"MONTRÉAL GALERIE PARISIAN LAUNDRY FALL, 2005" "VICTOR PELLERIN'S CIRCLE, 15 YEARS LATER" ""MISSING VICTOR PELLERIN"" "We often went "submarine"." "We often went "submarine"." "1 YEAR EARLIER" "To do that, you have to stock up." "Food and drink..." "Like when you go camping." "Then we'd close up shop." "Shut everything." "Block the windows." "ANNE LEBEAU PELLERIN'S EX GIRLFRIEND" "We didn't want light coming in." "We wanted to lose track of time, of whether it was night or day." "And we unplugged everything." "Well, not everything..." "We used to play cassettes." "One cassette." "Always the same cassette." "On automatic replay." "The cassette played and played." "It would play 50 or 100 times, or 3 days." "It made us dizzy." "We drank, talked, left dishes in the sink..." "We took little naps, and started over." "The ambience was playful." "It was perfect for telling stories, confiding... and for catharsis." "When you're super tired and have spent... 24, 48, 60 hours with the same people, you end up going overboard." "That's what we were after." "Victor used to paint but... not every time." "EUDORE BELZILE PHOTOGRAPHER, ACTOR/DIRECTOR PELLERIN'S FRIEND" "In the 80's, we sometimes went to Scala or the bar, Chez Normand." "Victor would sit and start telling a story to the person beside him." "More often, he'd get the person to tell his own story." "He'd assimilate it, transform it." "Put his own slant on it... and come up with a truly extraordinary story." "So... the bartender... would stop working, come closer and listen..." "And lots of people would come join in." "The guy who just got his welfare check." "The university student reading in the corner." "So, you know, I think that explains why... there are so many young people, young artists... who came out of, or passed through, Victor's studio." "That's what I want to recreate in my exhibition." "The era." "The spirit of the place." "What's still floating around from Jan Kilinski's studio." "Victor's studio." "His painting was very physical." "Layers and layers of paint." "ÉRIC DEVLIN ART DEALER AND COLLECTOR PELLERIN'S FIRST BUYER" "I say "physical" because they were always huge." "No small paintings." "They were uncompromising." "They were full of signs, which he'd immediately erase." "In the heyday of Québec and Canadian painting " "Borduas, Riopelle, the Automatists - painting was physical too." "Then, painting became intellectual." "Molinari... is very cold in his colour analyses." "Then, the Canadian institutions were established." "Historians practically started dictating to artists what to do." "Then this guy shows up," "Victor Pellerin, who's doing painting that's absolutely... that blows everyone away, unanimously acclaimed." "At the time, all of us really went too far." "I'd reached the point of no return." "I was totally disconnected from reality." "I'd lost touch with my family." "I went too far." "When Victor left, I was really alone." "And I lost touch with everyone from the studio at the time, and I still don't see them." " Was there a reason?" " I never realized... how that whole vortex was affecting me at the time." "It really destroyed me." "Physically, it got to me so much, I got sick." "Very sick." "I had to go back to my parents'." "That was hard." "It had gotten so serious, the doctor was really afraid... that I wouldn't recover." "He thought I'd die." "It's a mess in here." "He still had things to say." "But they stopped giving him time to say them." "The expanding market, pressure from dealers for more and more paintings..." "The lust of collectors meant that paintings were shipped off before they were even dry, or before Victor had the time" "to figure out if they were ready." "No time for that at the end." "Some works would never have left if he'd had a few days to reflect." "It was like a powder keg waiting to go off." "It was fast." "It was deceptive." "Sometimes, everything seems so simple." "You never suspect things will get so out-of-hand." "NATHALIE BUJOLD ARTIST, FORMER FRIEND OF PELLERIN" "This is great!" "It's very fragile." "You can't put this in a show." "Who in Québec would buy it?" " It won't match the couch." " Stop it." "Will you put one in Eudore's show?" "Yes, because he's nice." "He gives me more than just aspirin." "Were you close to Victor and the Kilinski Studio?" "I told you, I have no comment about that." "Don't ask me questions like that while I'm drinking decaf and trying to quit smoking." "It's not funny." "If that's what you came for, you can pack up your gear." "Just turn the transmitter off." "Montréal's nowhere on the official international-art map." "So when Olga Korper decided to push Victor's career to the hilt, it was a huge break." "At one point, Victor woke up and realized he had no freedom, and that, basically... he decided to turn down this ticket for an international career." "It was a radical gesture." "I naively lent him the painting for his big "catalogue"." "I wanted to give him a slide of it, but he refused." "And, as for everyone else, my painting was never returned." "He made the cover of Parachute:" "The Bible." "There was a feature article, very