Original subtitles

The Girl Without Hands.

Are you that hungry?

Have you no bread?

I have neither bread nor water.

My purse is as dry as the river.

I can fill your purse if you give me what's behind your mill.

MY apple tree?

What is behind your mill.

Without my apples, I'll have no food.

Why live on apples when you are rich?

If you're thirsty for wealth,

well then...

drink.

Water...

No.

Gold.

How did it happen?

I don't know.

There was a gust of wind.

And where's your father?

He took his axe into the forest.

All this gold...

Our life is going to change.

Run and tell your father.

This gold is so shiny...

yet it seems so dirty.

Dad!

Look, look! The water has come back.

It's not water.

We're rich forever!

What's behind your mill? What's behind it?

Yes, why eat apples when we're rich?!

Your daughter was there.

- My daughter? - Yes, your daughter.

In that tree you sold so dearly.

My daughter...

She was sold, too.

Your new room's ready. Come on.

My destiny is tied up with this tree. I won't leave it.

Come have a look anyway!

Come on.

I made it for you.

Look.

Look how it shines!

It's your room.

You'll be fine here.

Just fine, you'll see.

I'm the master of the house. And you?

Remember the pact in the forest?

Isn't that gold refreshing?

It is.

I'm delighted.

I've come for my dues.

It won't take long.

She's too clean.

I can't take her.

Stop her washing, you hear?

Like that gold, I want her dirty.

See you soon.

If you want to keep your gold,

do what's necessary.

How can you give away your own daughter?

I gave my word.

We received what we were promised. We'll lose it all.

We were poor for so many years.

She'll be well treated.

Well treated!

By that devil?

Oh, don't exaggerate.

That gold has changed you.

Give it back.

We were poor, but it wouldn't have lasted.

The water would have come back.

Give it back.

There's nothing I can do.

It's you.

So you say.

My wife died yesterday. Won't you leave us in peace?

You wanted to be rich. How could you be in peace?

Go on, bring her down. She's ready.

I can smell her stench from here.

Come down.

Louder!

You're a father, damn you!

Come down. Come down!

- You won't? - That's it.

You'll see.

Good.

What a fine thing to see a man at work!

Her foul odor masks her defense:

she's wept on her hands, so I can't take her.

Never mind.

Cut off her hands.

I gave you my word,

but I can't cut off my daughter's hands.

Cut or I'll take you.

And you'll have lost everything.

Father!

Father, here are my hands.

Do as you will.

I'm your daughter, I don't want to cause you misfortune.

You are all I have left.

Miller,

you did your duty like a good father.

Have no regrets.

Girl, tell your father your hands are no use to you

and he should enjoy

his treasure as he sees fit.

Be certain

he will have sweet thoughts for his daughter.

Such a good girl!

She cried on her stumps!

Miller, why is your daughter

so pure? A tear is enough.

I'll be generous.

Keep your riches.

I'll find a way to get my gains.

With interest.

Miller you are, miller you will remain.

All the world's gold doesn't make you a lord.

I reached out for you to protect me.

Did I have any choice?

I throw my gold at your feet.

My feet care not for your gold.

They just want to walk.

As much as possible.

Away from you.

How come such a young girl

comes to my bed?

Are you here to die?

On the contrary.

I wish only to live.

I just wanted to eat a pear.

The pears are in an orchard.

The orchard is in a garden.

This garden belongs to a prince.

You're not here by chance.

Go.

Eat.

And live.

Master!

Master!

Master, there's a strange glow

in the garden.

Did you see it?

I did.

She's an angel.

The one I've been waiting for.

Let's go find her.

Master!

Look.

The river said I could eat your pear.

I was so hungry.

Don't be scared.

I want to help you.

Let me look at you.

Your hair is lighter

than my barley.

Your eyes brighter than my fountains.

Your lips redder than my grapes.

Your skin cooler than the river.

You are so gentle.

You are as I always dreamed.

In my tree,

I thought only of you, prince.

You who talk to the river,

I bid you welcome.

You may now eat what you want. That is my wish.

This castle is your castle.

No!

You have come to me as you are.

If you want hands,

I will give you hands.

I'll give you anything.

The wedding of the prince and the young girl

was just like them.

The local people were invited.

And they all came.

They drank our wine and ate our fruit.

The prince offered the girl

carefully-crafted golden hands.

The gold was so fine

that they looked like real hands.

What's wrong?

I am sad for I must leave.

War has been declared on my distant borders.

Look.

My army is getting ready.

I knew it.

I dreamed of it all night.

I dreamed of your skin.

Don't worry.

I'll be back soon,

victorious.

Take my lips.

They're warmer than my hands.

This war won't last long.

Look after my land

and my castle.

I will look after your land

so that when you return, it may feed my master,

my mistress, and the child that will soon come.

Thank you, gardener.

If she is with child, inform me immediately.

Let's go.

Wait!

Wait!

Wait...

Wait...

My prince gave me hands...

but they are of no use to me.

This war is endless.

I'm bored in this castle.

My prince went away months ago.

The news is good.

He's alive.

I carry some of him inside.

This child will look like him.

I can't wait for his return.

You won't have to wait long now.

My baby!

He'll be returned tomorrow.

You must rest now.

Thank you, gardener.

I'm so happy.

Tell the prince the good news.

In the cold of the war, my message will be a torch.

