Original subtitles

Look!

We're gonna hurt ourselves on this thing.

One, two, three, go!

OK, hold it there.

Wait, wait!

We're good, Ted. Ted, we're good. Let go!

- Under here... - OK, set it down.

- It's solid. - Yeah, that should hold.

Ted?

AND THE BIRDS RAINED DOWN

- Aunt Gertrude? - Steve.

Steve, yes.

- Gertrude. - Gertrude.

PSYCHIATRIC CARE

We're not going far. I'm right there.

OK.

Do you remember my father?

Paul? He was the youngest.

I'll miss him.

ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE REGION

Paul left us a few months ago.

He leaves behind his wife, Geneviève, his son, Steve...

his brothers and sisters, Théodore, Romain, Solange...

and Gertrude.

Dear friends, thank you for being here.

At the end, because of his illness...

Paul wasn't really there anymore.

His memory was gone.

Thank you for your support.

Thank you, Gertrude.

Thanks for coming all this way.

We're all very happy and very touched to meet you.

To Paul.

Gertrude? Is everything OK?

Do you have episodes like that often?

I'm not used to sleeping elsewhere.

It's never happened before.

Are you happy to get out of the residence?

I have my routine, I guess.

I had forgotten my brothers, my sister, their faces.

They're strangers now.

But I never forgot the forest, the lakes...

the wind...

the factory...

the smell of sulfur.

It's been over 60 years...

Sixty years?

...since I've been back here, in this town,

in this house.

The last time I was here, I was 16 years old.

My compass!

It's still here.

It's been hidden there for 60 years?

I dreamed of traveling...

and seeing the world.

But my father was very strict.

We weren't allowed to dream.

I never met him, but I heard he was tough.

The key to the shed where I did my experiments.

What did you do?

I predicted the future...

and talked to spirits.

That tree is magnificent.

Take care of yourself.

Firemen are fighting wildfires in the North.

Do you want me to turn off the music?

Leave it on, please.

PSYCHIATRIC CARE

No, I can't! I can't go back there!

I can't! Please!

What do you want?

The countryside. I want to see the countryside.

Everything burned. It was hell.

The deadliest fire the region had ever seen.

The whole family ran through the potato fields.

The lake was too far,

so we laid down in the ditch, our faces in the dirt.

My mother helped us by digging trenches.

But the smoke...

You all survived?

Except for my mother.

She laid over my youngest brother to protect him and...

It's better if you don't smile. It's...

Look out the window.

That's perfect.

The fire raged for days.

There were dead animals and bodies.

The sky...

was golden.

It looked like the world was ending

and God was coming for us.

Did you know Boychuck?

He's a legend!

He saw his parents and his five brothers and sisters

die of asphyxiation.

He walked for six days without stopping.

His body was ravaged. As if blinded.

They say he was walking in God's footsteps.

Does anyone know where he lives now?

I'm sure he's dead now.

I heard he was seen in the area.

At the Lebanese's hotel.

- What Lebanese? - There's no Lebanese.

My sister and I were waiting, our faces hidden in our scarves.

That's when something fell on my head.

With the lack of oxygen and the heat,

birds started falling.

The birds were dying in the sky

and falling on our heads.

Margie, my twin sister, and me, just before the Great Fires.

- There were only two of you? - No, there were seven of us.

But the two of us were always together.

She died last year.

You've never forgotten the Great Fires?

It's not the fire that haunts us. It's love.

You lost your sweetheart?

He survived.

He saved my sister and I from the flames.

He was heroic.

Did you see him again?

We wrote to each other, for a long time.

But he traveled all over the country. He went wherever there was work.

And I got married. My sister did too.

I had a good life, overall.

I was 40 the last time we saw each other.

Your photos are beautiful.

I really have to go, Mrs. Sullivan. I have a long drive ahead of me.

And Ted Boychuck? Has anyone seen him? Mrs. Polson?

Not recently. Some people think he's dead.

Others said they'd seen him near the Lebanese's hotel

but I didn't understand.

He must be dead.

The Lebanese's hotel!

They're talking about Hôtel du Ruisseau.

