Original subtitles

I'll be in the capsule

and we'll hook up to the Station.

Thing is, it goes round at 28,000 km/h.

Super fast.

When do you float?

In the capsule, you leave the atmosphere...

On the other side,

you're in zero gravity.

So you float.

Look, now.

That's ok.

Turn round, darling.

Did you see how big my newts have grown?

One's a really yellow yellow.

They have all their little legs, tails and stuff.

- They need to go back in the pond soon. - I know.

Mummy?

Will you die before me?

Parents die before their children. It's perfectly normal.

Don't worry, I don't plan on dying anytime soon.

I want to have five children.

Isn't five a bit excessive?

I'll be a really good mother.

You'd better be, with five.

First stage separation.

Second stage separation.

Don't switch the light off.

Laika!

Come here, sweetie.

Let's give you some dinner.

Look.

- How are you, Sarah? - Great.

- Is Thomas in? - That way.

Thanks.

What's going on? What brings you here?

Can we grab a coffee?

I know what you have to say.

If I cancel Stella, not at the last minute.

I explained and she totally understood.

- When I can, I'll take her for a weekend. - That's not it.

You're flying?

Yes!

You can't do weekends, so I wonder.

- I told you, work is crazy. - This is different.

If she changes schools, too, she needs looking after.

As if I don't look after her.

- I didn't say that. - It's exactly what you said.

That I can't look after her.

You didn't come to negotiate.

You came to tell me I have to take her.

So don't go saying I don't look after her.

If I couldn't do it, you wouldn't go?

Please.

You have to think of our sponsors.

Maybe up your PR game.

Excuse me, I'll be right back. Two minutes.

Dragging on, isn't it?

Why not play with the others?

With Mike's children?

Sarah!

Come eat.

Bon appétit!

Coming.

What are you doing? I looked all over for you.

Are we going?

Yes, let's escape here.

Don't go worrying about me.

All right?

Sarah, come in.

- Want some candy? - No, thanks.

My name's Wendy.

I asked to see you today

'cause we'll be very close in upcoming months.

I'm here to look after you on trips,

when you visit your mother,

and also organising stuff for when Mummy's not here.

And I'll need to meet the father. He's familiar with the field, I believe?

Yes, he works for the Agency.

- He's an astrophysicist? - Yes.

So everything's going ok

at school?

Yes?

I am dyslexic,

dyscalculic and dysorthographic.

But she gets by just fine.

You like my bear, do you?

Your favourite animal?

The wolf.

Gosh, that's scary, isn't it?

Stella...

You know, in one week, your mother leaves for Russia.

Star City, which is for astronauts only.

It's pretty far, one hour from Moscow, but it's on Earth.

After that, she goes to Baikonur, in Kazakhstan.

I already explained.

Yes, but it's procedure.

Just before liftoff, your mother goes into quarantine.

So she doesn't pick up any germs.

It's a sterile environment, where you can't go.

You have any questions?

No.

You knew your mother would go away one day?

Yes.

You thought about it sometimes?

No.

Not really.

Now, what do you think about it?

It scares you a lot? A bit?

It's only normal, you know.

Scares me a bit.

Look, we need a minute.

Come outside with me.

Wait there for me. I'll be right back.

To you it may seem normal,

but it's not exactly like you're going on a business trip.

See what I mean? You're...

leaving Earth.

And the liftoff is...

For her, it's like you're strapped to a bomb.

- I'll be going. - No, I haven't finished.

What have you decided if something happens to her?

- In what way? - Do you want to know or not?

Of course.

You'll need to sign the form.

Can we do that later?

We can.

Thanks.

Are you ok?

It'll all be fine.

It'll be fine.

What about the cat?

The cat?

Daddy's allergic to her.

No, he's not allergic to her.

He is allergic to her.

Besides, she won't like it in Darmstadt.

Why?

I know she won't.

She doesn't like change. She's used to being here.

Don't worry about the cat.

Will you cry if you miss me lots?

Sure, of course.

