Original subtitles

This series is fictional, loosely based on reality TV.

People, events, places and dialogues may have been invented,

modified or recreated to express the authors' artistic vision.

NICE JANUARY 2001

Or Bleu. A moment of insouciance...

-Niat, is that you? -Yes, Mom.

The fragrance of the new millennium.

-I'm going to bed. -Sleep well.

Or Bleu, the new perfume.

Are you single, over 18 and looking for love?

M6 is looking for 11 contestants for their new show.

Are you ready for an adventure?

Come on, Marcel.

It's starting...

Call 01 42 30 56 00.

I knew it. Did they activate the lines, Isabelle?

They did. I spent three hours with the phone provider, it's all good.

-Philippe Palazzo Productions, hello. -Hello.

Philippe Palazzo Productions, hello.

Your number? Yes.

I'm going to need your name and phone number.

Hello.

Raphael?

-Where's Raphael? -Who?

-Your boss. -Isn't that you?

Yes. Well, no... Forget it.

-Raphael! -Isabelle?

You need to approve the visuals.

-Great, Magalie. -You didn't even look.

Can someone give Magalie a star for her drawing?

Can someone find Raphael?

Isa, Camille is here. Where do you want her?

-Charlotte. -Welcome.

Either in your office or in the bathroom.

Buy me a drink first.

Take my office, I'll take the shrink's.

-There's a shrink? -Yes, for the contestants.

-For now. -Are we good?

Karim will explain everything,

but the question we ask about everyone is,

"Could I go on vacation with them?"

If it's a yes, put it on my desk.

Not Megève, La Baule or Biarritz. I want diversity.

Black people, Arabs, all ethnicities,

all age groups, all regions. The cast represents France.

Okay. In 85 days,

we have to give the final 11 people to M6.

We're in a bit of a rush.

Okay, good luck.

-Karim, has she signed the NDA? -Not yet.

What's that?

A non-disclosure agreement.

-Why? -Do you know people at TF1?

-Yeah. -That's why.

Raphael!

Look, Mr. Dumas, the November loan, it's a miracle it was approved.

I know, but if you read the contract,

there's a bonus for 28% audience share

-for the next show. -28% is a bit too optimistic.

Did you talk about the mortgage with Mr. Palazzo?

Raphael! Come on.

Coming. I have to go. I'll call you back.

Raphael?

She's busting our balls.

Later!

Five years together and you sign me as a temp?

Multiple temporary contracts in phases, yes.

-There's one for each step. -To see if I'm fired?

Yes, every two weeks, like in Big Brother.

The stakes are too high.

If you lose the plot, we'll have to replace you, Cinderella.

-Stop calling me Cinderella. -I believe in you.

At least until next week.

Gentlemen, welcome home.

This is the living room.

We'll have an L-shaped couch,

this will be the dining room with a 12 seat-table.

All this wasn't cheap.

Over there, the kitchen. No dishwasher,

they'll have to come up with a plan for cleaning, doing the laundry...

And we keep the lights on 24/7.

Even at night, the candles stay lit.

"The candles stay lit." Such a country boy.

I can picture it.

-It'll look nice with the partitions. -There won't be any.

-Great. -Apart from the bedrooms,

it's all open plan. Living room, kitchen, dining room.

That's the concept, a loft.

It's great, we're on trend.

I like that name, Le Loft.

It sounds like a remodeling show.

How about Through the Keyhole, or Six Boys, Five Girls?

It sounds like porn.

Have you heard from Daft Punk for the theme?

Our teams are on it.

We're thinking about it, it's expensive.

There's something missing.

Well...

-The pool... -We removed it.

We were going over budget. It would cost millions,

it's for our own good.

We thought about...

Getting your shit together?

No offense.

Do you know how many deals I've signed for 100 million francs?

None. It's the first time.

I'm tired of getting cheap wine when I was promised a great vintage.

We will get Daft Punk, and there will be a pool.

But I'm not giving you another penny.

Hello?

He's a bit on edge.

Dechavanne said no.

It's not hard to find a cute guy who can read a teleprompter.

Are you telling me how to do my job?

He's the fifth to say no.