HÔTEL DU RUISSEAU escape into nature

So, this is where I work.

Hello!

Hello!

That's a lynx.

- Are those its real eyes? - No. They're glass.

I'll make you some tea. Something warm to relax.

This is all the reading material I could find.

They're old, but there are interesting articles and nice photos.

- A buck. - A buck.

A nice buck.

HUNTING AND FISHING TRAIL

It's best if you don't walk around in the hall,

in case someone shows up and starts asking questions.

What's with you? Don't you bark anymore?

Hey, big guy! Aren't you handsome?

Hello!

Do you have a room available?

Well, it depends on the number of people.

I'll have to check the calendar.

It depends.

Seriously?

People don't usually just show up.

- Are you the owner? - The manager.

The owner is Lebanese. He lives in the States.

His rich grandfather was sure the railroad would come here.

He called it the new Klondike.

But the railroad was never built,

so the luxury hotel never worked out.

- But you stayed? - I'm Steve.

Raf.

Rafaëlle.

It must get lonely here.

Not for everyone. I don't mind being alone.

No one to fight with.

Is Ted Boychuck as chatty as you?

I heard people say he lives in the woods.

Well, there's no Lebanese, no Boy-whatever.

There's Steve!

Steve who likes to watch relaxing movies!

Yeah.

So...

You're vacationing in the woods?

I'm on a contract, doing photography for a museum.

I'm interviewing the survivors of the Great Fires.

I'd really like to meet Ted Boychuck.

- You'll be looking for a while. - I've got time.

Your hotel smells like weed.

You should open a window before we go into a coma.

There are always hermits in the woods.

Hermits?

Well, hermits are hidden, by definition.

They don't want to be found. They don't want to live in our world.

But as a semi-hermit,

you must know where the other hermits are,

especially if one of them is a legend.

Yeah. I mean, there are hunting cabins around here.

But I wouldn't go into the woods if I were you. You'll get lost.

I like challenges.

After the river, turn right.

Drive 15 kilometers to Perfection Lake. You can't miss it.

It has green water, and it's perfectly round.

There's a rusty old headframe. Turn left and cross the bridge.

Don't take the side roads.

You'll scrap the underside of your car: muffler, suspension...

There's a stream that leads to a lake.

It's a dead-end road. You can't get lost.

At the end of the lake, there might be some cabins.

But...

those people don't like visitors.

Thanks.

Shit!

Like dropping the needle on a vintage LP

Yeah, well...

A lot of progress made, there's plenty of asphalt

I wonder who I'd be if I had just stayed here

Unbearable pain Where does the fault lie?

I couldn't stand seeing her with another guy

But it's all behind me now I'm a man once again

My heart is puffed up to see my old friends

Hello, you old Apaches! Hello, my old crew!

You find me the stash, and I'll get the brew

I love that song.

Hi beautiful!

I got lost. Dead end.

Then I heard a voice, and...

It's you, the voice.

- I see. Would you like a drink? - No, thank you.

- May I? - Sure.

- Are you OK?

- Can I do anything? - I'm all right.

I'm sorry.

- You OK? - Yeah.

I told you to stay inside.

She said she likes my voice.

Come on!

Do you often fall and hurt yourself?

If that's what it takes to be saved by a beautiful woman.

I've had worst. Some lasted for days.

One time, I fell into an ethylic coma in the middle of the night

in the forest.

You were dead. Or nearly.

But I'm sober now. Or nearly.

Charlie? Are you gonna die today?

If you put me through another night like that, maybe tomorrow.

But if it has to be tomorrow, I'd like it to be at sunset.

I've always wanted to die watching the sun set.

- At dusk, you mean? - That's right. At dusk.

But if it takes too long, I'll reschedule.

I don't want to die in the dark!

How did you find him?

Our dogs.

Do you work for the government or something?

No, I'm a photographer.

I'm looking for survivors of the Great Fires.

Mary Gyokery!

When she was younger,

I wouldn't have kicked her out of bed!

Samuel Dufaux.

He was saved by a dog swimming in the river during the fire.

Really?

