(Male Announcer reads text on screen)
(Musical jingle)
(director speaks in foreign language)
(bell rings) (clapperboard thuds)
(director speaks in foreign language)
(colleague and Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(match strikes)
(Axel speaking in foreign language)
(Axel continues speaking in foreign language)
(Marianne and Axel speaking in foreign language)
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(Axel chuckles)
(Axel speaking in foreign language)
(Axel continues speaking in foreign language)
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(Axel speaking in foreign language)
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(Axel speaking in foreign language)
(Axel continues speaking in foreign language)
Hm?
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(Axel speaking in foreign language)
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(Axel speaking in foreign language)
(Axel continues speaking in foreign language)
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(Marianne continues speaking in foreign language)
(gun clicking) (wildlife chirping)
(hand thudding)
(soldier speaking in foreign language)
(hand thudding)
(door creaking)
(soldier speaking in foreign language)
- I'm Canadian.
(soldier speaking in foreign language)
(Leonard speaking in foreign language)
(soldier and Leonard speaking in foreign language)
(Leonard speaking in foreign language)
Canadian!
- [Reporter] Protected by bombers and artillery,
150 parachutists and 1,500 men attacked us.
They had been thoroughly trained in American Army bases.
- Man, I'm just a journalist.
Hermano, I'm Canadian.
I'm not American, Canadian.
What do you need?
I don't have anything. I, I have nothing on me.
I have nothing.
Check me. Nothing.
Look, nothing. Here.
You can check everywhere, I have nothing on me.
Please, let me go.
(guns banging) (explosions booming)
(soldiers shouting)
(soldier speaking in foreign language)
(soldiers shouting)
(guns banging)
(explosion booms)
(upbeat rock music)
(dog barking)
(jet engine roaring)
(upbeat rock music)
(upbeat rock music continues)
- Lenny, Lenny. - Nice to meet you.
Leonard Cohen, prisoner of war.
- (chuckles) How you doing?
Welcome.
So tell me, you got arrested?
- Twice I got arrested.
Aren't you proud of me?
- I'm very proud.
- You always thought I was too metropolitan as a little boy.
Now I got arrested. - Yeah.
- Man, I really thought Havana was going to be
this very vibrant energy,
and I was going to write about it and portray it but...
It was that for a moment,
because the Canadian consulate came to me
and said I had to walk with them.
- [Consulate] Come on, get out.
- I felt like I was Upton Sinclair, you know,
being summoned for a private mission.
- [Consulate] Mr. Cohen.
- And they needed their five-foot 100-pound Jew
to save them on an undercover operation.
- Thanks for coming.
Um, your mother called.
- What?
- You should call her.
(birds chirping)
- I called her and the next day I was arrested.
Hey. Hey. (groans)
I kept saying, "I'm not American, I'm Canadian.
I'm your friend, we're everybody's friends."
So I got to the airport,
and they assumed that my Canadian passport was fake,
and they arrested me again.
- No.
- It's all true.
- [Irving] (chuckles) Quite the story, Lenny.
- So anyhow, I'm still broke.
What's, what's going on with our scripts?
- They called me one day and say,
we're sorry, but we need to pass.
I think the scripts were too intelligent for 'em.
They were too good- - We dumbed down,
we made it very, very good. What a waste of time.
- Too clever for our beloved CBC.
Doobie dooby doo bee.
- Now I have to get a real proper job.
- You got a job.
You're a poet, okay?
- That only pays me in disappointment.
(soft romantic music) (Leonard sighs)
Darling Mu, your telegram was very beautiful,
as are all your letters.
Tonight Montreal is still under snow
and the trees outside my window are black.
In one of the Victorian houses nearby
I think Jesus is about to be born.
I know you'll be great in whatever you do.
I wish I could tell you to come,
but I can't unless I can take care of you and the child.
I don't want you to ever go through the experience
of being left alone on an island again.
♪ Look around, you're reminded it's the sound ♪
- There's beautiful music playing on the record player,
and I'm right there with her making music out of everything.
I'm full of religion.
Before you know it, we'll all be back together again.
All my love, Leonard.
(soft romantic music)
Merci.
- Eat.
Is this what my life is gonna look like? Hmm?
