Original subtitles

THIS FILM IS AN HOMAGE TO ANTOINE DE SAINT EXUPÉRY,

A WORK OF FICTION LOOSELY BASED ON HIS ADVENTURES IN ARGENTINA

Back then, I flew...

because I saw you fly.

You, Henri Guillaumet.

With you, we opened the way for the Aéropostale company.

With you.

Always faster, always farther...

ARGENTINA 1930

always together.

Saint-Ex, where are you?

Saint-Ex, this is Guillaumet!

Saint-Ex, this is Guillaumet!

Saint-Ex, this is Guillaumet damn it!

This is Saint-Ex, over!

Where are you?

I can't tell you.

How's that?

My visibility is zero!

You can't see any ground?

No, but don't worry!

I'll make it out of this cloud.

First verify your trajectory.

What's your magnetic heading? Repeat: Magnetic heading!

My compass is all turned around!

- It's spinning? - Yes.

- An electromagnetic cloud! - I must land.

No, you can't descend!

I'll get hit by lightning!

Maybe, but you can't give up now.

I'm going to climb above it!

No higher than 4,000 meters!

I repeat, no higher than 4,000!

Or the engine dies.

Saint-Ex!

You hear me?

Saint-Ex, you're off course!

You've lost your way!

You must determine your position.

Calculate your drift to find your magnetic heading!

The magnetic course corrected for...

Hang on!

One, two, three...

Take-off!

Saint-Ex, this is Guillaumet!

Saint-Ex, this is Guillaumet!

- Saint-Ex... - Shit!

Saint-Ex, this is Guillaumet!

Saint-Ex, this is Guillaumet!

Saint-Ex this is Guillaumet!

Saint-Ex, this is Guillaumet!

Yeah...

I messed up! I messed up here.

What the hell?

Are you wounded?

No, it's ok. The plane is still afloat.

What do you mean "afloat"!

Damn! Don't tell me!

Listen, you can't be far.

What do you see?

At twelve o'clock, water.

At 9 o'clock, water.

At 3 o'clock... wait!

There is something.

- An island. - An island?

What sort?

An island with nothing on it.

Fine. I'll look for ocean area

with lots of water, and an island with nothing. Great.

Be right there!

I can draw it!

- Not now. - It helps me to see.

It's a hat!

There are things on it!

There are things buzzing on it.

Things buzzing on it...

It's Bird Island. I'm very close.

You took the mail out?

The mail? Yes, of course!

Guillaumet!

Guillaumet!

Come on!

You ok? Can you swim?

- Swim or I leave you? - Can't move.

Sure, you can.

No, I can't.

Don't leave me here.

I can't feel my legs.

You can swim! You can because I'm here!

Come on, Tonio. I'm here.

Come on. We'll make it.

Move, get up!

Let's go! Look!

Like birds!

If I take you up like this,

you're a goner!

I need to find you some source of heat.

Something like that.

- I have an idea! - What?

We'll keep each other warm. Come.

Central, this is Guillaumet. Over.

Guillaumet, this is Central. Over.

What's your position? Repeat: What's your position?

Took off from Bird Island!

Bearing three four zero.

With Saint-Ex and his mail.

Guillaumet, this is Central. Over.

Guillaumet, this is Central. Over.

Find an emergency landing site.

Repeat:

Find an emergency landing site.

I have to make it to the airport.

It's too far. Not enough daylight left.

I have no choice!

I have three bags of mail.

For urgent delivery!

Repeat: Three bags of mail!

Land, Henri. You can't slow the sun!

I'll make it!

Five minutes to nightfall.

Find a landing site, now!

I should be at the airport. I maintained a constant speed.

Shit!

My airspeed gauge was stuck!

I'm looking for a plain to land on.

I'll guide you. Give me a visual reference.

I can't see the ground anymore.

I'll have to land blind.

No. Wait.

Wait...

You've got about 5 gallons of fuel left.

On a forced landing you may explode.

I'll fly circles to empty the tank.

No explosion. You'll recover the mail.

In 30 minutes, I'll send up a flare.

This might ruffle our feathers.

But it's ok, Noëlle.

We'll make it. Like always.