He made a lot of money in the copper mines.

He drank his life away at the hotel where I played guitar.

What about Ted Boychuck? Was he a prospector?

Ted died, sweetheart.

Dead and buried. He died a beautiful death.

- What do you mean? - He died of old age.

- So it's just the two of you here? - And our dogs.

We don't exist for anyone.

I should get going.

Do you know your way around the woods?

Tom?

- What? - We're going.

- Where? - Home.

Come on!

Do you need help?

You can sleep here.

The couch is fine. Honestly.

To brush your teeth.

Thanks for the tea. And the hospitality.

Where's Boychuck's cabin?

I'd like to take pictures of it.

I won't say where you live. I promise.

I just find his story moving.

You don't know his story.

Ted didn't tell anyone his story.

Leave him alone.

We've got visitors, Chummy.

Watch your step. OK.

I need to... The bathroom?

It's just there. The little shack back there.

Hang on!

Oh yeah.

- Here, I'll help you. - No, I'm fine.

That's my aunt. She's my father's older sister.

I'm looking for a place to set her up.

Somewhere discreet. She has nowhere to go.

Impossible! A beautiful woman has always a place.

Well, sometimes, you don't have a choice.

Sometimes, you want to disappear

and never go back.

Yeah... I don't know.

I'll go...

Ted, I've got your food! And brushes and paint, Michelangelo!

Was it... planned?

No, he died a natural death.

- And Jack? - With his master, like he wanted.

He wanted a view of the lake.

Ted almost had a smile on his face when we found him.

That Ted!

He waited until he died to smile.

It was the dock.

That's what killed him. Damn dock!

It fell again? We're gonna have to brace it.

It wasn't the dock. His heart gave out.

It was the dock. He hadn't used his heart in a while.

It's so beautiful here.

When my father died, my mother found a letter in his things

that Gertrude had written him

when he was a teenager, or thereabouts.

She begged him to come and get her.

She said that her father, my grandfather,

had locked her up,

and that it was a mistake, that she didn't belong there.

She wrote to everyone: her brothers, her sister...

My mother had never heard of her until she read the letter.

My father and his family never talked about her.

That's revolting.

The only word for that is ‟revolting.”

So, my mother found her and invited her to the funeral,

as a way of apologizing for my father and his family.

A reunion after 60 years is strange.

It's too late.

And what does this have to do with us?

I was supposed to bring her back.

It's quite far from here.

But then...

she freaked out, and so did I.

What's your plan, Einstein?

We don't want any trouble.

If the police show up here, we'll end up in a home

or behind bars!

We don't exist for anyone, and we don't want to! Got it?

That's why I'm here!

We'll have to give you a name.

What do you want to be called in your new life?

We're not going to pretend you've spent your life in the forest.

We'll fix up Ted's cabin.

We'll spruce it up and insulate it a bit better.

Marie Desneige.

I'd like to be called Marie Desneige.

You've got anti-anxiety pills, sleeping pills...

Do you know the names of your medications?

I have some for panic attacks.

For sleeping. For blood pressure.

For iron. But I don't like the iron ones.

‟Two teaspoons lemon balm.

Two teaspoons passion flower.”

For you.

Are you fishing for an invitation?

You forgot to tell me there's a shortcut to get to the hermits.

What do you want?

I don't know. Watch a movie?

Could I have another blanket? I'm cold.

Yes, of course!

- Here. This should keep you warm. - Thank you.

- More tea? - Yes.

I'll bring it to your room.

A fur trader?

This is a hotel. We have guests sometimes.

It's not just you.

I'm going to make some tea.

Would my other guest like anything?

Some more popcorn.

And you.

- I'll put this here. - Perfect.

Your plan is ridiculous, Steve. Ridiculous!

She's not well! Listen to her sad song.

We'll end up killing her!

Let her live for once in her life.

Shut it, you damn philosopher. This is just temporary.

Her story's horrible, but she won't survive here!

This isn't a resort!

She's going through detox. That's for sure.

Damn pills. It's inhumane!

There you go.

We'll find you some warmer clothes for the woods.

