Beating Sun (Tant que le soleil frappe)

To my mother Bernadette.

It's you...

Start again, start again...

That's the idea.

They live there.

That's what I'm saying. It's the Otium.

Seb!

Have you seen Ange?

That kid kills me. He's sneaked out.

He's just having some fun.

- What does he do all night? - Skate board, his mates, sunrise.

He's only 15.

I've looked everywhere.

Is it today?

Yeah.

Go the fuck for it!

- See you! - Bye!

Gasp!

You all right?

It's the big day, today, mate!

- I hope so! - Yeah!

Did you sleep?

A bit.

I need coffee.

- Aren't you hungry? - No. I just need coffee.

It's neglected by the town hall. It's a no-man's land

littered with nitrous oxide canisters.

It's unsanitary, dangerous.

Yet it's in the centre of town, precisely where

we need to reinforce social bonds,

where the idea of a shared identity

seems crucial to us.

Could you clarify your idea of an open garden?

We imagine this garden as a sort of refuge.

Somewhere you can do nothing,

inspired by the Roman concept "otium".

It's a place in the city centre to slow down,

stop the city's hectic pace.

What steps have you taken? Have you any backing?

First of all, we went out and met the locals

forged links with them, to understand their needs

and desires.

The former mayor supported us

and allowed us to set up an office in a modular unit on-site.

He promised financing but didn't follow through,

which is why

we need the contest to relaunch the project.

Could you tell us about your collaboration.

We met on a transversal project

that was quite successful.

Yes.

We got on very well and decided to work together.

Those are great memories.

Max's gardens were a revelation.

I hadn't realised how much plants adhere to the surrounding world.

That revealed my relationship to plants, their function,

their necessity and adherence to the world.

The cosmic ornament of flowers...

He's not just into technicalities and economy.

He's a poet, too.

Where are you at?

I've finished.

Right.

That's lovely. Great drawings!

I recognise your style. That's my girl!

Right then.

You're doing your oral exam with a demanding jury.

I'm listening.

Typha.

Typha is a plant that invades farmers fields

and stops them from growing anything.

In which country?

In Senegal.

- It's important to say that. - All right.

They've found a way of removing typha

and they use it for coal.

Is that a good thing or not?

It's a good thing.

After that, the people...

Put that down. Don't jiggle everywhere.

Seriously. Concentrate and do it properly.

Why is it a good thing?

Because they have coal and they can make fires.

And on top of that, it's natural coal.

So it pollutes less and reduces what?

I know, I know...

Gas. What sort?

In what...

- You got the invites? - No, you have.

- No. - Yes.

They're in your pocket.

Oh yeah!

All right, lads!

You all right?

- You look great! - You're dolled up!

You look really fit!

You look fit, too!

Why are we dressed up?

- Cause you're fit! - It's the awards ceremony.

Oh right!

- Oh the contest. - We've won already!

We haven't but if we do, we'll all party till we drop!

Now you're talking!

- Ange, are you coming? - I don't know.

Come on!

Ange, go and see your dad.

No way!

Here's what we've all been waiting for.

I'll hand over to the contest's sponsor,

an architect who no longer needs presenting,

Paul Moudenc.

Thank you but save your applause

for the winners.

Bearing in mind the quality and quantity of great projects,

the commission will award 2 first prizes.

The first to an architectural company with an essential project.

Jennifer Lang and Yael Morel

of Tradition Moderne for Urban Woodlands.

The second prize goes

to a landscaping agency

for an usual and daring garden project

in an iconic location.

Sylvie Thiers, Fabrice Moreno, and Jason Stuart

of Volume Agency for the Garden of Possibilities.

Congratulations!

We're done.

- What? - We're done.

- What do you mean, we're done? - Yeah...

We've done 2 and a half projects in 3 years!

Come on!

Do you think we're going somewhere?

I'm gutted!

Hungry, are you?

Happy with this, are you?

We're finalists, right. People like the project.

It's just another obstacle. We'll make it.

We don't do ordinary gardens.

Do you feel we're going anywhere?

We're doing well, not struggling?

Face up to it.

Let's not make any hasty decisions.

I'm going to talk to Paul. Give him a piece of my mind.

Well done.

Excuse me.

I wanted to find out

what was wrong.

The commission hesitated.

It was a great project. Very original.

I really like it. Paradoxically,

your ambition for a very green and totally open space

with no enclosure wasn't reassuring.

The jury wanted a more emblematic place.

The neighborhood was the issue.

The project would have made it more attractive, opened it up.

It's changing. There's a university residence project

and the Beaux-Arts annex. We're right near the station.

You should have insisted on that.

Where are you at with the new mayor?

We're waiting for a meeting

but the former team made lots of promises...

And didn't follow through. Don't lose hope though.

Don't lose hope.

Don't lose hope.

Gasp!

BEATING SUN

I'm not surprised. They're useless.

They want to speed the world up not slow it down.

Come on! We'll open a bottle of bubbly.

- Yeah! - Yes!

It's over with Gaspard. He wants out. He's had it.

He said it's going nowhere.

That said, I understand.

You have to know when to give up. It leaves room for other things.

I'm not the sort to give up.

So what are you going to do?

Go back to work in the park.

I've got to bring money home.

I love working at the park

but I didn't do all that to spend my life as a gardener.

The days are long. You're shattered when you finish.

You've got no time for your projects.

Your own projects.

The project doesn't interest people.

There's no urgency.

If you said that, Gaspard...

No, that's what they said.

Maybe it's too ambitious. The square's huge.

We could make the garden.

I could make the wooden planters.

- I can do all the woodwork. - But we need money.

You need it even to remove the rubble. You need tools, plants...

We can't do it with nothing.

Plants are easily found.

We'll nick a few, that's all.

Yeah, right!

You sound Belgian.

I might be.

He might be.

Let's do what everyone does.

Let's put up banners: