CONCERNING THE INHABITANTS OF NOUVELLE-FLANDRE

REGARDING AGRICULTURAL HARVESTS

NOUVELLE-FLANDRE — NIVÔSE 7, YEAR III. Men and women of Nouvelle-Flandre. Your governor has taken note of the difficult situation our safe zone is in. The unfortunate yields of the summer months have left us to struggle, through rationing, to feed the populace in a decent manner.

If these poor crops can be explained in part by the insufficient fertility of this strange soil, we demand that our farmers redouble their efforts and intensify the crops as soon as the cold gives way to a climate more suitable for the planting of fruits and vegetables. Any refusal to contribute to the security and good health of our compatriots will be reprimanded with sanctions ranging from the requisition of land to the deprivation of rations. Don't forget that only by way of a unified, harmonious and rigorous effort will Nouvelle-Flandre be able to bring forth a new model for a prosperous and peaceful society.

Finally, I salute the efforts of our explorers, who work tirelessly to explore and map the region of Nouvelle-Flandre. They enlighten us with precious information that, I hope, will allow us one day to live happier in lands more conducive to life.

WE SHALL LIVE ON,

Georges Bonnot,

Governor of Nouvelle-Flandre.

The distribution of rations has been suspended as per the governor's recent order.

Please return to your home immediately.

FRATERNITY AND UNITY,

DIRECTORATE OF NOUVELLE-FLANDRE

Frank,

If you're reading this, I beg of you — leave before it's too late.

Since it's clear that this land isn't habitable for anyone apart from that damned witch, the village is collapsing. There's nothing left for us here.

I don't know what'll become of us. All I know is those explorers never came back to tell us. I can only hope that's because they've found someplace better, far away.

Wishing to see you again one day,

G-²

The opening credits are played. It's played out in a very similar manner to the show "Strip-Tease", though this show is titled "Dénuement"³. A very quick still shot shows the house in which the tape was found. The following shot consists of a conversation between a woman and an unidentified person in the living room of the house.

Unidentified Woman: Y'know, the life of a hermit isn't too hard. At first, it's complicated, but you get used to it really quickly once you've realized you won't be seeing many people anymore. Isn't that right René?

The shot remains fixed on the woman. Nobody responds and a silence of 10 seconds ensues.

U.W: He's not very talkative, this big guy, excuse him… Anyway, basically, how did I find my way here? Oh, that right there's a long story…

Silence. The woman seems pensive.

U.W: All I remember is that damned war and those god-forsaken Germans. It was 1944, the Americans had arrived and I got to know some of them! Brave young men, I'll tell you that. But voilà, the Germans fought back, and someone ratted on me by saying I did some resistance myself… not terribly much, heh, I would just ride around on my bike and help the Americans my giving them the Germans' positions. In the end, the Krauts barged in on René and I. We did what we could, hiding in the attic… And there, I heard the breaking open of our attic door: it was those damned soldiers! So out of total desperation we hid in the corner of the attic and eventually found ourselves I don't know where… It was dead quiet.

U.W: We were in some kind of maze of strange colours. Really! I dunno how to explain what exactly it is we did, but we escaped. Afterwards, we found our village… empty. Just empty.

U.W: I've gotta admit that it was very disturbing at first. We weren't used to seeing our neighbors anymore. It took us a little while to catch our bearings.

The woman seems melancholic, tilting her head lightly and smiling wryly before continuing to speak.

U.W: When all was said and done, there was a silver lining to the whole affair. After so many difficult years, this place was like my own wee corner of peacefulness. I lived some very beautiful years here in his company, far from everything.

U.W: And you've seen how adorable it is in my house, hmm? After so many years I've made myself a little cocoon.

Many fixed shots show different rooms of the house. The kitchen, somewhat rustic, with a refrigerator dating to the 1980s. The rest of the equipment is older. On the table there is a pot full of soup, as well as plates and simple cutlery.

The living room is also filmed. The woman is shown standing in front of one of the armchais, looking somewhat nervous. The room is ful of nick-nacks and decorations. A fur rug lies on the floor. Light streams into the living room through the multiple windows. The fire is lit.

Rather than the attic in and of itself, only the door leading to it is filmed. It's closed.

Finally, the garden planted with multiple trees around the house. While certain fruits and vegetables grow on most of the trees, one of them has books growing on it. The toilets are visible. A complete silence reigns over the exterior. The sky is blue, not a single cloud can be seen.

SECOND EXTRACT

Unknown Woman: What do we do for a living here? Bah, I'll tell you: first of all a little bit of harvesting. I've got to tell you about the food here, it's a little strange. Everything grows on these trees: fruits, sure, but also vegetables, and sometimes ham. Sometimes we'd even get a "television"! I didn't have a baldie how to use it, so it's a good thing you showed up. Otherwise we would have thrown it out — we would have never known what it did.

Short silence. The woman looks to her right, looking somewhat sad while keeping up a weak smile.

U.W: Anyway, y'see, this place has been brought to life. We had a few passers-by who came around, and the village was briefly repopulated! They brought all sorts of things, stuff I had never seen before!

U.W: And me? I was viewed a bit like some crazy woman of the outskirts. I must say, our trees, there aren't many like them here. They sort of saw us as a couple of sorcerers, agents of the Devil or whatever… Few people wanted our products and their god-forsaken governor blamed us for their problems.

U.W: And so… René… He can't help it… The shop was just an accident, he was terribly hurt. I don't know how it could have happened, he could never have done that… Me, I wouldn't be able to live without him, I wouldn't be able to live without my René… Talking to him — I miss it, you know. I had nothing but his presence to reassure me, I had nothing but him to give sense to this madness…

The woman closes her eyes. Some tears fall. She weeps quietly. The camera pans to the right and reveals a body in a severely charred state. The camera slowly pans back to the woman who is dying her tears.

U.W: We weren't asking for it. I wasn't asking for anything… But enough of that… Enough self-pitying. After a while, the visitors came less and less, and then not at all. I don't know what happened to them. …What's that? They're living in other places now?

NOTE : The severely charred corpse presumed to be "René" was found in front of the CRT television, sat down on the sofa.

LAST EXTRACT

Unknown Woman: My time here is done… I dunno what I'll do. Maybe I'll die with him. Maybe I'll go.

The video briefly cuts to a short 5-second shot in which the unknown person walks through the village. Other than footsteps, no sound is audible. Smoke is seen from afar.

U.W: But it's complicated, you see… Even if there's nothing left for me here, I made a life for myself here.. Maybe it's not what would have happened if I'd not fallen in that hole, but I made do. I was satisfied. I can't bear to tell myself it's over.

For the only time in the documentary, an androgynous voice is heard. The person speaks from offscreen.

Unknown Person : My door is wide open.

The woman pensively stares into space for 20 seconds, all the while biting her nails. She then turns in the direction of the camera, smiling wryly.

The ending credits roll. The tape seems to have been damaged, as the ending credits are unreadable.