I won't know what to do. I can't do anything.

I can't do much either, Auntie.

Thank you.

It's nothing.

Check her wood stove from time to time.

- It's not -30º C! - No, but we don't want to start a fire!

There are forest fires up north. Let's not add to them.

- How far north? - A ways. I'll look into it.

Chummy!

Come, Chummy! Come here, boy!

I'm not used to being alone...

to sleeping alone.

Well, that...

It takes time, I guess.

I've slept in dormitories my whole life...

or in shared rooms.

Tonight, I'm free for the first time in my life...

and I can't handle it.

But...

Why...

What did...

Why were you there?

No, I'm sorry.

You don't...

They stole my life from me.

This is hard. And it stinks!

Do you like doing this?

At first, Ted wanted to do it for his painting.

Yeah. With his animal hair brushes and his linen canvases...

And your booze, Tom.

Well, I don't understand.

I don't understand how intelligent, level-headed people

can spend their lives smoking this stuff, just to lose their minds!

I think it's stupid!

Would you like to bathe?

You take some sand and scrub.

Don't worry. I'm getting out. I won't look.

- I'm scared of the water. - It's not deep here.

There you go.

- A little mussel. - A little mussel!

I'm sorry.

I understand.

I performed rituals.

I pretended to see people's futures.

I changed my voice as if a higher being

was speaking through me.

Eventually, even I believed I was clairvoyant.

My mother took me to the doctor.

He said I had a rich imagination.

And I did like to break the rules.

My father was convinced I was possessed by the devil.

They had me committed when I was 16.

Once I was there, I panicked. I had episodes.

I would hit and bite.

I couldn't express myself. I was losing my mind.

They gave me shock treatments...

and strong medications.

They put me into comas.

By some miracle, I was spared a lobotomy.

I haven't had an episode in a long time.

Just a feeling...

of emptiness.

All that's left is emptiness...

right here in my belly.

Damn pills!

Is Charlie your real name?

It is now.

Marie Desneige suits you.

During winter, hares always come the same way

so they don't sink into the snow.

We follow their tracks to find their burrow.

Then we throw a little bomb in the burrow, and boom!

Rabbit stew!

- Stew? - That's right!

- What do we have here? - Jackpot!

You found something, Chummy!

That's a nice one.

Touch.

Look at the little tail.

- It's soft, huh? - Oh yes.

I can't stand it!

We have to keep her busy. Take her mind off things.

Yeah.

Can I have my stash, Charlie?

- I'm thirsty. I can't take it! - Tom, the rule.

Screw the rule! I made the rule!

It's my body, what's left of it.

So leave me be!

You wanted the rule!

I'm changing the rule. You understand?

Tom the man is changing the rule!

I didn't come to the woods

to get bossed around by a cancer survivor

or a nut who escaped asylum!

Act like an idiot if you want, but she never did anything to you!

Come here, Drink.

Come on.

Shit!

PLEASE CLEAN ROOM

Ange-Aimée?

Your hair reminds me of Ange-Aimée.

Who's Ange-Aimée?

She was the queen of our ward.

Everyone respected her. I was her chambermaid.

- Her chambermaid? - Yes. I did chores for her.

I made her bed, mended her clothes,

and in return, she protected me.

She would rock herself for a long time,

holding an invisible baby.

I rocked the baby a lot too,

the baby she lost.

Ted's workshop. He liked to paint.

- Ted Boychuck? - Yes.

- Did you know him? - No.

This is incredible.

The forest is everywhere.

It's like a whole world dissolving.

There are six of them in the house. Maybe more.

What house?

Maybe the red dots aren't flames,

but those who died.

Those who died?

The pink dot is an unborn baby in its mother's arms.

A tiny baby.

They're all dead.

Like me, a baby.

Like you?

How do you know all this, ma'am? Did someone tell you his story?

Call me Marie.

Where I'm from, I learned to observe people:

the things they say, the stories they tell, their thoughts.

His whole family died in a cellar. Did you know that?

‟Dear Margie...”

Ted wrote this letter to Margie.

‟Sometimes, often, constantly,

‟I feel as though my soul is torn, ravaged by darkness.

