"ALL THAT YOU POSSESS" "This is where he threw himself under the train." "April 14, 1979" "He said the voices in his head wouldn't let him leave the tracks." "It's a miracle he survived." "He sustained multiple injuries, and his right hand was shredded." "When he woke up in the hospital, he couldn't remember who he was." "Apparently, he was reciting French poetry." "He was transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Warsaw... and then went to live with his mother in the country." "That's where he wrote his book To Come to Terms with the World, with his left hand, of course." "He never finished it." "One day... he went to his apartment in Warsaw... and hanged himself." "You've reached Pierre Leduc." "Leave me a message and I'll call you back." "FOUND MY DREAMS AGAIN" "THE DREAMS ONCE PUT" "IN MY POCKET FULL OF HOLES" "WHEN AT NIGHT AN ENORMOUS RAVEN" "FLEW TO THE CLEAR RIVER, THE GOOD RIVER" "That night bats devoured all the stars" "White butter?" "ies" "Only black butter?" "ies remained" "Truth became like the moon rolling over a smooth mirror for four weeks" "So there you are." "Everybody's been looking for you all week." "Was in the country." "What are you doing?" "I'm leaving." "Where are you going?" "Nowhere." "Home." "I'm resigning." "What?" "I'm leaving the university." "I've got a bunch of boxes." "Can you give me a ride?" "Will you finish your thesis?" " What about your class?" " They'll get a replacement." "A month before the term ends?" "Listen, can't do this any more." " Do what?" " Any of it!" "Teach students who can't read or write, put up with faculty..." "If hear "collective agreement" or "lexical frequencies" once more," "I'm going to hit someone." "This isn't a literature department, for Christ's sake." "It's an accounting firm." " Pierre, what's going on?" " don't know." "You could apply for sick leave." "I'm not sick." ""AUTUMN"" "LOST, ENGULFED IN THE GARDENS OF RUST-RED AUTUMN" "TEARING OFF THE LEAVES ONE BY ONE LIKE THE HOURS OF EXISTENCE" "You've reached Pierre Leduc." "Leave me a message and I'll call you back." "Pierre, it's your father." "I've been trying to reach you for a week." "Call me back." "It's important." "Goodbye." "Lost engulfed in the gardens of rust-red autumn" "tearing off the leaves one by one like the hours of existence" "Going from tree to tree from pain back to pain" "A silent walk of suffering that does not awaken the sleeping wind" "Tearing off the leaves with no regret with a sad, warm smile" "Leaving the very last one to someone else before dying" "You're leaving?" "You have no idea what this does to me" "You can't keep leaving and coming back." "This has to stop." "But you're my only friend." "I'm sorry." "Pierre!" "Your father wants to see you." "Get in." "Get in!" "Son of a bitch!" "You knew the balcony wasn't safe!" "A 5-year-old girl is in the hospital because of you!" "She might not ever walk again!" "Look at me, Leduc!" "If she doesn't get better, I'll see you in hell!" "Hello, Pierre." "How's your mother?" "How do you expect?" "Is that what you wanted to see me about?" "Would you like a coffee or something?" "No, thanks." "Get me a scotch, would you?" "Still at the university?" "Yes." "Still lecturing?" "Yes." "Have a seat." "Pierre, I'm dying." "Have cancer." "It's spread everywhere." "The doctors don't give me three months." " There's nothing they can do?" " Apparently not." "I'm sorry." "I'm leaving the company to you." "Don't want it." "You don't have to run it yourself." "It's awful what you're going through." "I'm sad for you." "But don't want that money." " Why not?" " Because it's dirty." " What'?" " It's dirty money, Dad." "You've been screwing people over for 40 years." "You screwed your employees and your partners." "You bribed politicians." "You're a crook." "You can't deny it." "Do you know how much it's worth?" "Don't care." "Over $50 million." "Do whatever you want with it." "It's yours." "Won't take it." "You're getting it anyway." "Won't take it." "THOSE LOST IN THE CITY JUNGLE " "THROUGH MY FAULT" "THE HORROR OF A COLD EMBRACE " "THROUGH MY