Naked Childhood (L'Enfance nue)

NAKED-CHILDHOOD

FULL EMPLOYMENT FOR A DECENT LIFE

FULL EMPLOYMENT FOR ADULTS JOBS FOR THE YOUNG

- Do you like it'? - Yes.

Can you put that in a bag for me, please?

- You're ugly. - Speak for yourself.

- Is there one you like? - Yes.

This one.

As we stand now, in our thousands...

...in the three major cities of our coal basin...

- What do you say? - Thank you.

- Thank you, who? - Thank you, Mum.

Can I have a coin to put a record on'?

Get me some cigarettes while you're at it.

Here.

- What do you want, son'? - A packet of Gauloises.

A packet of Gauloises.

There you go, young man.

Thank you. So that makes 1.35, 1.40, 1.50 and 2 francs.

- Here. - Keep the change.

Thanks.

Here.

- Are you cashing in? - Yes, I won.

I'm going to try and beat you.

Well, I'm still winning.

One. Another one. I need more legs.

I only need an eye and the tail.

Have you seen the little piggy, Chicot?

Your counter. It's your turn.

- What's this, eh'? - One.

Two.

Almost there.

Two. I won!

François, what are you rummaging about upstairs for?

Answer me when I talk to you. Come on down.

Well, don't just sit there.

Go on, hop it!

- Come on, dare you! - What a chicken.

What's going on'?

Quiet! We've got children sleeping.

Dirty beast! There's cat shit everywhere.

Josette!

You sneaky bastard!

Just wait till I catch you!

I'll smash your face in, you bastard!

- Is he going to die'? - No, I'm going to look after him.

- Hello, Mrs Joigny. - Hello.

François, come and say hello to the director.

- What have you done to yourself? - He's been fighting again.

Go and play, but don't go too far!

Isn't Josette here?

She was at her granny's last night. She came back this morning.

Robert decorated her room. Do you want to see'?

You've really spoilt her.

Whatever she dreams at night, she can see in the day.

So François is still sleeping on the landing.

- Do you want a drink? - No, thanks.

François is impossible now.

I don't trust him. He's so lecherous and shifty.

When I wash them, even though I tell him not to look...

...he still leers at Josette.

I told you he was a difficult child.

You're right. I didn't want him.

It's Roby who wanted a boy, especially after my operation.

Mind you, I didn't want Josette to be an only child.

I for one have suffered a great deal.

He's made our life a misery.

I couldn't get him to eat.

I had to leave him to eat on his own.

If I stood next to him, he wouldn't eat anything.

I'd go off up the garden but when I got back he hadn't touched a thing.

He's not like other children.

You never know what's on his mind.

When I told you he wet his bed, you said to let him lie in it.

That's what I did.

That cured him all right, but do you know what he does now?

He doesn't wet his bed any more. He gets up and pees around the bed.

We've really put ourselves out for him.

We don't treat them any differently. We spoil him as much as her.

Roby asked him to give him a hand when he was doing some DIY.

It seemed to work. He looked happy to help.

He was unrecognisable.

Then all of a sudden he's horrible again.

He doesn't want to do anything at school either.

It's not that he's stupid. He's clever.

But only when it suits him.

And on top of being horrible to us, he steals too.

The shopkeepers have been complaining about him.

The other day he stole a Kelton watch.

Roby had to pay for it.

We've had enough.

People know he's not our child but still...

They aren't like other children.

We don't know where they're from.

And I'm worried about Josette. She's changed so much with him here.

Can I see her?

- Do you get on with François? - Yes.

She's nice to him.

- What does he do to you? - Nothing.

- Do you like him? - Yes.

- Would you be sad to see him go? - Yes.

Go and play.

She doesn't seem to hate him. Children always quarrel. It's normal.

He gets up at night.

What's a 10-year-old doing up at that time?

Listen, I'm about to crack up.

I'm scared of him. Well, say something, Roby.

We didn't think it would be this hard.

We love him, but it's for his own sake.

He'd be happier with another family. It's a question of affinity.

We've tried our best.

You didn't need to wash Josette in front of him.

Take him away.

Besides, he doesn't want to stay.

What about school? He must have friends there.

I prefer not to know what he does there.

All I know is that he hooks up with yobbos and even they don't last long.

He spends days on his own, breaking everything.

He likes to destroy things.

If you added up the number of things he's broken here...

Well, I see no point in carrying on.

But don't ask for another one next month!

There's no danger of that.

One was enough for me. You can keep the rest.

It's not like we're counting on the 22,000 francs we get every month.

Can I see François?

So, François, don't you like it here?

Josette, go and see what François is up to.

François, where are you?

I'm full.

At least have a cup of coffee.

Where's Chicot?

Mum! Chicot's dead. François killed him.

That's all I need! What did he do to him?

He threw him down the stairs. He said he'd look after him.

- Why didn't you say anything? - I thought he'd look after him.

- Where's your brown jumper? - In the wardrobe.

Put the rest in your bag.

I hope the social worker will be early.

Get up. Come on, it's time.

- Do you want croissants? - Yes.

- Here. - Thanks.

François has come to say goodbye.

Is this for me'?

You shouldn't have.

We take children up there the last Thursday of the month.

We take five or six children.

Today we've got ten.

Out of those ten children, two are... Well, let's look at their name tags.

I think they were abandoned.

Here, it says "AC". That means "Abandoned Child", see'?

This one, too, I think.

No one wanted to adopt these two little boys.

It says "AC", "Abandoned Child".

Nobody in Paris wanted them. So we're taking them back to Arras.

I think there is a couple in Arras who are waiting to adopt one of them.

The last group I returned with... Will you stay still?

In the last group I returned with,

we had a black child.

But that couple didn't want him. The man was keen, but not the woman.

See this boy? He's not part of the group.

- We're just taking him back. - He doesn't work like I do.

- How old are you? - Ten.

- What's your name? - François Fournier.

Who are you living with? Who are your foster parents?

Mrs Joigny.

Do you like it there? Are they nice?

Do you like them? How long have you been there?

Three, four years?

Four years, isn't it'?

I think you've been there four years. That's what I've been told.

Have you got siblings living there with you?

- A sister or a brother? - I don't have brothers.

- A sister? - No.

I thought you had a sister.

So you're an only child.

Do you go to school there? Do you learn a lot'?

There was a little girl...

Well, it doesn't seem to be going too well.

Sit down properly. You too!

I was very upset when I started this job.

In Paris, I would go to the reception centre.

There was a crèche.

The children there are between one and two.

We take them when they are two.

Going there really upset me.

Just seeing all these children who were waiting for a mummy and a daddy.

We'd usually take one or two from there.

When I took them, it got to me.

Seeing the others without...

It's like these children are waiting for something.

I'm used to it now but it was hard to begin with.

One day you'll be the same.

If it's a black child like last time, I don't want it.

This is Vincent.

We'll take that one. I've seen him before.

You won't be disappointed. He's a sweetie.

- Say hello to the lady. - Give me your hand.

Give her your hand.

We're going to go for a drive.