SCENE 1
Int – Loft Lyon- Day
Lyon spring 2023 late evening
In their apartment, Monica and Gérard are relaxing. The guests have left. Monica is lying on the couch, a drink in her hand with Gérard at her feet playing "Thaïs' meditation" on the violin. 3am, the doorbell rings. Fabrice, the lifelong friend is standing in front of the door with his hands covered in blood.
Freeze frame and the title of the film Délicieuse et Tragique is displayed on the screen.
SCENE 2
Ext- Lyon Sud Hospital -Night
Opening credits of the film.
Shots of the city of Lyon, we see the Musée des Confluences, at night through the windshield of the car driving towards Lyon Sud hospital.
The credits roll on the screen
SCENE 2 bis
Ext-Car B200 Emergency Lyon Sud parking lot-Night
Cut to Gérard in the car driving Fabrice to the hospital. They arrive at the emergency room
The credits roll on the screen and come to an end
SCENE 3
Int- Lyon Sud Hospital- day breaks
Day is just breaking. Gérard is still waiting for Fabrice who was taken in by the emergency room. His phone rings, it's Monica who has come to check on him.
Gérard is sitting and waiting. He is dozing... His phone rings. He takes his phone out of his pocket which displays "Monica". He picks it up.
Gérard
Monica!
SCENE 4
Int- Lyon Society -Day
In her open space office Monica is on the phone with Gérard to check on Fabrice.
Monica
Yes, Gérard, so how is Fabrice?
Gérard voiceover
It's not too bad
Monica
Embarrassed by Philippe's "pig" laugh.
What do the doctors say?
Gérard voiceover
They say he took a nasty blow to the head! He had five stitches, but on the scan, there is no lesion and his thigh wound is quite superficial, so nothing serious. But psychologically, he is still in shock.
Monica
You bet! Being attacked by two guys, in the middle of the night, with knives.
Gérard voiceover
They are in the process of putting a bandage on his head. He should be out soon. I'm going to suggest that he come to our place. It's better if he doesn't stay alone, what do you think?
Monica
Philippe's "pig" laugh again.
Of course, I have to leave you, we'll see each other tonight. We're going to pamper our Fabrice. I'm sending you kisses, bye.
Gérard voiceover
Yes, kisses, see you tonight.
SCENE 5
Int- Lyon Sud Hospital- day
Hospital waiting room, Gérard puts his phone back in his pocket. We see Solange waiting for the elevator, a bouquet of roses in her hand, but they don't see each other.
SCENE 6
Int- Lyon Sud Hospital- day
In the palliative care corridor, Solange walks, a bouquet of roses in her hand.
SCENE 7
Int- Lyon Sud Hospital- day
In her bed, Sylvie knows she is doomed. She shares her anxieties with her sister Solange and accuses her of being in denial.
The camera is in Sylvie's room. We hear a knock. Solange appears and enters the room with her bouquet of roses in her hand. Then a tracking shot on Solange.
Solange
She adjusts a slight smile on her lips to give herself courage and kisses Sylvie on the forehead.
Hello my big sister, you have regained color. You seem to be doing better.
Showing her bouquet of roses.
I brought you a big bouquet of roses to brighten up this room a little.
Solange takes off her jacket and replaces the faded flowers in a vase with her bouquet of roses.
They could make an effort with the decoration. It's a mix of Colibri roses and Céleste roses, they are magnificent.
Sylvie
Emaciated, pale, she turns her head slightly to see Solange and takes on a desperate tone.
You've been coming to see me every Thursday for weeks, I have generalized cancer, I'm hospitalized in a palliative care unit and you tell me that it seems to be getting better!
Solange voiceover
She took a chair to come and sit next to the bed.
You have to fight and...
Sylvie
She looks at Solange. With a wave of her hand, she cuts her off.
Stop, please. You're taking refuge in denial, my poor little sister. In total denial. I think your visits will have done me more harm than good. So please, if one day in your life, you're faced with the same situation again, promise me not to have this stupid attitude twice. It would no longer be clumsiness but cowardice!
Then she looks away to the ceiling
Solange
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she receives each word like a slap.
You are hard on me! What do you want me to do? I have such a feeling of helplessness... of uselessness... it's so unfair.
Sylvie
She looks at Solange.
I would have liked you to help me face and accept the approaching death, rather than ignoring it.