serious, of course." "Parachute doesn't have many pictures, just text." "Lots of verbiage, but pictures are unimportant." "This is Pellerin." "If I can't sleep, I read Parachute and fall asleep instantly." "It's very useful." "Saves on pills, and it's healthier." "One day, he decided to go submarine alone." "I saw him getting all his work together, all his canvases, photographs..." "There was a lot." "And then, he shut himself in, and set fire to it all when he was ready." "After 5 or 6 days, I started getting worried." "Eudore and I went over." "No answer." "On the 7th day, we went in with the landlords." "I remember it like yesterday." "There was a blizzard." "It was freezing in the studio." "We could see... the steam of our breath." "And we saw... scorched pieces of frames and canvases." "I didn't realize it was everything he'd done." "All his work..." "Gone." "Up in smoke." "And him too." "He was gone." "Indefinitely." "And no one knew since when." "The cops questioned me, and everyone from the studio." "That's when I found out" "Victor Pellerin wasn't his real name." "I was pissed off." "To me, he was "Victor" all those years." "I realized this was serious." "Afterwards..." "I had my own problems." "Maybe he was tired of carrying the burden." "We were all tired." "Maybe he felt personally threatened ...by success." "He was prepared to give it his all, but he didn't want to be indebted." "FOR THE SAKE OF A "CATALOGUE", PELLERIN RECLAIMED ALL HIS WORKS" "FROM VARIOUS COLLECTORS, DEALERS AND FRIENDS." "ON JANUARY 27, 1990, HE DESTROYED EVERYTHING," "AND DISAPPEARED A FEW DAYS LATER." "IN 2005, 15 YEARS LATER, EUDORE BELZILE MOUNTED AN EXHIBITION..." "OF ARTISTS WHO WERE CLOSE TO VICTOR PELLERIN." "Eudore!" "I can't believe it!" " You're old!" " You're beautiful!" "ÉLISABETH GAUTHIER PELLERIN'S SISTER" "I wasn't expecting you here..." "Come in." "Eudore's our big brother." "Come." "This is my home." "Look how emotional I am." "This is such a surprise." "After Dad's contract in Brazil, Luc didn't want to come home with us." " Could you refer to him as Victor?" " Oh, sure..." "We grew up in Abitibi." "Our father was a mining prospector." "Eudore was an engineer." "He worked with Dad." "We lived there for over 10 years." "We didn't go to school though." "We had a French governess we called "Mademoiselle"." "Our mother handled our artistic education." "Then, in 1970, when I was nine, our father prospected in Brazil, and Victor stayed with Eudore in South America." "Eudore was like a son to Dad and a big brother to Luc." " Smoke?" " Let's have a Canadian cigarette..." "You watched out for him." "He got you into all this." "So, now... what nonsense has he been up to?" "You know, I'm sure." "You always got him out of trouble." "I'm organizing my own exit now." "Really." "You're finally preparing for something." "Victor stayed in South America." "He ignored the plane tickets Dad sent him." "He once gave his passport and ticket to a Mexican, who came in his place." "Imagine Dad's frustration." "He went down to get Victor and came back alone." " Was your mother supporting Victor?" " No, never." "Victor was too proud to ask her for anything." "He got by on his own." " And you?" " Me?" "After Dad died, I moved to Paris and stayed." "Mother wanted us to be brilliant, cultivated, intelligent." "Well, I messed around." "Got really scattered." "Caught every virus." "HIV, among others." "Pretty screwed up." "Victor could've made it." "He had what it takes." "He did make it, but then he showed the world he didn't give a shit." "What are you saying?" "What is it?" " Look, I'm in pretty good shape." " What you said can't be true?" "Oh, it's fine." "I'm fine." "It's funny talking about Victor Pellerin." "JULIEN POULIN ACTOR PELLERIN'S FRIEND" "That's Luc Gauthier's pseudonym." "Affectionately nicknamed Kid Gauthier." "I met Gauthier in 1979." "I was a filmmaker at the time." "I worked with Pierre Falardeau." "We submitted proposals." "We were trying to make documentaries that were fairly political." "At one point, we presented a project to be done in Nicaragua called "Channeling Warrior Energy" "Into Artistic Expression"." "Quite something." "It was a bit of a stretch." "But that's how applications go." "So, we find ourselves in the Nicaraguan jungle." "Then, at one point, this young White kid appears out of nowhere." "He was wearing rags." "We wondered where he came from, how he got there..." "He was ashen and emaciated, it was unreal." "He scared the shit out of us." "So, I said to Falardeau, "Tabarnak, do you see that guy?"" "He heard me say, "Tabarnak," and he comes running up and says," ""Hey, guys!" "I'm Québécois!"" ""What?" "What's your name?" "What are you doing here?"" "We thought he was going to give us his political spiel, as a Marxist-Leninist who'd forsaken everything." "But no." "He was more a guy who wanted to live in solidarity." "He was really quite a likeable guy." "Everyone there took to him fairly quickly." "We could easily talk... for 4 or 5 hours without drinking or toking." "We smoked cigarettes and drank coffee and spent the night talking non-stop." "I