In memory of my father
In the city where I was born, the past carries the present
like a child on its shoulders.
- Françoise! - Coming!
In the spring of 1952, my parents moved in
next door to my aunt Jeanne d'Arc.
- Oh goodness, how can you wear such filthy clothes to church!
Three important events marked that year in Quebec City:
the advent of television,
the reelection of Maurice Duplessis as Quebec premier
and a visit from Alfred Hitchcock who had picked our city
to serve as backdrop for his next movie.
Among the lucky few who managed to get tickets to the premiere
were my aunt, my mother, and me,
nice and warm in her belly.
In the summer of 1989, I came back to the city
where my family had always lived.
I had just spent three years studying painting in China.
Our neighbourhood hadn't changed a bit,
but the house was empty, and the reason for my return
was my father's funeral.
At first glance, things hadn't changed much.
Pictures of my brother, when he won a medal at the Canada Games,
of my aunt Rachel, my mother's sister,
of my parents, at a picnic at the aquarium
and of my cousin, André. - Condolences, Pierre
- Thanks.
Wasn't Marc coming with you? - No
- But didn't you tell him? - I tried, but I couldn't reach him.
You know how he is...
In every room I could find signs of my father's negligence.
Most tragic were those of his diabetes
which he didn't look after well, and which eventually made him blind.
Take this, all of you, and drink from it.
This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant
It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.
Where is everybody?
Well... They're all dead.
Please rise...
In memory of the death and resurrection of your son,
we offer you, Lord, this life-giving bread, this saving cup.
We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.
Remember our brother Paul-Émile Lamontagne,
whose baptism is now complete in death.
Bring him, and all who have died in the peace of Christ,
into your eternal joy and light.
Oh great. You've emptied the hot water tank again!
What's with the afternoon baths anyway? - It's supposed to help me relax.
- Now I have to rinse with cold water again, dammit!
I'm already late. - Where are you going?
- I've got an interview with Gaston Côté.
Says he might have a cab driver job for me.
- You could have told me! - If I get it, I'll start next month.
- Not night shifts, I hope?
- Paul-Émile Lamontagne, I'm asking you a question!
- For now I'll just have to take whatever he gives me.
- You spent the last 7 years out at sea, now every night out in a cab?
- I'd have gladly made judge, if I'd finished grade school.
Alright, come here, Santa, I'll rinse that for you!
Françoise...
What's wrong?
You can't know the recipe to every drink on your first day, of course.
Say the guy orders a Black Label. Well then, what you want to do is,
associate something black with him. Say he's got black eyes...
Well then you gotta think: "black eyes equals Black Label"
For an In Between The Sheets, you mix three types of alcohol.
You see, the chemical reaction of the three together
depends on the order in which you mix them.
Say the guy orders a lager. Well then you think:
"He looks like a lager type of guy."
Are you ok?
- I'm fine, just felt dizzy there for a second...
Marc?
Yes?
Room service, sir. - I haven't ordered anything.
- Didn't you order an In Between The Sheets?
Most certainly not.
- Ah, our mistake, sir. Sorry to have disturbed you.
Hold on.
I'll take the drink.
Put it here please.
You're hurt?
You're bleeding...
Just a scratch. I'll go get something from the bathroom.
The Seahorse...
It's not loaded.
It's just to scare people.
...and Prime Minister Li-Peng seem to be in control
of the situation within the government
but the Chinese people and medical authorities
strongly condemn their decision to attack the crowd.
Student groups have declared they were ready to take arms
and retreat to universities to continue their resistance.
How long have you been married? - Seven years now.
But sometimes I feel that time is a thief,
and that if I don't have a child now, I'll never have one.
- Do you pray to the Holy Spirit? - No, to the Blessed Virgin.
- You should be praying to the Holy Spirit.
After all, He's the one who so to speak impregnated the Virgin Mary.
- I'd like to see a spiritual healer, whom my sister-in-law recommends.
- Mrs. Lamontagne! This healer may know a thing or two
when it comes to the body and hygiene of women,
but only God understands the mystery of life.
You're too nervous! That's why you keep having miscarriages.
For your Penance, say three Hail Mary and one Lord's Prayer.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, amen!
And don't let your sister-in-law influence you anymore!
Quite a chat you had in there... - He chewed me out!
- How come? - Because of you!
