"It's OK." "No one knows us here." "Are you OK?" " I'm OK." "Sit anywhere you like." "You choose." "Your first time here, is it?" "Yes." "Actually, I've come to see you... about a contraception method." "I'm sleeping with my boyfriend now." "Things are serious." "And I didn't want to tell my parents." "A friend told me to come to the Family Planning Centre." "Was that hard for you?" " We talked for nights on end." "Nights on end?" " Whole evenings." "I see..." "What's so difficult?" "People's looks." " When you meet someone." "Every time you meet someone." "In the waiting room?" " I told her if we meet some we know, they're in the same situation." "It bothers me." "Because of my upbringing, I guess." "In your upbringing, what do people think of sex?" "It's a taboo, we never mention it." "Meaning?" "Try to explain." "Well, I never talked to my mum about it." "Never ever?" " No, never ever." "And when you have your period?" "How can I put it?" "It took me three cycles to tell her." "I didn't know how to tell her." "But you told her in the end?" " I suppose." "I don't know how, but we were in my room," "I dropped a sanitary towel and she asked why I had one." "I replied, "Because I need it." That was how I told her." "So you bought the sanitary towels yourself?" "How did she react?" "She just went "Ah", and that was that." "Not "You're a woman now"?" " Not even." "She was as uptight as me." "We didn't talk." "My boyfriend wants to meet my family but I can't tell her." "I just can't." "Last Saturday, I tried to tell her." "I said, "Mum..." and then asked what was for dinner!" "It won't come out." " The words get stuck." "What are you worried about?" "You're scared she'll judge you?" "I don't know." "I can't even explain it myself." "Do you talk about other important things?" "We talk about my studies a lot, about family, friends..." "But not this." "I can imagine saying just before my wedding," ""Buy a dress, I'm getting married tomorrow!"" "That's because a wedding has something official about it..." "She'd be reassured by the papers." "The thing is, she was more or less forced to marry my father." "She got pregnant with me when she was a student." "She wanted to do loads of things, but had to stop because of me." "She wanted to do vocational training, I think." "She was 19." "And you?" " I'm 17 and a half." "I'm scared she thinks I'll be pregnant at 19 like her." "She watches you so you don't end up like her." "And that's what worries you?" "You could have got pregnant?" "Yes, I could have." "Did it happen long ago?" " No, just two weeks ago." "That's what made you decide..." " To get the pill." "I see." " It was my first time." "I was stressed out." "Really stressed out!" "Is your mother worried about you getting pregnant or having sex?" "I don't know." "We don't talk about it." "Is she..." "Your roots are..." " Algerian." "Algerian." "She has traditional views on some things?" "She'll expect you not to have sex before marrying?" "No." "We follow tradition for some things." "We don't eat pork, we keep Ramadan and so on." "But they're easy-going otherwise." "My parents are easy-going, right?" "How do you feel about traditions?" "I don't really know." "I go to Algeria sometimes in summer, but I'm sick of the way they think after three weeks." "They say they're free but they're really backward." "It's totally crazy there." "What bothers you there?" " For starters, you never go out." "A family's reputation is based on what the neighbours think." "And so..." "You have to be decent." " Each time I want to go out or do something, they tell me not to." "They tell me who I can see." "The way others see you matters." " Yeah, you exist through them." "You don't live your life, you live to make others happy." "And what do you like about your culture?" "What interests you?" "The celebrations, the way Algerians stick together, family unit, respect..." "I think that's the best thing about traditions." "Concerning the pill, maybe you have some questions?" "Things that aren't clear?" " Yes." "We read you could get pregnant without penetration." "I wanted to know if that was true." " By magic?" "The magic of body contact!" "There'd have to be ejaculation." " Right." "It can happen but it's very rare." "I saw a case once." "It didn't happen to me but I saw it." "I've been in contraception for a while now." "I once saw a woman who was both a virgin and pregnant." "She had never had full intercourse." "How can I put it?" "She'd had external intercourse without her hymen being broken." "All it took was for one drop of sperm to enter her vagina." "And that was it." "Because sperm can swim." "You're in shape." "I'll give you pills for a month, then see our doctor here for a check-up and blood test." "The results stay here and it's free." "OK?" "I'll see you out." " Thank you." "Hello, Martine." " Thank you, Antoinette." "This door doesn't work." "It needs mending." "You're not running late, I'm early." " OK." "You're here for a blood test?" "To go on the pill?" "Everything OK?" "Well, yes." "Are you worried?" " A little." "Undress, please." "Put your bag on the floor." "What do you do?" " I'm a student." "What in?" " Law." "All right there?" "Pierre..." "Yes." " The lab runner's here." "Just a second." "You've had blood tests before?" "Of course you have." "Clench your fist." "Did it go well before?" "Yes, more or less." "I wonder where your veins are." "I'm losing my touch." "Sure you want to go on the pill?" "There." "I'm closing it because of the smoke." "I'll get it." "Hello." "Push and ring at the same time like it says." "I'll see you in a second." "Can we arrange to see a doctor?" " I'll see you next, OK?" "It's through here." "Come on." "Zoé?" "Rémuzat, Zoé?" " That's me." "Are you with someone?" " Yes, is that OK?" "She's coming." "Can you wait?" " No." "Just 30 seconds." " OK." "How old are you?" "I'm 17." "What made your mother react like that?" "Frankly, I have no idea." "What did she say?" " You want the exact words?" "She told me I was a slut, that I was banging every guy, every friend who visited, that I was a bitch, that I was the queen of sluts..." "She was really furious." "Before, we used to talk." "She'd buy me condoms." "She'd buy you condoms?" "So she wasn't against you having sex?" "Right?" " Yes." "It was when you said..." " I might be pregnant." "That's what made her blow her top?" " That's it." "That means you can be a mother too." "If you can say, "I'm pregnant," it marks a new step." "Is that what she couldn't accept?" "Her reaction was so unexpected." "I hate my mother!" "Since when?" "For a long time but now I hate her even more." "What makes you hate her so much?" "The violence!" "It's always my fault, I'm always the one who's wrong." "She blows her top, but it's not your fault?" "Yes." "But I tend to fight back." "It's not good, I'm too..." "What?" " I don't know." "A little..." " A little?" "You don't let her speak?" "I don't let her speak." "I don't even want to hear her." "Is there a lot of tension at home?" "Yeah, it's way too complicated." "Too