FAULT" "THE LACK OF LOVE AND TENDERNESS " "THROUGH MY FAULT" "HEARTLESS, PASSIONLESS" "THROUGH MY FAULT" "Hello." "Was in your class at university." "Were you?" "Did they find someone to fill in?" "Yeah, a McGill student." "Good." "Are you here to sell some books?" "Yes." "Put them there." "We only accept French books." "Of course." "There are some real gems here." "Yeah." "What are you doing now?" "Translating." "Translating what?" "Some poems by Edward Stachura." "I've never heard of him." "He had a huge youth following in Poland." "He sold 100,000 copies of his poetry collections." "He translated Gaston Miron." "Is he still alive?" "He killed himself in 1979." "So why are you selling your books?" "What's it to you?" "I'm just curious." "Need the room." "The barefoot in the streets of the world" "The naked in the streets of the world" "The hungry in the streets of the world" "Through my fault" "Through my fault" "Through my most grievous fault!" "Horror - there is no end to horror" "Murder - there is no end to murder" "War - there is no end to war" "Through my fault" "Through my fault" "Through my most grievous fault!" "Dad?" "Just wanted to see how you were doing." "This was your great-grandfather's house." "You've never talked about him was born here." "We lived with my grandparents." "The farm should've gone to my father, but there was a fight and my grandfather kicked us out." "What was the fight about?" "Don't really know." "They probably didn't agree on how to manage the land." "My grandfather lost his temper." "My father had worked for him for free for 10 years." "There was nothing in writing." "My parents lost everything overnight." "They already had four children by then." "We moved to Quebec City." "Dad found work at the port." "He refused to ever set foot here again." "How old were you when you left?" "Five." "When heard the property was for sale, bought it." "Life's strange, isn't it?" "Got my lawyers to rezone the area." "We're turning it into a resort, like the one on the other side of the river." "We just have to clear a few trees." "We'll have a great view of the St. Lawrence and the islands." "Why a vacation community?" "We'll build about 50 cottages, scattered throughout the woods." "Not too close together." "And we'll keep as many trees as we can." "There'll be a community center where the farm buildings are, with a convenience store, a hall and a few guestrooms." "We'll keep the old exteriors intact, wherever possible." "You never considered leaving it the way it was?" "A piece of land like this?" "An hour and half away from the city?" "If don't do it, someone else will." "Anyway... when it's yours, you can do what you want with it." "Told you won't take it." "It would be a nice place to write, though." "You'd feel right at home in that little house." "My will is with Dutil  Associates on Grande-Allee." "Let it go, Dad." "It's a done deal." "There's nothing you can do about it." "You're my son." "It belongs to you." "THERE IS NO END TO THE CRYING - THROUGH MY FAULT" "SOME COLLAPSE IN SILENCE - THROUGH MY FAULT" "WHILE OTHERS TURN THEIR BACKS - THROUGH MY FAULT" "WITH MORE AND MORE PEOPLE AROUND - THROUGH MY FAULT" "HUMAN BEINGS ARE MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND" "Hello, Denise." "We're here to see you." "Come here." "Come here, dear." "Come see your mother." "Sorry. can't do this." "LIKE A REGRET GUILTY OR INNOCENT" "WE ARE ALIVE" "WHILE SO, SO, SO MANY ARE DEAD" "LIKE A DRY SOB" "IN THE MIDST OF A RAINY NIGHT" "LIKE A PERFECTLY INFLICTED WOUND" "THAT MUST BE LICKED" "LIKE A PULVERIZED HEART" "THAT MUST BE MENDED" "What else is there to say?" "I'm leaving for Poland in August." "You're finishing your degree." "Our options are limited." "And what's your solution?" "You can't keep it." " You want me to have an abortion?" " Yes." "It's your decision, obviously." "What do you want me to say?" " Didn't make this baby on my own." " What do you want to do?" "Drop out of school?" "Sub at a high school to make ends meet?" "For a baby we never even wanted?" "How do you know don't want it?" "Do