Guillaumet!

Guillaumet!

I can't hear you!

Guillaumet!

What the hell?

Close the door! You'll fall!

Guillaumet!

Shooting star at 6 o'clock...

Following the night train! On our way!

That's it! I'm over Mendoza!

That's great.

Hang on. The hangar light is on. You should see it.

I'll blink it.

Yes! We're very close!

But I can't see the runway.

Come on! Cars outside! All the cars outside!

Let's go! Fast!

On either side of the runway!

Move it!

Close shave!

Henri! Henri!

I hate you!

Guillaumet, thank you.

Don't mention it, man!

I didn't come for you.

AÉROPOSTALE "Mail is more important than life!"

Saint-Ex is a madman!

Feeling better?

Look out, buddy!

Got to warm you up!

Music!

Come on, Saint-Ex!

Yes, go!

A madman!

Go Saint-Ex!

Hey! Saint-Ex!

The Director wants to talk to you.

Well done, you managed to deliver the mail.

Thank you very much, sir.

That Latecoere 25 you lost. Know how much it costs?

No I don't, sir.

Saint-Ex, your accident is one accident too many.

I know, sir, I'll pay the costs.

You can't. Your line is in the red.

From now on, Guillaumet is its only pilot.

You'll handle the paperwork. You hear?

I hear you, sir.

Cancel half the flights

and lay off half the staff.

No, sir! Don't ask me to do that!

The new regime wants to take over the line.

There's no room for error.

I'll double performance!

You can't double the speed of the planes.

I can! I have an idea.

What kind of idea?

Give me 5 days. In 5 days, I'll show you. No!

Give me 24 hours!

Sir?

- Sir! - Fine.

24 hours.

What's going on?

The Director understands the situation!

All is well. Friends, all is well.

But tomorrow we have work to do.

All is well?

Go to sleep everyone!

All right?

Thank you. Let's go!

- We have to solve this. - I have an idea.

We have to show him we can ramp up 30 percent. Maybe...

- ...that's enough. - I have an idea.

Just what we need. A Saint-Ex idea.

To begin with, we replace both radios with an extra fuel tank.

Doubling our autonomy!

We avoid stopovers, saving us 2 hours on each flight!

- Not enough! - I have an idea.

The train is our enemy.

It's slower but it runs all night.

It always wins the race. That's life.

We'll never turn a profit.

- Unless! - Unless?

Unless we do what the train does.

A tunnel! We send the planes through the cordillera?

No! If the train runs at night...

what must we do?

We must fly by night!

- You can't even fly in daylight! - Quiet!

We landed by following the train's headlights.

Then car headlights

along the runway, to land.

Lights...

So... I had a vision.

We build lighthouses.

Every 50 kilos, along the cordillera.

We'll follow them, like sailors do.

Lighthouses!

Ramirez, Caradec, Alfonso...

All good pilots. All dead,

all three this year, in daylight!

The obstacle isn't night. It's the cordillera.

Could we eliminate this huge detour?

What if we flew straight, up and over the cordillera?

That's 6,000 or 7,000 meters!

And so?

Our planes top out at 4,000.

Saint-Ex went down for that reason.

We figure it out!

We must go over the cordillera.

No, I don't think so.

I'd say that's enough.

That's enough. Enough!

The Lorraine Dietrich EB.

The masterpiece of the industrial revolution!

And whose is it?

It's mine!

Only at 4,000 meters it starts to quake!

Reminds me of something.

What?

The Sahara.

The Sahara?

Remember, over Morocco with the Breguet 14?

And we used... what was it called?

- A turbocharger. - Exactly!

- After 7 hours it flagged. - Seven hours is good!

- We have the Breguet wreck. - Sure.

Saint-Ex!

Guillaumet!

Maybe your weird ideas can save the company.

- Right. - Yeah...

As long as I'm the pilot.

Exactly!

My brains, your brawn.

FRIDAY, JUNE 13th, 1930

Friday, June 13th, 1930

at 8:27 a.m.,

the Potez 25, number 7873

piloted by Henri Guillaumet, about to cross the Andean cordillera,

at its highest altitude.

Non-stop, direct flight from Mendoza to Santiago.