complicated?" "Yeah, it's crazy," "My father didn't want me, see, and, after they married, he only stuck it out 5 years." "Until I turned 5." "Then they got divorced." "My mother has had a tough life." "So she was the one who wanted you?" "Yes, my mother wanted me." "And your father now?" "My father?" "I see him every six months." "Do you want to see him?" "Yeah, often." "I want to see him." "But him on his own." "I asked him once." "A year ago now, I asked him." "And I'm still waiting." "What did you ask him?" "I asked him if we could meet somewhere and spend an afternoon talking." "He told me he'd call me back." "But he never did." "Is it important for you to talk to him?" "It may not be a good idea." "He's not very serious." "What does "not very serious" mean?" " He's not serious." "He cheated on my mum." "That's why they divorced." "And taking about sex and stuff with him..." "Really?" "He uses words that shock me." "You think he's too casual about it?" "No, but I have the impression that..." "I don't know." "He says things too bluntly." "Maybe because he feels awkward?" " I don't know." "It never crossed your mind he might be modest?" "No." "One day he took me on holiday to a nude beach and just stripped off." "You can be a naturist and be modest." "Naturism isn't a feeling." "In any case, that didn't help you... to feel closer to him." "With words in any case." "No, it pushed us further apart." "That's a pity." "What would you like?" "What would I like right now?" " Yes." "You'll think I'm mad if I tell you." "I'd like to go away right now." "Really far away." "And not take the pill." "I'd like to take Cédric with me and go far away with him." "But that's all a dream." " Where would you go?" "Where would I go?" "I don't know." "Anywhere." "Tahiti." "A distant country?" "Far from your family." " Far from civilization." "From civilization too?" "You'd like to end up lost in nature?" "Without the pill?" " Without the pill." "You'd have lots of children, then?" "Yeah." "At 5 yesterday evening." "5 o'clock." "That makes 18 hours, less than 24 hours." "Take it this evening but just one now." "Yes, I know that." "Do you want the pill too?" "Yeah, I asked the doctor to put me down for a blood test and I have to see him." "So you want to do it through this male doctor?" "A man?" " Yes." "Or shall we give it to you when you come for your results?" "You can give me the pill here?" "I'm giving you the morning-after one!" "I don't know." "I don't know the pill at all." "If you see a doctor, who pays for the consultation?" " My mum." "You don't have to go through her." "You can decide to take the pill all on your own." "My mum already knows I want to go on the pill." "It's your choice." "It's up to you." "How does it work here?" " There's protection for minors." "You can get free contraception." "You don't pay for consultations and tests." "The regional council will pay because you're a minor." "It gives young people a little independence." "I was told to get an appointment in a family planning centre." "I realize that." " This is one, right?" "We're sick of waiting." " You can't react like this." "I want an appointment!" " Is it for you?" "You want to see a doctor?" "And what about?" "To see if she's a virgin." "She can ask that herself." " I want an appointment!" "Can't someone see them?" " Everyone's busy." "Pierre?" "Or you?" "Both of you?" "I have to stay here." "Pierre and I aren't..." "It's for an appointment." "We're sick of waiting." "Find a corner where they can tell you what they want." "All right." "I'll finish with the lady first." "If you can wait a minute, someone will see you." "The 15th, or rather the 10th." "The 10th at 2:30 p.m." "Does that suit you?" " Yes." "Goodbye." "Look who's here." "Wicked." "Well, I lost my pack of pills and I had sex and the condom tore." "That's why I'm here." "You lost your pills?" " Yes." "When did it happen?" " Two weeks ago." "So you used a condom for sex since?" " Exactly." "And now you're worried?" " A little." "What would happen if you got pregnant?" " My mum would kill me." "You're smiling." "She'd kill you?" "What do you mean?" "I know my mother." "Where did you lose your pill?" "I don't know." "You don't know where?" " No." "Not at home because the pill's banned there." "It is?" " Yes." "It stays outside?" " Yes." "It's not allowed in?" "No, she searches my bag so you never know." "What's she looking for?" " Cigarettes, I don't know." "Turning 18 hasn't changed anything?" "No, it hasn't changed a thing." "Is taking the pill a crime?" " Yeah." "My aunts told me if my mum finds the pill, she'll throw me out." "What do you mean, she'll throw you out?" "I don't know." "That's how my mum talks." "Who do you leave your pill with?" " With my boyfriend." "Or in my hallway." "In your hallway?" " Yes." "Above the mailbox." "That's not very handy." "And no one can see where you put it?" "No, no one." "I take it in the morning and put it in my bag." "When I get back, I put it there before going in." "It spends the night on the mailbox?" "Yes, or in my pyjamas sometimes." "Where she can't search." "Isn't there a place..." "I don't know, somewhere private, somewhere of your own in the house?" "Another couple of years and I'll tell her." "Too bad." "Too bad how?" "If she belts me, that's OK." "And that would be less serious in two years than now?" "Maybe I'm too young." "She sees me as her baby, that's all." "How do you see yourself?" "I'm young, I'm not a real woman yet." "What are you lacking?" " To be a woman?" "Independence." "Do you talk to your boyfriend about that?" "About your desire for independence?" " Yes." "He says no." "He wants me to stay at home." "He's still with his parents too?" "Yes, and he can't move out into an apartment like that." "First, you have to marry, then you leave." "And you didn't wait to get married?" " No." "What are his roots?" " Moroccan." "Does he place importance on virginity?" "Does that matter to him?" "I think so." "And you want to marry him?" "I do for now, but I'm young." "I don't know if he's the one." "He said he wanted his girlfriend examined by a doctor to see if she's a virgin." "I didn't show surprise." "I explained about the centre." "Then I said it was odd that he should be the one asking." "I asked them about the reasons behind it and he said that he had heard that his girlfriend had had sexual relations." "She denied it, he didn't believe her and so he wanted to see a doctor." "I had an idea at that point." "I asked what virginity represented for them." "He told me it's important, that it's a commitment, that she has to be a virgin." "She doesn't care if he is or not." "Digging deeper, I found out they've been together a few months and that she still doesn't want to sleep with him yet." "He'd like to, but respects that." "I told him that's a good thing, but that a doctor probably won't agree to see them because no one can tell who's a virgin." "Why doesn't he believe her?" "Did you ask?" "At that point, Emmanuelle stepped in to talk about the notion of