‟Maybe I'm haunted, or just somber. Haunted and somber.

‟And you're there, so full of light.

‟Your light attracts me, inspires me, transports me.

‟But this wall, this inability to choose

‟keeps holding me back, like a cruel fate.

‟Choosing means stopping. And I'm afraid to stop.

If I stop, I'll have to confront the emptiness inside me.”

My solitude has me at an impasse.

After all this time, leaving this state,

reappearing, re-emerging,

would require even more of an explanation to you and your sister,

and to myself,

than staying within it.

I'm alone, and it's completely unfair of me.

Because you're waiting for me.

So I had to write to you both

to tell you that I am alone

and that there's no other way.

I chose to be alone long ago so that I wouldn't suffer.

I wouldn't make that choice today.

But it's too late.

At least in this solitude,

I can love you both without having to choose.

That's what I have left.

Our cottage.

The water's nice! Come on in!

I never learned how to swim.

I'll teach you.

You'll sink in those clothes.

- OK? - Yes.

- You see? It's warm. - Yes.

It's soft on the feet. Like moss.

- It's nice! - Yeah.

Very nice.

Keep going.

Let go.

Go on.

Move your arms. That's it.

This is freedom.

Now your legs.

Yes! Just like a frog.

That's it. Go on.

Kick your feet. Come on!

Move your legs. Yes! That's it!

I was married. Two kids.

I worked at the post office. A decent life.

But I fled to cabins whenever I could.

I felt good, alone in the forest.

I always hated rules and compromise.

I always said I'd live in the woods when I retired.

And then I got sick.

The doctor found tumors.

He suggested chemo.

But hospitals, drugs...

I couldn't do it.

So I settled my affairs, the bank, the notary,

and I escaped to the woods.

I felt terrible doing that to my family, to my wife...

but I couldn't help it.

I was... I was like an animal.

Apparently, they weren't surprised that I went off to die.

That was over 15 years ago. And I'm not dead.

Over time, I told myself I'd been given a second chance at life,

and that I'd live that life the way I wanted.

And now?

Your life...

is it what you wanted?

I think so, yeah. Yes.

- I came to fix the dock. - Oh yeah? OK.

You're not gonna find a wife around here.

- You need to get out there. - Oh yeah?

You're pissing on your outhouse?

Nothing.

I thought we had a deal!

What? Are you gonna beat me with a crowbar?

Put that down! You don't live here.

- No one lives here anymore. - But it's Ted's.

Ted's dead. He can't feel or see anything.

And his paintings are incredible.

Look at this one.

You're so annoying.

And nosy.

When I was a kid,

I was convinced that people in Quebec and the US

lived on top of the Earth...

and the Chinese and Japanese lived upside down.

But it wasn't upside down to them since they had magnetic boots

or something that allowed them to walk on the street.

- And they'd fall off without the boots. - Yeah.

They'd land here, in North America, in Chinese restaurants.

That's what I used to think.

And I wondered what it was like to walk on Earth upside down.

We could go check it out, if you want.

You think they'd accept two specimens like us?

I fixed the dock! Yes, sir!

Watch Charlie. He's gonna freak out. He's already groaning.

It's busier here than at your hotel.

That's why he went to his cottage across the lake.

Now you can stretch out a bit.

Have a nap.

Read a book with a cup of tea. Relax.

Thank you!

And stretch your legs.

- Ted liked Chinese food, huh? - Yeah!

Chinese food makes you nostalgic, huh?

- Is she your girlfriend? - No.

Then what are you doing here?

I'm interested in Boychuck's story.

His paintings are beautiful.

Why are you so interested in Ted?

How did you get in there?

We have to show his work.

Come on, Einstein. Come help me!

Grab me a couple of planks.

- What are you gonna do with them? - Put them over the big window.

- They're wonderful. - Don't make me laugh.

Paintings with streaks the color of goose shit?

Is this your job?

Picking through dead people's lives?

The paintings are here.

They exist. We're not going to let them rot.

You had no business setting foot in his shed!

No one came in here. Not me, not Charlie!