- Because of me? - Nevermind, I'll tell you later.
Thank you Rachel, you're very kind.
What's wrong, Rachel?
You won't tell me?
Me, your loving sister?
I don't want to work at the presbytery anymore.
Maybe you won't need to work there anymore.
Maybe we can pay you to do the cleaning here instead.
I sure wouldn't mind, I keep getting sick all the time!
Don't cry, now!
You've got such a pretty face, it looks even more sad when you cry.
Come on, go dry your eyes.
And bring me my syrup, it's in the cupboard.
If the smell of paint gets too strong, here's a trick:
you take an onion, chop it in four, put one slice in each corner of the room.
- What if it starts smelling of onions?
- You put another coat of paint on.
You wanna room?
Or are you only here to look at our Christmas decorations?
Can I just have a look?
No, to get in you gotta sign in.
You know many guys who go to saunas and sign their real name?
I'm sorry, I don't understand.
Looking for company?
- No, thanks.
Marc?
It's dad. Dad passed away.
I know.
Now go away, Pierre.
You can't stay here, this place isn't for you.
Calm down. Let's go somewhere else.
Look, that's our name in Chinese.
It means "mountain", like our name.
That's the horizon, those are the mountain peaks.
And if you remove that bottom stroke, then it means "river".
So?
Thank you gentlemen, have a nice evening.
Why didn't you come to the funeral?
I didn't belong there.
We were never very close, anyway.
Why's that, you think?
Dunno.
Maybe because I'm adopted.
What's it gonna change now anyway?
What's wrong?
Are you alright?
- I'm fine.
- But what's wrong? - I said I'm fine!
I get this sometimes.
It's Like the ground starts spinning, and I get all dizzy.
It's a rotating restaurant, of course the ground is spinning.
Why don't you come and stay with me? There's plenty of room.
No, Pierre, that won't be possible.
Alright, then.
You take care.
In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti, amen!
Forgive me Father for I have sinned.
Go ahead, my child.
Father, I've been thinking about death.
That's only normal.
No, I mean my own death.
I'm thinking of taking my own life.
It seems everything would be better if I was dead.
That's against the will of God.
God created you to do good.
Yes, but even when I want to do good,
it seems I can only inspire sin.
I'd like to confess, but my sin is too great.
My sin is too great to be forgiven.
It is men who find it hard to forgive, Rachel.
God forgives everything.
For He is gracious.
Have no fear, and tell me.
It is not to me you are confessing your sins,
but to God, through me.
May I ask you not to take pictures inside the church?
...now since Mr. Hitchcock agreed to edit his script
as per the requests of the archdiocese,
is is hard for us to deny his request.
The shooting schedule, however, will clash
with our activities and disrupt our own schedule.
I therefore ask you to stay vigilant and on alert,
because there could...
Dinner was served 45 minutes ago.
Miss Rachel doesn't work here anymore.
Until we find a replacement, our beadle Mr. Guillemette
will serve as housemaid.
Was it you who fired her?
If you don't mind, we'll continue this conversation after dinner.
... and he said:
a man had two sons.
What? You don't like it?
Come in, we have to talk.
What did she say?
She won't talk.
Won't say when it happened, won't say who's the father.
What do we do now?
Well, one thing's for sure.
She can't stay here. - Paul-Émile!
Where do you want her to go? - Back to your mother's!
Mom's too old to take care of a baby!
- And I'm too poor to feed one! It's my first day as a cabbie!
You only care about yourself! - Françoise!
It's you I care about. I know you inside out.
I know it'll hurt you to see your sister raise a child.
On the contrary! She's my sister, and I love her.
And I'm not jealous, not the slightest bit!
I'll take care of the kid! That's all I want.
Pierre?
So I spoke to the guy at the paint store.
He says you can't paint over yellow with red
because they're both warm colours,
and so instead of hiding the yellow paint,
the red paint sort of makes it stronger, you see?
So his advice is to first give it a coat of green
to cancel out the red.
Because red and green are complementary colours.
Then, to counter the yellow, you add a coat of blue.
Weird, huh? I already put two coats on, it still stays.
You think it's hereditary?
- What?
Suicidal tendencies.
- Why are you asking me that?
Don't you have any curiosity left?
I'm curious to find my real father.
- What would that give you?