Big Brother, Liam de Lint, confinement.

These aren't reassuring words.

You're annoying.

Say what you have to say.

What do I have to say?

That you warned me against Big Brother,

that we're in big trouble...

I wouldn't have said it so kindly, but that's the idea.

Stop that!

Shitty car.

53 DAYS TO GO

I want him. Why did you keep her?

-And why him? -He can make pancakes.

That's fun on vacation.

Is prison fun? It's written here, two years.

"Criminal charges," it's right there.

Oh, shit. Not cool.

Yeah. "Not cool."

I told you. No parents, no ex-convicts.

-It's just one person, come on. -Are you kidding me?

Wake up! I have to check everything you do.

You're making a lot of mistakes,

-I don't have time for this. -What do you want me to say?

I'd rather investigate corruption networks,

but I have to read through files on morons who love Ève Angeli

and can't spell properly.

You want to have an impact on people.

That's what I'm offering.

Millions of people and kids will watch it.

Can you imagine?

Why are you laughing?

No, you're right. You know what?

We'll solve everything with Big Brother.

We'll put an end to wars, inequalities,

poverty, that'll be over, too, diseases,

-global warming... -Okay.

Maybe this job isn't for you.

Do you want me to leave?

I don't know. Think about it.

Yeah?

What?

Fuck! I can't believe it.

The repair guy is supposed to come this afternoon.

It lasted three years at my mom's place.

Call again, give them money or buy them dinner,

my team is waiting.

-Should we start with the rest? -The rest?

Call them, we need more people.

Excuse me.

-Who should I call? -Everyone.

We'll be working overtime.

49 DAYS TO GO

-We can't read them all! -We have lives.

I'm calling my girlfriend, Isabelle. I can't bring work home.

It's a dozen files every day,

it's not a big deal.

I thought you were motivated? This is extraordinary.

She's right. We have a lot of options,

we can make sure there's diversity.

-Seriously, Charlotte? -Yes.

We wanted a large sample.

We got it. It's diverse, there are all social classes.

Ask Raphael for backup.

In other countries, six is enough to do it.

It's okay if you're struggling, no big deal.

I know I'm asking a lot.

We need to have a cast ready in two months, then I'll let you go.

It will be the best vacation of your life,

and you'll be able to watch the show.

Okay?

And you'll be proud.

Thank you.

Come on, more energy.

Yeah. 200,000 francs. Are you insane?

They're Daft Punk, not Lorie.

Yeah.

I don't know. I'll think about it.

If it's a nightmare to draw, it's a nightmare to build!

Mr. Dumas!

She has us putting windows everywhere,

it'll be like a house of mirrors in a circus!

-That's normal. -See?

That's normal?

27 years on the job, never seen this.

It'll never be done in time.

We need two more weeks.

No, don't go there. This isn't my apartment.

There's no room for delay. Deal with it, do night shifts,

we're broadcasting in two months.

-Can you do it with a night team? -Yes, but...

We need a new quote.

Mireille, it's Raph.

Can I get the number of the financial director at TF1?

Wait a second...

-Can you write it down? -Yes.

It's 01 91 00

30 03.

And what's her name?

-Raphael, are you sure? -Her name.

-Delphine Crozon. -Delphine Crozon.

That's it, thank you so much.

My dear Delphine. It's always me calling you!

31 DAYS TO GO

-We're not selecting them! -Then what?

We're sorting them.

You don't know what you want!

Karim and Charlotte, get these files.

If nobody makes an effort, it's never going to work.

Yes?

-Isabelle? -Wait,

I'm looking at the plan.

This is...

So this is Isabelle!

This is Elena Valente.

Hello, ma'am.

Ma'am?

Nobody calls me "ma'am."

I mean, not before midnight.

Call me Elena. Vale?

She's a casting specialist.

-Great. -With the prime time and daily shows,

it's a lot to handle.

You need a new eye.

It's nice of you to be concerned, but everything's fine.

Don't worry. I'm not here to take your job.

-Great team. -Raphael, can I talk to you?

-What is it? -I don't want to work with her.

-Why are you being a pain in the ass? -I don't want her!

-She's got an interesting view... -I don't care!