trust." "The girl said to him, "If I'd had sex with others," ""why wouldn't I with you?" He refused to listen." "He said there were rumours, that his pals were talking..." "That's when we talked about the obligation of having sex or not when you're in love." "She didn't really say much then." "Then she blurted out that she had been abused at 12 by a neighbour and that she was dreading having sex." "And he didn't know." "I don't think she ever told anyone." "That's interesting." "A good job they came." "Termination and contraception help-line, hello." "I can't hear you very well." "Where are you?" "Yes, I know the place." " Valérie!" "Yes, you'd be wiser to go there." "Yes, they're closed today." "There's no one there today." "That's all I can tell you, I'm afraid." "What?" "Sorry, I can hardly hear you." "Can you speak up a little?" "How many weeks?" "Yes, I can sense you're worried." "Yes, go over there and if they can't find room for you, call us and we'll work something out." "No, don't worry, we're here." "We'll help you, yes." "Of course." "Goodbye." "You'll be OK?" "I'll be in the waiting room." "You already know Marta?" "You'll be all right." "Hello." "So, pregnant again..." "And with a coil too?" "Yes." "You're going with the pills, then?" "You know them already?" "You've had the pills before." "Did it go all right?" "Do you have any questions about the method?" "No." "Right." "The doctor has done the paperwork." "Wednesday morning at 10:45." "Did the secretary say?" "Yes." "Wednesday at 10:45, at the hospital." "They'll give you pills to terminate the pregnancy and more to take two days later to expel the egg." "OK?" "OK." " You take the second pills on..." "Friday morning." "OK?" " Yes." "Valérie will go with you." "As a minor, you need this paper to prove that we had this talk." "This talk is for you to ask questions and clear up any doubts you may have." "Is it all clear in your mind?" " Yes." "Does the father know?" " He's in Spain." "Sorry?" " He's in Spain, so..." "Does he know you're pregnant?" "I told him today," "And?" "He didn't say anything, even when I said I'd abort." "He didn't say he didn't want you to or not?" "I want an abortion anyway." "I have one kid," "I don't want a second one." "Does he come to visit?" "Does he see his son now and then?" "What's the date today?" " The 17th." "The 17th." "And what's your name again?" " Soufi, Hélène." "So Valérie will go with you tomorrow." "Tomorrow, Wednesday?" " Yes, are you worried?" "Yes." "You more or less know how it's done now." "Maybe it won't be as bad as the first time." "What contraception are you using after?" "The shot." " Every three months..." "You don't mind shots?" "You're ready to try?" "Even with the shot, I'll get pregnant." "I know I will." "You won't." " I'm really fertile." "You know you're fertile." "But the shot will work." "I'm sure it won't." " Why do you think that?" "Because I'm afraid of getting pregnant." "It means there's a real life force within you." "Can I go now?" "If you want to." "That's it, you've had enough..." "You want to stop?" "No, I haven't had enough, I'm just hungry." "I want to eat." "I'm sure Valérie told you you can come here for the shot." "I'll come back after." "We do the shot every Wednesday here." "Look." "This is what's in your uterus." "Like this." "It shouldn't make you fat." "Look at these." "Before, they actually used stones." "It's still a foreign body in my body." "It's a foreign body and so you feel..." "It makes me swell up." "A bit like a pregnancy?" "No, it makes my belly swell up." "It makes my belly bigger." "A social worker told me it happened to her too." "She noticed it made her swell up too?" "My girlfriend too." "All right." "Well..." "I'm not a doctor." "Other girls complain." "I've never heard that before." "Did the doctor warn you about it?" "You didn't dare to tell me." " What?" "About it making me swell up." " Why wouldn't I tell you?" "Because you want us to use the coil." "I don't want anything." "I just want you to be comfortable." "It happened to the social worker." "And to a youth worker too." "It makes our bellies swell up but no one says so!" "I've never heard that before." "There's no medical reason why it should happen." "But if a number of girls say so..." "Yes, it makes your belly swell up." "I know it does." "So you want to change for another method." "It's the easiest for you and the most pleasant one." "Because you don't want to get pregnant apparently?" "You never know." "Sometimes I don't want to." "Two days after, I do." "It depends." "It depends on your mood that day." "I wonder whether to abort or keep it." "I'm scared." ""Ladies and gentlemen," "I speak to you today as Health Minister and a woman to submit a bill to parliament altering abortion legislation and do so with great humility before the scale of the problem" "and the scope of its impact that it arouses in each French citizen, fully aware of the responsibilities that face us."" "I'll read the rest later." "Anyone got any bread?" " No bread." "Diet." "I'll do it." " No, it's OK." "You're sure?" "How did it go with the guy who asked if she was a virgin?" "It went very well." "At least, I think so." "Not bad." "First time we've heard that!" "The incredible thing is that guy, obsessed by her virginity, jealous..." "He managed to sense something." "The rat." " What rat?" "He smelled a rat." "She'd never told anyone she had been abused when she was 12." "Coming here gave her an opportunity to talk about it." "This obsession with virginity gets me mad." "High school students kept asking about it yesterday." ""Can you be a virgin and pregnant?" Stuff like that." "It happened here too." " 3rd years were they?" "No, first year of high school!" "Was their teacher there?" " Yes." "Their biology teacher." "She told me, "Thank you, I've learnt a lot."" "I saw a great shop for rings yesterday." "A couple runs it." "He designs them, she makes them." "He was there polishing the stones." "It's not fake." "It's dependable stuff." "The ring has to be dependable?" "I deserve that for my engagement." "An engagement or a civil pact?" "What do you think?" "You know I prefer boys." "You poor baby." "You hurt me." "Wait, I'll give you some." "Don't take it from my plate." "I got some for you too." " That's sweet." "Cut it out..." " You're not eating?" "No, I snacked on the way." "I'll eat later." "If you're sitting in with me, come on." " Just a second." "The picture of perfection." " Stop it." "You're worse than her." "You're right." "Clémence Bonnal..." "Follow me." "I'm with Emmanuelle who works of the centre too." "She's a trainee and it's good for her to sit in with us." "I'm training to be a marital counsellor." "Emmanuelle can step in, even as a trainee." "Have a seat." "I had unprotected sex two weeks ago at my cousin's wedding." "Great and..." " Why great?" "Well, I celebrated with one of my best male friends." "You were dating?" " No, one thing led to another and..." "In the euphoria?" " Exactly." "The next day, when I realized, I got the morning-after