what you like, but don't want kids." "Not now, not ever." " It's a bit late now." " You can't force a baby on me!" "I'm not forcing anything on you." "You made this baby." "How can even be sure I'm the father?" "GOVERNMENT OF QUEBEC STAFF DIRECTORY" "Hello?" "Yes, speaking." "I'm on my way." "Sir?" "You're Mr. Leduds son?" "Yes." "Your father has had a severe stroke." "The clot originated in his heart." "He has end-stage cancer?" "Yes." "Under the circumstances, if he does regain consciousness... his body and mind will be severely damaged." "So we can keep him on artificial life support... or let nature take its course and make sure he's not in any pain." "Are you his next of kin?" "Yes." "What do you think?" "Let him go." "Was 12 when my parents split up." "My mother suffered from depression." "She drank." "He left when things started to get really bad." "She couldn't take care of me." "went to live with my aunt Francoise." "Once a year, he would take me to a hockey game." "Then he'd give me $100 and he'd be gone for another year." "Did you miss him?" "Don't know why, but just couldn't hate him." "He thought he was a good man, and in a way he was." "He was generous, when it suited him." "But deep down, he was just a scam artist." "He was cold-blooded." "He'd put a family out on the street, like that." "But know he helped plenty of people out of a bind." "Go figure." "When did you stop seeing him?" "When was 18." "That's the summer went to work for him in his office." "For six weeks, mailed out letters threatening tenants who were behind on their rent and promising repairs that never got done." "Quit before the end of the summer." "I'd had it." "He was furious." "When told him was going to study literature, he said was on my own." "He wouldn't waste his money on such nonsense." "Didn't see him again until got back from Poland." " You're the one who called him?" " Yeah." "He pretended like nothing happened and gave me tickets to a show." "Nana Mouskouri, for Christ's sake!" "Your mother... did he take care of her?" "He paid the bills." "That's it." "Don't think he ever went to see her" "Right now, you're worth about $53 million." "Your father said you would waive the inheritance." "You have six months to do that." "But first, listen to me." " Mr. Dutil..." " Let me finish." "You've become a millionaire without lifting a finger." "You have no idea what went into building this fortune." "And you despise the people behind it." "Do you want the truth, Pierre?" "You're an unremarkable man, even after spending half your life buried in books." "Listen up." "Know you've left the university." "You're out of work." "You're in debt." "A miracle just fell into your lap." "A miracle isn't something you can turn down." "If you're not interested in running the company, we can do that on your behalf." "You don't like thinking about money?" "With $50 million, you'll never have to think about it again." "You want to move to the country and read for the rest of your life?" "No problem." "Feel like moving to Paris?" "Go right ahead." "Or flying off to Venice for the weekend?" "Call the travel agent." "Freedom, Pierre..." "Do you know how much freedom... $50 million buys?" "Now, come with me." "We built this on land nobody else wanted." "Look at it now:" "300 stores, all high-end, 100% occupancy, parking for 5,000, packed with people all the time." "Your father had to talk the first investors into it." "They've never regretted it, trust me." "And here, 120 people get a steady paycheque because of us." "Carpenters, painters, electricians..." "That's food on 120 tables because of the jobs we created." "Let's go look at the model unit." "Your father built this." "The most luxurious apartments in Quebec City." "An incredible view of the Plains of Abraham." "Do you want to see the bachelor unit on the ninth floor?" "Another time." "I'm going home" " Want a drive?" " No,thanks." "I'll walk." "Pierre..." "Give this some serious thought." "You know where to find me." "Like a dry sob in the midst of a rainy night a heavy block of stone" "a block of stone