Big Sister is my idea. You know that, or you would've fired me.

Isabelle,

everybody wants to fire you.

Maybe I was too kind, or too stupid,

but I insisted on giving you this project.

If we tell M6 40 days before the selection

that we messed up, we'll look like idiots.

If you don't want to get fired in 30 days,

grit your teeth and let Elena handle it.

Where did you find her?

Liam de Lint recommended her.

I have to take this, sorry.

-No kidding. -Yes, Michel.

Raphael, how are you doing? Not great, right?

-No, why? -You sound ill.

I'm worried about you.

You're talking about the advance

for Le Bigdil and Exclusif.

Honestly, I'm grateful for your call,

-but everything's fine. -You can tell me anything.

We're friends.

I don't want to bother you with technical problems,

we're changing our video system.

We have to be ready to switch to 16/9.

As you know, it's pretty expensive.

Hello?

I'll take care of the advance personally.

M6 has signed Big Brother.

Let's go, Rodolphe.

TV is the modern New Age religion.

You're in people's home, they don't notice.

It's not the parents who let us in, it's the kids.

Two in three applications are from young people.

They want to be in it, they want to watch it,

so I'm going to tell you how to go from 2,000 to 500 files in six days.

Get rid of the applicants who are over 30.

That's all?

No, cariño, that's just the first step.

Don't be so impatient.

Okay. This is a dating show.

Take this guy, look at him. Do you want to sleep with him?

I do, so I'll keep him.

What if it's a girl?

Same, if you want to sleep with her, keep her.

Cariño, I'm not asking you to open your legs, just your mind. Okay?

-All right? -Did you decide this together?

Yes. Okay, vamos!

Sí. Encantada, okay?

Can we talk?

-I have work to do. -Isabelle.

Unlike the people we work for,

we're not equipped for a big dick contest.

It's better if we're friends. Vale?

30 DAYS TO GO

24 DAYS TO GO

Are all these offices for your teams?

The whole floor.

Come on.

What's this room? What do you do here?

I don't know.

You don't want to tell me?

Okay, introduce yourself.

No, come on...

You wanted to be on camera.

Guillermo, 33 years old, from Paris.

Okay.

What type of girl do you go for?

I don't have a type.

Tell me your best asset for seducing a woman.

My eyes?

You're boring, you know.

No, your questions are.

-If you had studied journalism... -What?

You'd know you have to go for personal stuff.

Okay, go ahead.

Well,

is your edgy, rock style to hide your uptight, middle-class background?

Okay, I see.

Why are you sleeping with Isabelle de Rochechouart?

Because I admire her.

And you, why are you sleeping with Guillermo Reyes?

Same.

Because he admires me.

If I...

If were to I give you two minutes

to convince me to sleep with someone...

With you.

Cariño, I want to take you for a ride on the carousel.

Enough is enough.

We're not looking at paper anymore.

We're going out into the field, meeting real people!

When I watch the casting tapes, I need to...

Get excited!

Okay?

So,

when you gaze into their eyes,

they should to feel like they want to tear your clothes off.

-Understood? -I think the question is a bit aggressive.

The question is not the problem.

I think it is.

Being provocative is fine, but we need to be more personal.

I have a few questions.

Okay.

Here, Karim.

I have more files, too.

No, we finished that weeks ago.

We have all the destinations here.

Chabelita. They're taking the train in two hours. It'll kill them.

I'll put them in the office.

Philippe Palazzo Productions, hello. How may I help you?

Go find sexy people in Nantes and Lyon...

Karim.

Isa, we have our 500.

And they're good.

You're a pain in the ass.

Thank you.

Okay, the latecomers...

She's hot.

Look at this. 23 years old,

-go-go dancer. -Left high school.

We're not recruiting for NASA.

-That's interesting. -What?

No spelling mistakes.

Right. So, that's your thing.

I got an A on my literature exam.

Yeah...

Yes, hello?

Hello, my name is Karim Shedira, I'm with PPP.

I'm calling about the casting for the TV show.

Are you sure you have the right number?

This is Loana.

Yes, Loana Petrucciani.

-Twenty-three years old. -Yes.