pill." "Norlevo." " Yes, from the pharmacy." "I followed the instructions and saw if could delay my period." "So, when I was late, I didn't panic." "But yesterday..." "When was your period due?" " Around the 10th." "But, at the ultrasound, they said I was wrong." "That in fact I was three or four days out." "Why did you get an ultrasound?" "I bought a test to reassure myself and it was positive." "But I heard the morning-after pill can alter the result." "So I did a blood test." " All right." "So yesterday I did a blood test and that as positive too." "Dr Perrier who works here saw me and prescribed a pelvic scan." "To date the pregnancy?" " Exactly." "Because I wasn't sure." "And it confirmed it?" "Yes." "It makes me think I'm jinxed." "The scan showed the baby's well positioned." "He said it already had a heartbeat." "It's really the pits." "It's like a meteor landed on my head." "You've been brooding for two days?" " Well, the test..." "I knew the result wasn't sure." "So I thought I'd get a blood test to be sure." "Yesterday, I was at work when I heard the result was positive." "I nearly fell off my chair in shock!" "These things only happen to others." "There were so many factors..." "My period's never regular." "I took the pill for years and then stopped so I thought..." "How long did you take it?" "With gaps every now and then, about eight years." "What do you plan to do?" " Terminate it." "Fast." "Fast?" " Yes." "Did you ever imagine this could happen?" "I didn't think I was capable." " Capable how?" "Well, capable of making an embryo." "Like this." "There." "You're reassured?" " No, it's freaking me out." "Have you ever wondered how fertile you were?" "I never had periods as a girl." "When I was 15, I had a scan and they said I had small ovaries and that it would be hard conceiving." "A really smart thing to tell a kid." "Those words have haunted you since." "Yes, I thought I worked in slow motion, like they said." "Plus I've never had normal periods." "What wasn't normal?" " They were really irregular." "Sorry, I should have turned it off." "It never rings." "Basically, I thought I stood no chance." "Besides, I took the pill properly too." "I did it once..." " The morning-after pill?" "Yes." "And we were careful." "Do you know how a termination is done?" "I know you always have to wait a week." "It's done under general anaesthetic, right?" "Yes, but in your case we can also use RU 486, another abortion method." "OK." "Is there any risk?" "Not with RU." "We call it medicinal abortion." "Can it be done soon?" "I don't want to wait." "Yes, it can be done soon." "In any case, we have up to seven weeks." "So don't rush things." "Take your time." "In any case, it's your decision." "Actually, it's the side-effects that scare me." "What side-effects do you mean?" "I had a look on the Net..." " And what do they say?" "For example that after an abortion, there's a risk of blocked tubes, sterility, miscarriages..." "It's not some trivial thing." "You consulted a data bank set up by an anti-abortion group." "There's no way to control things on the Net." "People can talk all kinds of rubbish." "And not a word of it is true." "It's not so much the pain that scares me." "That's not the problem." "It's more for a future pregnancy or something." "I'll be all messed up inside." "They'll destroy me with their power hose..." "You have a vivid imagination!" " Yes." "If it's the Karman method..." " I don't know it." "It's a vacuuming technique." "Between RU and an operation?" "I don't know." "Is one of them less risky or does the RU hurt more?" "But no method hurts!" "At school, they told us that pill was like a real tornado." "It clears everything out." "I don't know how to explain..." "You mean the RU 486?" "I saw it as a tornado." "It creates a sort of period." "Everything is ripped out..." "The results worry you." "Is there a problem?" "Well, I forgot my pill twice." "You forgot your pill?" "Having had sex that evening." "The test is negative." "We need to see if it was done too early or too late." "But it's good news for now." "It means you're not pregnant?" "I had my period." "But, last time I came here, the lady said," ""You can have your period and be pregnant, so wait a week."" "You did as she said." "I had my period." "One day late." "But everything's OK." "Do you often forget it?" "No but, well, I don't know, this time I did." "I can forget it in the evening and..." "Is it hard to think about it?" "I'm not a woman, I can't understand." "I don't know." "No, it's okay, this was exceptional." "You take it in the evening?" "I take it before bed." "So it's never the same time." "That's not a problem." "You go to bed every night?" "There's a 12-hour window." "So you have plenty of time." "Yeah, I forgot it twice." "Not twice in a row?" "Two days apart." "I don't know why I forgot it." "Goodbye." " Thank you." "You owe me €20, remember." "I'm looking for the bathroom..." " There, on the left." "Hello." " We don't have an appointment..." "Just as second, I'll check." "Is anyone free?" "They're coming." " Thank you." "I didn't see that coming." "You think you have good news, but no." "Can I have a drag?" " No." "Here." " Thanks." "You want to see?" " Please." "Here." " Thanks." "We try to do a summary of each interview." "OK." "Can you do my lines with me?" "This scene, please." "I need to know it by tonight." "Scene 4?" "Let's see..." ""Were you looking for me, Madame?" "May I have such hope."" ""I was going to the spot where my son is held since I can see daily all that I have left of Hector and Troy."" ""I was..." - "I was going..."" ""I was, my Lord..."" " What?" ""I was, my Lord..." - "I was, my Lord, going to weep..."" ""I was, my Lord, going to weep with him and kiss his face."" ""Madame, if I am to believe the Greeks, you will soon have other reasons to weep."" ""What, my Lord?" - "What is this fear..."" ""What is this fear that strikes..."" ""What is, my Lord..." No." ""What is this fear that strikes their hearts, my Lord?" "Did one of our men elude you?"" ""Their hatred of Hector lives on." "They fear his son."" ""Worthy object of their hatred." - "Fear"." ""Worthy object of their fear." "Unhappy child, he does not know that Pyrrhus is his master and that he is Hector's son." What?" ""Worthy object of their fear." "Unhappy child, he does not know that Pyrrhus is his master..."" "I still need to work on it a little." "Beautiful, huh?" " It is." "Am I good?" " Very." "My period's late..." "By four days." "Just four days?" "How did you feel when you learnt you were pregnant?" "Well, actually," "I don't have that many questions." "I'm in really no position to keep the child." "Right now, I mean." "I can't live without medication." "Before, I had an iron constitution." "When you start going downhill at 28, it's like the end is approaching..." "What do you think about that?" "Maybe an inhibition has vanished..." "It's bad timing." "Yes, but it shows you can get pregnant." "All right." " That's something." "No, in any case, I'm not ready." "It's totally