"AFTER WE'RE GONE" "Incredible shooting pains." "Nightmares invade me." "I await a letter." "Waiting with dread..." "Any post?" "Letter in the kitchen." "And?" "They say I've had it." "Not much time left." "Oh, shit." "That's what I'll do, invite a theatre company to the Château." "Professionals!" "Acting just for me." "An audience of one." "I'd like to see a play inspired by a myth, Dionysus." "Won't get much out of you tonight." "I know, we'll have some music!" "I feel like dancing." "Together!" "Come here!" "Who's Dozus?" "Dionysus!" "He's a god." "God of merrymaking and pleasure." "He transports souls." "But not just any god." "Moving in circles, he links the worlds of the dead and the living." "You're a beautiful girl." "I'm not a girl." "Shit." "Yves..." "The stage director I hired..." "He phoned yesterday." "Said he was coming with an actress..." "It's fabulous!" "She's called Milena" "Or Melina..." "Can't remember." "I always preferred ballet dancers, frankly." "Actually," "Pipo would have been an excellent dancer." "Welcome." "This is the Cardinal's room." "Some old ecclesiastical poof slept here for one night." "It's... unusual." "But I like it, this could be fun." "Can I move if I don't like it?" "Of course." "Plenty of rooms." ""Old Khayyam the Ruby vintage drink" ""Once dead you never shall return" ""One thing is certain, the Rest is lies" ""Poppy that once bloomed for ever dies."" "Another drop?" "Please..." "It helps my digestion." "I'm hot." "I'm cold, too." "I'm hot, I'm cold." "I'm hot, and then cold." "Hot again, and cold again." "At night I'm cold." "When I fall asleep." "I get very hot." "And then I wake up because I'm cold." "I'm so sorry!" "That must..." "I must..." "I must appear rather ridiculous." "Forgive me, I'm no longer used to..." "What happened 15 years ago?" "I lost my wife." "I went to Paris and..." "In the end I came back." "In the street?" "You lost her?" "Shouldn't laugh." " Excuse me." " No, excuse me." "No, she... passed away." "But how?" "It's the first time I've..." "How did it happen?" "First time I laughed about..." " But how?" " After an illness." "That's all." "Pipo!" "Something to eat." " Are you hungry?" " I'm starving." "Thank you." " How old is he?" " For me, he's 15." "Been with me 15 years." "I think he's 15." "That's interesting." "A bit like a son." "One you brought up on your own." "Are you drunk?" "Stop it!" "I'll be all red!" "Stop it!" "Rubbing too hard, shit!" "Pipo, give me a hand." "Stop it!" "How's my hair?" "What is it?" "Called herself "the beast"." "She'd ring up and say, "The beast's alright."" ""Its fringe grew back."" "I asked, "When will it become human again?"" "That drove her crazy." "I was more human than he was." "Don't you believe it, ducky!" "Stop going on about all these animals!" "You see this shit here?" "Not actually shit." "You know why top models have one neuron more than horses?" "It's so they don't shit on parade." "One day the shit will hit the fan." "I really loved you." "Oh, Fatal Love" "Cruel conqueror" "What face did you choose" "To pierce my heart?" " Seen Minou anywhere?" " What?" "No, no Minou." "Here, I'll teach you to shoot." "Aim at those hens." "We're going to screw them?" "It doesn't matter." "Pair of girls." "Love!" " What?" "Call it love?" " They're girls!" "No, they're animals, bunny." "They're not girls." "Shoot them in the bum-bum." "Yes, try and shoot them in the bum-bum." "Easy now." "Go on." "Got her!" "I've lost Minou." "I've lost Minou." "Haven't seen Minou?" "Well, not lately." "Saw him a while ago though." "He'll be back." "Jean-René is going to die." "What?" "He's going to die." "Gave me a letter." "What letter?" "He gave me a letter." "If I don't have Jean-René, I have nothing, no cat." " What are you talking about?" " I'm all alone." " What's this letter?" " A letter." "From where?" "One he wrote?" "Yes." "Saying he's going to die." " What?" " He's going to die." "Do you want my photo?" "What's the matter?" "Help me, please." "Please, help me." "Don't leave me!" "No!" "What did you do to the hen?" "It's dead." "Put an arrow in her bum." "An arrow in the bum?" "Ate my Minou." "Pipo, hens don't have teeth." "And the cat?" "Can't find my Minou any more." "What did whores have that was better?" "Better than what?" "Better than what I had." "Minou?" "Oh, whores." "O, harlot, O despair!" "It's not complicated, whores are just women who open up." "Understand, Milena?" "I'm not playing." "I came for you, but I won't play now." "You always say that, I know you." "I won't do this." "You'll see." "Not counting on a thing." "As planned, the manager and his partner Ingrid are joining us." "But will they finally start work?" "Don't push too hard, OK?" "Exactly when are you