will stand on it" "it will crush me it will crush me will rise from underneath" "That comes to $137.50." "Can double that if you take it in store credit." "I'd like it in cash, please." "Fill this out." "need your address and signature." "Thank you." "Mr. Leduc?" "A lot of us students enjoyed your class." "You... don't know how to put this" "You made literature seem important." "Thank you." "Sir!" " What is it?" " You recognized my mother the other day don't remember." "Do." "You recognized her and then you looked at me." "Told you don't remember." "What do you want?" " Are you my father?" " That's ridiculous." "Then say no." "But you knew my mother?" "Don't know who you mean." "Leave me alone." "Why did you run away?" "Didn't run away. was in a hurry." "So you recognized me?" "How many times do have to say no?" "Now get lost!" "I've got work to do." "LIKE A DRY SOB IN THE MIDST OF A RAINY NIGHT" "LIKE A GOLDEN SPHERE OVER THE WATERS" "LIKE DAWN UNDER SWOLLEN EYELIDS" "LIKE LOVELY AURORAS, BEAUTIFUL GLADES" "Come here." "Wait." "Sit down." "Did your mother tell you who was?" "Has she ever talked about me?" "Didn't even know your name until yesterday." "The girl at the bookstore told me." "That's how you found me." "Yes." "What's your name?" "Adele." "Adele Genest?" "Yes." "How old are you, Adele?" "You should know, Mr. Leduc." "You don't have to call me that." "So you're 12?" "Thirteen." "Why did you leave my mother?" "Do you really want to know?" "Yes." "We met at university." "We dated for six months." "Got a scholarship to study in Poland." "That's when your mother told me she was pregnant." "Then what?" "Then... told her didn't want children and was leaving for Warsaw." "Just like that?" "Just like that." "Left. never called." "Neither did she." "Spent five years in Poland." "When got back, didn't look her up." "Why not?" "Why didn't you look her up?" "Thought having a child would keep me from doing what wanted." "You never felt bad that she was stuck raising me on her own?" "Do you want the truth?" "Yeah." "The truth is, thought about it as little as possible." "What about now?" "Now, here you are." "Where do you live?" "Sainte-Foy." "Can come back another time?" "Sure." "My number's in the phone book." " know." "Bye." "Bye." "You're late." "Sorry." "What are you reading?" "A Harlot High and Low, by Balzac." "The sequel to Lost Illusions." " know." " You've read them?" " Yeah." "Is it for school?" "What's so funny?" "Don't think the nuns would find this age-appropriate" "At the Ursulines' school?" "Yeah." "Which grade?" "Grade 8." "Are you a good student?" "Yeah." "Do you like school?" "Let's talk about something else." "All right." "What do you teach?" "Did the young lady at the bookstore tell you teach?" "Yeah." "Actually, don't teach any more." "Wasn't a professor." "Was a lecturer." "Do you know what that is?" "Yeah." "What did you teach?" "Literature." "Mostly Eastern European literature:" "Polish, Czech, Russian." "You speak all those languages?" "Speak Polish and Russian, and a bit of Czech." "What are you doing now?" "I'm translating poetry." "What kind of poetry?" "Polish poetry." "Like novels better" " What time do you have to be home by?" " 7 P.M." "I told my mom was doing homework at a girlfriend's house." "She won't be home anyway." "Does she work late?" "She works all the time" "What does she do?" "She's a divisional manager with the government." "Does anyone else live with you?" "My mom has a boyfriend, but he's married." "Is she still pretty?" "You saw her." "guess she's pretty, in her way" " What way is that?" " Dull." "What do you mean, "dull"?" "Someone who always makes sure her purse matches her shoes." "That's not your style?" "Not really." "Why not?" "Stop asking stupid questions, OK?" "You have to tell your mother you found me." "There's no hurry." "Can do it if you don't want to." "We don't have much of a choice." "She'll go crazy." "How do you know that?" "Just know." "It's better if we wait." "What will that change?" "Let me handle this, OK?" "School's out next week." "Can still come over?" "A few