Spending my golden years
taking care of my father and my grownup son.
I just want you to be happy.
- Oh, you got the wrong guy then.
- Leonard, there are plenty of nice Jewish girls
who like you.
- I know that, but I have a girl.
- [Marsha] I know on the other side of the world.
- But I want to bring her here.
Quoi?
- You met her in a place
where none of you had a history, my boy.
You could be whoever you wanted.
You know, I, I'm not sure she would be happy here.
- Well, she'd be with me. - She'd be with a Cohen.
Now you want to marry her.
- I did not say I wanted to marry her.
- Well, you're bringing her here, you want to live with her?
- We hadn't worked out the living arrangements.
I can leave her in the garden, in the park if you'd like.
(pages rustling)
- These are really good, Mr. Cohen.
They would fit right in at the Montreal Gazette.
- So, are you saying I have the job?
- You have the job, Mr. Cohen. - Oh, terrific.
Thanks a lot. I really must go.
I'm so sorry, I'm very late for something.
- Good. Do, do you want to take these with you?
- Oh no. You give it to a friend you don't like.
(door thuds)
(mailbox thuds)
- "All I need is my woman and her son." (chuckles)
Hey.
(plane engines roaring)
(Axel Jr. speaking in foreign language)
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(travellers chattering)
(soft music)
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(Marianne chuckles)
Hi.
(Axel Jr. laughs)
(soft music continues)
Hey.
(soft music continues)
Hi.
Wow.
- Come on in. - Thank you!
- Hold it for me?
- Yeah. - Very good.
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(Axel Jr. and Marianne speaking in foreign language)
- [Leonard] Yeah, you can hop on the floor.
- Leonard- - I got you flowers.
- Roses are my favourite.
- [Leonard] Bottled wine in the fridge for the child.
- I missed you so much.
I can't believe you exist. You're here!
- Make yourself at home and you can take things
and break them if you like and kick things, and.
And you can jump up and down if you like.
- Right, I think someone is-
- [Leonard] Axel, would you like to jump?
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
- It's very bouncy.
Very good.
Come on, mom.
- [Marianne] (laughs) Wow, this is certainly not Norway.
- Welcome to Montreal. - Oh, wow.
(upbeat music) (Axel Jr. laughs)
(guests laughing)
- Marianne, this is Robert Hershorn.
He is one of the great tightrope acrobats of the century.
- Am I? - What?
- Yeah, he's a great artist.
- I love this guy. - A really great artist.
I have a brilliant group of friends.
- Yeah, you do. - What does that say about me?
- [Robert] One day you're gonna be brilliant, don't worry.
(glass shattering) - Oh.
- Oh shit. - Oh God.
- This is how as Jews we celebrate.
Sorry, one- - Do you need something?
- This is Derek May, by the way.
- Oh, hello. - He's a great filmmaker
and I love him very much.
- Hello. - It's so nice to meet you.
- Yeah. - No, I have to say we,
we've been looking forward to seeing you.
- Have we?
I can't remember saying that.
(Derek chuckles)
- Don't mind Kitty, she's a little, you know,
she believes that Lenny's in love with her
and she loves Lenny.
- You know, I, I think we're all
in love with Lenny in here, so.
- So what are your plans in Montreal?
- I think, you know, just find my footing
and hopefully get a job, you know?
That would be great.
- And how, how's your French?
- I mean, it's not, not great. No.
- (chuckles) That's gonna make it kind of hard for you.
I'm sorry, I wish I had better news for you.
- Hi. - Hello.
- Oh, hi.
- You guys having a nice conversation?
- [Derek] It was very sweet.
- It's good to see you man. - Good to see you.
- He's a good guy. How are ya?
- [Robert] Hey, everyone.
- All right. - Thank you.
- Everyone, let's raise our glass
to Canada's next winner of the Governor General's Award.
This is, come on, come on, come on, come on.
- Hi, I'm Aviva, Irving's wife.
- Okay. Wow.
- Have a glass of wine. - Yes, please.
Thank you so much.
- This is Armand.
- Hi. - Jeremy.
And this is Suzanne. - So nice to meet you.
- Poet and dancer.
- Wow. Amazing.
(Suzanne speaking in foreign language)
- I'm sorry, I don't, my French is not really...