paying the rest?" "I've already paid you half." "You'll get the balance after." "Wasn't that our agreement?" "Even so, a little advance..." "If you'd be so kind?" " You already had an advance." " Well, another." "In cash." "This time, cash would be better." "Don't think we're pushing that wheelchair all day." "What's that four-wheel drive?" "It's... it's a company car." "You bought it?" "With what money?" "The money..." "It doesn't matter." " Where did you...?" " It was..." "You owe me money!" "You owe me money!" " You'll get your money." " You've owed me for ages!" " You owe me money!" " You'll get the money." "And you buy a four-wheel?" "They cost a bomb!" "Are you taking the piss or what?" "Got any cash?" "You got any cash on you?" "I know he gave you an advance." "Did he?" "Where did it go?" "Sorry, Ingrid." "The cash?" "You owe me." "Your heap's going to be scrap!" "Did you enjoy that?" "Yes..." "Excellent." "I'm laughing, but it was really excellent." "Great." "The spices, all that." "Fantastic." "The olive oil is amazing." "Yes, it's very good." "So, in your spare time you're an actress." "Can you carry the contemporary word?" "Without tripping over your own costume?" "I live for the theatre, you arsehole." "That hurts, even from a prick like you, understand?" "A nasty one, is it?" "Drop dead!" "Just touch her dolly and Mademoiselle hits back." "A sorry sight." "I hope that one day you will be destroyed utterly broken and then..." "You'll be a real actress, but you won't see it you'll be somewhere else." "I hope, but you're a long way off." "Fucking clever." "Look at you." "Wed or hanged before year-end." "This young woman touches me, it's undeniable." "She could be my daughter." "No matter." "I don't want to die." "I'm afraid." "Come in." "I've made you some tea." "It'll do me good." " Do you like it?" " Yes." "Thank you." "I was reading..." "A passage that reminded me of you." "Like to hear it?" "Hello!" "Come in, it's open." "How are things?" "What are you up to?" "Working on sexual energy." "I get it up using the Little Celestial Revolution." "Yeah." "That's superb." "I saw a Chinese guy in Hong Kong lift 100 kilos." "100?" "These are 800 grams each and it's murder." "Come on your own?" "No, I came with Lola." "Other things are great, too." "Ginseng... not bad either." "Fuck!" "Overdid it a bit." "Sure there's no damage?" "Physical, I mean?" "That's a symbol, you see." "But..." " Been writing?" " Not a thing." "Why would I?" "I waited for a sign." "I knew he wouldn't write, I've known that for at least a week." "I expected a sign." "Little envelope, usual little cheque inside." "No, nothing." "I knew it." "He didn't write anything, he's like us - no money." "Whatever, someone's working here." " Me." " Because you've nicked all the loot." "No." "I have written a text." "And?" "What's it called?" "The title is Apollo," "Dionysus and The Muse." "What's a muse?" "A woman who inspires a poet." "Very good." "Very good." "It's true, I think I can do it." "As for the text, maybe I can tighten things a bit, some rewriting." "Between us, in all modesty..." "I think it's a great text." "Apollo." ""Forgettest whose flesh" ""Masked men draped in white" ""Inclined toward the floor" ""The shape still in a continual moan" ""The remnants of a tear, blood flowed" ""The sacrifice was no goat," ""But a human carved from limb, dismembered like an animal, an infant" ""This, the flesh offered to you..."" "Animal what?" " "In fun"?" " Infant." " "In fun?"" " In-fant?" " You're ruining my lines!" " No." "An "infant" or "in fun"?" ""Like an animal, an infant!"" "I'm turning in." "Goodnight." ""Forget it not." That's Dionysus." "Interesting, Milena?" "What do you say?" "Can we do something with this text?" "Sorry." "I disturbed your thoughts." " I'll read on?" " No, we need suggestions." "You only just got here." "She's not saying anything." "No suggestions." "She's not here to make suggestions." "She's here to do what she's told." "Why pick on her?" "She's done nothing to you." "I'm not, I'm just telling you she... could say something, I don't know." "Go on, go on." "Say something!" "I'm saying nothing?" "Course you are." "But silently." "Fine." "Interesting." "I wept all night." "I have never wept like that." "As if, with death getting closer, something feminine revealed itself inside me." "You want to know if he mentioned you." "He won't say." "I'm sure he still loves me." "And you still love him?" "What about you?" "Why?" "Well, I don't know." "If you start explaining these things, you quickly lose the sense of them." "For example, I like you a lot." "Really?" "But I don't know why." "Are you making fun of me?" "And you, what do you want?" "I don't know." "I just want him