knew his childhood had been somewhat turbulent." "I think... he'd been through war." "He'd seen war." "These are Victor's originals." "Little things he did..." "They're from a sketchbook." "They're quite beautiful." "Very pretty." "Nice..." "These are the only originals we'll ever see?" "I guess so." "They're all I have." "This is Brazil." "The barracks around the mine." " Yes, I recognize them." " Remember?" "Here's Victor as a kid." "Here." "He went barefoot, which drove our parents crazy." "He played with the street kids." "Here he is on the beach with the kids..." "Look at this." "The model pupil." "Victor at school." "Neat and well-behaved." "Here's a picture of my mother." "Playing in the snow." "That's unusual." "Here's another one." "A rare photo of my mother playing with us." "She didn't do that?" "No, she never played with us." "I have no recollection of playing games with her." "She never even took us on vacation." "She took us places when required." " These are photos you took of him." " Yes, indeed." "You took this one when he was showing in Paris." "Before he was banned from France." "For that overseas thing where he was trafficking in exotic plants." "It was never proven." "My brother got mixed up in incredible things." "That picture was taken in Paris?" "He was barred from entering France?" "He got in with fake ID." "I saw the false name in his passport:" "Victor Pellerin." "A name that stuck." "And here he is." "Here's a picture of Victor and me." " It's special." "I love it." " Wonderful." " Remember this?" " It's my favourite one." " Really?" " I'm putting it in the show." " How come?" " What do you mean, "How come?"" "I took this photo." "I'm curating the exhibition..." " I'm not done, but this one..." " You'll be showing photographs?" "Yes!" "This one's a priority." "I'm definitely including it." " Showing this will embarrass me." " I'll have it enlarged." " Unbelievable." " It'll be blown up." "These are... his paintings." "I love these." " He gave me one." " Really." "He asked for it back in 1990." "He burned it too." "That's life." "LE CLUB DE SA NT-FABIEN ST-FABIEN, QUEBEC JANUARY, 1990" "PLASTIK PATRIK SINGER-PERFORMER PELLERIN'S FR END" "He often comes to me via animals." "Different animals." "Often a hare." "His gaze is gentle, but lively." "MARIA-LUISA F. GAUTH ER PELLERIN'S MOTHER" "Sometimes, it's something else." "It's like..." "I often see him." "I see him watching me." "That's why..." "I wore a gown to honour this forest." "I had to be dying before he'd visit me." "My daughter, Élisabeth, called him." "If God exists, he rejected me." "But Luc did stay a while." "In Québec, I mean." "He hadn't been back since he was 10 or 12." "What happened to Victor then?" "Not "Victor"." "That wasn't his name, mademoiselle." "His name's Luc." "Luc." "Banal, perhaps, but his father chose it." "It's not a banal name." "It's a nice name." "When Michel died, I enrolled Luc in an American college." "He never set foot there." "My son's no longer of this world." "He doesn't call." "He doesn't write." "As painful as it may be for a mother to outlive her son," "I prefer seeing him in another world." " You own a painting by Victor?" " His name's Luc." "Pardon me." " We don't know him as that." " It's Luc." "I'll turn off the radio." "I know it's not virtuosic." "It's for the flowers." "I'm not judging the quality." "It's for the sound post-production." " It'll cause problems." " That's me." "I record myself, and play it for my orchids." "Well, if it's for the orchids, we'll deal with it." "That's preferable." "He tried to get the goat down." "It was on the roof." "What a dance." "The goat, the police..." "Totally insane." "MATHIEU BEAUSÉJOUR ARTIST, PELLERIN'S FRIEND" "It was dangerous!" "The police said, "Get the goat down." Victor was trying." "He said, "I made its stall there when it was a baby." "It grew up there and became an adult."" "Hi." " I've seen him before." " Jean-Frédéric Messier." "Yes." "Jean-Frédéric Messier." "He used to go to Kilinski." " Shall we ask him over?" " I don't think so." "He wants nothing to do with Victor Pellerin." "Forget it." "Pellerin blew the credibility of everyone at the Kilinski Studio." "How do you expect those artists to live from their art after that?" "JEAN-FRÉDÉRIC MESS ER WRITER, DIRECTOR PELLERIN'S "FR END"" "Not to mention the mess he made." "They looked like a bunch of freaks." "We could have done without his little trip as a forger." "Oh, come on." "Well, they did an investigation!" "Anne Lebeau suffered through the whole thing." "She got through it, but many slipped into total obscurity." "They're struggling, or disappeared altogether." "Lots of people disappeared." "I still meet artists who dropped everything after Kilinski." "I'm not demanding he make art about women, Blacks, gays, the poor, or world peace." "Well, maybe world peace." "He was right to avoid political correctness, but art has to mean something, and Victor's work was about Victor." "He created a whole bubble of surrealism that was... totally individualistic." "But he was certainly in a class of his own." "What do you mean by that?" "I don't