Left Bank (Linkeroever)

LEFT BANK

"CELLAR 51"

Bye, Mom.

See you later. Put your hood up, it's cold outside.

Last lap. Watch your breathing.

- Relax, Marie. - I am relaxed.

61.05. Fantastic. Do that Saturday and you'll manage 4.08 easily.

Then you're on your way to Portugal!

The European Championships in your first year as a senior isn't bad!

- As long as nothing goes wrong Saturday. - Stop worrying about things.

Go on, do some easy running to cool down. Come on. Portugal!

Excuse me. Frank's hidden my clothes. I wondered if they were in here.

No.

May I... May I borrow your towel? Then I can go and look for my clothes.

Oh, boats.

I'll wash it and give it back to you... Saturday, maybe?

- I've got a competition Saturday. - And afterwards?

- I'll be recuperating. - You're not very sociable, are you?

I mean, I always see you here on your own.

Yeah...

Right. OK. Well, thanks anyway. Bye.

You don't have to go to your father's this weekend.

He's too busy with recording sessions.

- For which group? - Don't know.

Sixty-three, sixty-four, sixty-five. Keep going, Marie. Come on.

You've done it, Marie. 4.08. You've qualified for Portugal, damn it!

- What's the matter? - I could've won.

That's not what's important today.

Anyway, Anja is 29. And three times Belgian champion. What do you expect?

- In two or three years... - I could've won today. I started badly.

So? You're 22 years old, Marie.

You can't always win everything.

You'll burn yourself out by the time you're 24.

I don't know what's the matter with you, Marie.

It's as if you always want to be unhappy about everything.

Am I supposed to be a typical Flemish girl who's happy with second place?

Fuck you, Marie!

- Hi! - Hi!

Brilliant competition. And you qualified too.

- Yes. - Congratulations. That's good, eh?

- How are you getting home? - I was going to catch the bus.

Come on, I'll give you a lift.

- You can stop there. - Here?

Hold on a minute.

Here. You can always phone me if you want to buy a car or something.

- Thank you. - My name's Bobby.

Mine's Marie.

- Thanks for coming to watch. - That's OK.

Bye.

You've got nice ankle joints.

Hardly any magnesium, very little iron. Your blood isn't in a good way.

- What's causing it? A virus? - A virus, chronic fatigue, FAS.

We need to carry out further blood tests. But your immune system is weak.

You need to rest.

She can't. She's off to the European Championships in three weeks.

You won't want to hear this, Marie, but you can forget that.

You're not allowed to do anything for at least a month.

Shit!

- What if I feel better after 2 weeks? - You're completely exhausted.

You've only had three periods this year. Your last one was ten weeks ago.

Lots of top athletes have that problem.

Maybe. But if she carries on like this, she may never have children.

It's all your fault.

- You push her too hard. - She receives professional coaching.

- It's my own fault. - That's not true. You're still a kid.

Let me do that!

- I am still allowed to do things! - I can do it myself.

I don't know anyone who lives in Left Bank.

My grandma is the caretaker here. So I got a good deal on the rent.

- This way? - No, this way.

Wow, what a big living room!

It's not properly furnished yet. I've only been here a month.

That's my parents.

My father used to be the dean of the archers' guild and now I am.

Your father must be proud of you.

My parents died when I was 15. In a car accident.

Sorry to hear that.

That's okay.

I'll get us something to drink.

Just let me know if you want me to take you home.

I'm really glad you're here, Marie.

So am I.

You can always stay here for a while if you like. Until you're better.

I'm not sure.

- What are you doing? - I'm going to buy some rolls.

- Does that mean you're staying? - I'm not doing the washing up!

- Of course not, you're on holiday. - In Left Bank.

- See you in a minute. - OK.

This is Bieke.

Hi, Mom, it's me. I know I should have phoned, but...

I just spent the night at a friend's. I think I might stay for a while.

But I'll come and see you later. OK? Bye.

I've got a letter for Hella Govaerts, box 16.

But it says Robert D'Hondt on the box. Do you know whether, uh?

- It's probably for the previous tenant. - And it's been sent to this address!