Fuel tank?

Full!

Landing gear?

Unlocked!

Mail!

On board!

Propeller!

Runway!

Here we go!

Maybe I shouldn't talk to you.

Don't take it personally, but...

People wind up treating me like a kid.

No one trusts me with a plane.

Guillaumet, for one, won't talk to someone like you.

He's a rational being.

Feet on the ground.

Very contradictory. They say my head is in the clouds.

But I'm a pilot, so that's normal.

Do they tell you your head is underwater?

Are you angry?

Where are you going? No! Listen...

It's over! That's my office. You're better off in your tub.

Lucia?

- The airport. - Right away.

Maria, try to raise Guillaumet. OK?

Of course.

Guillaumet? Hello?

- Guillaumet? - Nothing?

- Guillaumet... - Noëlle?

And you, nothing?

- Noëlle... - What?

He's just a little late.

You know Guillaumet's never late!

Nothing?

No, nothing.

Guillaumet, this is Noëlle!

Guillaumet, this is Noëlle. Over!

His fuel tank is empty.

Santiago, this is Mendoza...

Santiago, this is Mendoza.

Santiago, this is Mendoza.

Enough waiting. I'm going to get him!

Go! Get the plane on the runway!

Get the seal.

Get the seal to warm him up!

- Hurry it up! - Stop!

- What? I'll go get... - Night is falling!

Guillaumet, this is Noëlle...

Guillaumet, this is Noëlle.

He can't read you up there.

Hang on, I have an idea!

Guillaumet, this is Noëlle!

Guillaumet, this is Noëlle.

Henri!

Speak if it's you!

Hang on!

Henri? Is that you?

Hang on! That's him!

It's him!

...director. Hear me?

Saint-Exupéry, from now on you alone deliver the mail.

Sir, I must find Guillaumet.

You can't. It's mathematical.

The only plane that can climb to 6,000 meters

is the Potez you and he adapted.

No other plane can go over 4,000.

Yes, but I can at least try.

You know how many men have died for the company?

You lost count of the dead too long ago.

Guillaumet was the best.

He gave his life to save the Cordillera line.

Go after him, you'll destroy your plane.

The company would go under.

To try to save Guillaumet

is to betray Guillaumet.

What would he do if he were you?

He would save me, sir.

Not at all.

Guillaumet would have saved Aéropostale.

That's what you'll do.

Tomorrow, you go on delivering mail.

You can't do that.

Saint-Exupéry!

You're our last hope.

You're the last pilot.

Survival of the line depends on you.

Over and out.

You can't do that, Saint-Ex!

He's right about Guillaumet.

He would save the company.

- You know his landing spots. - What do you mean?

- In case of trouble! - Guillaumet never had trouble.

You never realized he had constant trouble!

He'd land at people's houses.

He has friends who help repair his engine.

Here, near the cordillera,

there's a French family.

They could tell you where he went.

It's no use. I can't fly over the cordillera.

That's how it is.

You must try. Even if it's not...

Stop! There's no French family, no landing spot!

He said that to reassure you. He would've said anything!

So I don't know my husband?

I spent more time with him.

Yeah...

You're like a brother to him.

And yet you're abandoning him.

Tonio, this is François!

Tonio, this is François!

François, this is Tonio.

François, this is Tonio. Over.

This is François!

Latecoere 25, number 1310,

piloted by Antoine de Saint Exupéry,

taking off at 8:35 a.m.,

from runway number 5 with a southeasterly force 5 wind.

Fuel tank?

Full!

Landing gear?

Unlocked!

Mail?

On board!

- Runway? - Clear!

Saint-Ex...

Propeller!

I already lost a brother. I can't lose another.

Central, this is Saint-Ex! Over!

Saint-Ex, this is Noëlle. Over!

- Where's the French family? - No idea!

He mentioned a farm.

Anything else?

- Nothing! - Nothing?

Nothing!

Hang on, I remember something!

One second!

I wrote it down, but...

Was there a young girl in the family?

I see Guillaumet spoke of a girl who was bored,

watching the wind turn.

- What does that mean? - I don't know.

Got to figure it out.

She was watching the wind turn...