impossible." "Not wishing to continue your pregnancy in these conditions is another matter." "But, I don't know..." "How did you feel when you found out?" "When you got the test results..." "Well, I was disappointed." "Well, not disappointed but..." "I told myself, "I didn't think it was possible."" "You'd given up on something?" " Yes." "You see, I haven't taken the pill for years and I've never had a problem." "Maybe your body is telling you something." "You need to listen to your body." "If you get pregnant now, maybe your ideas weren't necessarily justified." "Don't mix things up!" "Something was destroyed in the hospital and now this mental block vanishes..." "I got out a year ago and I've been sick since!" "What is this pregnancy a sign of then?" "I think that when it happened, it was to do with the other person." "The boy I was with, see." "Meaning?" "I met him in the hospital and..." "We hit it off pretty well and I don't know if it's the way he talks..." "A blend of things and the hope he gave me..." "Is it over between you?" "Maybe it's over, maybe it isn't." "I don't know." "In any case, I don't think it can go very far." "Have you talked to him?" " Yes, a lot." "Maybe too much." "He's a bit afraid..." " That's for sure." "He knows you're pregnant?" " Yes, he believes it." "He believes you're pregnant?" " No, he knows." "How did he react?" "How did this boy react?" "When I had my doubts," "I told him right away and said I was going to do a test." "So he knew there'd be an answer at the end of it, like." "And now, he got his answer." "His first reaction..." "Pretty uneasy, I guess." "He knows all about my case." "Are you a case?" "Can you not be a case?" "I don't know." "Is it hard making this decision?" " Well, a little." "Just a little?" "I don't know." "I have no idea actually." "In my mind, if I have a child," "I can only accept it if I feel good about the person I have it with." "Whether we're close or distant." "I mean..." "Even without living with him." "How do you feel about this boy?" "Well, some days, it's positive and some days it's negative." "And I can only love the child through the other person." "Yes, that's true." "It's hard not being ambivalent there." "Because feeling love every day, pure love, is not always..." "Yes, but there has to be as much positive feeling as possible." "So tell me, when you feel something for him, what you feel doesn't go as far as love?" "Yes, more or less." "That's what I'm bothered about..." "I tell myself I'm at the right age." "Actually, I'm the kind of person who breaks down fairly easily." "I don't want to make an unhappy child." "I don't know, what I'm saying may be tacky but..." "Tacky?" "It's a big risk to take..." "Keeping a child when I know I'll end up all on my own." "All on my own to raise it." "Your friend was clear about that?" "I don't know if I can believe him." "He's from a totally different background." "The only thing we have in common is the psychiatric hospital." "What did he say?" "Well, when I told him I was sorry I was sick because... because I would have kept it otherwise, he said," ""Well, we'll see about that later!"" "So it's as if we had a future." "So that reassured me." "What are you looking for?" "I've come here because" "I don't know what to do." "I have no idea what I need to do..." "I know I can't waste time though." "You go to hospital." "You fix an appointment with a counsellor." "It could be a psychologist." "I don't know." "Having someone to listen to you is important." "You mustn't feel like a number." "You need to feel that you're someone." "For someone else." "I don't know..." "I don't feel up to it, deep down inside." "Don't you want to be someone?" "Or, rather, do you want to be someone?" "Oh, that's definite!" "I've always wanted to be someone but..." "Well then, you'll find the way." "Really?" "Several slip-ups?" "The condom tore?" "And the slip-ups?" "Two pills forgotten." "Yes, we'll need to try the emergency pill." "Yes, the morning-after pill." "Take one right away." "Yes, it costs €10." "I can give it to you if you come here." "I can wait." "But hurry." "Or you can buy it in a pharmacy." "If not, I can wait for you and give it to you here." "It's free for you." "All right." "Whatever you want." "Oh, it's so complicated!" "She'd have to take the tram and she's worried she'll get lost!" "We're dealing with twin sisters who think they've been forced to marry and we're going to assist them." "At Christmas, they were due to marry cousins simply to get French citizenship for the cousins." "Where are they from?" " Algeria." "They've run away, they're not yet 18 and one is them is pregnant by her boyfriend who's over age." "But the girl's under age." "We can't help her run away from home." "What we can do is file a report." "Filing a report isn't really the way we work here." "We can't file a report without the person's consent." "And we need to think of the consequences." "The police at her parents' place..." "So do we change the way we work?" "I'd like to say that I agree with Anne." "We had three days training on forced marriages and two things were clear." "First, we mustn't panic." "And second, we can't tell the girls we're going to save them." "Mainly as we have few legal means of proving it's forced." "Some girls prefer to marry a guy they didn't choose to avoid conflicts." "Maybe they don't want to end up alone or dependent on their guy, not their family." "They're Algerian too and the pregnant one must find it hard thinking her kid won't know its grandparents." "I forgot to tell you..." "The woman who took them in," "Myriam, is also Algerian." " Of Algerian origin." "She had arranged to take them to Switzerland and wait until they turned 18." "Isn't she the one who's scared and says it's a forced marriage?" "Are we even sure it is a forced marriage?" "Maybe it's just a paper marriage to help the cousins out." "The one I saw with Denise said it was a forced marriage." "She and her sister didn't want to marry these strangers." "She loves the boy who got her pregnant." "She requested pregnancy assistance." "Does she have an appointment?" " Yes, on the 16th." "All the same, they said they'd kill her." "And she said if her parents found out, then..." "Her whole family would round on her." "I'm just telling you what she said." "Maybe with a different view..." "I agree with Yasmina." "If we rush things, they're bound to go wrong." "I remember spending hours once finding a place for a pregnant girl whose mother was threatening to kill her." "I spent a whole evening finding her a place and, at one point, I realized I'd never mentioned abortion." "In fact, she aborted." "She went to Spain with her mother, then came back to tell me." "The hardest thing for her to do was leave her parents." "So all this agitation we create..." "Is it a lack of understanding?" "Or a means of support?" "Perhaps it helps them to become aware of certain things." "How can I put it?" "Of the difficulties..." "That even we don't have a solution and that's what they come up