The Green Ray (Le Rayon vert)

THE GREEN RAY

MONDAY, JULY 2nd

Don't you think it's hot then, too?

You mean in August?

No, it's bearable, nothing like Cairo...

I mean, give me 2 or 3 weeks warning and...

One moment, please.

Delphine, it's for you!

Hi, you OK?

That's terrific! Are you pleased?

Then all three of us can go.

What are you trying to tell me?

You're dumping me, is that it?

2 weeks before our vacation, that's rough.

What am I supposed to do?

That's really... I think that's rough. Sorry!

Good-bye.

TUESDAY, JULY 3rd

Manuella!

Hi, Delphine. How are you?

My eyes hurt.

Can we go elsewhere? It hurts my eyes here.

Sorry, but let's move into the shade.

What's the matter?

Something wrong?

There sure is.

What's happened?

Caroline told me last night she's not going on vacation with me.

- What'll you do? - I don't know.

Go with someone else.

There's no one. Not for the moment, anyway.

You'll find people.

In 2 weeks? I doubt it.

Sure you can find

people in 2 weeks.

Who?

I don't know.

You going with anyone?

With Antoine.

There is a guy who'd love to go with you.

Who?

He's got a big vacation house for you.

Who is it?

Raoul.

Are you out of your mind? Raoul!

Listen, he's really charming.

OK, then go alone.

It's rough, going alone.

You're sure to meet people there.

Where? You don't realize...

I don't know.

Go to my grandmother's in Spain.

- Yeah, sure. - No joke.

She has a big house on the beach. She'll rent you a room.

In a city?

In a small village.

I'll have to think it over. Alone in Spain!

You'll meet tourists.

I'm not the adventurous type.

That's just it: this year you have to try.

You could meet a guy you'll like.

How about this one?

He should appeal to you. He's handsome.

A little dirty, maybe, but he's magnificent.

Look at those calves!

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4th

Orange juice, grandpa?

- Weird, no? - What is?

- Weird weather for July. - Sure isn't warm.

What do you do on vacation?

Nothing. I'm retired, on a pension.

So I keep house. That's all I have to do.

Don't you ever leave Paris?

Never.

I used to go to the mountains for 2 months,

just this side of the Swiss border.

Have you spent a lot of Augusts in Paris?

I started taking vacations very late,

because I was a hard worker.

When I saw the sea for the first time I was around 60.

You don't get many vacations when you work alone.

I was a cabbie, which didn't give me any 2-month vacations.

Later I took long vacations

at someone's place in the country.

I took care of the livestock, and I tended

the garden, and I stayed 2 months.

You liked the Alps?

- No, I didn't. - Why not?

I'm so used to driving in Paris,

those ravines scared me.

- A Parisian! - A real Parisian!

- Paris is nice. - It's nice in Paris.

There's everything you need here for an outing: a big park...

It doesn't have nature, or the sea.

We don't have the sea, but there's the Seine! Same thing.

No, that's not enough.

- Sure it is! - To me, the Seine...

Who needs the sea?

I get into water up to my ankles and I'm scared. I can't swim.

THURSDAY, JULY 5th

And in summer?

Sure, sometimes it rains, but it's nice too.

We mostly go there because Alaric hates heat,

so we prefer places that aren't too hot.

How do you go? Where?

We go camping.

What if it rains?

You go to a bed-and-breakfast place if you can.

But it won't rain all the time.

We go in July-August. Isabelle...

knows better than I...

if it rains or not. I've gone in July

and the weather was fine.

If we're lucky, maybe it'll be nice this time too.

So you just show up there with the tent and everything?

Sure, why?

You're allowed to camp anywhere there. Not like in France.

Camp grounds are rare.

The West coast is unspoiled, easy to camp in.

Are the people nice? Can they...

Don't you camp on someone's land?

We ask permission of whoever's around.

And the people are nice?

Very nice. No problem.

He knows a lot of them.

We have addresses, everything.

He knows a lot of people we can go to.

There's always somebody...

We know people everywhere. Besides, there's Isabelle.

Dublin's not the best part, huh?

You glad to be going, dear?

Have you ever been to Ireland?

No, not yet.

You like foreign places?

No, I don't.

But Ireland's a foreign country.

I don't want to go to a foreign place.

Then why do you want to go to Ireland?

Because it's a pretty country.

How do you know it is?

Isabelle told me about it.

Oh, well, if Isabelle told you!

It's rainy there. That scare you?

Delphine, come see us

in Dublin this summer.

Mom visited us, Claude and Dominique are coming.

The whole family, except you.

I don't know.

In summer I prefer warm countries, get some heat.

I want the sun, and all...

It's not on account of you, I'll go some other time.

But in August I want to see the sea, to swim,

get a tan, and all that.

Right, doll?

You like it too. That's fine! I mean...

I like Ireland.

You want to go?

I'll go too, someday, but not right away.

I must call Jean-Pierre. We'll see.

FRIDAY, JULY 6th

Hi, Jean-Pierre!

Thanks for calling.

I wanted to ask you if I can go to Antibes a while.

I thought you'd be in the mountains.

In that case it's no go, huh?

Yes, I'm OK.

Thanks a lot! All alone in the Alps! You putting me on?

I was set to go to Greece, but it was canceled.

I don't know, maybe I'll go to Ireland with Babie.

So you're going to the Riviera. You don't usually.

SUNDAY, JULY 8th

Regain CONTACT with yourself and others

Group and private sessions

I went to Florence by myself.

Why don't you go on vacation alone?

It's a drag.

I don't want to. I went alone once. I don't like it.

It's great to go alone.

You kidding? I've done it. I went to Nice once.

It was inhuman!

You can meet people.

I didn't meet anyone.

That's how I met Antoine.

Do you meet people in Paris?

Not many.

But you don't want to.

Sure I do.

Why don't you go on a group vacation?

- You crazy? - Why?

Really, Beatrice!

You prejudiced?

What's wrong with groups?

You're nuts! You attacking me? Shit!

It's no attack. But you must escape your loneliness.

You can't go on this way.

No one can live alone forever.

Look how sad you are!

- I'm not sad. What an idea! - You are too!

I'm fine. I'm OK, I'm not sad.

But you're alone, right?