Watching the wind turn! Yes!

Hello.

Do you know Guillaumet?

Are you the girl who watches the wind turn?

- Are you drunk? - No.

I'm just a bit...

Because I just landed.

Whatever. Bad time? Going some place?

- I thought you were Guillaumet! - So you know him?

Did he ever land here?

Don't squash Louloute!

When did you see him last?

- I don't know. - Today?

Yesterday? The day before?

I can't remember.

Can you get your parents?

They're in town.

Guillaumet disappeared.

- What? - I'm looking for him.

Did he have another emergency spot?

Think carefully, it's important.

He mentioned Juan Gualberto's.

- Who? - Juan Gualberto.

Let me write it down.

- Who is he? - The shepherd.

- Where is he? - Here and there, with his sheep.

- Like where? - He said he'd take me.

Want to take me?

Sure, but how do I find Juan Gualberto?

Will you take me or not?

I'd love to, but I need to repair my plane.

Can you find me some very resistant rope?

There's nothing here.

Just critters.

I could use strings from your piano.

Piano strings are fine!

Not a chance!

I'll buy them.

- I'll buy piano strings. - How would I spend that?

- It's a lot! - There's nothing to buy!

Want to play piano with me?

Look. I'll show you something.

You know why that sounds good?

The orange plays only black keys.

So you want the white-key strings?

Give me two strings, I'll take you around the world.

You serious?

Am I serious?

Me?

Am I serious?

I'm the most serious man on the planet.

Now tell me...

Where is Juan Gualberto?

They say he stays on the snow line.

Gorgeous!

If I find him, it's thanks to you.

Where do I sit?

I can't take you.

I have to hurry. I have to find him before sundown.

But I have a better idea.

An extraordinary idea. Look.

What's that?

It's you.

See?

Now you're a character.

You're in my notebook.

I take this everywhere. So you'll be with me, always.

I'll think of you all the time.

I'll take you around the world!

You promise?

Yes, I promise.

It is with great sorrow

that I announce the permanent closure

of the airports in the Andean cordillera.

The entire staff is laid off,

effective tomorrow.

And all documentation must be returned

to the central office, by rail.

Over and out.

What exactly is the snow line?

Is that the snow line?

How do I find the shepherd?

Hello.

I'm looking for Guillaumet. You know Guillaumet?

He vanished in the cordillera.

Guillaumet. Did he come through here?

He's dead.

Dead? Are you sure?

Up there,

everything is dead.

- You saw him go down? - No.

- You saw his plane fly over? - Help me care for Maria.

What's wrong with Maria?

She's dead.

I'm sorry.

But I can't...

Neither can I.

I can't bring your friend back to life.

Look.

What are you doing?

It's a magic book.

The dead are all alive.

In my book,

Maria lives on forever.

But... that's not Maria.

It's a cloud.

A cloud?

Right. Of course.

It's a cloud.

It's a cloud, because...

Because it's Maria's soul.

And with my plane, up in the sky,

I take care of Maria.

Yes.

It's a magic book.

But if you don't like it, I can change it.

Do you like it?

Yes, I like it.

Thank you.

Now tell me.

Did you see Guillaumet?

Yes. He was here yesterday.

Really?

Yes.

Thank you so much.

Tell me, Juan Gualberto.

Which way did Guillaumet go?

Did he make a turn?

Did he go straight? Or turn around?

He didn't move his wings.

Of course, it's a plane, but...

Little birds move their wings a lot, but don't go very high.

The condor's wings don't move

but flies higher, higher, higher...

Lovely. Lovely.

If he's alive, like you say he is,

just wait for him here.

Here?

Llamas coming down the mountain follow the water's path.

If he comes down, he'll follow Rio Diamante.

Rio Diamante.

I'll build a big fire you can see from your plane.

But please, Juan,

where did Guillaumet go? Tell me.

Where did he go?

Up there.

Where?

Wait.

The Zonda wind will show you.

Come on, come on! Climb! Climb!

No!

Come on, climb!

Yes!

Climb!

No! Climb!

No!

Oh no!

Come on! Turn! Turn!

Central, this is Saint-Ex. Over!