Would you be available to meet us on Friday evening?

Ask him if he knows Flavie Flament.

Stop, wait!

Sorry, the TV is on.

No, it's...

If you want,

I can take you... I mean, see you, sorry,

between meetings around 7:00 p.m. At the Winston.

Friday, tomorrow?

-Okay. -Great.

See you Friday, then.

Great, thanks.

-Bye. -Bye.

Fucking TV hosts. He had said yes.

-But he doesn't want to sign. -Asshole, does he want more money?

Ask him.

-Benjamin! How are you? -I'm good, how are you?

-Great slogan. -Do you like it?

Yes, I do.

EVEN WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT ENDS

Listen to this.

That's great.

-And it sounds like Daft Punk. -It does, doesn't it?

And instead of costing a fortune, you'll make a fortune.

-We'll release the song. -Will Chaunac approve?

Of course. He gets 50% on merchandising.

Stanislas!

The man who whispered in Chaunac's ear.

Very funny, Philippe.

I'm calling off the record about a leak.

-We almost lost Castaldi. -Shit.

Drezen heard about it.

He knows. TF1 made an offer to keep Castaldi,

we had to write a check.

-And Christian? -He's delighted.

He got me chocolates.

What do you think? He's mad, he wants to cancel the ads.

It was supposed to start on the 17th!

I know that, thank you.

It means that he's thinking about canceling the show.

-That's ridiculous! -Let me tell you something.

Chaunac does some things for passion,

and others to fuck with TF1.

You're the latter.

If the show flops, Christian will look like a fool.

Stanislas, it's Raphael.

What can we do?

Convince him that he can beat TF1.

People will come for the concept and stay for the cast.

That's what matters.

Are you ready for this?

-We will be. -Don't mess this up.

The stakes are high for me, too.

How did Drezen hear about it?

-Who cares? -I do.

Why does it matter?

Is it you?

Is it you?

-I spoke to Drezen, but... -What did you say?

I asked for an advance for Le Bigdil and Exclusif,

he paid it, I didn't think that he'd guess...

Why didn't you tell me?

Why? Tell me!

I didn't want you to worry. I wanted to save us.

Fucking genius. What would you do if you wanted to hurt me?

-You didn't want to mortgage the offices. -So it's my fault?

You put on your dad's suit, but you can't see that it's too big.

You're an amateur.

It's not just the company at risk.

It's my house, my retirement, my kids' college fund.

I'll die in debt.

-Where are you going? -I don't know.

To fuck whores in Monaco.

Thanks, Mom, you're saving me.

I mean, him. I feed him every three days.

-Yes, it's heavy. -Jesus...

-Are you okay? -Yes.

Come on.

How long will I look after him?

Not long, a few months.

-More or less. -Months?

-Yeah. -What are you working on?

Are you documenting Céline Dion's pregnancy?

-No, it's serious. -Okay.

I can't tell you, but it's a show based on

a NASA sociological study on human behavior.

Oh! Great.

We're happy, we got 13,000 applications.

Okay. So, it's like a sociological serial.

"Serial" is a bit too '91, but yes,

-you could say that. -What's it called?

-I can't tell you. -Izzie!

No!

-Hello. -Hello.

This is my mother. Elena.

-Nice to meet you. -I know you.

I've read all your books. I mean, the articles about them.

I loved them, they're great!

Thank you so much.

Are you in the secret service, too?

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

No, I work in casting.

So you work together.

-Yes. -Not really.

I mean, yes.

Yes, I mean... Yes...

I'm her assistant.

Good.

My type?

I like...

I like a pointy nose,

full lips,

and ears not too high.

What I like the most are knees.

Do you think you're a good lover?

Yes...

I'm fully dedicated to my partner.

If she's not enjoying herself, neither am I.

By definition, I'm a good lover.

You have two minutes to convince me to sleep with you.

It's... No.

That's not necessary to be selected. Is it?

No.

What's your biggest fantasy?

We're in a club, she pays,

and after, we go to her place,

not mine, because I live with my mom.

Why are you so badly dressed?

I came for the casting, not for a fashion show.

Do you like my leather jacket?

