"ONE LONG WINTER WITHOUT FIRE" "What the hell were you thinking?" "Where's your head?" "Snow's coming." "I'm cold." "They're cows, not household pets." "You could send them to Felix's place." "They'd be better off there." "He'd even buy them off you if you wanted." " The farm too, I suppose." " He wouldn't say no." "What I mean is, when are you going to pay me?" " That isn't the end of the month." " I mean last month's pay." "Look, just give me some time, okay?" "Hi Roger." "I haven't seen you around for a while." "I came to see my mother." "How are you doing?" "Good." "Doing great." "And Laure?" "I wanted to come to the funeral." "When I heard what happened," "I said to my wife, you know..." " So, still at the factory?" " Yeah." "Why don't you and Laure come for dinner tonight?" "Some other time." "We don't go out much right now." "Sure, I understand." "Come and see me sometime." "If I can do anything to help." "And tell Laure..." "Yeah, I'll tell her." "I'm so sorry." "I'm sorry, Mr. Rochat." "The assessor's decision is final." "We can't reimburse the entire claim." "So what's the point of insurance?" "You were clearly negligent." "You know that." "Your electrical wiring didn't comply with the building code." "Mind you, there are other ways to do this." "A lot of people used to go to your restaurant in the mountains, but you didn't open it all summer." "My wife runs it." "Of course, I understand." "Now about the farm, the restaurant and the forest..." "ever thought of selling?" "What are you doing?" "What's going on?" "What the hell is this?" "What is this?" "What is it?" "I've had it." "You hear me?" "I've had enough." "I lost my child too, you know." "She was my child too." "Come on, I'll take you to see her." "We can still go back home if you want." "I packed a bottle of the farm milk." "You'll be fine." "Honey..." "My little sister." "It'll be okay." "I'm right here with you." "You smell nice." "Wouldn't you rather be by yourself?" "I'll be right back, honey." "What the hell are you doing?" "I can't leave my sister in a room with nutcases, okay?" " This is none of your business." " I know, it's yours." "But since medical assistance doesn't cover this..." "Right, that's enough!" "Excuse me," "I'd like to have a private room for my wife, Laure Rochat." "I'll see what I can do." "It'll take more than three cows to pay for that!" "You were pretty good at maths..." "better than me, anyway." "What are you talking about?" "I was just as bad as you." "We were rivals for the bottom of the class." "Anyway, I never imagined you'd end up being the boss." "That wasn't the only reason we were rivals." "There was Laure too." "Remember how we used to wait for the summer holidays?" "That was when the girls from town arrived." "What was her sister's name again?" " Stephanie?" " Valerie." "Valerie, right." "What a cow!" "What ever happened to her?" "Divorced." "She works in communication." "But Laure was something else." "She always wore plaits." "I loved that." "She chose you, my friend." "Girls today don't wear plaits." "Sorry." "Roger, I need work." "What the hell are you doing?" "It's cold, for God's sake." "I'll be able to pay you what I owe you soon." "I've found a job... with Felix." "If I were you, I'd take out a loan." "Have you thought of that?" "I've got work in town." "At the factory." "But you're not cut out for that." "You're a farmer, like your father and grandfather." "This is your land." "This is Francois Maserey, the foreman." " Hello." " Hello." "He'll take care of you." "Frankly, I'm not sure I'm doing you any favors." "Either you have this in your blood or you don't." "Anyway, good luck." "This is Rochat." "What's your first name again?" "This is Kastriot." "He'll show you what to do." "Hold it like this, okay?" "Hi cutie." "Need a strong guy?" "Hold on, I'm nice, and gentle and sweet." "Really." "Come on, I'll show you." " Hi." " Hi." "What meat is that?" " Stew." "Do you want some?" " Sure." " You're new here?" " Yeah, I started today." "Welcome." "Rice or pasta?" " Could I have a little of both?" " Of course." " Enjoy your meal." " Thanks." "I'll take the quiche." "This the first time you've worked in a factory?" "I have a farm, I'm a farmer." "I lost my cattle in a fire." "So where's your farm?" "18 km from here." "Where are you from?" "Aren't these great?" "For my collection." "Your wife's?" "No..." "Your sister's!" "Got time for a beer?" " No, I have to get to the hospital." " You're sick?" "No." "It's my wife." "Nothing serious, I hope?" "No, nothing serious." "So you've got the house and kids to take care of too?" "I got work at the factory." "That's good." "Remember Roger?" "Roger Mabillard?" "He's the boss." "I've moved up to the restaurant too." "It's easier." " Yeah?" " So what do you do every day?" "In the mornings I see the shrink." "Does it feel good?" "Do you talk to him?" "He does the talking." " So what does he