Ted wanted the paintings to rot!

He made all these paintings because he had something to say.

Something to share! If it were me--

If he had something to say,

he would have done better than dark scribbles.

Why do you think he got the best paint

and went to the trouble of painting on linen?

Did you even try to find out where that darkness came from?

He wasn't out here to answer questions!

His entire past and his suffering are here.

Exactly! Why show it to the world?

Didn't anyone ever teach you respect?

He spent 20 years tearing his hair out

to give meaning to these blotches of color.

He clearly had a lot to say.

Too much to be said with words.

Why do you care so much? Don't you get it?

We don't exist for anyone else. So scram!

Jesus, Tom! Calm down!

You're just a stubborn old alcoholic!

- OK. You all right? - Yes.

Polson...

The Polson twins.

Ted and a Polson?

Ted exaggerated a bit. Her hair wasn't that long, but...

The yellow represents love.

This woman is in love.

That woman wants to bring Ted into the world.

He chose to live here in his hiding spot.

He didn't want to go back to the world. And neither do Tom and I.

Maybe he didn't know how.

I'm going to put another log in the fire.

It's warm in here.

It's true. It is warm.

You've taught me more about Ted...

than all the years I spent with him in the woods.

Ted never talked about his love life.

Where I'm from, if someone's suffering is too great,

if there are too many horrible images in their head,

there's no room for anything else.

Maybe Ted wasn't capable of love anymore.

‟I haven't heard from you in a long time.

‟My previous letters have gone unanswered.

‟I'm worried about your health, about your life.

‟My sister heard you were living up north,

‟in the land that you love so much.

‟My dear Ted, life goes on here. The kids are growing up.

‟And yet, there's an emptiness in me.

‟An emptiness that weighs on me.

‟Life passes, but you're the one I'm waiting for,

‟and I'll wait forever.

Your angel, Angie Polson.”

You know it by heart?

I used to work for the post office.

A lot of people worked on contract. They moved often.

Their mail would come back to us.

So...

I started reading some in secret.

I'd return them if I'd found their addresses.

And I stumbled upon Ted Boychuck's correspondences

with the Polson sisters.

‟Theodore Boychuck, general delivery.” It's written on the envelope.

I was fascinated by their story, their impossible love.

Then Ted Boychuck disappeared. No more letters.

Later on, for the archives,

the museum was given letters for people who disappeared in the Fires.

- How many paintings did you get? - A lot.

We have to save them and show them.

Who would be interested in paintings by an unknown dead hermit?

We would.

They're closer than usual.

They're still quite far away.

I bet they're evacuating. We should probably go.

No, the rain is coming. We'll be fine.

That's called beginner's luck!

No, go for it! You can do it! Hold on tight.

- Like this? It's pulling! - That's it! Reel it in!

That's it! That's good!

- My first fish! - Yes, you got it!

A damn fine steak!

It's small, but you can still eat it.

We won't get a meal of it, though!

Go on, kick your legs. Yes, kick your legs.

That's it!

Again!

Would you like some tea? Steve's herbal tea?

Your hand.

- Your hand! - What?

Is that where it hurts?

We'll sing when the cherries bloom

The nightingale and mockingbird

Will celebrate

The ladies will be filled with folly

And lovers' hearts light and jolly

We'll sing when the cherries bloom

And hear the call of the mockingbird

There.

It was the end of summer

But the sun was weighing down

On our bustling bodies

I happen to run a hotel.

As long as I'm not told to evacuate, I keep an eye out.

Look, they won't leave you in the woods.

The forest rangers are checking all the hunting camps.

We don't exist for anyone.

It's not hard to spot your pot plants from a helicopter!

- What? - No. Nothing.

Mike is a good customer. He wouldn't say anything.

He wouldn't? Goddammit!

It'll be fine. Where would we go? Do you feel like moving?

I've been on the road before.

I've seen plenty of cities and towns, and my fair share of women.

But my body is as ravaged as a minefield.

Tom the man is tired.

Have you ever been to Asia?

Yeah.

The women are beautiful there, let me tell you.