But crying up there, tears don't flow.

They form a ball on your cheek.

How are the newts?

They look happy.

Can we put them in here?

Yes.

Goodbye.

Where are they?

I can't see them.

There's one, there!

Goodbye!

Find yourself a nice, new home. A really big one.

There, too!

Goodbye! Find a beautiful home.

And a really big one, too.

If I have a problem, you can't look after me.

You won't have a problem. Daddy's here to look after you.

With him, it's not the same though.

- Then do some drawings. - Yes.

With houses and skyscrapers.

Hello. Anna Dmitrievna, Mir TV.

I'm so sorry.

- Have you been waiting long? - 45 minutes.

I forgot, and the lift's out of order again.

Sorry, but can you wear your blue astronaut suit?

So it looks more astronauty.

Who are they?

Journalists. Here to ask me questions.

- Really? - But not for long.

How long will it take?

Don't worry, 15 minutes at the most.

I hope they won't gobble me up.

- Are we ready? - We're good.

- Can we start? - Yes.

Can you tell us how you got here?

About to take off into space?

I always wanted to be an astronaut.

Even as a child.

I didn't see the first steps on the moon. I'm the Mars generation.

One year away is a lot.

Roughly the time it will take to reach Mars.

Those astronauts will be the first to lose sight of Earth.

On the Station, we'll practice for that.

Shuttering the windows to cut ourselves off from Earth.

Laika...

Don't worry.

I'm with you.

Thanks.

Here.

See? I made an effort.

The room looks great.

What's that?

Her telescope.

A Skywatcher, right?

Great.

What can you see with this? Saturn and Mars?

Like Mummy?

Can I get you a coffee?

The medicine bag.

I'm scared her new school will keep her back a year.

They won't.

They might.

She really struggles in maths.

Most likely, your explanations are too complicated.

It's funny her being terrible at maths.

Maybe she's not mine.

What?

Lost your sense of humour?

Why do you insist on her being normal?

As if we were.

- She needs to practice with tokens. - With what?

Laika?

Come here.

C'mon! Come on now.

Come on, don't worry.

One of them gives the time on Earth.

This one here.

And this is my Mars watch.

So I know when it's bedtime for folks on Mars.

You didn't tell me what you're working on.

Mars. As ever.

Analysing rocks from the latest sample returns.

It looks like we'll have funds to send a probe to Venus.

What are you talking about?

I'm always one planet ahead of your mother.

That really annoys her.

Mars is

all done.

It's history.

And you? How's it going?

Good.

The PR guy is on my case about doing stuff on social media.

And writing a blog.

If in doubt, post a photo of your meal.

People love that for some reason.

What?

Just take a photo of your meal.

Toss it out there with a caption like...

Dinner at Chao Li. Hashtag yummy!

Hashtag I love family life.

Come on, let's take a photo.

Closer together.

More!

Hold on.

I'll get her to sleep, then I'll go.

Your glass of water's here.

Where's Laika?

Hiding in the living room. I checked, she's fine.

Are you sure?

Yes.

Daddy gave her some food and she ate it.

She's fine.

Where's your t-shirt?

Here.

Don't switch off the light.

See you in three weeks.

Try to sleep.

It's all good.

We're so modern.

Getting it all done with laughs and smiles.

You maybe need to press the button.

Goodbye.

STAR CITY

So, the building has three floors.

First floor, Russians.

Second floor, Americans.

And third floor, Europeans and Japanese.

There we go.

Let me.

Your room's at the far end.

There aren't many women who have come here.

You should be proud of yourself.

I am proud.

Our hall of fame...

Tereshkova! I gave a talk on her in school.

Yes...

Do you know, I actually met her?

She was right here, like you today.

They named a crater on the dark side of the moon after her.

I wish the same for you.

But on the near side.

You know what she said before she flew?

She did her eye makeup.

And she said, I want to be beautiful for the stars!

So, this is you.

Bedroom,

kitchen, bathroom...

The usual schedule is tough.

But you have lots to catch up as well.