afternoons a week, just to read." "I won't bother you." "Bye." "Bye." ""SANCTUS"" "HOLY BREAD" " BREAD FOR SHARING" "HOLY SALT" " SALT FOR GREETING" "HOLY SILENCE, HOLY SINGING" "LABORIOUS BEATING OF RIGHTEOUS HEARTS" "EYES FROZEN..." "EYES FROZEN IN WONDER" "EYELIDS FLUTTERING IN SURPRISE" " What have you been up to?" " Translating." " Still Stachura?" " Still Stachura." "Don't know why you keep at it." "Who'll read a Quebecois translation of an obscure Polish poet?" "Nobody will publish n." "But he's a great poet." "So read him in Polish." "You don't have to translate him." "You're in a strange mood today." "Anne... have a 13-year-old daughter." "She tracked me down." "What?" "Her name is Adele." "Left her mother when she was pregnant" "How did she find you?" "By chance." "What's she like?" "She's..." "She's tall." "She's got light brown hair, a braid." "Don't know." "don't know anything about kids." "She reads Balzac." "So she's like you?" "Don't know." "A little, guess." "Are you going to see her again?" "Yes." "Have you talked to her mother?" "Not yet." "Don't think she knows." "This is a small place." "It's big enough for me." "Don't you have a girlfriend?" "Are you alone all the time?" "No, have friends like everyone else." "Do you have the whole Human Comedy?" "Yes." "Have you read them all?" "Almost." "Can borrow them?" "If you like, but you might get bored." "They're not all as good as Lost Illusions." "Who's that?" "Edward Stachura." "A Polish writer." "I'm translating his poetry." " Is that his handwriting?" " Yes." "It's the last poem he wrote before he died." "It's called "A Letter to the Remaining."" "What does it say?" "It's a sort of goodbye letter." "He knew he was going to die?" "Yes." "Did you translate it?" "Not yet." "If you like, can read you another one." " Sure." " Come here." ""All that you possess" ""Will one day be lost" ""This you will find out sooner or later" ""Slowly or suddenly" ""Not necessarily with pain " ""Loss can be free of pain" ""And even full of joy " ""The Obvious will illuminate you:" ""That you have never been compelled to possess a thing" ""Since everything has been given to us" ""Our body, the earth" ""And all the living things on earth" ""The sky and all the living things in the sky" ""The only thing we can possess is unhappiness" ""Even though it is not real" ""Know that there is no real unhappiness." ""Only happiness is real" ""But there is no need to possess happiness" "Happiness is us."" "We found some empty bottles on her night table." "Phenobarbital, Valium, Percodan..." "Yes." "Right." "When did she start drinking?" "Yesterday." "You should've called me." " Have you made up your mind?" " Yes." "I'll accept the inheritance, subject to an inventory." "Once that's done, want you to set up a trust for my mother, then sell off everything else, except for the property in Saint-Pacome." "Donate whatever's left to the Red Cross." "All of ii'?" " That's what said." " You're crazier than thought" "That's entirely possible." "Want it to be an anonymous donation." "Whatever you say." "For the property in Saint-Pacome... please have the keys to the house sent to me." "Do you plan on keeping it?" "Don't know yet." "Are those your grandparents?" "Don't think so." "My great-grandparents maybe." "Was this where they slept?" "Probably." "Where did my grandfather sleep?" "Upstairs, imagine." "Can go see?" "Sure." "Did he have any brothers or sisters?" "Yes." "Do you still see them?" " My aunts and uncles, you mean?" " Yeah." "Why not?" "Never really knew my father's family." "Not even your grandparents?" "Not even." "Didn't your dad take you to see them when you were little?" "Not that remember" "Can we go see the barn?" "Sure." "Dad, come see." "Look." "Is that my great-grandfather?" "Probably." "Come." "want to show you something." "Look." "That's Charlevoix on the other side." "Over there is La Malbaie." "Are you going to come live here?" "Don't know." "It's nice." "It is nice." ""HAIR"" "THE RIVER FLOWS BETWEEN THE EYES OF THE FISH" "LIKE A RAINBOW OR THE UNHEALED CUT OF A KNIFE" "FLOATING ON