- 2 days ago
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The story opened with Matthew, a perpetually single young man, deeply absorbed in finishing
00:05his first novel, titled Someone From Behind. He was a struggling orphan, dreaming of becoming
00:11a renowned writer. His greatest hope was that his novel would be accepted by a publisher,
00:16transforming his life and financial situation. Day after day, he worked as a daily laborer,
00:21assisting with a cargo truck. His job involved the endless task of loading and unloading
00:26all sorts of goods, from food and clothing to restaurant waste, and sometimes even moving
00:32college students' belongings. One day, while making a delivery to a university campus,
00:37Matthew coincidentally spotted a famous novelist giving a seminar to literature students.
00:42The writer, Alice, appeared young and beautiful. Matthew immediately felt an attraction. It was
00:47a clear case of love at first sight. However, as he was enjoying gazing at Alice, his friend
00:53abruptly snapped him back to reality, reminding Matthew that they were just common laborers.
00:58Matthew then shrugged it off and went back to work. Days later, Matthew received the long-awaited
01:03reply from the publisher. Unfortunately, his novel was rejected, crushing his hopes in a matter of
01:08seconds. Undeterred, he called the publisher to ask which parts of his writing were unappealing.
01:14He hoped to revise his novel, but the call was immediately disconnected. The very next day,
01:18Matthew was back at work, assigned to clean an apartment. Its elderly tenant had passed away
01:24two days prior. The apartment owner explained that the old man had rented the place for 35 years,
01:30living alone without any family, and no one had ever visited him. They were instructed to take
01:35some furniture to a charity, while the remaining items should just be thrown away. Inside the old
01:40man's bedroom, Matthew saw it was filled with books, newspapers, and various other odds and ends.
01:45This clearly indicated the deceased had been fond of reading and writing. Matthew quickly began
01:51putting the items into plastic bags. He discovered the late old man's name was Leon. He also found a
01:56photo of a young Leon, who was once a soldier and had fought in Algeria. Suddenly, a dusty,
02:02leather-bound book tumbled from the top of a cabinet, startling him. Curious, he opened it. It turned out
02:08to be Leon's personal diary from his time as a French soldier in Algeria. Matthew immediately
02:12recognized the exceptional quality of the writing. It vividly recounted Leon's life, from his first
02:18kill to his profound anxieties on the battlefields of Africa. Back at home, Matthew still struggled to
02:24write a new novel. He couldn't figure out how to create a story that could truly move readers.
02:28Then, an idea sparked. He would write a novel based on Leon's diary. It chronicled Leon's life as a
02:34soldier, describing a terrifying atmosphere where the sky turned dark, hands were red with sin,
02:40and how he wrestled between harsh orders and his own conscience, especially as women and children
02:45also became victims in that Algerian conflict. After days of rewriting Leon's story, carefully
02:51changing the original character names, the novel was finally complete. However, Matthew was unsure
02:56what title would fit this tale. He eventually found inspiration in a powerful phrase,
03:01Algerian sands blackened by blood. He then titled his new novel, Black Sand. The very next day,
03:07while working, Matthew received a phone call from the publisher. They told him his novel,
03:12Black Sand, was excellent and invited him to a meeting. Matthew was overjoyed that his novel had
03:17been accepted. However, since the story was not entirely his own idea, he meticulously noted down
03:23all the important moments from Leon's diary so he could explain the narrative smoothly to the publisher.