to... want, I think." " Make him want..." " Want what?" "You really are a pervert." "That's all? "Ouch"?" " Yes, that hurt." " Can't you change your tune?" "Same mediocre key..." "That hurt!" "I'm losing all sense of time." "What have I done since I woke up?" "Written a few lines, less than nothing, in fact." "You are Dionysus!" "You're singing for a Muse." "That's clear?" "You are at once both the Child God and the Adult God." "Think about it, you are Life and Death." "Open your mouth when you sing, you moron!" "I told you, "Aaaaaaaah."" "Like that." "You, get in the middle." "Milena, please, in the middle." "Wait, I didn't tell you to sing." "Shut up!" " Where's the middle?" " There." "Where I can see you." "Stop bloody sulking!" "You're the manager, be one!" "Now get on with it." "You're on." " I'm going to throw up, I'm seasick." " A pond!" "A duck pond!" "You can move." "There's no risk." "I'm a qualified lifeguard." "I've got a lifebelt." "No risk at all." "Pick up the oar, Fatso." "Listen - when you sing sing like a gondolier." "When you look at her, make it intense." "You're too close!" " I quit!" " No, wait!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "Sing for Christ's sake!" "You're stuck there like a plank!" "There's no point." "Go on, act the gondolier, I said." "You, the oar!" "Fuck you!" "The fucking oar!" "Arsehole, arsehole!" "Stop it!" "She's off her head." "Go and fucking fetch her instead of..." "I'm all on my own!" "You cretin, get on the other side." "Look, just lift your tiny foot, and change sides." "There you go, move over..." "All the way." "Now, lean on it as you come towards me..." "I mean..." "No!" "You're going back, you prick!" "Fuck it, come here!" "Look where I am already." "Come on, move it!" "Want me to show you?" "Come here!" "Move the oar over, you're moving again!" " Row!" " OK, OK, you win." "I don't want a Gregorian chant." "Enjoy it, enjoy it." "And again." "It's pleasure." "Go on, come!" ""Brother men" ""Who live after us" ""Don't let your hearts be hardened," ""For if you have pity on us poor men" ""The sooner God has mercy" ""Five, six hanging here, flesh" ""Torn to pieces, bones to ash and dust" ""No-one mock our pain, pray God He may absolve us."" "What am I doing here?" "I've been dancing all night." "Really?" "You manage to dance all night, have nightmares, lead a very busy night life..." "Don't you?" "I never remember a thing." "Just a sort of mystery." "You make me laugh." "Everything you say makes me laugh." "What's so mysterious?" " I can't explain it." " I'm not asking you to explain it." "It can be described, be painted it can be shared." "So what's the mystery?" "You're too nosy." "I don't understand." "Don't understand." "Well, you might feel it." "Isn't that even better?" "Ingrid!" " What are you doing?" " Sirtaki!" "You're mad!" "That's Napoleon china!" "Fuck Napoleon, just watch these plates!" "Do you mind if I lie down on your sofa?" "No..." "It's like this." "We pretend that you're a shrink." "I feel wrecked, and if I don't have a session now there's no telling what will happen to me." "But what must I do?" "You stand behind me and you listen." "Right then..." "I think that..." "What I'd like to understand is how do things get going again?" "How do you get through periods like this?" "What do you mean?" "Last session, you said to me," ""The hysteric looks for a dominating master."" "What did you mean by that?" "To love, in fact, is loving what's inside the Other." "I don't know." "Yes." "I smell good, smell good, smell good." "There's a strange thing, too." "When he's working, his scent changes." "It's not a troubling scent." "It's a scent that stops you getting close." "I'm listening to you, too." "Right or wrong," "I think the shape of my skull is changing." "I'm sinking into a universe both cloudy and uncertain." "It's weighing me down." "I've been reading Angelus Silesius again." ""The rose has no why," ""Blooming because it blooms" ""Caring nothing for itself," ""Nor desiring to be seen."" "Shall we jam together?" "I'm returning this." "I can't hear." "Yes, I can." "Yes." "But where?" "Gun..." "A pistol." "Where?" "In the room." "But where?" "One little rabbit, lost in the garden" "Look for me, peek-a-boo" "I'm hiding in my hole." " I don't know how to shoot." " Correct." "Funny, it's the first time I ever shot anyone." "And I did take my time." " Careful aim." " No, I wouldn't still be here." "Just a question of time." "Why?" "I should have fired slower?" "No, I mean being here, and not being here." "I really wondered once..." "Do you have any bullets left?" "Just one." "I only found two." "May I?" " The bullet?" " Here it is." "Funny, because with Chekhov, there's always a gunshot at the end." " Know