I've never left here,

aside from doing my biology degree in Quebec City.

What are you waiting for, Steve?

What are you doing in the woods with a university degree?

I miss that.

- Women? - No!

Singing. Performing.

The adrenaline. The audience.

But as you can see, that life almost killed me.

Someone should tell her not to get stuck in these bars.

Not to become a Tom.

That's from the baby.

You had a baby?

- A boy or a girl? - I don't know. They didn't tell me.

Did you ever have more?

No. With the caesarean, they also did a hysterectomy.

I've never had this before.

Caresses, kisses...

What about the first time?

There was other stuff,

but it was always very quick.

In a stairwell, behind a door,

behind a hedge, my skirt pulled up,

with another resident or an attendant, depending.

But it didn't do anything for me.

I'm not complaining.

I always liked the ‟bidiwiwi.”

- The ‟bidiwiwi”? - We didn't have any other name for it.

But I've never been caressed. I've never been kissed.

- This was your first kiss? - This was my first kiss.

And it was better than I ever could have imagined!

I'll give you all the kisses you want.

All the kisses you never had.

Millions of kisses.

I thought I'd never kiss another woman for the rest of my life.

A beautiful woman, no less.

The...

the jar of cyanide...

whose idea was that?

Mine.

When I was sick, and I finally chose this life...

I also wanted to choose how I would die.

Tom and Ted were on board.

We chose this life,

and we would choose when we would die...

if things didn't go our way.

- I hope we live for a long time. - We will.

This is my first chance at life.

I want to live it.

And as long as we're both alive...

let's not touch the jar, OK?

I promise.

As long as we choose our life.

For your first chance at life...

what more do you want?

I'd like to see a car drive by from time to time.

OK, Tom. We'll keep an eye on things.

Yep. Take care, buddy.

Yeah. You too.

Hi there, Drink!

The police and the rangers are making rounds.

They spoke with Mike at the bar yesterday.

The fires are getting closer.

Oh yeah?

How long until they get here? How many kilometers?

I don't know exactly, but they were saying close by.

The problem is that they're popping all over the place.

Yeah.

If the provincial police and forest rangers come here,

they're gonna want us on the front page of the newspaper.

Two old kidnappers, weed growers,

one alcoholic and one back from the dead!

And I don't trust that bartender. He likes me too much.

What does he have to do with it?

He's one of Steve's customers. And he has a big mouth.

Hey, JF!

What's up?

It doesn't look good. The fires are gaining ground.

We're telling residents to take preventive measures.

We heard you know people who live in the woods.

I don't know.

There are a lot of people in the woods around here.

Do you know Tom Aylwin?

Just a little. He's a lone wolf.

Social Services have been looking for him for years.

Is he involved in your cannabis operation?

What?

Our sources have confirmed

that you illegally grow and sell cannabis.

I already have a job. I'm the manager here.

I understand. That's fine.

If you cooperate, you won't have any trouble.

Go on. It'll do you good.

I can't take another winter.

Last year, it was pneumonia. I was stuck in bed for two months.

I can't take anymore.

Yep...

Drink! Come here, boy!

Come on! Come!

You shouldn't do it in the same...

It's settled, Charlie.

It's settled.

Don't forget,

a pinch for you...

and twice as much for the dog, otherwise...

I have class.

Especially in front of a lady.

Here you go, boy.

Goodbye, lovebirds!

Steve?

WE'RE DUE FOR A MOVIE.

‟And the birds rained down.”

AND THE BIRDS RAINED DOWN

PAINTINGS BY TED BOYCHUCK PHOTOS BY RAFAËLLE MARTINEZ

Chummy! You went cherry picking?

Should we make some jam?

I'll do one more for the road.

This one's for Ted and Charlie.

When you die of our love

I'll go planting in the garden

A flower that blooms in the morning

Half metal, half paper

To cut my foot with its petal

Die a death that's gentle and slow

So a flower may grow

When you die of our love

I will write two great tomes

That we'll use as headstones

And there I will lay

For I'll die the same day

Die a death that's tender

As you await their splendor

Translation by Joshua Beitel