-Thank you. -Yeah.

Thanks a lot.

Bye.

Loana. Right?

-Yes. -Hello.

Hello.

Are you Karim?

Yes, sorry.

Actually, my colleague has just left.

Do you mind if we wait until she's back?

It shouldn't be too long.

Half an hour, one hour max.

It's complicated, I don't have much time.

Damn.

Can we do it tomorrow?

We'll be in Marseille tomorrow.

Are you sure you can't wait?

No, I have a job. My shift starts in an hour.

-Okay. -My boss is a bit strict, so...

No, that's okay...

Never mind. Thank you.

Have a good evening.

Wait.

We can start without her, if you want.

Okay. Thank you.

What kind of show is it? Is it like The Dating Game?

All I can say is that there will be several participants,

their goal is to find love,

we need 11 weeks availability.

Eleven weeks?

Yes. Is that a problem?

Okay.

When do we start?

We've already started.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Loana, I'm 23, I'm 5'8",

I love to party.

I'm a dancer in clubs and bars.

That's it.

A tall blonde with big boobs.

I see.

Why did you apply for the show?

My mom wanted me to do it.

She wanted me to be on TV.

At first, I said no,

but I thought that if I could find love...

That was that.

A nice guy, for once.

Okay.

How far are you willing to go to win?

I don't know.

I never won anything.

I mean...

One time, I won a beauty pageant at a casino in Juan-Les-Pins.

Yes.

The big... Winner.

If you had to bring someone down

to win, would you do it?

No, that's not who I am.

Okay.

Let's play a game.

You have two minutes to...

To hit on me.

I've never hit on anyone, it will be difficult.

Okay, sorry.

If I like a guy in the club, for example...

The only thing I know how to do is look at him.

-I see. -Yes.

-And if he looks back? -I look down.

Can you show me something that you can do?

-Like what? -Singing.

-No, I can't sing. -She's got something.

She's got two things.

But she's an empty shell.

She says no to everything, she never flirts...

She's vapid.

So it's a no?

Yes, it's a no.

Here, do a line.

No, that's not my thing.

But tonight, you...

-What, tonight? -We're going out.

We are! We've been busting our asses for two months,

the weather is nice, let's party!

Not a chance. I have a report to write for Isabelle.

What the fuck is your thing with her? Did you fuck her?

No, she's my friend, she's struggling so I'm helping.

It's a good deal for her, being your friend.

You should go out and have fun if you want to.

I...

-The report. -The report.

Come on, fuck Isabelle.

-No. -Karim, look at me.

Repeat after me: "Fuck it."

You're wasting your time, I won't go.

Oh, fuck!

I'm sorry.

-Why? -I understand now.

I didn't know that you were...

No, I'm not.

Good job, Charlotte!

No, it's not that.

I respect you too much to sleep with you.

That's all.

Honestly, it must be really tough

-to be Arab and gay. -What?

To be Arab and gay at the same time, it's...

-I'm not... -I think it's great.

-Yes, but... -I think it's great.

In September, I went to an Alizée concert with my best friend,

and I asked him, "Marc, are you gay?"

-I'm not Marc. -"I love you."

Is it difficult?

What?

Guys looking at you, whistling...

It's their way of saying they like me.

I guess.

Anyway, I like it.

I like being loved.

Don't you?

Yeah.

22 MARCH 2001

FOUR DAYS TO GO

That Loana girl, didn't you keep her?

It was between her and the ficus,

and I kept the ficus for the scenery, it had more character.

Is that what you think?

I need people who can put on a show, okay?

No...

Oh, my God...

How did you get in?

It was open.

No, I locked it.

Your casting ideas are interesting.

What about putting ads in tanning salons?

We're missing...

What are you doing here?

I wanted to see if you were doing better than me. Now I know.

Get out, please.

I like the jet-setter and the Brazilian fire-breather.

All we need is a bearded lady and we're good.

-We have our cast. -Raphael?

Cariño, can you come here? I can't put up with this mad woman.

What's going on?

Can you tell Cinderella to let me do my job?

-Isabelle... -Look,

you can fire me, but I'm going to tell you what I think.

She's screwing everything up.

