Original subtitles

Downloaded from YTS.MX

Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX

This film was restored with the support of the CNC

and in collaboration with the Cinémathèque française.

Original film score by ROCH HAVET

BANNEC. On this island where winter storms wipe out all forms of life,

four men in two teams come and spend the summer in isolation to collect seaweed.

"There should be one or two bottles left in my trunk. If you want to share a toast."

"You broke my last bottle of plonk! At least give me my knife back!"

Burning seaweed has its secrets.

Each seaweed collector builds his fire his own way.

Some seaweeds produce ashes which are richer in soda

and which sell to the factories on the coast for up to 2,000 francs a ton.

There is no spring on Bannec.

The only cistern which collects rainwater is a constant worry to the four solitary men.

At daybreak, when the tide is low, Ambroise starts his gathering

at one of those thousands of reefs that make the sea so dangerous here.

This morning, Ambroise's arm feels weak and has none of the usual skill.

Jean-Marie, on the other hand, is already back with a huge crop.

The seaweed is spread out and partly dried in the sun before being burned.

The harvest season only lasts 3 months. Ambroise's companion is worried.

This laziness must come to an end!

The drought continues and the water in the cistern sinks to an alarming level.

With evening comes some rest.

"Are you mad? You use drinking water to wash your hands?

You think you can get away with such girlish behaviour here?"

"As you let me down and went to work for Jean-Marie, he'll have to feed you!"

Feverish and helpless, Ambroise considers going back to his home at Ouessant,

where there is a doctor.

Ambroise gathers all his force to raise the sail with his only working arm.

But the dead calm makes the crossing impossible without rowing.

Ouessant, which is separated from Bannec by the difficult Fromveur passage,

is the biggest and mildest of the islands in the archipelago.

Jean-Marie's mother would never have dared to put on her headdress again

if she had missed the daily mass.

But she was on very bad terms with her neighbour, Ambroise's mother.

Malgorn, one of the Menn-Tenn-Sell lighthouse keepers,

finally has his turn of ten days to spend on land.

"Something's strange on Bannec. Only one oven smoking in the last two days.

Today neither of the two boats went out."

The devoted doctor Lesenn, despite his age

is the youngest islanders' best friend.

The locals all have a deep affection for him,

based on respect and gratitude.

The lighthouse keeper of Stiff, which lies north-east of the island, agrees:

"There is surely something strange going on on Bannec."

Faced with maritime inscription, this people consisting of widows, orphans,

parents who lost their sons, is swift to react.

The name of Bannec is whispered.

The alarm goes out...

Mothers, daughters, seamen's wives, the Ouessant women are fearful.

They try to see Bannec...

"Doctor Lesenn! He's the only person who..."

"Yes, it's disquieting. As soon as the tide allows, I'll try to get to Bannec."

"Ambroise! I found my knife! Ambroise, we were wrong...listen!"

"Pierre, we can't just sit and watch him suffer like this.

We must get him to Ouessant."

"I'm not against it. But we cannot cross

the Fromveur in this dead calm.

Even with four men rowing we won't manage."

"Come on my good people, we need another sailor to get to Bannec.

Not a soldier, but a real sailor!"

The fog, the most dangerous of enemies...

The semaphore flag signals variable wind.

At daybreak.

But on the other side of the island, an old man is sick

and calling for help from the good doctor.

THE END

4K restoration from the nitrate camera negative preserved by Cinémathèque française.

Restoration work carried out by L'lmage Retrouvée in 2019.

Subtitling: L'lmmagine Ritrovata, Bologna Translation: Rosi Jillet