Saint-Ex, this is Noëlle.

I'm about to land. The Zonda wind came up. Send two men to help.

The Director closed the line. There's no one left.

I'll come out to help you.

Noëlle!

Saint-Ex!

- Well? - I found Guillaumet's route.

- Did you take it? - No.

- Why not? - Because...

I'm short 2,000 meters in altitude.

That shitty plane!

It can't go any higher.

It's like a wall.

A wall!

A wall!

Calm down, calm down.

I can't fly there. But he's there, he was seen.

You were right. He has emergency landing sites.

Are you cold?

Because he's cold.

Good. So he's alive.

Of course he's alive!

Sheltering under the cabin, he can make it through tonight.

But not a third night.

We have one last hope.

If we can't fly there,

we'll walk.

Walk up there?

On days off, when Guillaumet drinks,

he buys booze from a smuggler.

You know where to find him?

In Mendoza.

This black bird

scavenger, rascal ravager,

dashing our dreams, our schemes

Flying into a rage, inside his cage

Sir, where is Don Monsalvez?

No idea.

Where is Don Monsalvez?

Sir...

Don Monsalvez, where is he?

Never heard of him.

Where is Don Monsalvez?

Sir!

Where is Don Monsalvez, sir?

Behind the stage.

Thank you, sir.

The bottle!

Don Monsalvez?

- Who's asking? - Mrs. Guillaumet.

My respects.

Hello.

His replacement?

- He's my cousin. - Yes.

Give a serious drink to this boy.

See if he's as tough as he looks.

Thanks.

- Absinthe! - Not that green stuff.

- Saint-Ex, no! - Strong.

Stop it!

Wow...

It's very strong.

But it's good.

You're a pilot, too. Right?

Yes, a pilot.

Who do you work for?

For Aéropostale.

And who does Aéropostale work for?

Aéropostale works for... everyone.

For everyone. Like a whore?

Or mercenaries.

Whores? No, I'm not a whore.

What planet do you live on?

There was a coup d'État here.

When the police start killing people, which side are you on?

I'm on the side of my friend, sir. On Guillaumet's side.

Whose side is he on?

Don Monsalvez, he's in the cordillera.

Dying of cold.

So look, Don Monsalvez,

how much do you want

to go find Guillaumet?

- He's dead. - No!

- He's alive. - He's not dead.

He is alive!

No one can survive up there in the middle of winter.

Don Monsalvez, how much do you want?

He's dying of cold.

How much to go get him?

All right, let's go!

Let's go!

No, no!

That's just one hand at zero degrees.

Imagine at minus 25!

Hypothermia in 3 hours.

Death after 6 hours.

Buried in the snow after 12 hours.

Guillaumet was a great man, madam.

We won't leave him up there.

When the snow melts in spring,

the condors will circle around him.

The condors will help us find his body.

We'll bring him home to you.

I promise.

We'll give him a Christian burial.

And then you can mourn for him,

madam.

No!

No!

He's dead.

Guillaumet is dead.

But you must live.

Come on.

Stand up, Noëlle.

Stand up.

Do it for him.

He couldn't stand it if we gave up on one another.

Come on.

Look.

You know why farmers light fires in winter?

Because otherwise, at dawn, the frost kills the crops.

We can't stay down.

If we don't get up now, we'll never get up again. Right?

Come on, let's go.

Come on!

WIND - CONDOR - ZONDA

WATCH THE WIND TURN

CONDOR FLIES

THE HIGHEST!

I've got it!

- You lost your mind! - Not at all!

I can't fly like him, but I can fly like me!

Look! What do you see there?

- Nothing. - Of course.

It's everywhere, no one sees it! Think. What is it?

Death.

Not death! Air!

Look. The sun heats the desert.

The desert heats the air.

I can ride the warm air currents!

That's how I exceed my plane's max altitude! You see?

You shouldn't have drunk that green thing!

How will you see warm air?

I won't. I'll do as condors do.

Look.

When the condor approaches the rock face,

He goes neither faster nor slower.

What does he do?

He waits for the last second.

At the last second...

I'll fly like the condor!

That's suicide, Saint-Ex.

I could come with you.