There's stuff I'd like to know, that only he could tell me.
What if he was a priest?
- What are you talking about?
- Ah, nothing.
- What?
- Just something I once overheard aunt Jeanne d'Arc say on the phone.
You know how she was.
She'd talk and talk in front of us, thinking we couldn't understand.
- But what was she saying?
- She was sort of suggesting that the reason your mom killed herself
was that she got pregnant from a priest.
How long has it been?
- Four months.
Sorry.
It's like an electrical discharge just ran through my body.
How old are you, Rachel?
- Sixteen
Have you told the father?
I'll be praying for you.
What happened in there? - She nearly electrocuted me!
Next!
What's taking her so long?
Is she with the junior priest in there? - Well, yeah, the old one's up there.
Why do you ask?
Whenever it's him she stays in there for hours
- So?
Are you out of your mind? The junior priest!
Who gave you that idea, Jeanne d'Arc I bet?
- She never had friends, she's always alone at home.
When she wasn't at home, she was working here.
Who else, the beadle? - He's a priest, for chrissake!
- Don't swear in church!
Besides, priest or not, he's not made of stone.
Good evening, Father.
Thanks for seeing me.
- My pleasure. Didn't we meet recently?
Ah yes, for the baptism of your nephew!
- No, the funeral of my father.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
The whole church was booked for a movie shoot
in September and October of that year.
Americans had come to shoot in Quebec City.
Baptisms and weddings had to be moved to another parish.
I could give you a list of all the priests who worked here then,
but you'd have a hard time finding them today.
You see,
the economic renewal of the sixties drew many young priests
towards more... active social involvement.
And many left religious life.
Seems you were baptized in another parish.
- What? No, it was there!
I remember the picture, you can see the church very clearly.
- Was there a priest in that photo? - Yeah, of course.
- Where is it? - In a photo album,
that I gave to my ex. - Well, where does she live?
- In a motel, over in Charny. - I'll go get it.
- In Charny? Forget it.
- Shit, Massicotte saw me!
- Look, I'm 20 minutes late, André's going to kill me.
I can help you find your dad, but I have to work, too.
I can't do all the work for you.
Meet me in the garage tomorrow at 12.
John...
A friend? - No, my brother.
- So that's him. You don't look alike. - Of course not, I was adopted.
- Get in, let's go eat. - Not hungry.
- Come with me, please. - Why, need a hand with something?
- There's no need for vulgarity. - Escort bitches are always vulgar.
- I got carried away, the other day. I apologise for what I said.
John...
Get in. I promise I won't mention Japan again.
MOTEL STRIPPERS
Whatcha doing here, asshole? - Don't I get a kiss?
Today's my birthday. - Your birthday's in October, liar.
Been in the business for long? - Since I was 17.
And how old are you now?
What does it say, can I see?
B-A-L-L-E-Y
What does it mean? - Well, balley!
You know, balley...?
Ah, the dance.
It was my nickname when I worked in Hamilton,
the girls there said I moved like a balley dancer.
But "ballet" is spelled with a "T", you know, not a "Y".
- Whatcha talking about? It's "balley", not "ballette"!
You telling me I got a spelling mistake tatooed on my hand?
So, how d'you like my bro?
I think your bro smokes some pretty strong shit.
That's my brother for you! He'd get drunk on bottled water!
I'll put the kid on the couch.
No, I want it to be a surprise.
Marc? -What?
- Are you sleeping on the floor with your brother, or...
Marc Lamontagne, I'm asking you a question!
- What? - Well, should I ask Moose to go sleep somewhere else?
- How about a little tact? - He doesn't get a word of French.
You still got that photo album I gave you?
- What photo album? - With my baby pictures.
- I don't know, I guess so, why? - Because I need it.
- Why do you need that now? - What do you care? I just need it.
- I knew you'd come for a reason. You wouldn't just want to see us.
- Well where is it? - I don't know! Somewhere!
You want that fucking album, well look for it yourself!
...army regained control of Tiananmen Square
then hunted the protesters down in the streets of Beijing.
- Weren't you going to work today? - Not until tonight, for happy hour.
- I'd say you're running late. - Isn't that the 12 o'clock news?
- No, six o'clock.
- What the hell is that?
What's the fucking idea?
It's not funny! Where's Marc?
- Went with Moose to feed the trout to the seals at the aquarium.