Master...

Your wife has given birth to a son.

He has his mother's lips and his father's hands.

One can't imagine

such perfection.

The castle is transformed!

We all hope you will be back soon

so that we may share in the beauty of this.

May this thought give you strength.

"Master...

Your wife has given birth to a monster."

A monster?

"He has a carp's lips

and a dog's paws.

One can't imagine

such a creature. The whole castle is horrified."

No!

Gardener...

Gardener!

- My hands... - He's fine.

- I can't cope. - He's fine.

Do not worry. He won't remain a baby forever.

You'll see him grow alongside you.

But my milk...

Your milk will run out.

Someone else's milk

will be just as good for him.

Do not worry.

Princess!

Princess, I see that you're suffering.

The cold won't help.

If you like,

this will soothe your pain.

"Loyal gardener...

I mixed my blood with a sorcerer's.

I don't want

this child.Tear his eyes out

and throw him in the river.

Kill his mother, too.

I don't want to see them."

"Kill his mother, too.

I don't want to see them."

"Loyal gardener...

This son you describe as a monster is my most precious possession.

Look after him and his mother.

I cherish them from afar,

but my return is imminent."

Princess...

Take this.

These seeds come from a new world.

They're said to be magic.

Keep them in memory of me.

Gardener, I can't believe what you say is true.

My prince can't have ordered that.

And yet...

that is the message I received.

Go.

Go quickly.

This route leads straight to my prince...

who wants my death

and that of our child.

For a reason I do not know,

your father doesn't want us.

This war has driven him insane.

The gardener told me to go far, far away.

I am doing so.

Fleeing from the one I thought good for me.

I know not where this path leads.

But don't worry, son.

On that mountain...

we can hide.

I know not where this route goes.

But I remember the river was my ally.

Young girl...

You chose to follow me. You're now at the source.

You're nearly there.

On the other side

of this rock is the house of a hermit

who died long ago.

You'll live in peace

and you'll want for nothing.

Your child will grow,

and so will you.

Go.

You see...

this house has become ours.

No-one will find us.

I'll look after you.

I'll look after myself.

The Prince has come back! The war is lost!

The war is over!

- The Prince! - The war is over!

Gardener...

The war was lost, but I have come back.

Has my wife been told?

And my boy, how is he?

How has he grown?

I do not understand.

Go get them.

- I want to see them. - No!

- I want to see them! - Rest.

You have lost your mind.

Sorrow has befallen this castle.

Where are my wife and son?

Your son is here.

In this box.

As you instructed me.

What are you saying?

How awful! Whose eyes are these?

What instructions?

Master...

This letter...

My sight is blurred. Read it.

I see clearly.

But I don't recognize the ink or the words.

I didn't write this.

My son...

Master...

I didn't carry out the orders in the letter.

Your wife and son have set out in search of shelter.

Far from you, they live and grow,

fearing your return.

Gardener, you did well.

Thank you!

Thank you.

I will find them.

Go.

Get my horse ready.

I'll catch you!

Coming!

At my father's mill...

the dogs...

night...

my mother...

At my father's mill...

part of me left behind...

part of me left behind...

At my father's mill...

my loss and my path...

My loss...

and my path...

A beard...

An axe...

That man is your father.

He's come to kill us.

Wait!

I don't want to hurt you. Wait!

Wait!

Calm down.

I won't hurt you.

I looked all over.

Even at your father's mill.

God, you're beautiful!

You haven't changed.

Mother!

Your hands!

The note the gardener received was a fake sent by an evil spirit.

I never wanted to hurt you.

I came to love you as I did when I left.

Our child, too.

Mother!

Clearly there's no way I can harm you,

young girl.

I'll leave you to your occupations.

Others await me.

They're less annoying than you.

Farewell...

since you won't go to the devil...

You saved me.

I'm no longer the one you left.

I've forgotten how you were.

But you are in front of me.

I want to discover who you are...

who you will be.

Let's go back to the castle.

I don't want to.

And I don't want to stay here.

I want to go away with you...

to find a home.

Come.

A Film Drawn by Sébastien Laudenbach.

With the voices of.

Anais Demoustier The Girl.

Jérémie Elkaim The Prince.

Philippe Laudenbach The Devil.

Sacha Bourdo The Gardener.

Olivier Broche The Father.

Francoise Lebrun The Mother.

Elina Lowensohn The Goddess.

Based on the tale by the Brothers Grimm.

Original music composed and interpreted by Olivier Mellano.

Editing Santi Minasi, Sébastien Laudenbach.

Compositing Directors Clorinde Baldassari, Sébastien Laudenbach.

Compositing Operators Julie Lespingal, Heloise Ferlay.

Post-Production Lab.

Sound design and editing Julien Ngo Trong.

Sound engineer and post-synchronization Nicolas Sacco, Caverne Studio.

Sound effects Romain Anklewicz.

Mixing Xavier Marsais.

Accounting Isabelle Warain, Virginie Daveneau.

The Director especially thanks Agathe De Chassey and Sarah Miette.

International Sales.

French Distribution.

Press Relations.

Associate Producers Philippe Martin, David Thion.

Executive Producer Jean-Christophe Soulageon.

A film written and drawn by Sébastien Laudenbach.

Adaptation: J. Miller, a.s.i.f.

Subtitles: MEDIA SOLUTION