-Isabelle. -She's not creating a group,

they're a bunch of clowns. It's a freak show.

We'll entertain people for a few days, but then we won't have anyone.

They'll get bored.

Can you get out, please?

I'm not done. You can't judge unfinished work.

You've done a really good job so far, but it's all wrong.

What's wrong with my cast?

Do they shock you? Are they unsettling?

No, but I know the guys at M6, I can't give them this.

I can't.

You can't give this to M6?

This is censorship!

Don't be like that!

I know what censorship is!

I asked you to create a group, not a catalog.

Isabelle, just in time.

You're back in charge. I need your casting tomorrow morning.

Are you firing me?

We'll talk about it later.

And Philippe?

Forget about him. I'll meet Chaunac at 10:00 a.m.

Good luck.

Isabelle! The show's survival depends on it.

A human being is like a car.

If you don't give it some fuel, it won't move.

Listen to me, Mélanie, Lola. She's always right.

I know that, Miss Lola.

Isabelle, it's Dad.

Your mother has told me about your project.

Can you give me more information?

I have a lot of books on sociology.

I'd love to talk about your serial.

Love you.

No one says "serial," Dad.

-You were amazing. -So, have we earned our kiss?

Yes, we have.

-Yes? -Elena, is this a bad time?

I'm with friends, you have two minutes.

I think I've got it. We've been doing this the wrong way.

-"We?" -I thought "group," and you "charisma."

We're not making any progress. We need to know what we're looking for.

What do you mean?

We don't want charisma, we want characters.

-What do you mean? -Like in a serial.

We'll write the characters we'd like to see in a show.

Ones who will get along, ones who will fight,

they need to be relatable.

We have to want to follow them for 11 weeks.

We'll cast them like actors.

Then we'll throw away the script and let them improvise.

What do we want to see?

Something that reflects us.

A little lazy and a little Movida.

That's a good pitch, right?

Yes, it is.

Okay, let's get to work. We have less than an hour.

Let's imagine a girl. who comes from a good family.

Yes, a daddy's girl.

Yes, she wants to be a lawyer.

But she failed her first year because she partied too much.

Yeah.

-The middle-class party girl. -Eso.

-Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. -I love it.

I have a lot like that, I'll get them.

Put them next to Ross from Friends.

-Who? -The sexy nerd.

There.

Okay, let me see...

There's still a girl missing.

The femme fatale, like in Basic Instinct?

No, not relatable.

I have a character.

Okay, let's hear it.

A bimbo with a big heart.

Like Marilyn, but more shy

and from Nice.

Mama, the kind-hearted ficus is back...

She's not the chattiest,

but this girl has something.

She's struggling to make a life for herself.

That's relatable.

That's not bad.

So, for the 11 architypes,

we have a candidate and a replacement.

All we need is for M6 to approve,

then we'll bring them to Paris for their medicals,

and psych tests with Burlet.

I like that.

Fuck.

Great, because I can see a love story between Aziz and Kenza.

Okay, so the only Arab says something racist.

I love that, "love story."

"Loft Story."

"Loft Story."

M6 SHARES STILL FALLING

My name is Jean-Édouard, I'm 20 years old,

I'm studying Communications.

At the same time,

I'm a DJ, I work in a club.

Describe your ideal type.

Depends, there are girls

I can bang just for a night,

and girls for much longer, but...

Why do you want to be on the show?

I don't know, I mean...

At first, I thought it was just a normal game,

but when I saw that the questions were getting

more personal...

They're very young.

They're relatable for young people,

and the housewife will see her kids. Everyone will like it.

-Can I see the blonde girl again? -Sure.

-Isa, can you... -Sure.

-Loana. -I'll rewind.

It's coming.

-There. -Yes, hold on.

There.

The big winner.

If you had to bring someone down to win,

would you do it?

No, that's not who I am.

Can you show me something that you can do?

Like what?

-Singing. -No, I can't sing.

What about dancing?

What's he doing?

He needs a minute.

Is he calling someone?

The board of directors, perhaps.

Can I see Steevy again?

My name is Steevy...

I'm from the south of...

I have a brother and sister...

Stop everything.