- I can't wait. - You'll be fine.

You look solid.

You'll see, I left you some apples.

From my garden.

I'll get you some extra sheets.

Can I go now?

What did you decide about menstruation?

To keep it.

Sure? You know the constraints?

I'm fine with it.

It's up to you. Just some things are more practical up there.

Like short hair.

I'll ask them to include tampons in your hygiene kit.

To be deducted from your baggage quota.

I'll tell her.

She's asleep. She was tired.

She had a bad day at school today.

She was all alone at lunchtime.

Tomorrow will be better, I guess.

It'll work itself out.

Just a minute.

Hey.

I'm Anton.

Hi.

- You just arrived? - Yes.

It's great to meet you.

A pleasure to meet you, too.

He never answers. Let's go in.

Come in, sit down.

Sarah, this is Sasha.

How about that, guys? A girl, at last.

Guys, great team spirit you have.

You're gonna have fun up there.

7G.

Sarah, take you up to 8G?

Affirmative.

She's resisting well. Heart rate very stable.

Up another notch?

Approaching 8G, Sarah.

We stop there?

No.

I'm good.

We're at 9G.

Keep your ribcage strong.

We need to stop. It's dangerous for her now.

Cut power.

- Made any new friends? - Not really.

You will. Just be patient.

Sometimes, the nice people aren't the ones you see first.

Nobody even talks to me.

Don't worry, you'll get to know them.

Stella? Can you hear me?

No, it's me. She's gone.

What's going on? Is she ok?

The standard's higher than in Cologne. She's struggling.

And you, all good?

Yeah, I'm good.

Stella sounded funny. What's going on?

She's running a slight fever.

We'll go to the doc if it's not better tomorrow.

Today we're trying out a new exercise.

We'll be working on this new lock bag.

Please, everyone, listen carefully.

I need your full attention.

Sarah, you're late.

You're off training today.

Sorry?

It's on my schedule.

Here, I decide the schedules.

You can go.

I'll talk you through it.

Equipment in position on 22-10.

Doing great, Sarah. You've made up the lost time.

Can you hear me?

Mummy!

I don't get maths.

Don't cry, tell me.

My multiplications for tomorrow. I don't understand.

Daddy isn't home?

No, he said he'd be home later.

Where are you?

In my bedroom.

Don't worry.

You know what happens. If you panic, it's worse.

But if you focus, you can do it.

Mummy, I miss you.

I miss you, too.

It's no big deal.

There's no big deal.

Yes.

I'll see you in two short weeks.

Mummy...

Goodnight. All my love and kisses.

All good, keep going.

We can start if you're ready.

Recovery scenario.

Sarah, you're repairing B panel when the Station informs you

Mike is out cold and you must bring him in from A panel.

Affirmative.

Mike, you're going to play dead

until she gets you back to the airlock.

Got it.

Mike is running short of oxygen.

Let's go!

Three minutes!

Sarah, let's move it.

Sarah, faster.

One minute left, Sarah!

Thirty seconds!

Twenty!

Ten!

Five!

50 days to liftoff.

I run 15 km every day.

My visual acuity is 20/20.

My heart rate is 53 beats per minute at rest,

and never exceeds 160 beats after effort.

I practice seeing the world upside down,

being part of a story set in inverted gravity.

I read books upside down and stories from end to beginning.

I'm not being too rough?

No, it's ok.

I pay attention to all the things we live with.

The scent of people around us.

The taste of what we eat.

As if for the last time.

Today, they're making a mould for my seat

in the Soyuz capsule.

In space, I won't weigh anything, I won't sweat anymore.

My tears won't flow anymore.

I will grow by 5-10 centimetres.

My cells will age 40 years in 6 months.

My retina will be impaired.

I'm becoming a space person.

"I'm becoming a space person.

"I let space invade me.

"Today is airlock day,

"an experiment

"that we'll have to do aboard the Station

"to measure the degree

"of irritation of our lungs

"due to space dust.

"We will conduct the experiment

"while in a state of hypoxia."