03:29After memorizing everything, he burned the diary, outwardly claiming the story as entirely his
03:34original work. Unbeknownst to him, a major misfortune was about to haunt him for the rest of
03:40his life. Matthew finally met the publisher, who was thrilled with his writing. He praised Matthew's
03:45writing style and the novel's deeply moving story, saying it transported readers right into the
03:51battlefield. Coincidentally, Matthew saw Alice there, who was also reviewing the novel. Matthew,
03:57still smitten, approached her. Alice seemed unfazed, not recognizing him. She commented that Black Sand was
04:03an excellent novel, far exceeding her expectations. Just then, a bookstore owner called out to Matthew
04:09and congratulated him. Alice suddenly realized that the man she had been talking to was Matthew,
04:14the author of Black Sand. This, of course, impressed her. Three years later, Matthew had become a
04:19renowned author. His novel was a huge bestseller, bringing him considerable income. Even better, Alice
04:25was now his girlfriend. She invited him to meet her wealthy parents, Alan and Helen, who lived in a
04:31luxurious mansion on the beach. There, Alan proudly showed off his collection of rare French royal
04:36era weapons. Afterward, Alice took Matthew for a walk along the coast and even showed him a shed,
04:42where she used to play hide and seek with her father as a child. While spending his dear time
04:46with Alice, his publisher suddenly called, Matthew had violated his contract. It had been three years
04:52since Black Sand was released, and Matthew had not submitted a new novel. His fans were waiting for
04:57more work, and his contract obliged him to produce new material. Yet he had not sent a single page.
05:03In his room, Matthew was utterly frustrated. He could not write a good novel because, deep down,
05:09he knew he lacked the natural talent. To make matters worse, his royalties were now being withheld
05:14by the publisher because he had not fulfilled his contract to produce a new novel. The contract
05:19stipulated at least two novels per author for royalties to continue indefinitely.
05:23Then Stanislaus, or in short, Stan, Alan, and Helen's slightly arrogant godson,
05:28came to visit and met Matthew. They had a few drinks. From his demeanor, it was clear Stan had
05:34a crush on Alice and was not happy about Matthew being her boyfriend. The next day, Matthew still
05:39struggled with what to write. He revisited his first rejected novel, Someone From Behind, and gave it to
05:46Alice for her review. He didn't tell her it was his own work, instead claiming the publisher had sent it
05:51to
05:51him for review, and, feigning busyness, asked Alice to read it to gauge her reaction.
05:56Shortly after, Stan arrived and chatted with Matthew. Stan boasted about his extensive knowledge
06:02of Algeria, where his father had served, and expressed his awe that Matthew, despite never
06:07having been there, could write such a detailed and atmospheric account of the war in black sand.
06:12However, Stan consistently sought weaknesses to corner Matthew, even remarking that Alice's standards
06:18for an ideal man were very high, which made Matthew uncomfortable. That evening, Alice told Matthew
06:23that the writing he'd given her was terrible. She couldn't even finish it because it was so
06:27uninteresting, and she was certain no publisher would accept such a novel. Matthew silently seethed,
06:33disappointed with himself. Days passed. At breakfast, Matthew received a call from the bank.
06:38His credit card had exceeded its limit, and they demanded immediate payment. Matthew panicked.
06:43His account was empty because his royalties were withheld due to breaching his contract
06:48with the publisher. He couldn't write another novel as good as Black Sand, which only added to
06:53his stress and self-doubt. Desperate, he faked an accident and went to the hospital, claiming he had
06:58been attacked by robbers. This was a lie to prevent Alice and her family from realizing he was actually
07:04stressed and self-harming himself. Meanwhile, Stan seemed to sense something suspicious about Matthew.
07:09Back home, the publisher relentlessly hounded Matthew for the new novel manuscript,
07:14but Matthew only offered empty promises. He hadn't even written a single paragraph.
07:19On the other hand, Alain, Alice's father, seemed worried about his future son-in-law.
