- 13 hours ago
S1.E12 ∙ A Year in Provence
Sun, May 16, 1993
December arrives and the Mayles are now approaching their first anniversary in Provence. Annie however is fed up at the never finished work in their house. The latest problem is a schism in the village as to who will play Father Christmas this year since the elderly gentleman who normally did the honors has recently died. Annie decides to invite all the tradesmen and their wives to a party in order to ensure the work is done. The village also finds a solution to the Father Christmas problem.
Sun, May 16, 1993
December arrives and the Mayles are now approaching their first anniversary in Provence. Annie however is fed up at the never finished work in their house. The latest problem is a schism in the village as to who will play Father Christmas this year since the elderly gentleman who normally did the honors has recently died. Annie decides to invite all the tradesmen and their wives to a party in order to ensure the work is done. The village also finds a solution to the Father Christmas problem.
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01:30Sorry.
01:34Look, is this bathroom finished?
01:37Where is the downstairs decoration?
01:40Is there a splashback in the kitchen?
01:42I can't go on.
01:43I'm going to make a list.
01:45I'm going to prepare a master plan.
01:46I'm going to ask the builders one leading question.
01:50Is it possible to be festive in a bunker?
01:52Ah, good idea.
01:56That was the last of the olive oil.
01:59And it was while we were going up to the village to get some more that we met the bad news coming down.
02:11That was the last one.
02:29I'm a day.
02:41It's who?
02:43It was the Père Noël, Mr. Merer.
02:45The Père Noël in person.
02:51For Christmas.
02:54The late Placide du Fayou, lead trombone in the town band,
02:58died at the age of 87 during a band rehearsal,
03:02apparently from an overdose of Chateau Neuf-du-Pape and blue roquefort cheese.
03:19Placide was also the municipal Father Christmas.
03:23He would give out the presents to the village kids in the town hall on Christmas Eve.
03:28We were sad to see him go.
03:32Just how sad we were only later to discover.
03:35S'il vous plaît.
03:37Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada
03:39It's a cat, a cow, and...
03:51It's a wolf.
03:53Sweet.
03:54Why is he showing us his bear pictures?
03:57I think they're calendars.
03:58Oh, and for you, Mr. Bell.
04:00I'm a super.
04:03The oil and the cocoa.
04:05And inside, information.
04:08Oh, this street map of Marseille.
04:15Lighting up times in Cavaillon.
04:17Seems essential stuff.
04:19How much, Marcel?
04:21Combien?
04:22À Saint-Monsieur Bell, le calendrier est gratuit, entièrement gratuit.
04:27Gracieusement offert par le facteur.
04:30Maintenant, évidemment, si vous, de votre part, vous voulez remercier le facteur, pas de problème.
04:36I get it.
04:36You give him a Christmas box, he gives you a calendar.
04:41I'm receiving you, Marcel.
04:45How about a little Christmas pastis to go with the box?
04:50Un petit joyeux Noël?
04:55Happy Christmas!
04:57Marcel, the parcel's koala bear calendar, went some way to kindling the festive spirit which had been dented by the death of Father Christmas.
05:07So we decided to hit Cavaillon in search of a tree, mistletoe and great tidings of comfort and joy.
05:13Comfort and joy.
05:15I told you, Peter.
05:25Told me what?
05:26To me, we should have had it cleaned.
05:28This is wonderful.
05:29Wait, not only bunker.
05:31I got it, bunker.
05:32Good morning, Madame Mell.
05:42The Vaucluse of Vaucluse, I greet you.
05:46Wonderful.
05:47Thank you so much, Mr. Pichon.
05:50Super picture.
05:50Now we're a two-calendar family.
05:54Yes, we didn't know you masons were also firemen, pompiers.
06:00Nous sommes des volontaires, Monsieur Mell.
06:02Et fiers de l'être.
06:04And would you volunteer for another drop of...
06:07Si vous insistez.
06:10Happy Christmas!
06:14And the same to you, firemen.
06:17Tremendous.
06:40The boys are having a tremendous time.
06:44They're all out there, I suppose.
06:45All our workmen with their calendars, doing the rounds, getting plastered for charity.
06:51The Sporting Association, the Louberon blood donors, you name it.
06:57Meanwhile, we continue to live in a makeshift kitchen with no Provençal drawers in the Provençal units.
07:03And no Provençal plaster on the Provençal walls.
07:06You know the problem?
07:12Tell me.
07:13There's a bit too much local colour about this place.