know..." "These things are physical." "It was like being in a space of total devotion to the present." "For anyone." "Any kind of person." "The guy over there, the Chinese vendor, the whore, the good girl, the lawyer father, the dealer mother, the senile lady..." "Even dogs loved him!" "His energy, his force of attraction was strong." "One taste and you're hooked." "It's like dope." "Like love." "Whatever." "Let's forget it." "When he showed up, he was unknown." "He was Québécois but he came out of nowhere." "In 3 years, he managed to establish himself, become king and disappear." "Sorry, I find it mildly evil that, while others work like crazy, completely involved in their art, there's a film on a flight case" "who scammed, used, and shafted so many people, and contributed what?" " I'm so glad to see you." " You're well?" " Not bad..." " Have a seat." " The prodigal father." " I won't have anything." " What have you been up to?" " I came a long way." "A long way." "I'm here for the show." " So I heard." " And I'm counting on you!" "No, count me out." "To be honest, I'm not sure I want to be involved." "Will Olga Korper be there?" "No, it's not an investors' party." "Make something up." "Come as Pellerin, you'll be a hit." "This wouldn't be all bad." "But I'm not so sure I want to be in this..." "There'll be people, in uniform or otherwise, who only came to see if Pellerin would dramatically rematerialize, to the astonishment and dismay of the Montréal art scene." "Well, lots of people will come out to see if Victor Pellerin shows up." " That's for sure." " I'd like a beer." " Shall we switch to beer?" " Mr. Belzile?" " Sure..." "I'm with you." "SYLVAIN BOUTHILLETTE'S STUDIO" "Is that for the show?" "It's the studio door." "SYLVA N BOUTHILLETTE ARTIST EXECUTING BANAL TASK PELLERIN'S FRIEND" " Pardon me." " That's fine." "The inspired artist..." "Studio work's not glamorous." "It's more mental than anything." "Didn't you come to film Lamarche?" "No crap during my shot or else I'll screw it up." "BERNARD LAMARCHE ART CR TIC AND CURATOR" "Pellerin was evolving in the late 80's, a time when the art market was booming." "He profited from this, fed into it." "So, his renown stemmed partly from... this unique context." "But, in terms of the man himself," "Pellerin was very charismatic." "He had a high profile." "He was always in the right places." "He was a great self-promoter, and a great networker." "That's how he could build such an... enviable career." "On the surface, he cultivated the romantic image of the 19th-century artist:" "Someone completely detached from commercialism and materialism." "Someone who was completely dedicated to his art and free of all constraints." "The public likes this image, reminiscent of Van Gogh, a famous example." "How much would a Pellerin painting be worth in the late 80's?" "In the late 80's, a fairly large Pellerin... would command $15,000 to $20,000." "What is it?" " Why'd you do that?" " $25,000 to $30,000." "It all went up in smoke." "Sad, eh?" "Sylvain Bouthillette... not great." "He should take up tattooing instead of sucking up arts-council grants." "JAN KILINKSI STUDIO W NTER, 1989" "PELLERIN WITH UNIDENTIFIED FRIEND" "Olga Korper wanted exclusive rights on Pellerin's work." "Sylvain Bouthillette, one of the artists." "SYLVAIN BOUTH LLETTE RENT-PAYING ARTIST" "She'd leave the Kilinski Studio with a stack of paintings, like it were a department store." "So, Olga Korper procured for Victor a new visibility." "She conjured up an art career they both could profit from, not to mention the investors, of course." "She even organized the sale of a series of about 15 Pellerins, most of which didn't even exist yet." "So, as the deadline gradually approached," "Victor got to it half-heartedly, with the sole intention of nailing a sham opening, with all pre-sold work that would then be flipped to friends and colleagues to inflate his worth and that of the investors and art speculators." "It disgusted him." "I mean, it amused him, at first... until he realized, I guess, that Korper's world was moneyed, closed-minded people into self-glorification." "The Jan Kilinski Studio was here." "Upstairs." "On the ground floor was the Jewish grocery store, Warshaw, a fabulous odds 'n' ends store." "They had great fruit and vegetables, dishware from all over the world, furniture, all kinds of things." "Upstairs was the plant store." "A veritable jungle engulfed you at the top of the stairs." "The space was so huge that Victor was able to set up a studio in the back for him and his friends." "He called it the Jan Kilinski Studio." "Victor liked little stories, sometimes untrue, but in this case it was named after... a shoemaker who led an insurrection against the Prussians in Warsaw." "Now, it's been assimilated." "A beauty-products chain store with non-descript architecture..." ""Made in Québec", slapped up as usual, but anyway..." "That's life." "The Main is gradually changing." "Why isn't your gallery putting on..." "Eudore Belzile's show," ""Autour de Victor"?" "Eudore Belzile... is a good guy." "Full of goodwill." "How do I say this?" "He was