To help me get through the storm that shattered my skull when I learned that I had metastases everywhere... It was awful!
However, I continued to cling to life... I endured the chemo... I needed to believe in it again, because you realize that life is not so bad!
Solange
You have to keep fighting.
Sylvie
She stares at the ceiling and shakes her head.
The worst part was when they told me the latest test results! Everything collapsed; my hopes, my energy, my desires... My life became a field of ruins. I understood at that moment that the fight was lost.
Solange
Sylvie!
Sylvie
Still staring at the ceiling.
How I cried. A real deluge... A deluge of tears, tears of despair... The ones you shed when you're all alone...
She sighs and looks at Solange.
That's what you go through before you come face to face with death. You see, it's in moments like these that you need a loved one, who loves you and understands you!
Solange
She tries to control her emotion
But I'm here!
Sylvie
Eyes half-closed.
Now, I'm sinking slowly, day by day... And I'm afraid! Like when you're alone in the dark, facing the unknown.
Slowly, she turns her head back to Solange.
You chose to stay in the light with roses and I stay alone... in the dark... with my fear.
Solange
She speaks with tremolos in her voice and takes Sylvie's hand.
I wanted to do well, I wanted to help you... Give you hope to get through this.
Sylvie
I know. But you have to know how to accept the worst. When you know that all is lost, you can drop the mask and show yourself naked to those you love. Let go... Stop playing the "commedia dell'arte".
Solange
It's not easy!
Sylvie
She looks tenderly at Solange
We could have said unspoken things, brought up buried memories, dwelt on death… That bitch!
Mind you, she has some good points, she delivers from all misfortunes, all suffering, all inequalities… She delivers justice. She strikes the powerful… the bastards… That’s good.
Solange
In tears. She came to snuggle up against her sister Sylvie, half lying on the bed, cheek to cheek. Sorry… I didn’t live up to it… I’m useless… But I’m willing to try…
Sylvie
She slowly raises her hand to cut Solange off again.
No, it’s too late now. I have neither the desire nor the strength and lost time can’t be made up for.
Solange
But no! It’s never too late.
Sylvie
Looking lost.
Yes, now I am waiting for death… Sometimes I think about our poor mother. I feel like I am following the same path of the cross… Euthanasia remains a taboo word… Nothing has changed. We still do not have our body… It is a shame.
Solange
Solange bursts into tears.
I cannot accept the worst!
Sylvie
Indifferent to Solange, she turns her head and looks towards the window.
It must be easier to die when you are a believer… It is not for lack of trying, maybe that is why I wanted to be a history teacher? To understand, I read, I searched but I found nothing. Not even a glimmer of faith, to keep me a little warm. Not even a philosophical idea, to help me fight against doubt
No, I discovered 2000 years of history that froze my blood. A real horror film.
Hats off to the artist!
Solange
And love? You yourself said that there is nothing more beautiful, more mysterious than loving.
She adds in a flood of sobs.
I still need you… You are my big sister… I love you!
Sylvie
Ah! Love. It’s funny, it’s the only thing that persists during the decline. All your intellectual faculties are exhausted… Your body becomes a wreck… But you keep your need for love intact within you…
Maybe the soul is love, it’s the same thing. And when you die, it detaches itself from the body and leaves for a long and fabulous journey. Only the best remains. Death separates the chaff from the wheat.
Solange
A little calmer.
That would be good.
Sylvie
She looks back into the little patch of blue sky she glimpses through the window.
Maybe the sky is full of love? All these souls meet in the sky and form a galaxy of love! A constellation of love! A universe of infinite love…
Solange
Yes, that would be wonderful.
Sylvie
Or else, it’s nothingness… Nothing… Nothing anymore… I’ll soon know.
Sylvie takes her eyes off the sky and looks at Solange, who has a tear running down her cheek.
It must feel good to cry. It relieves… I don’t have any tears anymore. The dying never cry. Have you ever wondered why?
Solange
She shakes her head no.
Sylvie
With a sigh.
Because tears… that’s life!
I talked a lot… I need to rest…
Solange
She nods and kisses Sylvie tenderly on the cheek.
I’ll let you rest…
Medium shot of the bedroom with Sylvie closing her eyes and tracking shot on Solange, who puts her jacket back on and leaves the room without making a sound.