07:17Too many wonderful characters and not enough workmen.
07:23I need a speech.
07:25Write me a speech.
07:26You just made one.
07:28Another one.
07:29No, Mr. Colombani, no.
07:43Trop, c'est trop.
07:44Je ne vous écouterai plus.
07:46Le temps de pourparler est fini.
07:49C'est maintenant le moment de l'action.
07:51J'ai un plan.
07:54Un master plan, vous m'entendez.
07:56Où demain, votre équipe est ici, où c'est fini.
08:00Je répète.
08:02Fini.
08:04Au revoir, Mr. Colombani.
08:09Fantastic.
08:10Right.
08:11What's his number?
08:31Annie.
08:32Annie.
08:33It's Perrault, the basin.
08:35Ah, Mr. Perrault.
08:40Enfin, tremendous.
08:42Did Mr. Colombani, vous...
08:44Non.
08:45No, Mr. Pichon today?
08:47Non, moi, je vous apporte les calendriers et les pompiers.
08:50Farman?
08:50We've already got one.
08:52We've bought it for Mr. Pichon.
08:54Pichon?
08:54Ah, mais c'est pas Pichon qu'il faut régler les calendriers.
08:56C'est à moi.
08:57Pichon, c'est rien.
08:58Mais if we've made a mistake, we'll have another one, of course.
09:01Mais le travail, la maison, the work?
09:05Le travail?
09:06Mais qu'est-ce qu'il reste à faire exactement?
09:08Les heating pipes behind the doors, derrière.
09:13Les holes, trous, unfinished.
09:17Ah, ça!
09:18Ça, c'est Mr. Colombani qui a fait ça.
09:20But Mr. Colombani said...
09:21Qui fait les trous, les bouches.
09:23He who makes the holes fills it in.
09:26Bon.
09:27Eh bien, je prends l'argent des calendriers, hein.
09:29Le pompier du Vaucluse vous salue bien.
09:32Et surtout, attention aux fraudeurs.
09:38Yes.
09:39Yes, we'll beware of false firemen, of course.
09:42Au revoir.
09:43The season of goodwill.
09:51We were hoping the splashback.
10:07Comment voulez-vous poser des carreaux quand le plâtrier n'a pas fini son travail, hein?
10:10But you're normally in such a good mood, Mr. Ben Soumer.
10:14De bonne humeur.
10:15De bonne humeur, de bonne humeur.
10:17Mais comment voulez-vous être de bonne humeur avec des compagnons qui sont tout le temps
10:20au bistrot, hein?
10:21He says the plaster is too legless to plaster.
10:24Then why did you come, Mr. Ben Soumer?
10:28Are you a fireman?
10:30Pompier?
10:30No, no.
10:32At least we don't have to buy another calendar.
10:33J'ai oublié de vous présenter mes voeux.
10:36The calendar of the Franco-Moroccan Friendship Society.
10:51The calendar of the Chevalier du Chateau-Neuve-du-Pape.
10:57Most impressive.
10:59Did Monsieur Colombani vous, um...
11:02You can't paint without the tiles, of course.
11:11Look, Monsieur Ramos, écoutez, what is going on, hein?
11:19Pourquoi one by one?
11:21Pourquoi l'agro?
11:23Pourquoi pas Noël, Noël?
11:25Noël, c'est bien ça le problème.
11:28Noël.
11:30Why, Monsieur Ramos?
11:31Pourquoi?
11:32Ça, c'est à cause de la politique.
11:36Because of politics?
11:38Demandez au maire, il vous le dira à lui.
11:42OK, we'll ask the maire.
11:54C'est terrible.
11:56Le village va être totalement divisé.
11:58You can say that again.
11:59The village is divided.
12:01The builders are divided.
12:02In notre maison, un mess.
12:04C'est ça depuis la mort de du Pauvre Placida.
12:06It's ever since the death of Father Christmas.
12:09Oui, Faisère Christmas.
12:10C'est ça le problème, Faisère Christmas.
12:13Oh, malheur de malheur, si on n'est pas à Faisère Christmas.
12:16What's wrong with Father Christmas?
12:18Qui, Monsieur Melle, qui?
12:19Qui va être le Père Noël à la place du Pauvre Placida du Fayou?
12:23I'm getting it.
12:24They can't decide who's going to step into Placida's shoes.
12:27Is that the problem?
12:28La gorge, la droite, is on tous les candidats.
12:31And there are rival candidates from the right and from the left.