fuelled by the energy Victor released." "This was his way to get exposure, to get some buzz because no one mentioned him much." "Well, let's call a spade a spade." "Eudore Belzile isn't an artist." "He's an engineer who's done theatre and photography." "He does blow-ups, which are easy." "He photographs people he knows, among them, a few local stars who then aggrandize Belzile..." "I'm not an advocate of recycling these people around Victor Pellerin." " But there are a few good artists." "Yeah, if you say so." "We shall see." "Gotta give people a chance." "What's a good artist?" "You can see them at the Galerie Éric Devlin." " You have some?" " Yes." " You got some here, in Montréal." " Yeah!" "ANTONIN SOREL DESIGNER HUNG OUT AT THE K LINSK STUDIO" "Very nice!" "Wait!" "I'll take one." " We'll have a drink." " Well, well, little Antonin..." "Little Antonino grew up." "You're still beautiful." " She never changes." " She's young." "It's true." "SHE LA RIBE RO DANCER-CHOREOGRAPHER PELLERIN'S FRIEND" " You're embarrassing me." " It's irritating!" "You are too, Anne..." "Shall we?" "Want to hit me with some?" " You're sure?" " Why not?" "If you're in the mood." "And you?" "I quit." "Especially on camera." "I'm afraid of the results." "Talking about Victor, it's hard not to do it." "I know but I'm not interested." "It's safe with Eudore." "You forget it's even affecting you." "Mustn't be scared." "You should be scared!" "This little flower can make you see death." "You're not supposed to go where belladonna takes you." "Want some?" "No, I can't." "I must stay in shape." "I have some details to work out." "You?" "Sophie?" "Some other time." "We're working now." " You're abandoning me." "Antonin?" " We're right here with you." " Please..." " I'm with Anne." "I'm alone here." "That's no fun." "Well, OK." "Great, you're relaxed." "Victor had no needs or wants to satisfy." "He just found little games to make life amusing." "Like this one." "POLICE HEADQUARTERS" "Luc Gauthier, aka Victor Pellerin, painter, son of Michel Gauthier, born in Montréal, diamond prospector, SGT." "ALAIN LACOURSIÉRE ART INVESTIGATOR and Maria-Luisa Fernandez, Portuguese, naturalized in '49." "Sgt. Alain Lacoursière Art Investigator" "Through visas, we can trace the whole family, and Victor's travels." "He was cleared in France of charges of fraud and conspiracy to traffic exotic plants." "He was also linked to the Bizo diamond affair, 1984-85, in France, but his involvement was never proven." "1990, Montréal, investigated for extortion, trafficking, forgery." "Warrant for his arrest issued by the Feds." "The file was closed 5 years after he evaded police." "But a file like this can be reopened, given new information." " Wait, sir." " So, you're saying" " Could we be less formal?" " Yes..." " Thank you." "So, if I understand correctly, trafficking and forgery..." "Is he wanted for arrest, or a missing person?" "He is a missing person and wanted for arrest." "I have something on my mind." "Eudore, why are you here, exactly?" "For the show." "And to settle personal affairs." "But my heart's in Colombia." "It's not a lonely heart, so when this is done," "I'll fly off to join it." "You came only for the show?" "Yes... for an obligation of memory." "So something positive comes out of that adventure." "Here we are, fixated on Victor's escapades, the lost paintings..." "Meanwhile, extraordinary things were happening at the studio." "Look at Anne!" "Sheila!" "Look at yourselves." "I'm not a product of the Kilinski Studio." "This fascination for Victor is morbid, like gawking at a car crash to see the bodies, the blood." "His thing wasn't painting." "He didn't need a gallery, he needed a minefield." "Something explosive, harmful, to alleviate boredom." "Do you think it was just theatrics and games for Victor, or a real need to overturn and destroy things?" "I don't know." "Life and games were the same to him." "That's the dangerous thing." "And the nice thing about him." "He plays around, takes interest in people." "He's a good man." "He makes others good." "He gets whatever he wants, with whomever he wants." "Victor's not a painter." "He was a monster!" "A monster!" "Sorry..." "Pellerin's modus operandi was simple and fantastic, in a way." "Posing as a maintenance man, he loitered around the halls of public and private institutions." "Insurance companies, lawyers' offices, where there was art." "Québec art is basically corporate." "It's a tax write-off." "Amortized over 5 years, it costs nothing." "That's why these tiny lawyers' offices with 3 lawyers have half a million on the walls." "It's a tax write-off." "You can even cash in later." "You give it to a foundation for a tax receipt." "Your painting makes money instead of losing it." "Pellerin passed for a janitor." "It was easy for him to take photos." "He'd photograph some pearl he'd discovered." "Let me show you this one." "It's by Suzor-Cot." "This is the file on it." "It's from 1987." " So he photographed it..." " And forged a copy." "We assume he was the forger." "He'd go back, switch the paintings." "And no one saw the difference:" "Employees, bureaucrats..." "Forgeries