Daddy?

What's that?

What?

That.

Hypoxia.

It shows up a deficiency like...

Not enough oxygen in body tissue.

Is it bad?

Not really, it depends, actually...

It's like when you go hiking on a really high mountain.

Don't think about it 'cause Mummy...

She loves that stuff. She's made for it.

When will I see you?

Just one more week.

I'm going camping in the forest.

Maybe I'll hear wolves tonight.

You hang up first or me?

It's up to you.

Let's count down and hang up together.

All right.

5...

4...

- Sarah, do you read me? - Yes.

Crew all good?

Is the crew all good?

Yes.

None can untie an untethered boat

Nor hear the shadow in fur boots

Nor conquer the fear gnawing at life

All that we have left are kisses

As downy as the fluttering bees

That perish barely after leaving the hive

Beautiful!

Me?

Yes, mister.

I've been assigned training on Saturday.

You said we'd do something together.

I know.

A promise is a promise.

Look, I'll try to find a solution.

Can you hear me?

Good morning.

Welcome!

Can I see some ID, please?

Where's Mummy?

Mummy's training. I'll take you to see her.

You had a good trip?

Just sign here, please.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Bye. Thank you very much.

Goodbye, miss!

Goodbye.

You're disappointed she's not here to pick you up?

Of course, but it's no big deal.

Stella, come here.

It's beginning. Watch!

See?

What's it for? In case there's a problem?

Exactly. So that there's no problem when they splash down.

There. You see?

- Is that her? - Yes.

See, she came out first.

She came out first?

Now she's helping the other two.

Stella!

Sweetheart, aren't you beautiful!

You're dripping wet.

It's hot in here.

Hold on, let me catch my breath.

Here...

It's beautiful.

I'll be back to pick her up at 4.

She's staying with me tonight.

What about the debrief?

She can come along.

You know that's not in the protocol.

Children are banned from debriefs.

Let's change it up for once.

In that case...

Can we go to see your rocket before liftoff?

I promise.

- I need to go. - One minute!

Just one minute.

You're shivering already.

All right, one minute.

It never stops.

I really need to go. Come on, quickly!

Ok, going back to technical issues.

You scared me!

Come on...

Go!

Sarah...

They want you for night exercises.

I'll take her to the hotel.

Come on now.

I want to stay with Wendy.

Already?

She just nodded off.

She was sad, so I stayed for a hug.

And I fell asleep.

She's a real chatterbox.

Yes.

She's so funny about her sweetheart.

Her sweetheart?

She's not sure how to approach him.

She asked me for advice.

Apparently, his brother is deaf.

They talk in sign language, so she picked up a few signs.

- Really? - Yes.

I'll come get her tomorrow morning?

Yes.

We can't miss the flight.

She nearly didn't make the outward flight with her father.

Sorry to bring this up again now,

but you really need to sign the form.

I'll leave it on the desk.

You can get it back to me tomorrow.

See you tomorrow.

Thanks.

No, it was a pleasure.

Goodbye.

Mummy, wake up.

Wake up, Mummy.

Come on, let's go, we'll miss your flight.

She's tired. Let her sleep.

She has lots more training today.

Keep going.

Good work, Mike.

Sarah, your heart rate's too high.

You shouldn't go over 180 bpm.

It's not normal for it to be infected.

I'll put a clean dressing on but you need to be careful.

It really needs to heal now.

Up a bit.

Up.

Back down.

She's not here.

And you, all ok?

I'm ok.

You sound funny.

No, I'm fine. It's just...

I have a wound that won't heal for some reason.

How come?

I can't take any more.

It's too hard.

Maybe it's best if we don't call each other too much.

It's tricky.

I need to be totally focussed.

True.

I need to stop myself.

All astronauts write letters to their children before leaving.

I start mine over every day.

After training, I watch kids hanging out in the park.

I often feel like I see you with them.

What are you up to now?

I asked Thomas to send more photos of you.

Reception's not great here. It can take all day to open one.