12:35J'avais arrêté le fumé.
12:36Non, stop.
12:38Christmas is like that.
12:39Maybe you help.
12:45No?
12:53First up, the left.
12:58La réponse est claire, c'est non.
13:02You won't listen to sense.
13:05Non.
13:05Mais, um, Christmas is a time of, uh, peace on earth.
13:13So, uh, pas politique.
13:17Placide, il était un des nôtres, hein?
13:20Placide was a member, was he?
13:22Donc, c'est logique.
13:24Le Père Noël qui aide les pauvres, c'est révolutionnaire.
13:27Well, yes, uh, I'm sure.
13:30In a sense, Father Christmas was, uh, revolutionary.
13:36So, you won't withdraw your candidate?
13:40Jamais.
13:41Montre-lui, Pyrrô.
13:46On est préparés.
13:51Second stop, the right.
13:53Non.
14:01Non, c'est non.
14:03C'est non, et puis non, et puis non.
14:06So, you won't listen to sense either?
14:08Non, Placide était un des nôtres.
14:11He was a conservative as well, was he?
14:13C'est normal.
14:15Le Père Noël est une vieille tradition française.
14:17But in order to preserve the tradition, you wouldn't consider to, uh, retirer votre candidat?
14:23Jamais.
14:25Nous sommes des résistants, Madame Mehl.
14:27Et ça, vous allez le voir ce soir à la réunion.
14:31What meeting?
14:31Open meeting for the election of Father Christmas.
14:38Et on ne cèdra pas.
14:41Il n'y a pas de raison que la droite nous impose un Père Noël dont on ne veut pas,
14:49et qui ne répond nullement aux aspirations de la population.
14:51The people don't want Ben now.
14:55Nous n'imposons rien à personne.
14:57Nous sommes des démocrates.
15:01But Ben now says they've got the popular vote.
15:03Monsieur, s'il vous plaît, tout à l'heure, monsieur.
15:07Et est-ce que vous savez si vous représentez les vues de l'Assemblée?
15:11Ça suffit.
15:12C'est ton représentant de parler.
15:14There's a slight disagreement amongst the Masons.
15:17Il faut essayer de donner la parole à tout le monde.
15:19And the Tylers.
15:21C'est le bordel, c'est le bordel, les affachés, le bordel.
15:26C'est le bordel.
15:27On ne peut pas discuter avec Charles.
15:28And the Almanishin, non.
15:30Alors, du calme.
15:32Du calme!
15:33Et nous, nous avons un autre Père Noël à vous présenter.
15:35Charlo.
15:36Ouais.
15:36Ouais, voilà, Charlo.
15:37Vous aussi, Sébastien.
15:41Et nous, aussi, il est le grand.
15:44C'est le bordel.
16:04they're mad they are that's what i said no you didn't what are you getting at
16:11there may just may be a faint glimmer of hope after what you just saw
16:16no after what i just didn't see what's that supposed to mean
16:34bonjour madame mela bonjour madame mela bonjour madame mela
17:04what's going on annie you see darling but i don't particularly want to walk the docks
17:11you've got to buck up they're coming
17:13builders wives
17:16builders wives
17:34they're going to walk the docks
18:04I've gone.
18:13You were a long time.
18:14Well, I thought I was supposed to be a long time.
18:18Well?
18:19Solved.
18:20You're joking.
18:22The builders will be here tomorrow.
18:24Come on.
18:26How'd you do it?
18:27Simple. I invited them to a party.
18:32Party?
18:33On Christmas Eve.
18:35Well, I wouldn't have thought that was quite enough.
18:39None of the wives wants to be the wife of the builder who hasn't finished.
18:42You invite them to a party.
18:44They're in danger of losing face, so they get their husbands to complete the work.
18:49And what about Father Christmas?
18:51One thing at a time, darling.
18:56Then that's what you spoke about all afternoon.
19:00Don't be so suspicious.
19:02You see.
19:03They're getting all very well together.
19:20Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:22Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:23Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:24Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:24Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:25Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:26Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:27Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:28Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:29Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:30Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:31Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:32Don't forget their lesson, darling.
19:33Please go ahead, sir.
19:39We need a bit of potter.
19:45you are going to go there
19:49that's the need
19:51stop from that first
19:52because I have to FIT
19:57that was good
19:59let's go
20:02it's done
20:04let's go
20:06you are done
20:09you are done
20:12you are done
20:13Just look at it.
20:40What's wrong with it?