- You're the trout! Tell him I'll come and pick him up later.
...says the twinning of the cities will strengthen economic ties
between Japan and Quebec.
- Sorry André I lost track of time. - Where were you?
- I was stuck across the river in Charny!
- Using your dad's car I suppose? - ...yeah
- Using my license plate I suppose?
- Oh I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't reach you.
- I was meeting a potential buyer today.
- Well, I'm sorry I'm late.
- It was a Happy hour. It's 8 now. We're past Happy hour.
You weren't late, you were absent!
We had a single barman to serve 300 Seattle Lions Club members.
Who took care of room service, you think?
Oh, and...
when I sent you to room 901 the other day,
did you go? - I believe I did, yes.
Well the guest refused to pay when he left.
Says he never got it. - That's odd.
- Hello? No, I'm afraid the bar is closed tonight.
For lack of staff. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until...
Ah! It's you Mr. Massicotte!
Good evening, Pierre.
Come in, please.
Sign here, please.
It's a Drunken Chess board.
I told my Japanese colleagues their game of Go was too complex
and they came back with something a bit more... Western.
It's just an ordinary chess game, but the pieces are glasses of liquor.
You take a piece, you drink it.
As you can see this game elegantly combines Eastern refinement...
and the dionysian side of Quebecers.
Care for a game?
- No, I should go back, they'll be needing me at the bar.
- But I was just told that the bar is closed tonight.
- Well, I have to go cash out. - Pity.
Tell me, when you knocked on my door the other day,
and brought a cocktail "by mistake", you knew full well
that Marc had just been here, didn't you?
Yes. I was looking for him.
Well I, too, am looking for him now.
Where is he? - Why do you need him so much?
Shopping malls are full of former athletes in their thirties
who've lost everything, and can't find a better job
than to please old perverts while thinking of their girlfriend.
My brother doesn't need to live the life of a parasite, you know.
He deserves better than that.
I know who his father is.
You play red or white?
Just when you thought you had the situation under control,
some move you made earlier
unexpectedly comes back to haunt you.
Perhaps it was a wrong decision you made,
or bad judgement on your part earlier in the game.
You realise you've trapped yourself into a dead end.
And anguish fills your soul.
You then try to correct the situation,
but it is too late.
You see the board empty before your eyes
and your hopes vanish
piece by piece.
Freeze!
Hello? No, Pierre's not here right now.
And even if he was, you couldn't talk to him.
Oh, sure, it's urgent, of course.
May I ask who's speaking?
I want another phone call.
Three minutes!
Checkmate! Now start talking!
I can't.
Why not?
The code of silence. - The what?
The code of silence.
The seal of the confessionnal.
Priests are bound to it.
You're not a priest!
Checkmate!
You know what they say...
Red then white, party all night.
White then red,
straight to bed.
- It's Marc. - Where are you?
- Ste-Foy police station, I got arrested. - Please, calm down.
- They searched me, I had coke on me.
- I'll leave in 15 minutes, I'll be there in an hour.
- Mademoiselle Evelyne Morissette
How do you say "godmother" in English?
It's OK, I'll wait here. - But you won't meet Mr. Hitchcock!
- It'll be easier for her if there's fewer people around.
Answer the lady's question, dear.
Hi, Rachel. Is Mrs. Lamontagne home?
No she's gone to her niece's audition.
I'll tell her you were here.
Rachel...
I got summoned to the archdiocese. They received letters.
They're suspecting me of being the father of your child.
Go away!
Aren't you going to thank Mr. Hitchcock?
God, you're as pathetic as your father!
Come on, you dumb girl!
Mademoiselle Renée Hudon
Beijing hospitals report 1,400 dead and at least 10,000 wounded.
But the death toll could grow even higher.
Students report thousands were killed.
Eyewitnesses saw the authorities give the protesters an ultimatum,
saying they'd have to charge unless the square was evacuated.
It's amazing how much you look like your mother.
Marc...
There's something you should know.
- What?
We're about to celebrate a baptism in the sacristy.
May I ask you please to be silent? Thanks!
Here. Drink this, it'll get you back on track.
- What is it? - Hair of the dog that bit you.
- You out of your mind?! It's gin! - Hair of the dog that bit you.
- What time is it? - Twelve
- Garance, will you please! You can vacuum later!