I think of all that you're learning without me.

I hear you're studying Ulysses and the Odyssey.

Can you plait your hair now?

Do you still sleep with the light on?

I've trained for so long to leave Earth,

and now it's time to go,

I never felt so attached to it.

Very good!

Hello!

What are you doing?

We saw you. Stop hiding!

Come and play out with us.

Watch out, it's crucial you tether

to separate bars.

Sarah, protocol infringement.

Next error, you come back up.

Sarah, do you read me?

Code 502.

I repeat, code 502.

What's going on with her?

She hasn't eaten.

Jurgen!

Take her place for the exercise.

Is it serious?

Just a fracture. She's in plaster.

Put her on.

Can you call later?

No, I can't later. Please.

We're not at your beck-and-call.

Stella, come here. It's Mummy.

Three weeks with a pot, what a drag.

No, it doesn't hurt anymore, but my bike's broken.

You speak German to me now?

Stop it, please. Speak to me in French.

No.

T minus 12.

Last days on Earth before leaving the planet.

Anton said he had some recording to do.

Sounds of the forest and rain.

It's what he missed most up there.

He even stuck pictures of forests in the Station.

Spring, summer, autumn, winter.

You know, up there, none of that exists.

Nor the feeling of wind on your skin.

Nor rays of sunshine on your hair.

We spin so fast around the Earth

that I'll see 16 sunsets every day.

I'll think of your question when you were little...

When the sun goes to bed,

is anyone there to tell it a story?

We're allowed to take objects with us that fit in a shoebox.

As long as the total weight is less than 1.5 kg.

My whole life on Earth must fit in that shoebox.

What would you take, Stella?

BAIKONUR

Everybody, on three, give them a big cheer.

Sorry. Yes?

They missed their flight in Frankfurt.

They tried to catch the next one, but everything's booked up.

They're back in Cologne.

They won't make it. You won't see her before you're in quarantine.

I'm sorry.

Hi.

So, good to go?

Quit working.

You're good to go. You'll see.

You know more than you'll need up there.

Believe me.

We all prepare for leaving but that's not the hard part.

The hard part is coming back.

When you realise that life goes on without you.

That's my new bicycle.

That's a poster of horses.

That's another poster, with only one horse.

A Frenchwoman in Space

That's you.

And that's me.

That's by a friend. She drew me a beautiful wolf.

And that's my plaster.

I like it a lot.

All my friends wrote on it.

The journalists are here.

Come on in.

Super awesome!

So Stella's taking her medical.

She'll be here shortly.

All good?

Yes.

You ok?

Yes.

You have a good trip?

- Did you have a good trip? - Yes.

We're in the hotel across the street.

We met Mike's wife.

Naomi, I think.

Hold on, I can't hear you.

You hear me?

Yes.

You settled in ok?

What's your room like?

She was super happy 'cause there's a pool in the hotel.

Great.

I'll leave you two.

Sit down here.

I'll wait for you outside.

All right?

Yes.

- Your arm too? - Yes.

Usually, you're more talkative.

It feels weird seeing you behind this glass.

I know. It feels weird.

Tell me something.

I don't know what to say.

It's weird.

I didn't imagine it like this either.

Say something, sweetheart. Tell me something about you.

I missed you so much.

I got an A in maths.

No! You're making it up.

I did, honestly.

You're leaving tomorrow night?

Yes. Just one more night here.

Just one night isn't a lot.

No, it's not a lot.

Come on, come closer to the window.

We didn't go to see the rocket, after all.

The rocket.

You promised we'd go and see it together.

Yes, I remember we said that.

It doesn't matter, Mummy.

Maybe go and find Daddy now.

Goodbye, Mummy.

What are you doing here?

Why are you out?

Wake up.

It's me.

Come on.

What are you doing?

Wait here for us. I'll pay more.

Ok.

I'll go now.

Mummy!

Copy that.

Helmets shut. Ready for liftoff.

Copy.

Copy.

Subtitles: Simon John

Subtitling: HIVENTY