20:42Nothing.
20:43It's finished.
20:45Well, that's what we wanted.
20:47Yes, but it took them three days.
20:50After all that, it just took them three days.
20:55And you really mean they did all this just for a party?
21:05Quiche, pizza, gambas, canapé, tart au pomme.
21:12Pizza?
21:15Pizza?
21:15Pizza?
21:16Pizza?
21:17Pizza?
21:18Pizza?
21:19Pizza?
21:20Pizza?
21:21Hi!
21:22Jonathan!
21:23Oh!
21:24Oh!
21:25Oh, 3, 3.
21:282, 3, 3.
21:313, 3.
21:323.
21:334, 3, 3.
21:425, 4, 3.
21:45Ah, 3.
21:49Well, this is more like it.
22:05It's the spirit of Christmas.
22:09But why did you make that in before?
22:19Well, this is for you.
22:37Yes.
22:39Hey!
22:41Hey!
22:43Hey!
22:45It's really simple.
23:00We're going to put it in place.
23:01Well, normally.
23:02Where do you want to put it in place?
23:08There!
23:09Come on!
23:10Come on!
23:11Come on!
23:121...
23:132...
23:143...
23:17Oh, no.
23:18Not again.
23:241...
23:252...
23:263...
23:271...
23:304...
23:312...
23:376...
23:381...
23:391...
23:405...
23:468...
23:47And now, Mr. Mayer, this is for you.
23:54For me?
24:05This is... really... honestly, I don't...
24:10You...
24:17Now I see. Now I understand.
24:40Ladies, mesdames...
24:46How clever.
24:49Only, you know...
24:52This honour...
24:56You shouldn't.
24:58I'm not worthy.
25:00And that's how it happened.
25:16That's how Placide du Fayou, replaced in the town band by his great niece, at last found a substitute.
25:24And how Father Christmas returned to the village.
25:34In the person of a quite unexpected candidate, whose neutrality appeased the warring factions, and who was easily elected on a Euro ticket.
25:46The only Father Christmas in France to need an interpreter.
25:55Père Noël, je voudrais un landau.
26:00Quoi?
26:01She wants a pram.
26:03Très bien!
26:05Une pram!
26:07Il a un drôle d'accent, Père Noël.
26:11Well, of course he's got a funny accent.
26:13He's from the North Pole, isn't he?
26:16Happy Christmas.
26:17Next!
26:18And so, the year was ending as it had begun.
26:25With streams.
26:28It had been a wonderful year.
26:34There was a lot we hadn't done.
26:37We'd missed the dog show, the donkey race, and we'd turned up the wrong day for the accordion marathon at Goult.
26:45And we hadn't learnt much French.
26:50But we'd done other things.
26:52Eaten wonderful food.
26:54Made headway restoring our house.
26:56Found new friends.
26:58Were we different?
27:00Difficult to say.
27:02A truffle in an egg box will, after nine days, so they say, make the eggs taste of truffles.
27:07That's the way it felt with us.
27:10We weren't translated, we were permeated.
27:14France was a truffle in our egg box.
27:21But there was still one tricky corner to be negotiated.
27:24Honey?
27:26This is for you.
27:29For me.
27:31It's not...
27:46It's not the novel.
27:48That's right, it's not.
27:52It's not a joke.
27:53No, no, it's, um...
27:57It's, uh, a diary.
28:00A diary?
28:02That's right.
28:04What about the novel?
28:09Well, I sat down to write a novel.
28:12But, um...
28:14It...
28:15It...
28:16It was the diary that came out.
28:20A diary?
28:22I haven't told anyone yet.
28:25The publisher doesn't know?
28:27No, no.
28:28They probably want the advance back.
28:31Peter, a diary, really.
28:33Who wants to read a diary?
28:35I do.
28:39I do.
28:46I didn't say that.
28:49Yes, you did.
28:51Did I?
28:56Finish it in the morning.
28:58It's the way.
28:59Oh.
29:15Oh!
29:16Oh!
29:17Oh!
29:18Oh!
29:19Oh!
29:20Oh!
29:23Oh!
29:24Oh!
29:25Oh!
29:26Oh!
29:27Peter, it's the dogs.
29:33There's something wrong.
29:46Mary.
29:49Look.
29:57Merry Christmas, Annie.
30:22Joyeux Noël, Peter.
30:27Merry Christmas, Annie.
30:57Merry Christmas, Annie.
31:27Merry Christmas, Annie.
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