Russian Roulette?" " It's a classic." "Forgive me, I'm no expert, but don't you need a revolver?" "It's a miracle!" "But how did you do that?" "Magic, my child." "Nothing but magic." "I knew you couldn't die like that - it was a bit over the top." "I'll get my guitar." "I can feel a song." "Oh, fuck!" "Did you hear that?" "I've done my foot in!" "What is it now?" "Christ, I've done my foot in on your stairs!" "It hurts like hell!" "Wait, I'm going to lie down." "I think my heel is broken." "Ice." "Little ice cubes!" " I've done my foot in." " Fetch some ice." "It's nothing." "What do you mean, "nothing"?" "It's agony!" "Turn the lights out please." "Calm down a bit, calm down." "Put the lights back on!" "The lights!" " Which foot?" "This one?" " Excuse me." "Stay still." "Don't move, calm down." "A present?" "When was that?" "It's nothing serious." " I'm having three." " Yes, take three." "Please, the lights." "I want to be like you." "You're my idol." "Headshave?" "No problemo." "It's the greatest disco on earth!" "What did you do to your hair?" "What have you done to your hair?" "What did you do?" "I'm not a girl." "You're not going to die?" "You really are a fat pig." "Farting every two minutes." "I don't do it on purpose, it's my pills." "You fart all the time." "I wonder what these actors have in store for me." "I don't really understand what they do." "I can hear them, but I don't dare interrupt." " You're not having me for free!" " Having you would be a pleasure." "I really have to worry about this show." " Are you a water sign?" " I'm a Virgo." "Horny cow rising." " And your Chinese sign?" " Fat slut." "Fat slut..." "Shouldn't we hate each other before loving?" "I sense in their presence at once a great whirlwind and a great void." "I have to trust them." "That's all." "This is very awkward." "Lola is trying to seduce me but my heart belongs to Ingrid." "OK, next!" "Whose turn is it?" "It's my turn!" "I'm next." "Hold on, this isn't Realist Theatre." "OK, "Beehive", what is it?" "Look, if you're not happy with this, know what?" "An Improvisation Match." "Basic." "We all stay happy." "Picking on me, 'aren'tcha'?" "Cha-cha-cha!" "Aren't you?" "What's that, under the tree?" "It's you." "You are under it." "An apparition." "You can do that, can't you?" "Outside?" "You can be, outside." "Be." "Exist." "You don't need to act." "You need to be." "Me, I'm the Actors' Studio." "Me, I say so when I feel, when I vibrate." "Understand?" "If I don't vibrate first, I don't say so." "That's where the danger is, and the desire." "Don't start that metaphysical bullshit!" "Me, I want sex!" "I'm worried about Pipo." "After I'm gone, what's going to become of him?" "I'd like you to tell me something about tonight." "We're..." "How can I put this?" "We're making it up as we go, I know, it's complicated..." "I can't really..." " Nothing concrete." " Moments of grace." "They happen or they don't." "Live performances are always like that." " We need more time." " That's what I was thinking." "More wine." "Nothing against you..." "Yeah." "I've decided to act in it and stage it myself." "What do you think?" "It's a good idea." "I think that's fine." "On the contrary." "Yes, that's fine - that way, you can do everything, a free hand." "We can be there, too." "I'd like to stage my own death." "I'd need all of you." "In silence." "You can sing, at a pinch." "In primitive Chinese religion, they invited the dead by singing odes and making a racket with bells." "What's wrong with me?" "Must have smoked too much, I'm shattered tonight." "His heart's stopped beating." "That's crazy." "You really looked dead." "On the contrary, I was fine." "It doesn't hurt any more." "Hurt?" "I was in pain, but not any more." "Seeing you like that..." "I had the feeling my own life was shrinking by the minute." "Understandable, seeing how I'm dead." "And that now I'm alive again." "Maybe I'm dead, too." "Are we all dead?" "We're alive." "Writing." "Writing anything." "Whatever comes into my head." ""His goose is cooked."" "The little cat isn't dead." "Get wood in for the winter." "Pipo, my friend, lend me your quill." "Loving one woman, but not two." "Life is merely a life." "Life is merely a life." "Thank you." "He's cold." "Naturally." "The dead are always cold." "Well, come with me." "That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger." "Which doesn't kill makes stronger." "That which doesn't kill us..." "Which doesn't kill us makes stronger." " Go on, that which..." " Doesn't..." " Kill us..." " Makes stronger." "Speak up." "That which doesn't kill us..." "That which doesn't kill us..." "No, that's not it." "That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger." "Go on, do it." "Try."