are probably still hanging in corporate offices." " Really?" " Probably." "Then he or someone else could put the work on the market in a gallery or at auction." "And the "anonymous" seller stood to make $30,000 or $40,000, easily." " The seller would be a woman?" " Or man." "Anonymous." "Could it be a woman?" "A woman, Pellerin himself, or someone else:" "A dealer or reputable figure in the gallery milieu, or auctioneers who would put the piece up for sale." "So, if this little scam worked so well, how did they..." "How did he get caught?" "How do you think?" "Someone slipped up." " Obviously." " Someone we know?" "Someone we know..." "You're very nice." "You have gorgeous eyes, but some things are private, as opposed to public." "This file covers..." "Pellerin and his public arrest warrant." "We can release his photo and fact sheet." "As for anyone whose charges are active, we can disclose information." "But as for witnesses, victims, sources or informants, we can't say anything." "TORONTO 2ND VISIT TO OLGA KORPER'S" "I know it hurts." "You talk about Victor and how he's responsible for so much..." "But it's as though you don't have autonomy over your own life." "How can you live 15 years with this, with such rancour?" "A filmmaker doing Pellerin has to come along before you can come out with, "Oh, he was nya-nya-nya..."" "Have you even been in love?" " Yes." " We were in love." "I know we were." "We were in love." "I wasn't in it alone." "That man was my family." " Who cares?" "Half the world is guys." " I care." "I'm not cutlery or a cardboard box." "It really gets to me." "I have trouble... being with you, seeing you..." " The whole spiel, the suffering..." "You're so self-important, sorry to say." "Your body's alive!" "You're here, you step down, move your ass, like this." "I don't care about Antonin, but it's like... you're moving!" "I wish it didn't affect me." "Let me finish." "I wish it didn't affect me, and this party was a bash, but fuck." "The guy came into my life." "Wait!" "We were in love." "I am waiting." "I couldn't care less about your pain!" " You're my friend!" " Pain doesn't change anything." " Can't you take your friend's side?" " Sure, but it makes no difference." " So your pain is even more stupid." " You and your theories." "It's not theory, it's truth." "You think people in Chile or Siberia..." " We're talking about Victor." " Who cares?" "No one cares about me, Sophie, these dumb ideas..." "We got a Council grant to do this." "Otherwise, we'd be too lazy." "Yes, but I do care." "It breaks me up." "Understand?" "It affects me." "I just wish... you'd take my side." "Are you shooting a lot on Pellerin?" "Well, yes." "We met his friends and family." "Art dealers, Eudore Belzile, artists..." "Belzile the engineer?" "The one with the daughter in Colombia?" "Things aren't going well for him." "Not too well." "I don't know." "It's not going well?" "If I could watch a few tapes I could get back to you on that." "Oh, I don't know." "Privacy is a concern for me too." "You'd need a warrant." "Stop the camera." "That's enough for today." " I was joking." "Nevertheless..." " Well, today's session is over." "That's it?" " Thank you." "May I photocopy this?" " Sure, no problem." "Thanks." "Coming for a drink?" "Yes..." "Let's meet downstairs, right away." " It's been a while, fuck." " Are you rolling?" " Yes." " She's coming." " Bye." " Thanks, Alain." "See you..." "At the show." "Bye." "So?" "I heard everything." "I don't think we can use it." "In fact, I'm sure we can't." "But lots of stuff can come out in a submarine, I believe..." "Open the door?" "JEAN LE CHEUVREUIL'S PLACE:" "IDEAL REFUGE FOR A SUBMARINE" "Belladonna!" "FRÉDÉR C CLOUTIER SOUND-MAN ON HIS FIRST SUBMARINE" "Are you sure?" "Belladonna with grass?" "Grass is just a catalyst for whatever else you're having." "Even milk tastes better with grass." "Am I plugged in?" "I'll just do some tests." "Lie me down." "Besiege me." "Devour me." "Split me." "Sell me." "Do me in." "You wondrous woman." "Tomorrow, you'll be with me." "It'll be long and pleasurable." "I'll let you talk." "And I promise you, if, this summer, next fall, if winter ever shows up here..." "Let's set our bombs!" "Your sound-man's now a poet." "Alter me, fuck me, pay me and, remember, sign me." "Direct me!" "Celebrate me!" "Finish me off!" "Revolution!" "Is Fred here?" "Fred's in his head." "Sheila, got a watch, clock or cell phone?" " My cell's downstairs." "I've a watch." " Here." "Give me your cell later?" " Yeah." " Clock, watch, cell phone?" " No, I know how submarines work." "You know the rules..." "Following me?" "You're doing a "soft" submarine." " An organic submarine..." " Now, that would be very hard!" "That's strong!" "Is that cider and gin?" " You're staying the winter?" " No." "Just for the opening, and to see you people." "To your homecoming." "And the submarine." " How long will we..." " 'Til someone cracks." "'Til we run out." "Someone get the camera!" "Sheila has to French-kiss Sophie." "Can't miss that!" "With the tongue?" "I didn't understand." "Oh, that looks fun." "Stop!" "Cinema