The Women on the 6th Floor (Les Femmes du 6e étage)

I'm Marie-Carmen.

I'm from Toledo,

Spain.

I'm Amparito,

from Salamanca.

I'm Marie-Isabel from Segovia.

I like doing housework,

ironing...

I can clean silverware,

but I don't enjoy it.

Sure I know how to work,

I adore kids.

I love them!

Little kids, little girls,

little everythings...

I make great paella,

potato and mushroom tortillas.

And croquettes, salmondigas

and Spanish omelets, gazpacho...

French cuisine,

I don't like.

The Women on the 6th Floor

Hello.

What's going on?

I'm in a rush, got work to do!

It's all stopped up.

Thanks.

Germaine, I said boiled eggs take 31/2 minutes!

Not 10, or 5, or 4...

Don't bore me with your egg!

What's it now?

It's Madame...

She wants to move Madame's room! You realize?

My mother died 6 months ago, the mournings over.

Not for me.

For me, Madame's still here.

Madame Suzanne hated your mother.

She was very fond of her.

The day after she died she said...

Shall I tell you?

Please, don't. Let me listen to the news.

Hi, Mrs Triboulet.

Mr Joubert, it can't go on.

- What is it? - The Spaniards!

They partied all night again!

They shouted and sang!

I didn't sleep a wink.

- Tell the building manager! - I will, Mrs. Triboulet.

- Bye, Madame Triboulet. - Bye, Mr Joubert.

Hi, Maria!

Auntie! At last!

Such a beauty!

Great to see you!

Look,

hand it to me... The brown one.

Your bag weighs a ton.

Auntie, this is Pilar.

- Hi. - Delighted.

We traveled together.

My pal lost a fortune in Algerian oil.

You're mistaken, Mr Pelletier.

You have Aquitaine oil

and you're up 100,000 francs.

Old francs?

No, 100,000 new francs.

I've lost my glasses...

Mr Pelletier, be right with you.

We'll go to my office.

The stock market baffles me. How it moves...

My dad said: It's just a market.

But it sells stocks, not veggies.

Come along.

It's a fine house.

Where you off to?

Hi, Madame Triboulet...

My niece, Maria. Just got here.

The elevator's not for you!

Mrs Triboulet, we have heavy bags.

Elevator's for the owners. Use the backstairs.

OK.

Let's go, kid.

"Use the backstairs!"

We'll see about that!

These hatboxes take up all the room!

- They were for Madame's hats! - She's in the graveyard!

You're just in time!

- What is it? - Germaine!

She won't empty your mom's room.

Your mom bullied me, I couldn't change

a curtain, or a napkin ring!

You repapered our bedroom.

Now it's my home! Germaine must understand!

- I'll talk to her. - Yes, do.

Germaine...

What's going on?

Such ingratitude!

To do that to a mother who adored you.

She never liked anyone, you know that.

Madame Suzanne's meanness killed her!

You're insane!

She murdered her!

You hear her?

You don't mean that.

Yes, I do!

Then get out!

Really, Suzanne!

What's with you both?

You're paid to obey!

I do! I wasted my life for thankless people.

Thankless...

You're a bad mother.

I raised your kids!

You sent them to boarding-school!

Don't overdo it, Germaine!

I slaved years for you Jouberts.

Madame dies, and you fire me!

No, I'll quit on you!

So long, folks!

Maybe it's too old,

I can't make it shine.

I know a trick.

Use toothpaste,

spread it well, and rub.

Tooth paste!

Yes.

I had no idea...

It's perfect.

Auntie! The Frenchwoman's crying.

Let's go see.

What's wrong with her?

What's going on?

They kicked me out! "Scram!"

Don't be sad.

We forget bosses fast. You'll find a new family.

I don't want one!

Back in Brittany...

I have no one there now!

Maids get hired and fired.

Try this,

it's Malaga wine, warms you up.

Who are you?

She's Maria, my niece.

I got here today.

And know French?

From the nun's school in Burgos.

We maids must get unionized.

We must unite against the bosses.

Don't listen, she's a Communist!

Your praying won't help us!

Shut up!

I won't. Religious nuts like you prevent change.

So go to Russia!

Enough, you two!

Another shot? It's not bad...

To Spain!

Hi there! It's Germaine Le Bronnec.

I'm going home!

Be of good cheer!

Germaine Le Bronnec!

Darling, I've no shirts left. They're all dirty!

How'll I go to the office?

Wear a sweater!

A sweater?

Jean-Louis is going crazy. We're like castaways!

Still no news from Brittany.

Brittany maids are over. They're out!

We have Spanish maids how. Right, Colette?

My Dolores is a pearl. You even forget she's Spanish.

She's so clean,

even works on Sundays.

No French maid gives up her Sunday!

Not a chance!

My Dolores insists on one thing...

going to Mass...

at 6AM.

If that's all...

A Spanish maid, why not?

It's simple,

their HQ is nearby at the Spanish church.

Go there and pick one.

Some speak no French, others get by.

Many learnt French in convents.

If I were you, I'd avoid city girls...

Hello, miss. I'm Mr Joubert, Madame's husband.

My wife spoke of you, Maria,

fresh from Spain and here on a try-out?

If you want to stay here,

I'm a stickler for one thing:

Boiled eggs.

I'm fussy about that, got it from my dad.

An egg that's too soft or too hard ruins my day.

You understand?

I think you don't get what I'm saying.

If the egg is perfect, my day is made.

In Spain, we have superstitions, too.

No, it's not a superstition.

It's more like... How can I put it...

It's not a superstition.

NOT at all!

31/2 minutes.