- Oh, I'm sorry. - No, no, no. It's okay.
(guests chattering)
- [Irving] Listen up! (laughs)
A brand new poem written by-
- Okay, great. (friends laughing)
- Oh!
- Thank you, actually this is, this is the, oh, no,
actually I like to, I like to sit right here.
I like the broken glass here.
- [Irving] Music off.
Thank you. - Okay.
Come, my brothers, let us govern Canada.
Let us find our serious heads.
Let us dump asbestos on the White House.
(friends laughing)
And let us unite church and state.
Let us teach sex in the home.
(friends cheering)
To parents.
Let us threaten to join the USA
and pull out at the last moment.
(friends laughing)
My brothers, come. - Yes.
- Our serious heads are waiting for us somewhere.
Let us put them on very quickly.
Let us maintain a stony silence on the St. Lawrence Seaway.
(friends cheer and applaud)
(glass clinks)
Let us drink all night until we've fallen in love.
♪ Woman, you got me on the run ♪
(friends chattering and laughing)
- No more cleaning. - It's so messy.
I know, but there's a tradition
where I throw one party a year
and then you leave the mess like that
for the rest of the year. - Okay, I'll retire now.
- Did you have an okay time?
- Mm-hmm. - Are you sure?
- Yeah, your friends are really nice and-
- [Leonard] They're very interested in themselves.
- Yeah.
- They like talking about their own brilliance,
all the time.
I suppose I do too.
- Yeah, I mean, just a little bit.
Hi.
- I know it's a lot to meet everyone all at once,
but it's nothing compared to meeting my mother.
She's um...
- [Marianne] What? She's what?
- You don't wanna meet her.
- You met my mother,
so that means that if you can handle mine
then I can handle yours.
- Show me.
- You want me to show you? - Mm-hmm.
- Hmm.
How?
- I missed you so much.
I love you.
♪ Oh yeah ♪
♪ If you just look around ♪
♪ You're reminded it's the sound ♪
♪ Voices carry, yeah, carry on ♪
♪ 'Cause all the while ♪
- [Marianne] (laughs) No.
♪ Those are voices that get you through so we carry, yeah ♪
♪ Carry on ♪
(match striking)
(no audio)
(Leonard speaking in foreign language)
Amen.
- Eat. - Thank you.
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
- So, Leonard tells me you are close to your mother.
- Well, I, I lived with her in Oslo
and she also helped me out a lot with Axel.
- So you are close.
- Mm-hmm.
- [Marsha] You were working.
- At a, at a film studio.
- [Marsha] And your father?
- He died just before Axel was born.
- Oh, I'm so sorry. - Yeah.
(Axel Jr. and Marianne speaking in foreign language)
- What's he saying?
- Um, he was, he was just asking if this is your mother.
- I know, I don't look old enough.
That man, he's my little boy.
(Marianne speaking in foreign language),
- It's difficult to believe, right?
Does he speak English? Any French?
- No, not, I mean, he's, um,
starting to understand some English, but-
- Oh, make sure to teach him.
He'll struggle without it.
And French. - Yes.
He actually knows a little bit of Greek,
when we were in Hydra,
so I think you can't wait to go back to Hydra.
- Yes, I got Leonard's letters.
Sounds just beautiful there.
- [Marianne] It is, it's my favourite place.
(father slurping)
(Axel Jr. speaking in foreign language)
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(Axel Jr. slurping)
- [Marsha] Like papa.
- [Marianne] You know, I kind of liked her.
She's nice. - She's nice?
- I just maybe wouldn't hire her
as my interior designer but, yeah.
- I know as an outsider you can walk in
and see all the pious art
and it can look a bit macabrea and scary but,
you know, most of the world looks at Jews as vermin.
And Westmount, this is one of the few places
where it connects you to your country, my Judaism.
You know, I got you a gift, but-
- Hmm? - Um,
I've suddenly gotten very shy giving this to you.
- Oh. - It's this, very silly.
I can run in the other direction if you don't like it.
- No.
(soft music)
(soft music continues)
It's beautiful.
- I thought it was the two of us.
- Which one are you?
- I'm the ballerina,
of course, - Of course.
