The Man Who Lies (L'Homme qui ment)

My name is Robin. Jean Robin.

I'm going to tell you my story.

Or at least, I'm going to try.

This how it began, in a forest, a big forest.

There was a sort of path. You couldn't quite tell.

Before, there had been a stream,

a stone in the current, ahead branches...

No, that's not it.

It was actually a field,

a huge field with thistle seeds floating in the wind.

It must have been near a small town... or a big village.

Where was I?

My name is Boris.

But usually people call me Jean.

And sometimes 'the Ukrainian.”

I'll start again.

The first time I came to the village,

I strolled the streets anonymously among the crowd.

Of course I have to speak about Jean.

He was my friend, my ally, my comrade-in-arms.

Yes, the streets were empty, of course.

It was during the war and people stayed at home.

They didn't like fraternising with the occupation troops

or having to show their papers to the police at every intersection.

Yes, that's it barricades.

And sentries that stop you

Have I already told you about the pharmacy

and the control point set up in the street?

So when I came to the village,

I went straight to the inn, also empty at that early hour.

I'd like... a glass of wine.

And a slice of bread, please.

They'll treat him like a hero.

Jean Robin. There was a man.

If I ever caught the bastard who -

Remember, he once said, “I'll be back in the spring.”

Yes, I remember.

That was two years ago.

Three. That was three years ago.

If he were dead, how would we know?

If he is alive, then what's happened to him?

He'll just turn up some day.

And all of a sudden he'll be here.

What about his wife and sister at the castle?

No-one has seen them for months.

Where do you think he'll come from?

That's enough about Jean Robin.

He'll come out of nowhere, from the mountains.

You won't have seen anything, and all of a sudden he'll be here.

Jean Robin won't come back. This old story is over and done with.

Of course Jean Robin will come back.

He's dead, dead, dead.

And yet they still wait for him at the castle.

He'd be how old now?

Thirty-three, thirty-four...

That young lady who's waiting, the one who's so lovely -

Who are you?

Jean sent me.

Where is he?

My name is Boris.

Boris Varissa.

You must have seen me in the village.

But I've changed. You don't recognise me... probably.

I used to have a beard...

and glasses to hide my face.

I arrived here at the end of the events.

Everyone had to go into hiding.

You remember? There was barbed-wire barricading all of the streets.

And as you had to show your papers,

you never knew if you might be on a list of suspects.

That meant police, Prison, and so on.

We all had fake papers, of course.

But that wasn't always enough.

Jean was my only true friend,

my perennial comrade and hope.

We trusted each other completely, unquestioningly...

as If we shared the same mind,

the same memory, the same goal, the same body.

But I had to keep out of sight. I was too easy to spot.

I lived mostly in the forests,

in huts or in caves, or under borrowed faces.

That day, I had to show myself. The situation was too serious.

When I met Jean at the inn,

he didn't know he was done for.

He made up his mind then and there.

There wasn't a second to lose.

I was there in time.

He followed me without hesitation.

I should go and find a doctor.

I'll be there in two hours.

Then we'll go on.

I know where to find someone who's on our side.

And then?

- Did you find a doctor? - Yes, of course.

Who was it?

Doctor Muller.

There are no villages between here and the border.

No. I had to come back here.

There's no Doctor Muller around here.

Muller was what we called him.

We all had code names.

Muller, that meant the doctor.

Yes, we all had nicknames in those days.

They called me “the Ukrainian.”

The doctor's real name was -

No, I've forgotten.

- Don't you believe me? - I don't know anything about it.

I don't know all these stories.

When I came here, Monsieur Jean had already been gone for a while.

Didn't you know him?

No, I came here from the lowlands.

Madame must have mentioned her husband to you.

No, never.

Well, I can tell you about him.

I worked with him constantly, day and night.

Jean was an amazing person.

One day, I remember,

some general had come to inspect the fortifications in the woods.

Who is that old man?

You should know if you know this house so well.

- I came here as little as possible. - Once should be enough.

It's Monsieur Jean's father.

Excuse me, Monsieur, could I have -

I'd like a glass of wine.

And a slice of bread, please.

Did you know Jean Robin?

No, of course, you're too young.

I knew him well.

I worked with him here in the mountains.

You must have heard about me.

My name is Boris.

“The Ukrainian” they called me at that time.

Surely you've heard how I got him out of prison?

No, it wasn't the real prison.

They set up a police station in a requisitioned building

with cells for suspects taken in round-ups.

Jean had been picked up in the mountains.

We didn't know if they had anything on him.

We had to get him out of there

before they found out

I made my plan and got word to Jean

by a note hidden in an apple.

His sister was allowed to bring him fruits.

At the right moment,

Jean had to be at a certain window.

Meanwhile, he kept an eye out for anyone coming.

The cells have bars over the windows,

but not the window of the central corridor.

Since it overlooked the courtyard, there was no guard.

And to get into the corridor...

all you needed to do was hoist yourself up onto the false ceiling

and crawl around the building over the sacks of flour

until you reached the inner façade.

Then, you just jump down into the inner corridor.

Where should I unload?

It's the hay for the command. The hay.

It's supposed to be for the command.

I was asking if you had any rooms.

How many?

You mean... how much money?

No. How many rooms?

Well, one, obviously.

It's not obvious. You asked about rooms.

Just go upstairs. Third floor on the left down the right corridor.

To the end of the second floor

You know Maria, the girl who works in the castle?

Yes. Is she a friend of yours?

She said you had lost something there.

Like what?

If you want it back, she'll be over at the ruined tower this morning.

Now you're breaking my glasses.

I was trying to help her.

No-one asked you to clean up the glasses.

And to break them, we don't need anyone's help.

Monsieur plans to stay here long?

Well, actually, I don't know yet.

I might have another accommodation,

or I may have to leave.

You better find out. There are other customers.

- But the hotel is empty. - Mind your own business.

We may be expecting someone.

You said I forgot something.

My raincoat?

Did I have a raincoat?

No. You forgot to tell us what happened with that general.

The one who was inspecting the fortifications.

What fortifications?

How should I know? I wasn't in the war with Mr. Jean.

Yes, the war.

But the war didn't have any fortifications.

- Is this yours? - No. Do you like it?

This is Mademoiselle Sylvia's.

You remind me of a girl who had the same voice,

whom I knew a long time ago.

During the war?

Why not during the war?

Women fought there too.

Jean knew her too, the girl who looks like you.

Her name was -

Her name was Eva.