L'Amour." " Sophie, your turn to spin." " Oh, my God." "Hey, move." "You must kiss him." "For the 2nd time in my life." "Go ahead!" "That was great!" "Someone has to kiss me." "Yeah, no one has!" "I'm getting disheartened." "Fine." "I mean, sex is the soul of life." " The posterior motive." " Imagine life without sex." " I'll have some." " That real belladonna?" "That's it for me." "That's it for me." "I hope kids don't see us as bad examples." "Will this be restricted?" "That's good." "There." "Pass on the camera." "We're curious, Sophie." "Have you ever told the truth?" "I'm manipulative but I don't lie." "Help me get into it." " The truth!" " What goes around comes around." "First truth:" "I knew Victor Pellerin personally in Linz, Austria." "In Linz, Austria." " Second truth:" " That's likely." "I met..." "Alain Lacoursière from the police and told him Victor would be at the show." "And told him Victor would be at the show." "Pretty bad idea." "Whoever decided to invite him better disinvite him." "So he told me how Victor torched his art career by making forgeries." "So he told me how Victor torched his art career by making forgeries." "Third truth:" "I admit, I'm the one... who somehow denounced Victor unintentionally." "Who somehow denounced Victor unintentionally." "I sold a forgery that he had done, without realizing it was fake." "I didn't mean to do anything against him but... it's done." "It's done." " Who's first?" " It's all lies." "Three blatant lies." " Do you know the rules?" " I think so..." "Two truths and one lie, which at least one of you can detect." "Right." "Right." "Well, everyone knows Victor made fakes." " Not me." " Come on." "He didn't need to forge." "He lived off his painting." "Maybe it wasn't for money." "Maybe it was game-playing," "Maybe it wasn't for money." "Maybe it was game-playing, or a kind of self-mockery." "Then why would he take off?" " So, come clean." " Victor drew many into his circus." "He compromised many people in the milieu." "He compromised many people in the milieu." "What's the lie?" "You never met Victor, or never sold a fake?" "Well..." "You couldn't have sold a fake." "Victor didn't make fakes." "He sold the real ones." "He sold the real ones." "He took the fake, hung it in the office and sold the original." " Brilliant." " He put originals on the market." "Get it?" "Right, Eudore?" "I think that's it." " So, you met Victor." " That's her guess." "I think that's right." " What?" " I think that's right." "So, you met him?" "Well, kind of..." " I'm completely mixed up." " Let's keep drinking." " Pass my glass, Élisabeth." " I'm totally confused." " Truth is shit." " Was he a forger of truth..." " Truth is shit." " Was he a forger of truth... or a veritable fake?" "Do I spin it?" " Yes." " Go, Sophie." "Mathieu!" "Here, Mathieu." "It's your turn." "It's your turn." "I'm straight, no tattoos, no hair." "I'm leaving." "Floor's open." "First truth:" "Victor Pellerin was my lover for several years on a very regular basis." " Get serious." " You too, eh?" " That might be his lie." " Aesthetic affinities, the arts," " That might be his lie." " Aesthetic affinities, the arts, time, space, ideology..." "Fucking was what brought us together." " Fucking is an ideology." " Well, I hope that one's true." "Second truth:" "Victor didn't sell all the works at his New York exhibition." "Victor didn't sell all the works at his New York exhibition." "Back to the paintings." "They put up red dots to stimulate sales." " That's true." " The red dots are used to push the artist's career, the gallery's success." "To push the artist's career, the gallery's success." "What do you mean?" "The red dots..." "Indicate "Sold"." "They weren't sold." "It was a fraud." "Sales were faked to push demand for the next show." " A dotty exhibition..." " A rash of sales." "Ironically, that's what it's called." "Ironically, that's what it's called." "Third truth:" "I saw Victor again after he disappeared." "Where?" "With you." "He was with you." "Where?" "Charles de Gaulle, in Paris." "You were at the airport." "You didn't see me." "You were at the airport." "You didn't see me." "So, it's not true you slept with Victor." " No, it's not true." " We have our answer." "Hold on..." "Hold on..." " We can still drink." " It's confusing..." "Did he disappear?" "Is he missing?" " Did he move?" " You're all mixed up." "To Victor Pellerin!" "To Luc..." "What's his name?" "Absentee artist and forger." "Absentee artist and forger." "I think it's Eudore." "First truth:" "I love you all." "Thank you for being here." "I'm happy you're here, in keeping with our past and future experiences." "In keeping with our past and future experiences." "I love you, Élisabeth." "Your presence is the greatest gift." "But I'll have to leave you all very soon because my second truth is this:" "My second truth is this:" "I have cancer." "I came here for treatment." "But I don't have much time." "So say the doctors." "I can feel it." "Hence, my desire to do a show of Pellerin's circle." "Hence, my desire to do a show of Pellerin's circle." "I intend to go out walking, with lots of people