against." "That's why I'll ask you again:" "What was this marriage and how could they refuse?" "And, to start with, did they really refuse?" "They run away." "It's a way of saying no." "This woman who wanted to take them to Switzerland..." "It might be worth meeting her." "Maybe she has things to say." "And she'd see where we are, how we work..." "Perhaps she has things to ask too." "She came here." " Did someone see her?" "Yes." "She was with the girl who was pregnant." "Did you get her to talk?" " Was the father there?" "No, she was just with the young woman." "I got her to talk." "Is that a good idea?" "If I come here with my mother, even if we get along, I'm seen alone." "The woman seemed to be someone the girl trusted completely." "Maybe, but accompanying someone isn't neutral." "A guy who comes here with his girl isn't neutral." "That's not what I mean, Pierre." "I'm just saying that this girl..." "We don't know what hold Myriam has over her." "Let's not be so suspicious!" "I tell people it's good to bring someone and not come alone." "Someone other than social workers." "It's important to have people they can trust." "Sometimes, I don't see people alone, either because they don't want to or because they want to be with the person who brought them." "That's perfectly justified." "After all, they support them." "If you say, "I don't feel well," you'll see a counsellor." "If you say, "I'm in pain,"" "you'll see a doctor." "Or if you just turn up, we see you in a room down there so you can explain your problem." "Is that clear?" "You lie down here, with your legs spread so the doctor can see." "It's like a birth room." " Yes, it's like a birth room." "The doctor takes a flashlight and has a look inside." "Let's show them a speculum." "At your first consultation, the gynecological check-up isn't obligatory." "But, in my opinion, it's better to ask a female doctor to examine you the first few times because she has a body like yours." "We're all alike." "It'll be easier for you." "So, you put both feet on the stirrups..." "Then the doctor puts the speculum..." "There are smaller ones." " Yes, tiny ones, don't worry." "If you're relaxed, it doesn't hurt at all." "He'll place it in the vagina until it touches against the uterus." "You know more or less what you're like down there?" "He then turns it and opens it." "That allows him to see the neck." "That's the first part of the examination." "Then the doctor gets a fingerstall." "He puts it in the vagina and, with his other hand, he palpates to feel the ovaries and the uterus to see if everything's OK." "And that doesn't hurt either." "Let's backtrack a little." "Did they tell you how things work here?" "Anyone can come here, under age or over." "It's not anonymous but we respect confidentiality." "Everything you say with a counsellor or a doctor stays right here." "All right?" "Did they show you condoms?" " No." "We'll do that then." "Seen one before?" "Know how they work?" "In your opinion, what is this here?" "What's it for?" "It's like a baby bottle!" "Yes." "This narrow part is the reservoir for sperm." "It has to hang loose so it can fill up." "If not, the liquid can make it slip and it'll be no use." "Got the cupboard keys?" "Here." " She came then?" "With her parents?" " Yes." "Who's seeing her?" " Miléna. 19 weeks." "Shit..." "She's already interviewing her." "How old is she?" "13?" " 15 and a half." "Doesn't make much difference." "Hello." " I have an appointment." "You can wait in there." "Someone will fetch you." "Thank you." " You're welcome." "Follow me." "I'll explain how it works but some of the people there speak French." "You'll be put out for 10 minutes to halt the pregnancy." "After that, you rest." "They put you on a drip to dilate you, then they remove the pregnancy." "The pill will set the mucus membranes straight." "See a doctor after to check on any bleeding and your temperature." "So no tampons, no baths." "You'll need to join the Centre." "We're not subsidised." "It's less illegal." "We're just giving information here." "The subscription is €15." " No problem!" "Keep the change." "In Spain, it'll cost €730." "It'll be okay!" "You'll see, it'll soon be over!" "Do you have any other questions?" "You should talk." "We'll leave you." " All right." "How will she manage to live with this?" "I never suspected a thing." "I asked her," ""You haven't done anything stupid?"" "I asked her twice..." ""You haven't done anything stupid?"" "Did you know she was having sex?" "How will she live with this?" "She'll be all right." "She's made her decision." "Being able to choose is important." "At home, we talk about everything." "That's what I don't understand." "You've been able to talk together here." "I don't know if I'll be free to go to Barcelona." "But my husband will go." "He'll drive her there." "It'll be easier that way." "How did you react?" "How did I react?" "Not the way I thought I would." "This pregnancy is out of the question for me." "I've started a new job." "I'm happy with what I'm doing and I can't see myself having a third child now." "Is it the fact of being a mother again?" "It's not really that." "I have difficult pregnancies." "I know I'll either be sick or bedridden for this pregnancy." "Professionally, I don't need that." "And on a personal level," "I want to make the most of my little boy." "I couldn't if I had a third child, especially one so close." "Two babies at once is tough?" " I'm not keen on it." "I'm really not keen at all." "And your husband or partner, how did he react?" "What does he think?" "Well, my partner's not very keen on the idea either." "But if I had wanted to keep it, fine, we'd have lived with the fact." "But in modern-day society, a third child changes everything." "You need a third bedroom, a bigger car, it means changes... in the whole family environment." " Yes." "A third child maybe, but not like this." "No, in these conditions, it's out of the question." "I need to make the most of my son because he's young." "It's true, it's not a shock for me because I made my mind up quickly." "And I'm not doing this lightly because it's important after all." "So it's your decision?" " Yes." "Do my questions bother you?" " No, it's OK." "Really?" "It's blown again." "No one changes it." "It works." "Oh no, you're right." "My daughter's giving birth this week." "I leave tomorrow." "It's crazy." "I see the problem." "There." "It's weird, isn't it?" "A grandmother..." "My son called every 10 minutes." ""Is this normal?" "She's crying, is it normal?"" "I'd ask him, "You want me to come over?"" "At midnight, one o'clock, two..." "He kept calling." ""Want me to come over?" "No way!"" "I like your hair." "How come you're at twelve weeks?" "I'm just trying to understand." "I was thinking it over." "And I was busy with work." "What do you do?" " I'm a barmaid." "A bar hostess." "My boyfriend and I kept thinking." "Our health insurance clinic gave me an appointment." "When I found out, it was too late." "Maybe I got the date of my period wrong, maybe they did." "In