say?" " He says Marie is dead." "It's been 188 days." " Hi." " Hi." " So how's work?" " It's fine." "What is there today?" "Soup." "And scallops." "Or roast." "What kind of roast?" "Roast pork." "You want that?" "Yes." " Enjoy your meal." " Thanks." "I'll take the soup." "Hey, us Kosovars are having a little party... at the community centre tomorrow night." "Want to come?" "Thanks, but I don't go out much right now." "The woman who works at the canteen." "Do you know her?" "Labinota?" "She's my sister." "How's it going?" "Yourself?" "Laure's doing better." "How's the factory?" "It's okay." "Here's everything I owe you." "Looks fine." "So, good luck." "You take care." "Mr. Rochat!" "Your wife's therapy session has already started." " I'll only be a minute." " I'm sorry." "Hi!" " Did you find the place okay?" " No problem." " Hi." " Hi." "What'll you have to drink?" "Beer?" "Sure." "So how are the cows?" "Not warm enough." "They don't give much milk up there." "I didn't know there'd be so many people." "We get together once a month." "Kosovars and Albanians." "Many are refugees." "The war changed a lot of things." "A lot." "See this woman?" "She was a maths teacher in Pristina." "You don't have to tell him my whole life story, Kastriot." "Isn't she beautiful?" "Don't you think my sister is beautiful?" "I didn't say anything." "But she's married..." "She's married..." "Cheers." " Cheers." " Cheers." "Meet Visar." "This is my friend." "Excuse me a moment." "Don't pay any attention to him." "My brother's a little crazy." "So what did he do before the war?" "He was an engineer." "That's how it is." "Kastriot told me your farm burned down." "Not the whole farm, just the cowshed." "So you didn't lose everything." "Gesuar." " How do you say it?" " Gesuar." "Want to dance?" "Oh, no thanks." "You go ahead." "I'll keep your seat." "Gesuar." "I see she gave you your first lesson." "She's been waiting for her husband, Bajram, for six years." "He disappeared." "I think he's dead." "What does she think?" "She's still waiting." "That's how it is." "It's a souvenir." "One day the soldiers came for him... but they didn't find him." "They took the whole family outside." "One of them took Labinota off somewhere." "Then, one by one, they slit our throats." "They missed me." "I played dead until they left." "Bajram was my best friend." " How are you?" " Fine." "Did you have a good time last night?" "Yeah, it was different." "A good party." "My brother, you know how he is." " Okay, see you tomorrow." " I was wondering... for Christmas," "I want to give my wife a jewel, but I don't know a thing about that stuff." "So, I was wondering if you could help me find something." "You like jewellery?" "Your wife will be pleased." "I hope so." "She's in the psychiatric hospital." " I'm sorry." " You weren't to know." "When our cowshed burnt down," "...our little girl was inside." "She was five years old." "For my wife it was..." "We'd been trying to have a child for years." "How's it going?" "Seems you're doing okay..." "with the trimming." "Yeah, it's good." " How's Laure doing?" " She's okay too." "Thanks." "Okay, I'd better get going..." "Merry Christmas." "Say hi to Laure for me." "So how's the factory?" "It's fine." "I don't believe you." "I've been thinking." "We could sell the farm and the summer restaurant." "We could go and live in town or somewhere..." "Anywhere you want." "But it's your land." "It's our land." "Do you want to come home?" "I want to live by myself for a while." " Are you ready to order?" " No, not yet." "Did Valérie put this idea into your head?" "So what do you want to eat?" "Duck?" "Or turkey with chestnut stuffing?" " A Chateaubriand?" " Bring me back to the hospital." "Laure, come on, please." "Read the commitment to sell." "Sign it, and come and see me at my office." "What about the cowshed?" "Mr. Henchoz won't buy until it's rebuilt." "Otherwise it'd be bad luck." "So, Mr. Rochat, have you made up your mind?" "Is it a deal?" "I'll think about it." "Right, but I won't wait forever, okay?" "We need your wife's signature too." "Otherwise the commitment isn't valid." "Bye." "You just went out for an afternoon." "You hadn't been to town for ages." "Your clothes were falling apart." "Why didn't I take Marie with me?" "You deserved an afternoon to yourself." "It's so unfair." "Come on!" "I won't eat you!" "I know you want it too." "Don't even think about it, cowboy." "The boss is my friend too." "Are you okay?" "Excuse me." "Please don't tell anyone." "Thanks." "That's right, cowboy." "Go help the damsel in distress." "Mr. Rochat?" "Have you come to see your wife?" "Yes." "She left this morning." "Left?" "With her sister." "I'd like to see my wife, if you don't mind." " She's sleeping." "Don't wake her." " What are you playing at?" " She's not well." " That's why you took her out?" "Great!" "She's the one who wanted to come here." "Listen." "As soon as