You've got all afternoon for this!
Listen Pierre, I like you and all,
but you're just not cut out for this type of job.
You Lamontagnes always were a bit bohemian.
You have no sense of responsibility.
You and your brother think you can live the hippy life.
And besides, I have nothing against... this...
I mean, I know it's the nineties and all,
but this isn't some hot-sheet motel.
This is a Canadian Pacific hotel.
We have to worldwide reputation to uphold.
Fuck you, André! - I'm sorry?
I said fuck you, André!
You're not firing me, I quit! - No, I'm firing you!
- Oh yeah? Who's walking out the door now?
- After all I did for you! I gave you a job!
Took care of your apartment! Organised your father's funeral!
Garance!
How long's he been crying? - Half an hour.
Aw, crap. Make yourself useful, hold his arms.
What's that for? - It measures his blood sugar.
So I know exactly how much insulin to give him.
Would you test me? - I can't afford to play nurse,
not with the money I get from Marc - Money for what?
- Well, for the kid!
- Wait a minute. The kid is Marc's son?
- You didn't know.
Sorry, I didn't want to hurt you.
- He doesn't give a shit, does he! He just does whatever he wants!
Comes and goes when he wants, doesn't even look at the kid!
Can't he understand a boy needs to know his father?
Can't he understand that to know where you're going,
you need to know where you came from?
- He probably understands better than we think.
I think he fully understands.
- Wait.
He was looking for this. Give it to him.
Marc,
ego te baptizo in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.
Deus omnipotens, Pater Domini nostri Iesu Christi,
qui te regeneravit ex aqua et Spiritu Sancto,
quique dedit tibi remissionem omnium peccatorum,
ipse te liniat...
My husband says, with this new mouth to feed,
Paul-Émile could work daytime as a doorman at the Château
I mean obviously he can't feed his wife, his sister-in-law and a baby.
Not on his little cab driver's salary.
I mean rent's high enough as it is! André! Hands off!
You're not eating the cake? - I'm not hungry.
- Eat it, I'll give you some energy.
Won't you at least drink some milk?
Does it still hurt?
Maybe if you breastfed him, it'd help?
- And how would you know?
I mean would you believe it, Françoise and I went to ask him
to raise the rent next year only. Guess what he said?
He said "if you don't want me to raise the rent,"
"you'll have to raise your skirt!" - Jeanne d'Arc, don't make stuff up
- Françoise, am I making stuff up? - Will you shut the hell up for once!
You go, you're the only one she'll still talk to!
- Don't be giving me orders. She's your sister, she's your problem!
- Christ, your damn sister yaks away all day like a parrot,
and I just shut up and put up with her!
Quit laughing, you!
What's going on? - Remember this, my girl.
You fight in the kitchen, you make up in bed.
Come back here!
...but I couldn't tell you much about Father Massicotte
because he quit ecclesiastical life in 1953.
- Alright. Well, thanks a lot. Bye.
What are you doing?
- I'm taking a bath.
Hello?
Speaking.
Yes. Yes, that's my brother's name.
No!
Good evening, Pierre.
Have you been waiting for long?
- I've been waiting for you for months.
What are you looking for, Father? The bible?
Will you convert me by reading from the Gospel of Marc?
I thought it wasn't loaded?
He's in the living room.
The policy at the Canadian embassy in Tokyo
is to be very discreet about consular incidents.
Believe me, Pierre.
I would have liked things to happen differently.
But they didn't. I'm sorry.
- You're sorry?
You stole my brother, ran away to Japan with him,
and sent me back a corpse
and two fucking suitcases.
Why did Marc kill himself?
I'm asking you a question!
- Poor Pierre. You need a scapegoat.
- No. I just want to understand.
His mom's a stripper in Charny. She needs money.
He's got diabetes. He needs care and medication.
And if nobody does anything, he'll spend his entire childhood
living out of roadside motels.
Whom do I make it out to?
Me.
Take good care of that child. Diabetes is a terrible disease.
At first, it'll only make you dizzy from time to time.
But without proper care, it can make you blind.
Marc always refused to get tested.
But diabetes
is almost always hereditary.
In the city where I was born, the past carries the present
like a child on its shoulders.
We're almost home.
Hey, let's play tightrope!
Are you scared? I won't drop you.
Subtitles: saintamh.org