any case, it's a major screw-up!" "So your mind's made up?" " Yes." "First of all I'm going to..." "Yes, go ahead." "I just wanted to know how it works?" "I'm going to tell you all that." "Do you have the ultrasound scan?" "You'll need to take it to Barcelona." " So we're going to Barcelona?" "The village before there doesn't do it?" "The little village might do it..." "Right, I'll explain what's going to happen." "How old are you?" " 24." "It's not your first pregnancy?" " No." "You've already had a termination?" "It was my fault." "I'm a bit ashamed." "You mustn't be." "You can talk here." "Where did you have it?" "Locally?" " Yes." "How long ago?" "You must have a vague idea." "A year and a half, two years." " It wasn't me?" "No." " It wasn't?" "No." "I used to do Friday mornings." " No." "Did everything go well?" " Yes." "I'll explain now how this is done." "Take the ultrasound scan and your papers." "Your blood group card." " Yes, I know that." "Your identity card." " Yes, to cross the border." "Will a declaration of theft do?" "My card got stolen." "Will that be OK?" " I think so." "It's all Europe now." " But the British piss us off." "So, an identity card..." "A blood group card..." "And the ultrasound." "As for the cost..." " 385, right?" "No, 430." " Yes, 430 after twelve weeks." "385 up to twelve and 430 between twelve and eighteen." "You know everything, don't you?" " I asked last time." "€430 with the general anesthetic." "You pay in cash." "I take the money with me?" "It's wiser." "You won't have time to find a cash dispenser there." "You'll need €30 for a taxi from the station." "Once I'm there?" " Yes." "You can go by car if you want or take the bus there." "I prefer the bus." "I'm on my own." "There's a bus leaving on Tuesday and you're set for the Wednesday." "It leaves at 11 o'clock on Tuesday evening." "It's the regular Barcelona service." "Get your ticket first." "The driver doesn't sell them." "And the ticket office will be closed." "I get it at the station?" " Yes." "When you get to Barcelona, go straight to the clinic." "I'll let them know." "You'll have your termination and you'll be discharged by 5 pm." "The bus leaves the bus station in Barcelona at 6 and gets back here at 4:30 on Thursday morning." "How old are you again?" " 24." "It's €68 return." "I'll give you the papers." "Is there an under-26 rate?" " An under-26 rate?" "I don't know." "So Tuesday at 11." " Tuesday at 11." "Now the medical aspects..." "You must arrive on an empty stomach." "No drinking, eating or smoking." "You'll be out for about 15 minutes." "Then you'll come round." "When you wake, you shouldn't feel any real pain." "If you do, tell them." "It won't be a bad sign." "It's just the uterus reacting." "We can't tell how strongly it will." "They'll give you something for the pain." "They speak French, right?" " Yes, two people speak fluently." "Anyhow, I must tell you there's no risk at all." "I know this clinic well." "We've worked with them for years." "I visited the facilities last year." "I've been doing terminations for 25 years, so I should know." "Any questions?" " Not particularly, no." "You didn't use contraception?" " I was using..." "I took the pill but it made me fat." "I kept forgetting it." "I wanted to see the doctor to get a coil fitted but I didn't have time." "I work six days a week." "I should take a break or a holiday or go on a course." "It would do me good." "It's a pity." "It's really a pity..." "I'll call the clinic and we'll go over everything again." "All right." "See you in a minute." "It's Dr Sam Lambert at the Jaurès Family Planning Centre." "Yes." "Everything OK?" "There are four on Wednesday." "Wednesday, October 24th." "Check if that's OK with..." "You're not Ada?" "Perla, hello." "First, Gamay, Helena, 15 weeks." "A minor." "She's with her mother." "She doesn't know yet." "Autain, Isabelle, 14 and a half." "Novion, Lydie, 16 weeks." "No, 16 weeks." "And Herman, Sylvie, 16 weeks too." "Marta had a question." "A young mentally handicapped woman was there." "She was at over 24 weeks." "She wanted to know how it went." "No, I forget her name." "A young woman in a home." "With her guardian, Patricia." "Over 24 weeks, I think." "She was there this week." "You'll ask Ada and call me back?" "Thank you." "Goodbye." "At €3,000, they can tell us how it went." "I was checking in relation to your last period." "July 27th was the first day of your last period, so that would make you 10 weeks pregnant now." "There's still a solution if you're considering abortion." "Is that what you want?" "It's best to get rid of it and forget about it." "I know it's not right but I'm caught up in this situation." "I don't know what else to do." "Does your husband know about it?" "Did you talk to him about an abortion?" "I didn't want to." "I'm scared, see." "Scared he'll throw you out?" "I'm scared of the other guy too." "He might cause trouble." "He could say, "I got your wife pregnant."" "No one can say who got you pregnant." "What if my husband does a blood test to see the baby's blood group?" "That's not how it's done." "A paternity test, you mean?" "They don't do paternity tests like that." "He talked about DNA." "He knows about stuff like that." "There has to be a request from the courts." "A paternity suit to justify the process." "There has to be a valid reason." "I understand." "What if the other man... the one who's caused trouble and so on..." "What do you mean?" "He called my home, he told my husband everything." ""Your wife slept with me." "She lies all the time."" "That I'd been seeing him for 5 months..." "After, he said, "It's a pity you're married."" "My husband set him straight." "I kept saying, "Stop it, stop it!"" "The kid was there, my daughter, she was so afraid..." "I cried too." "Have you considered keeping the baby?" "Me?" "You talk a lot about yourself, your husband and this other man but..." "Yes, I want to keep it but..." "I don't know." "My husband said," ""You expect me to accept some other man's kid?" "Are you crazy or what?"" "That's why I was scared." "You want to stay with your husband?" " Yes, of course." "You'll have to confront him." "Why?" "If you have an abortion, he'll suspect it's not his." "I had sex after with my husband between the 16th and the 17th." "That makes..." "I'm not sure the baby isn't his." "Like I said earlier: no one can tell." "No one can tell when it was done?" "From the dates alone, no one can tell." "He could test the baby's blood to see whose blood it matches, whose DNA." "Those are very precise and expensive tests, justified by long legal proceedings." "A paternity suit has to go to court." "The other guy is capable of doing all that to me!" "He'd go to court to show he's the child's father?" "I've already filed a complaint because he hit me." "He made my teeth all bloody." "Then he comes to my mother-in-law's trying to cause a scandal." "He said, "I'll cause trouble for you."" "Sorry, who are you talking about?" "The one who caused..." "Not my husband, the other one!" "Does the other man