte.
But since I'm trying to find meaning in what I do
by talking to you...
I think I'm going to quit.
I can't take the vanity of it all.
Lyon 2500 was an utterly stupid idea, of course.
I'm not going to run for party leader, either.
I'll finish out my term, simply, discreetly, without making waves.
Still there?
Yes.
I sensed an awkward silence.
Nothing to say?
Do you find me vapid?
That I have nothing interesting to say?
You think like my wife.
No, you're not vapid.
You're trying to get me to flatter you.
I'll stop complaining.
And you, are you ok?
Yeah.
My wife didn't seem to be doing too well.
Well, good night, Alice.
Thanks for the chat.
You save plenty of my days, lately.
Thanks.
I always enjoy talking to you.
See you tomorrow.
Good morning.
Take a seat.
So.
You're all aware of my recent troubles,
personal, professional,
even political.
This feeling of no longer being where I should be,
of having done my time,
of having run out of ideas, and therefore, energy.
I've decided
to gradually take my distance from city hall business.
Eventually, Mathilde Jurançon
will take things over at city hall.
From there,
I have two options.
The first
is to retire from politics.
Yet I'm still a bit too young.
I'm in good health, good physical shape.
Most of all, politics is all I know.
The second option
is a different commitment,
another way of serving my city and my country.
So I've decided to present a motion at the next Socialist Congress.
If it's accepted, we'll need a presidential platform
integrating its main points, but we're not there yet.
Isabelle, you'll have to reorganize the staff.
Find and train someone to replace you in case...
you have to follow me to Paris.
By the way, Grégoire,
I absolutely must go to Paris and tell Patrice.
It's the least I can do.
And Alice,
we're going to write the speech of my lifetime!
I have a gift for you. It may no longer be appropriate.
Rousseau.
Reveries of a Solitary Walker.
"So here I am, alone on this earth, with no brother, neighbor or friend,
"and no company but my own.
"The most sociable and loving of human beings
"has by common consent been banished by society.
"In the refinement of their hatred they sought out
"the cruelest forms of torture for my sensitive soul
"and they have brutally cut off all ties that bound me to them.
"I would have loved my fellow men in spite of themselves."
Thank you, Alice.
The Socialist Congress: Time to Choose.
Paul Théraneau's Decision Awaited.
No, I'll hold.
Hi, Henri.
Look, nothing special.
Paul's finishing his speech, alone.
He's very focused and determined.
No point doing anything before this evening.
No chance a majority will emerge.
The North is stonewalling.
We're waiting, confident.
Paul's getting ready.
He'll give a speech late this evening.
Did you know they want me to read a different speech?
Yes, Isabelle told me.
It was written by a communications agency.
The one for Lyon 2500?
No, another one. A big Paris firm.
I think they test ideas, or themes,
on panels of French citizens.
Did you read it?
Yes, I skimmed it over.
I even ok'd it. It's not bad.
We're running out of time. Let's go.
Read the third paragraph back to me.
So,
"It's not enough to say we'll combat high finance,
"as if it were some abstract army,
"with no soldiers or divisions.
"It is a real army, and what is it made of?
"For instance, here in France?
"The answer is simple, and terrifying.
"High finance is our children.
"The children of the Republic.
"I'll go even further: they're our best students,
"those our state schools revealed,
"encouraged, educated, raised to excellence."
That's pretty brutal, isn't it?
No. You liked it the other day.
Go on.
"Those we used to call, somewhat naively, the Republic's elite.
"Once scientists, engineers, professors,
"doctors, architects, generals,
"now, as soon as they reach their twenties,
"they rush to the biggest banks and financial companies.
"Friends, comrades, what have we done with our children?"
That's brutal.
"What have we done?
"The smartest of them
"should have led our country toward social progress,
"toward deeper, more effective solidarity.
"To borrow Mario Vargas Llosa's famous phrase:
"When did France screw itself up?"
No, "To paraphrase Mario Vargas Llosa:
"When did France screw itself up?"
Not as heavy.
"To paraphrase Mario Vargas Llosa:
"When did France screw itself up?"
Packs a punch. Go on.
"When did its schools turn the Republic against itself?
"When did it manufacture this new individual,
"with no national allegiance, no sense of solidarity with others?
"This world citizen
"who works in all the world's stock exchanges,
"and rarely pays taxes in France?"
- That's where we stand. - It's good. Really very good.
A repetition of "world," but I think it works.
Give me your notes.
Now I'll dictate. If something bothers you, stop me.
From the top.
"It's up to the Republic to respond..."
To counterattack, rather.
"It's up to the Republic to counterattack..."
No, "It's up to the Republic to have its revolution."
It already had one.
No.
France had a Revolution, now we're a republic.
Ok: "It's up to the Republic to have its revolution."
That sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
"It's up to the Republic to have its revolution,
"and up to its strongest arm to act.
"I of course mean education,
"and in particular our best schools,
"those envied the world over.
"Don't forget..."
- Too fast? - A little.
Ok, too fast.
"and in particular our best schools,
"those envied the world over.
"Don't forget,
"once engineering schools trained engineers,
"not bankers.