she wakes up, I'll get her to call you." "Okay?" "Yeah, right." "Tell her to call me." "We should have told him." "You don't owe him anything." "I should have talked with him." "We never quarreled." "But he drove you half crazy." "We're okay here, yeah?" "Just the two of us." "He has to understand that you can live without him." "For a while, anyway." "How are you, my friend?" "If you need anything at all, just ask me." "My sister told me what happened to your little girl." " Does she always tell you everything?" " Well, I am her brother." "Are you spending New Year's Eve with your wife?" "I doubt it." "So come and spend it with us." " Hello." " Hello." "Come in." "Thanks." "Take off your coat." "Kastriot has gone to fetch Ana." " Beer?" " Sure!" "Nicely cold." "Would you mind opening them?" " Do you want a glass?" " No, the bottle's fine." "That's how I drink beer too." "Kastriot doesn't like it." "Is that him?" "Yes, that's Bajram." "Here they are!" "Hello!" "Hello, my friend!" "How are you?" "You know Ana and Visar." "Hi." "How are you?" "Jean, come and dance." "Come on!" "Come and dance." "Come on, it's New Year's Eve." " I can't." "My feet hurt." " Then cut them off." "Come on!" "I can't." "Come on..." "Oh, our holiday at the Rochats." "Remember?" "We found these clothes in the attic." "You looked so cute." "He's all by himself on New Year's Eve." "He doesn't even have any heating." "Look at you two lovebirds." "How old were you?" "13 or 14?" "He's changed a bit since then." "Did you know I was jealous of you?" "You were always together and I ended up with the asshole," " René or Roland Mabillard." " Roger!" "Hi Jean." "Sorry, I think she's already asleep." "She's really tired." "Wish her a Happy New Year from me." "Okay, I'll tell her." "Where are you?" " With some friends." " Oh, some friends." "You're not asleep?" "No." "I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year." "I hope you get better." "Happy New Year to you too." "I wish us both a happy year." "You're joking, right?" "No," "I thought we would have spent New Year's Eve together." "I couldn't guess." "Well, you didn't call me." "You didn't call me either." "Do you think I can read your mind?" "You want to lead your own life?" "Go ahead!" "It's midnight." "New year, new beginnings." "Put the rest behind you." "Gesuar." "Who wants a Kosovar "Mantilla"?" "Let's go!" "Happy New Year." "You too." "It feels odd, being so familiar." "It feels right." " How're you doing?" " Good." "And you?" "I'm fine." "If you want, I could drive you home." "Yeah, thanks!" "I'd like to invite you both over to my place soon, you and Kastriot." "That would be great." "But Kastriot's doing nights this week." " Well, next week then." " All right." "Did they kiss?" "No, but I saw them laughing." "He took her arm." "Well, he didn't waste any time replacing you." "His jacket was brand new." "You're not thinking of going back to the farm with him?" "You know you can stay with me." "You want to live with a man who killed your child?" "Shut up!" "Listen..." "Just listen to yourself." "It wasn't anyone's fault." "Otherwise you'd have been to blame too, you came to get me that day." "So I should have replaced the electrical wiring?" "That man is my husband and I love him." "He gave me everything he could." "Me and Marie." " See you tomorrow." " Yes." "How far is your farm?" "About 15 kilometres." "Are you going to rebuild it?" "I don't know." "Back home... everyone's houses have burned down, in ruins." "But people are returning." "They don't have anything, No money." "But they're still rebuilding." "What about you?" "That's my wife." " I'd better leave." " No, come." " Hi." "Laure." " Hi." "Jean." "This is Labinota." "She's doing the cooking here." " Nice to meet you." " Hello." "Laure, my wife." "Well, I've got to get going." "It was nice to meet you." "See you tomorrow." " See you tomorrow." " Bye." "This is the commitment to sell." "Candy?" "You like Balkan girls?" "Pretty hot, eh?" "When you're done with her, let me know." "Are you nuts?" "You crazy or something?" "We'll talk about this later." "I couldn't do anything." "I couldn't get the door open." "I couldn't even hear her crying." "Her dog was barking like mad." "The cows were shrieking." "Flames were leaping out through the roof." "I had to identify her body." "She adored that little calf." "She went to see him at least ten times a day." "It's like she knew she was going to die." "How's that?" "I don't know." "Crows mean death." "She didn't like them." "One day, we were walking through the forest and we saw two crows." "Marie was very scared." ""They're bad"." "No, crows are very intelligent birds." "She looked at me in surprise." "But they're ugly." "So I told her... when a boy crow meets a girl crow," "they stay together for the rest of their lives." "She looked at me with her big blue eyes and said," "But do they love each other forever?"