I love it.
(soft music continues)
- [Leonard] Looks very good on you.
- Thank you.
(soft music continues)
(Marianne laughing)
Opa!
(Axel Jr. laughing)
(vehicle horns honking)
(footsteps thudding)
(employer speaking in foreign language)
Your CV? - Bien, sir.
(customers chattering)
- So you have no experience with working in a store?
- I was helping out in a grocery store a little bit
back home in Norway, which is, I'm, I'm from Norway, so.
- And you have your working permit?
- Mm, yeah- - You need an ICCRC?
- Of course, I know.
It's just, you know, if I start working for you,
then maybe it's easier to apply for one.
No?
Look, I'm, I've been to seven places already
and I am a really good hard worker.
I have a little son at home.
I mean, do you have children?
- No.
(audience applauds)
- I'll read one more before you die of exhaustion.
(audience laughs)
Are there any adulterers in the crowd?
(audience laughs)
This is called "Prayer for Messiah."
His blood on my arm is warm as a bird.
His heart in my hand as heavy as land.
His eyes through my eyes shine brighter than love.
Oh, send out the raven ahead of the dove.
Oh, sing from your chains where you're chained in a cave.
Your eyes through my eyes shine brighter than love.
Your blood in my ballad collapses the grave.
(audience applauds)
(patrons chattering)
If you'd like shots, put it on his tab.
Hi, I remember you.
You've been to a few of these.
- Yeah. - A few of them. Very good.
(no audio)
What?
- Nothing.
- Let me guess, is it my mother?
Is it your mother?
Is it anybody's mother?
- Um, kind of.
Well, it's just that I'm, I'm pregnant.
(soft music)
So this is, you know, kind of the part
where you say something.
- Like what?
- I don't know, just something to make me feel
like it's okay.
(soft music continues)
- I love you.
- You that I'm not gonna keep it if you don't want it.
(soft music continues)
- Well, that's gonna be a problem.
- Why?
- Because you can't, the bloodline, dear.
Leonard is Jewish royalty.
Marsha would kill him, or herself, or you,
before that happens.
I love seeing how Leonard is the kids though.
Irving has teenage kids with his wife.
- I thought, I thought that you were his?
- Oh, we are. - Okay.
- I mean, she's not his wife, wife.
I mean, well, they're still married, but they're not.
- Yeah.
- I'm certain it's all different in a way.
It's an outdated worldview, isn't it?
Maybe we need to be more expansive
in our definition of love.
I don't know, Irving has other lovers.
- Yeah.
- To you and me, darling.
We are all fuckers, and fucked.
- True.
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(panting) I don't really feel so well right now.
What?
- I have to work.
It's too much.
- It's too much? - I have to go. Yeah.
- Oh, it's too much for you.
- If the phone rings while I'm gone, don't answer.
It's my mother and I have a deadline tomorrow, so I can't.
- It's funny that you talk about a deadline,
because I also have a deadline
that you just seem to constantly ignore,
which is that we have to figure out
whether we're gonna keep this baby or not, so,
you know, do you wanna put some work into that or just no?
- We've already talked about this.
We had this discussion.
- Leonard, we did not have this discussion.
You just mumbled some silly words to me
and told me it was up to me.
So no, we have not had this discussion.
- Okay.
- So can we have the discussion now or-
- I love you. I love you.
- Leonard, I don't know if I made it clear to you,
but I want to have your baby, okay?
So can you just tell me
if you want me to murder this thing
that's inside of me or not, just give me an answer.
- I don't feel like starting a war with you right now.
- Can you just give me an answer?
Don't find your way out of this, I'm sick of it.
- I love you, but not that.
I've given you my answer.
Okay, that's my answer.
- And is that because you don't want a child
or because you don't want a child with me?
- I'm, I'm not going to play this game with you.
I, I, I, it's end of discussion. I have to write.
I have to write.
You can do as you like, I can't control you,
but I've already told my position.
- And is this because of your mother or because of you?
- What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
- I mean, you can't have a child that's not Jewish.
- We're insulting each other's families now.
Oh, you're going after my religion.
- Well, it's true, isn't it?
Oh! Oh, I've never seen that before.
That's your answer to everything, isn't it?