have a name?" " Yes, his name's Bernard." "I heard "she"." "I thought you meant Bernard's wife." "The guy's divorced." "That's why he has nothing to lose." "He threatens me." "He told my brother-in-law," ""I kill her or she comes to live with me."" "He must be out of his mind!" "I'm never going to live with him." "What's bothering me is I keep wondering what I'll do." "I'm worried, after I give birth, he'll keep bothering me." "I can't say what will happen in either case." "Try to make yourself heard." "Maybe you're not keeping the baby because you don't know whose it is." "I'm afraid my daughter will suffer because of me." "Do you want a tissue?" "I can't sleep at night, thinking about what I've done." "I don't feel like eating or anything." "You can't really contemplate the past." "You have to reach a decision quickly." "I just can't say I want to have an abortion." "What'll he think?" ""You want an abortion?" "So the baby isn't mine!"" "I've already lost one baby in childbirth." "At eight months and one week." "The second, after my daughter." "How old is your daughter?" " Seven." "Seven?" "The other would be four now." "I lost it in childbirth." "Was that hard?" "I get up, I don't feel good." "I say to my husband, "I don't feel good."" "My belly was rock hard." "He said, "Rest, it's OK, you're not having the baby yet."" "When I went to the clinic the next day, it was too late." "They did a scan." "It was already dead." "That's why you can't decide on an abortion." "Because of the baby that died, you find it hard." "Hard to accept getting rid of the baby?" "Maybe that's what's hard for you." "Why?" "You've already lost one baby and now you have one that could perhaps be born..." "I think it could be born?" "I want to keep it but how will I manage?" "I'm torn between this and that." "That's the first time you've said you want to keep it." "Maybe you won't but all the same..." "I think that if I get rid of the baby and the other guy comes back, I'll say," ""What child?" "Where?" "There's no child!" "Get out of here!" "Go!"" "There's no evidence after." "There's that too!" "He can still bother me." "There's that too." "Does your mother-in-law know?" "She said to me, "Tell me, did you sleep with him or not?"" "I was ashamed." "And I told her." " You told her?" "Yes, I told her the dumb thing I did." "And does she know you're worried who the child's father is?" "Yes." "If I hadn't had sex with my husband, he could say," ""I didn't touch her, the child isn't mine."" "But since he slept with me after, it's hard to tell either way." "I wanted a way to find out now." "But you can't tell, right?" "You can only know when it's over?" "So I don't know." "I've rolled you a cigarette." "Want a light?" " Yeah." "I'll roll myself one too." "A year from now, at this time, we'll be doing an interview." " That's right." "You before me, maybe." " Maybe." "You were here first." "You think women will agree to do interviews with me?" "Yes, I'm sure they will." "I have so little experience..." "We're young." "That's good too." "What brings you here?" "I'm here for a termination." "I saw Dr Perrier." "Dr Perrier, all right." "Have you set a date for the termination?" "I'll do your certificate but I need some information." "It's for our statistics and confidential." "You're covered legally under the Data Protection Act." "So, your nationality?" " Bulgarian." "Where do you live?" " 70, Rue des Martyrs." "No, not your address!" "You live here?" " Yes, that's right." "Your name?" "There, that's easier." "People always get my name wrong." "First name:" "Anna Maria." "Surname:" "Ivanovna." "That's a lot of A's." "In Bulgaria, women end their names with an A." "How old are you?" " I'm 40." "I was born on April 16th, 1967, in Varna." "Is that in the north?" " No, the south, by the Black Sea." "Sorry, I don't know it." "Are you married?" " No." "Do you work?" " Yes." "I'm a prostitute." "All right." "So, what's happened to you?" "I made love on August 18th." "When was your last period?" "August 6th." "But I made love on August 18th." "You're about six weeks pregnant." "I'm five and a half weeks pregnant." "You already did a scan?" "No, I did the blood test." "How can you be sure it's five and a half weeks?" "I made love on August 18th." "No scan?" " No, I'm not doing a scan." "Why not?" "The doctor didn't ask me to." "I don't see why I need one since I'm getting a termination." "You'll have to do one but see the doctor about it." "How did it happen?" "Was it an accident?" "You're all usually well informed." "I put the condom on." "I always use a condom." "Did it tear?" " No." "What happened then?" " It was a friend." "I hadn't seen him since November." "So we made love once and there you go." "You got carried away and forgot?" "He's someone I'm very fond of." "But it was only once." "But once is enough." "Apart from condoms, do you use other contraception?" "The pill..." "No, always the condom." "And then, after... when I didn't have my period, I did the blood test and here I am." "Have you terminated before?" "Yes, twice already." "This will be the third time?" "Yes, the third." " When were the others?" "One last year." "And one the year before." "What happened the other two times?" "It was with him too." "The same man?" "Yes." "Every time... we make love." "Three times and each time..." "You got pregnant?" " Yes." "Did the termination go OK?" " Yes, it was OK." "Apart from these three times, no other problems?" "No, no problems." "Good, but... if you take a closer look, this is quite something!" "What?" "Pregnant three times by the same man." "Yes, each time." "Each time that I've seen him." "Does he know?" " I haven't seen him since." "And the other two times?" "I don't see why I'd tell him about them." "She's in love." " And what do you think?" "I think..." "It's not possible." "I don't want a child." "I can't keep the child." "Women like us can't." "She can't." "It's not possible." "She's in love." "You love him, right?" "Yes." "Well, no!" "I'm a grandmother." "I have a grandson aged five and a granddaughter two weeks old." "You see?" "I can't." "You have how many children?" "I have two boys." "They're in Austria." "But they're already grown-ups!" "I'm not going to start again." "Where will you do the termination?" "At the clinic..." "Oh, I can't remember the name!" "Beauregard." " That's it." "Beauregard." "You know how it's done?" "Yes, I've always had them done there." "The previous two." "They're good at what they do." "That's true." "So, remember, after the termination, total abstinence for 10 days, not baths, no tampons." "Take showers." " It's to heal the neck of the womb." "And, above all, go back to see the doctor after three weeks." "Just to check on everything." "All right." "And be careful the next time you see each other." "If I see him again." "Three times with the same man..." "Yes, I know, but I can't help it." "That's how it is." "Here's your card." " Thank you." "The script for this film is based on real scenes observed in Family Planning Centres in 2000-2007"