THE SURFACE ARE ENORMOUS BAOBAB TRUNKS" "WAGON WHEELS AND HEAVY CANDELABRAS MADE OF THE ANTLERS OF DROWNED DEER" "MY TEARS LIKE SHATTERED FRAGMENTS OF FINE CHINA" "SINK SLOWLY IN A SWIRL" "What's going on?" "Can sleep here?" "What's going on?" "Nothing. just want to sleep here." " What about your mom?" " said was staying at a friend's." "No." "That's not right, Adele." "It's midnight." "Call your mother." "Then will." "Give me the number." "Adele, give me her number." " Get it yourself." "What's gotten into you?" "Did you two have a fight?" "Tell me what's going on." "The government offered her a job in New York." "She's moving there in August." "What do you mean, "she"?" "Aren't you going with her?" "Boarding school?" "You don't want to go." "Is that it?" "Well, then..." "Call her, and I'll take you home." "Listen, Adele." "You can't stay here." "Your mother must be upset." "Maybe she called the police." "Call and say you're coming." "So you want to get rid of me?" "That's not fair, and you know it." "Here." "Adele, you have no choice." "Call." "Hi, Mom?" "It's me." "I'll be home in 15 minutes." "Bye." "You'll never see me again." "Go to your room." "NOW!" " Hello?" " Hello, Adele?" "Adele?" "You've reached 694-3244." "Leave us a message after the beep." "Adele, want to talk to you." "Call me back, please." "Nicole Genest, please." "Do you have an appointment?" " Your name, please?" " Pierre Leduc." "One moment, I'll call her secretary." "The line's busy." "Please have a seat." "Someone will come get you." "Nicole!" "We have to talk." "Just give me a minute." "Can't change the past." "But please let me see her." " She doesn't want to." " Don't know what you told her." " The truth!" "But if she wants to see me, you'll let her?" "Listen, Pierre." "I've talked to a lawyer." "You have no rights when it comes to her." "Until she turns 18, you need my consent, and you won't get it." "You can file for paternity." "I won't help, but you might get it." "Then, if she wants to," "I'll let her see you with a social worker present." "But with us living in the U.S., it might get complicated." "Now leave me alone!" "I'm late for something." "Chateau Frontenac, please." "DEAR ADELE, I..." "PLEASE WRITE BACK." "YOUR FATHER, PIERRE." "FORGIVE ME." "P." " Hello?" " Adele?" "It's me. want to talk to you." "You wanted me to be aborted." "Leave me alone." "Adele?" "Never want to see you again." "Got it?" ""A LETTER TO THE REMAINING"" "AM DYING" "FOR MY GUILT" "AND MY INNOCENCE" "FOR THE ABSENCE FEEL" "IN EVERY INCH" "OF MY BODY" "AND SOUL" "FOR THE ABSENCE" "THAT TEARS ME TO SHREDS" "lam dying for my guilt and my innocence" "for the absence feel in every inch of my body and soul for the absence that tears me to shreds like a newspaper full of loud" "yet empty words for a chance to unite with the Nameless the Otherworldly and the Unknown" "for a new day for a sweet escape" "for a magnificent view for a real illusion" "for the dot over Ypsilon for the mystery of death" "That's all." "There's nothing left." "Except Saint-Pacome." "Except Saint-Pacome." "What are you going to do now?" "Don't know." "Well... good luck." "There is one more thing." "I'd like to prepare a declaration of paternity and a will." "You have a child?" "A daughter." "Do you want to do this right away?" "Yes." "I'll need to find some witnesses." "Have all the time in the world." "Pierre?" "You've reached Pierre Leduc." "Leave me a message and I'll call you back." "Dear Adele..." "All my life, I've isolated myself from the world." "But when you found me, you showed me that life is meaningless if you're not connected to others." "didn't want you to be born." "But now, can't imagine a world without you in it." "You are here now." "And that's really all that matters." "You are here now, and, no matter what," "I'll always be here for you." "left the city." "walked all the way to Saint-Pacome." "slept on the floor in the house that belonged to our ancestors... and I've decided to stay." "I'll be here." "This house is your house." "Your father..." "Pierre." "Subtitling:" "CNST, Montreal"