No, no, no, no.
You do not get to leave this time.
You do not get to be the one to walk away.
(Leonard stomping)
And you know what, if you don't want a child,
you can at least look that for this one, okay?
Fuck off!
(foot thuds)
(gentle music)
(gentle music continues)
- Hi. - Hello.
Where is your boy?
- Leonard told me that you were sick,
so I brought some things.
- Come in. - Thank you.
Some soup.
I'll just put it right here.
And then this here is the real magic,
it's elderberry tea.
My grandmother used to make it to me when I was sick
and it always worked.
- I don't want you to get ill.
- Well, you know what? I am a viking and we never get ill.
But I do know that it's a horrible feeling
to be sick and all by yourself.
Would you like to have a seat and I can bring the tea?
- Thank you.
Tastes awful.
- Yes, I know.
- He gave that to you?
Do you know what it is?
- Um, no, no.
- It's a tradition.
Young men give them to their first love.
(no audio)
- Why don't You like me? - What?
- You heard what I said.
- It's not about you.
I like you.
You are perfect.
A strong, wonderful young woman.
You married young.
You had a child with a man that wasn't a mensch,
but you fought and you got back up.
You are smart and beautiful and thoughtful.
- Then why?
- Look around you. Look at us.
Look at who we are.
I am sorry.
(footsteps thudding)
(Axel Jr. playing) (water splashing)
(typewriter clicking)
- Hi.
(Axel and Leonard shouting)
It works underwater.
Can you show her what you did?
He touched the water.
(water splashing)
(Axel Jr. speaking in foreign language)
- What are you saying?
- Axel?
- Do you need anything?
- Just little bit more sleep. - Sure.
Okay. I'm coming.
Do you need some hot chocolate?
- You're the best, thank you so much.
(tense music)
(tense music continues)
(Marianne panting)
Leonard!
No!
- It's okay. It's okay.
(heart monitor flatlining) (infant crying)
(infant continues crying)
(Leonard sighs)
- I'm so sorry. - Yeah.
- How do you feel now?
Axel's with Aviva. - Oh, thank you.
- They're having a good time.
I didn't get that award, by the way.
I don't know what to do anymore, you know,
I've tried everything.
I'm a has been who's never been.
And I should be more for you.
I keep putting up with me and I am,
luckily we got that grant.
- Hmm? - For $1,000
so we can keep living in the, the house for at least a month
before we go live in a cardboard box.
- I don't wanna live in the house.
I don't wanna live in Montreal.
(no audio)
- Why?
- 'Cause I don't know you here.
You have your whole world that you belong to
and I don't belong here.
- We spend every waking moment together.
- We don't.
Yes, we're maybe in the same room
or in the same bed or at the same party,
but we're not together together.
And I have really tried
but you're just not the you that I know when we're here.
- Who am I then?
- You're this person who pretends.
I mean, I just lost a child, our child.
And you dare talk to me about losing some fucking award
and being a has been who's never, I mean,
try to imagine what it's like to be me next to you.
It's like I'm nothing.
I love you, but no, I can't do this to myself
because there's no us and it's only you.
(sighs) So I'm gonna go back to Hydra.
(no audio)
(Leonard sighs)
- All right, let's go.
(upbeat music)
(Marianne laughs)
(Axel Jr. laughs)
♪ Hey, baby, baby, don't you go ♪
- Ready to go?
Be very careful.
- Marianne, Leonard, Axel!
(locals cheering)
- Oh my goodness.
(upbeat music continues)
Well, we meet again. (chuckles)
No matter what we do,
we just keep meeting the same people
just over and over and over again.
It's just the same conversation, isn't it?
It's just...
It's not the same.
- What?
- The island.
They despise us here.
(lively music)
- [Local] Piss off.
- I don't know if you know, the seat is taken.
(Axel Jr. speaking in foreign language)
- Calm down. Come on, love.
- [Leonard] Axel, you wanna dance?
(Axel Jr. speaking in foreign language)
- I got it.
- It's our first night here, okay.
He can, he can just sleep with my arms.
- He's exhausted and we'll, we'll go home.
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
- This is what you wanted.
(Marianne speaking in foreign language)
(lively music)
(gentle music)
(gentle music continues)