beside me." "It'll be my little slice of eternity." "Third truth:" "Victor Pellerin's still alive." "He's living in South America," "Victor Pellerin's still alive." "He's living in South America, and the art he now practises has nothing to do with brushes." "Didn't you forget the lie?" "I'm a lousy liar." "I'm a lousy liar." "You think I'm a coward." "Don't you?" "Well, I don't know, Anne." "I wasn't thinking of doing... an Agatha Christie when I started shooting." "You wanted me to say I was the one who sold the painting." "All right, Anne." "I knew it was you." "All right, Anne." "I knew it was you." " I think Mathieu knew too." " I didn't know it was stolen!" "How could I?" "It wasn't marked, "Stolen Painting"." " Victor knew the risks." " I didn't know it would screw up." " I was out of it." " Why blame yourself?" " I was out of it." " Why blame yourself?" "I didn't need the money." "I needed Victor to react to something, talk to me, and leave the mysteries behind." "And the secrets." "I was at the end of my rope." "I was at the end of my rope." "I had to provoke something." "I couldn't have known." "I didn't want him in trouble, even if he got us in shit and dumped us there." "It was just a painting." "You don't go missing over that!" "It was just a painting." "You don't go missing over that!" "Want to join us in a painting?" "Wait." "It's not true that you didn't know." "It's not your fault." "He didn't drop everything over a little slut!" "He knew what he was doing!" "But you!" "He knew what he was doing!" "But you!" "What is it with you?" " I was 19." " Wait." " I was just a kid." " You were a ditz!" "Selling one of his paintings without knowing what it was." "Are you an idiot?" " Yes, I was ignorant, I told you!" " Get away!" "Go back home!" " Yes, I was ignorant, I told you!" " Get away!" "Go back home!" "We don't need you!" "Your brother liked ditzes." "And this ditz was in the dark, depressed, at her wits' end." "What happens?" "She sells a painting." "To get out of shit." "Because your brother, the handsome Victor Pellerin," "liked his people in shit." "He fed off people's misery." "He found their misery amusing." "He fed off people's misery." "He found their misery amusing." "He really got off on it!" "Where is he?" "Where's my brother, Eudore?" "Where's my brother, Eudore?" "Where is he?" "What has he done?" " Sorry... what about you?" " I'm fine." " Sorry... what about you?" " I'm fine." "I'm sorry too." "I came on too strong." "It was tasteless." "Forgive me." "First truth:" "Victor Pellerin is a Santa's elf." "First truth:" "Victor Pellerin is a Santa's elf." "True!" "You want this to pass for a real Pellerin?" "Well, it could." "It could, because anything goes." "Beautiful!" "Really nice." " I find it really ugly." " You found his work ugly" " I find it really ugly." " You found his work ugly the whole time." " Right." "That's good." "There." "The master has spoken." "It's really not bad." " Look who's here!" " Fred." "I've heard of you." "Pleased to meet you." "Congratulations..." "OCTOBER, 2005 EN ROUTE TO SOUTH AMERICA" "That's the last thing we need." "The art world is a fragile milieu." "The wages of art are pain and misery." "It's like hitting a newborn colt with a bat as it tries to get up and walk." "Not too swift." "Might we say that the whole thing's a hoax?" "A small clique just exploiting some elaborate staging?" "The art world's a hoax." "A big hoax." "The reputations, the complacent social networks, the cliquiness..." "The preferential treatment, the whims of fashion." "The artists, juries, curators, art criticism, the museum system..." "It's all a hoax!" "Even life is a hoax these days." "One day, a corporation's shares are worth $175, the next day, they're $2.50 junk bonds." "That's a hoax!" "But in the end, something must remain." "It's imperative!" "Art is about creation." "That's what interests me." "And creation is not a hoax." "Are you able to walk down the stairs?" "Zoran Music, who just died, spent 2 years in concentration camps." "He drew the horrors he saw and hid his work until the early 70's." "Finally, he brought it out again." "He did a magnificent series of pictures and prints, all entitled, "We Are Not the Last"." "And the text he wrote is beautiful." "He says, "You'll think I'm crazy but, by the end, I found the piles of corpses covered in snow beautiful." "I thought I'd lost my mind." And he drew... that lingering thread of humanity." "The etchings are sublime." "His drawings and paintings..." "It's very sensitive work." "It moves me." "It's truly an oeuvre." "Not an art-market or academic system." "It's what we look for in art." "What I look for, at least." "Not just name-dropping and speculation... about a work." "I forgot the world was so beautiful!" "And I'm here!" "It's beautiful!" "Fuck, it's beautiful!" "THANK YOU FOR GETTING US THIS FAR, EUDORE." "VICTOR PELLERIN (OR WHOEVER YOU ARE), WE KNOW YOU'RE AVOIDING CAMERAS." "AS AM ICONOCLAST, YOU MAY SMASH THIS PORTRAIT WE'VE MADE OF VOU," "BUT HE, THE EXPONENT OF SUBJECTIVITY," "WOULD SURELY APPRECIATE AN INTERPRETATION SO FREELY ADAPTED." "SEE YOU SOME TIME."