Hey!

Wait! Wait!

Fuck!

Fuck!

- What are you doing? Do you live here? - Yes.

With Bobby. Bobby D'Hondt.

Apartment 12.

That's fine. Fine. With Bobby!

I'd expected Bobby to go for someone different.

It's good that you're one of our kind.

There are all sorts around here.

Hey! You!

- You left these in the mailbox. - Thanks.

- Hi. - Some strange people live here!

This is Left Bank, darling.

I phoned in to say I was ill. Shall we go out?

Is it true you came in fifth at the Juniors' World Championships?

I was hoping for bronze.

- You were fifth in the world. - Yes.

- But no one knows that. - Amazing...

Of course, you also... feel that you're missing out on things.

You know that people are having a great time somewhere

but you're never one of them.

I think everyone from our generation feels like that.

Yeah...

By the time I'm allowed to do stuff, no one else will want to anymore.

- It's true! - Poor thing!

- Damn it! - Seven. That's it, that's the limit!

What? What sort of stupid game is this?

Hi, Mom.

- Hold on. - I've just come to get some things.

- Marie. - I'm getting changed, Mom.

- Have you known each other long? - A while.

- What do you do, Bobby? - I sell cars.

- Cars? - Yes.

You'd never guess you've got a shop for vegetarians.

Why not?

Those people usually look drab and grey.

- You look really good. - Thank you.

We were just getting to know each other.

- OK, see you soon. - Shouldn't you ask if I mind?

If I spent a month here doing nothing, it'd drive us both crazy, Mom!

Come on.

It was nice meeting you. Bye.

- Hi. - Hello, Bobby.

Hello, Grandma.

- I've come for the spare key for Marie. - Come in.

- Take a seat. - No time. I've just come for the key.

- Candy? - Just the key, Grandma.

You're the runner, aren't you? He's told me a lot about you.

Oh, yes, you've got to phone Krabbeke Slijk about the guild's feast.

OK, I'll do that.

He says all the other girls are like heavy diesel trains compared to you.

They puff and blow. Steam!

He says, "Marie is like those trains in Japan."

"That glide through the countryside."

"At 800 km per hour. They float on air."

- Take care, little bird. - Marie is injured, Grandma.

- I'm trying to take her mind off it. - Sorry, Marie.

- That's OK. - I shouldn't have said that.

But you'll soon get better here.

I've got to go to work.

- Bye. - Bye.

We aren't disturbing you, are we? Please say so if we are.

- No, no. - We're your neighbors.

I made too much fruit juice, and it'd be a shame to throw it away.

That's very kind of you.

- Would you like to come in? - Just for a moment, then.

Leave that alone, Katrien. Sit down.

Have you got an address for a Hella who lived here? A letter arrived for her.

- Don't you know? - What?

- Hella disappeared. - What do you mean, disappeared?

One day, she was just gone.

The police were here. They asked us all kinds of questions about her, but...

We didn't know her that well.

Someone moving into the apartment of someone who'd disappeared seems strange.

You never know when that person is going to come back.

- Nothing was heard from her afterwards? - No.

Hold on a minute. Stay here.

There you are.

That's her boyfriend's phone number. Dirk.

He said to let him know if anything arrived for her.

To be honest... I don't like making phone calls, and this Dirk...

There's something about him.

What's in the box?

Don't know. I came to look, after hearing the place had been rented again,

and found it.

It was under the sink.

Well, we should be going.

- Say goodbye to Marie. - Bye.

- Bye. - OK. Bye, Katrien.

- Hi, baby! - Don't do that, Bobby!

I bought mussels for this evening.

You don't seem very pleased to see me.

Did you know that the previous tenant disappeared?

- What's this all about? - Did you know?

- Yes. That's why the place was available. - And you didn't say anything?

What difference does it make whether she was hit by a car or drowned?

- I've got a nice place on the cheap. - I don't understand your attitude.

What is all this?

That's the first time I've ever bought anyone flowers.

Nice, eh?

There's a good band playing tonight, if you feel like going.

My dad's a bass player.

- Seriously? - Yes, seriously.