I'll be all right, Noëlle.

For him. Here.

What is it?

Rub it on his hands, a little alcohol. OK?

And the toes, the nose...

Guillaumet, this is Saint-Ex.

Guillaumet, this is Saint-Ex.

I made it!

I got through the wall.

I got through, Guillaumet.

You'll be proud of me.

Maybe you hear me now.

Guillaumet, you hear me?

Maybe you see me?

If you see me, do something.

Light a fire.

Write in the snow, or...

climb up on a rock.

Do something. I'm right here.

I'm right here, my friend.

I'm coming.

Guillaumet!

Guillaumet!

Guillaumet!

Where are you?

You should've waited.

You left. Why did you leave?

You emptied the bags.

What did you do with the mail?

No way you left the mail.

No way you left the mail!

I'M GOING EAST FAREWELL

MY LAST THOUGHT WILL BE FOR MY WIFE

Don't die, François.

Don't die.

Stay with me, François.

Stay with me.

Guillaumet!

Henri!

Henri?

Henri!

Don't die.

Don't die, Saint-Ex.

Don't you die too.

What happened?

I don't even know how you landed here.

You fainted, I got you out of the plane.

I slept so long. Why didn't you wake me?

You slept for two days.

Look at yourself.

How long were you up there?

An hour? Two? More?

I wasn't dreaming!

Noëlle!

- I found his plane! - No.

- I swear! I found his plane. - Stop.

I don't want to hope anymore.

The plane was on the edge of a lagoon.

He had left a message on the wing.

He wrote he was heading east.

I swear it, Noëlle.

I didn't dream it.

Where is the lagoon?

- I can't remember. - Think.

I don't know.

I don't know. I followed a condor.

- Lagoons all over... - I know!

- There was a volcano. - All over!

Right, but a volcano's reflection...

The lagoon was unusual. It worked like a mirror.

You see?

A perfect mirror.

So it looked like two volcanoes.

Right side up, and upside down.

The more realistic one was upside down! Like a diamond.

The Laguna del Diamante!

Hang on.

- Where? - There! Look.

So he headed east, he followed this river.

The Rio Diamante.

The shepherd was right.

Guillaumet followed the river.

He didn't give up.

Guillaumet never gives up.

He came down to the snow line.

He found Juan Gualberto! I know it!

Let's go get him.

But it's night time.

I have an idea.

We follow the fire.

We follow farmers' fires to the foothills.

Like sailors follow stars.

The shepherd will have a big fire by the river. You'll see.

Noëlle!

Noëlle!

Henri!

Guillaumet, this is Saint-Ex.

Guillaumet, this is Saint-Ex.

The mail.

I didn't come for the mail.

I need...

- I need... - What?

Whisky.

Whisky?

Here.

And the music?

What?

Thank you.

No.

I messed up again.

I didn't find you.

You saved me.

No, I didn't.

You did.

No.

You know,

you know...

why...

I kept on...

walking?

Because I...

I could see you, Tonio.

I saw you flying over.

I saw you flying over...

We defeated the cordillera, Guillaumet.

We even defeated night.

But we couldn't save the Aéropostale company...

and we never saw fascism coming.

So we changed planes.

We took up arms, we fought.

I wrote books about our battles, to inspire others to fight with us.

Then suddenly...

You, Henri Guillaumet,

you who had survived the cordillera,

you did not survive fascism.

Guillaumet, this is Saint-Ex.

What can I do, all alone?

I went down 73 times.

I have 47 fractures.

I have smoked 1,325,895 cigarettes.

I'm twice the maximum age for a war pilot.

But I still want to fly.

I can't fly combat anymore,

but the U.S. Army allowed me to fly recon missions.

I'll fight without weapons.

Remember the cordillera.

You kept walking because you saw me flying.

This is the same thing.

You'll see me flying, again and again...

to the very end.

A picture please!

And you'll fly, too.

Again and again.

Until victory.

JULY 31, 1944

SAINT-EXUPÉRY VANISHED FOREVER

20 DAYS LATER, PARIS WAS LIBERATED

HE WAS DECLARED TO HAVE "DIED FOR FRANCE"

Subtitles by Michael Katims