"Once business schools trained entrepreneurs,
"not bankers.
"There was even a time when the National School of Administration
"trained civil servants,
"not bankers."
- That's good! - Yes, it is.
In the notes, we'd put NSA,
but National School of Administration is much better.
You were right.
Now for the part about modesty.
What time do you speak?
Midnight or 1 a.m., if I decide to speak.
- What do you mean? - I'll speak if I think it's needed.
Come in!
- Well? - The mayor's speech.
Thank you, Jean-Pierre.
Go ahead, on modesty.
Hang on. Here it is:
"The right will say. - Not only the right,
"but part of the left as well..."
In parentheses,
because I spoke ill of teachers' children.
I can't anger the other half of the party.
Ok.
"The right will say, we can't do without finance.
"We need to borrow money now more than ever. Always borrow.
"So what if the system is out of steam and can't produce growth.
"Let the best of us find ever riskier ways
"of making money needed for our sick economies..."
How about "swollen" rather than "sick" economies?
Come in.
Things are getting tense.
A deadlock might occur sooner than later.
Can I finish my speech or not?
Two minutes.
Alright then,
"Let the best of us find ever riskier ways of making money."
We already said that, "if wealth is lacking,
"if the billions in banks
"are merely hot air tucked away in tax havens..."
"Hot air tucked away" doesn't work.
What do we use instead?
Hang on. Let me take over.
So I was saying,
"if wealth is lacking,
"if the billions in banks
"are merely hot air tucked away in tax havens...
"then maybe
"the days of French shirts made in China for 1 euro is over.
"Yogurt cups made 3,000 km from the yogurt itself
"is a thing of the past.
"Maybe it's time to make the workings of our societies and economies
"simpler, less rampant, fairer, more decent.
"That's what the left should be today.
"Maybe the time for education for all has finally come.
"Maybe it's time for everyone to take responsibility.
"Maybe the time for modesty is here."
Ok,
print that up and give everyone a copy.
Say that it replaces and cancels the other speech.
Ok?
Thank you very, very much.
Socialist Congress.
A statement by Paul Théraneau is expected during the evening.
Young socialists at odds with the party line.
Paul Théraneau has arrived.
The wait is making his backers nervous.
If he doesn't run, what happens?
The Socialists' problem
is they have no pinch hitters, to use a sports metaphor.
There is no alternative. Paul Théraneau is the front runner.
No, we mustn't rule out
Laurence Simeuse.
She's clearly a first choice for many.
The mayor finishes up
and at 10:45 p.m. I want press releases out
with a PDF of the speech.
The second speech.
It's Vanessa.
She wants you to make a statement now, to avert impatience.
Tell her to wait a little while longer.
Some Socialists are skeptical, which may explain
this last-minute hesitation.
He must show a new image.
You're not at the Congress Hall?
They're all upstairs. Not sure why.
Really?
Yes.
I don't know. We're waiting.
Is that for sure?
Simeuse is giving the 10 p.m. speech.
What's going on?
What's that mean?
That the party decided not to wait for the mayor,
that Simeuse will sum up proceedings and produce a consensus.
She's not running for president?
No, she'll just organize primaries. It suits everyone.
We missed a window of opportunity.
No speech, and Théraneau will never be president.
Looks like we're out of a job.
Step outside? I'm going for a smoke.
Your speech
was excellent, really.
Provocative,
risky, but...
unexpected, very incisive.
Incisive?
Yes, really.
I'll go draw up my résumé. That'll calm my nerves.
Maybe the days of yogurt cups made 3,000 km from the yogurt itself
is a thing of the past.
3 years later.
Come in.
I had some work done.
It's brighter, but I don't know if I'll stay.
Coffee?
I'd love some.
Your daughter, good?
Yes.
I got the pictures.
She's beautiful. She looks like you.
Not too tired?
No, she sleeps through the night now.
Do you like your job?
Yes. I'd have preferred to stay in France, but...
But you work for France, don't you?
I meet a lot of people, and that opens up future possibilities.
Possibilities. Always possibilities.
And the country?
Unrecognizable.
The least pleasant part of my job.
I hadn't been back in ten years. Even the people have changed.
The atmosphere in cafés, restaurants...
And what young people talk about.
That reminds me of one of your notes.
Thanks, by the way. You didn't have to keep writing them.
I do it for myself, too. And I use parts for the embassy.
It reminds me of what you said
about the loss of moral credit...
The loss of moral credit that affects civilized forms of life.
"The loss of moral credit that affects civilized forms of life."
That's well put.
Before, voters always wanted more rights,
more democracy.
Toward the end of my term,
I got the feeling they were wary of democracy.
I'll stop rambling on.
City hall no longer pays you to have me react to your notes.
How about yourself?
What'll you do now?
I'm a bit like you.
I relish at all the possibilities.
I've been asked to teach,
to give lectures.
I really don't know.
I brought you a little gift.
A gift?
That's sweet.
- Shall I open it? - Yes.
Have you read it?
Yes, I have.
I've started reading again.
A little bit.
Subtitles by M. Kelley & C. Schoch.
Subtitling: HIVENTY