07:24He informed Matthew that a letter for him had arrived. When Matthew opened it, he found a photograph
07:29of Leon, the diary's owner, who Matthew believed was dead. Time passed. Matthew visited a bookstore with
07:35Alice for a fan signing event. Suddenly, a man approached, claiming to be a friend of Leon,
07:40and saying that Matthew had misused a dead man's diary. The man, identified as Arno, demanded $500
07:47million as hush money, threatening to expose to the public that Black Sand was not Matthew's original
07:52work. The next day, Arno called, demanding the money. Matthew asked for time, explaining that his
07:58account was empty. Arno then revealed he knew Alice and her family were hanging out in the yard,
08:03implying he had been spying on their house. Matthew, cornered, promised to give Arno a very
08:08expensive pistol from Alain's collection. Unbeknownst to Matthew, Stan was standing behind
08:13him, overhearing the conversation about the pistol. Later that night, it was time for Matthew to steal
08:19that collector's pistol. He used Alain's golf glove and broke a window to make it look like a
08:24burglary. The next morning, the police finished investigating the supposed break-in at Alain's
08:29house. Matthew and Alice suggested installing an alarm system. Meanwhile, Stan, suspicious of
08:35Matthew's conversation from the day before, bravely ventured to search Matthew's room. At the same
08:40time, Alice and her father went for a walk on the beach for some fresh air, with Matthew opting not
08:45to join them. Back in Matthew's room, Stan discovered a wooden book box. At the same time, Matthew walked
08:51in and found Stan holding the pistol he had hidden. Stan immediately attacked Matthew, declaring that he
08:56would never have Alice. In a desperate struggle, Matthew hit Stan on the head with the pistol.
09:01Tragically, Stan died from that head wound, leaving Matthew bewildered. His intention was never to kill.
09:07Moments later, Alice's voice echoed from a distance, prompting Matthew to quickly hide Stan's body in the
09:13closet, along with his belongings. As he cleaned himself, Matthew noticed Stan's scratch marks on his
09:19neck, which he then covered with a collared shirt. Soon, Alain and Alice arrived, wondering why Stan had
09:25left so abruptly without saying goodbye. Alice tried to call him, which made Matthew panic.
09:30He quickly silenced Stan's phone and sent a text message to Alice, claiming Stan had left due to
09:35an urgent matter. That evening, they all had dinner together when suddenly something dripped from the
09:40ceiling onto the dining table. Matthew immediately feared it was blood from Stan seeping through,
09:45but it turned out to be only his own fear. The liquid was actually blood from his nosebleed.
09:50Alice tried to help him, but Matthew refused and left the table, rushing to check the closet.
09:55To his relief, there was no red liquid leaking or pooling on the floor. Shortly after, Alice came
10:01to check on Matthew, bringing her dog. The dog began barking intensely at the closet door,
10:06which angered Matthew slightly, and he told Alice to leave immediately.
10:10Later that night, as everyone slept soundly, Matthew retrieved tools from his in-law's shed.
10:16He wrapped Stan's body in a mat, and with his slender build, he exerted all his strength
10:20to push the bundle from the upper floor. He then carried it to the beach, planning to sink the
10:25body. Matthew found heavy metal weights to submerge Stan in the sea, and the gruesome scenario finally
10:31began. After successfully executing his plan, Matthew rushed back, but strangely, the boat's
10:38engine stalled. Soon, a Marine police patrol boat appeared on the water. Panicked, Matthew immediately
10:44dove to the seabed, fearing discovery, and swam desperately toward the shore. The morning sun
10:50had already arrived. Matthew hurried back home before the household woke up, wanting to appear
10:55as if he hadn't gone anywhere. He quickly got into bed, but Alice was already awake, and silently
11:01wondered where Matthew had been all night. Later that afternoon, Matthew woke up and looked for Alice,
11:06thinking she might be at the beach. And sure enough, Alice was engrossed in reading a novel.
11:11She was startled to see a wrapped bundle floating by the rocks. However, it was just Matthew's
11:17nightmare. He then took a refreshing shower and quickly handed the stolen collector's pistol to
11:22Arnaud. Arnaud was thrilled, knowing the antique pistol's high value. He then revealed he was Leon's
11:27son. He had never visited his father when Leon was alive, but now that his father's diary had become
11:33a best-selling novel, he was claiming kinship and extorting money from Matthew. Upon returning home,
11:38Matthew was shocked by Alice's changed demeanor. She accused him of cheating the previous night,
11:44which Matthew vehemently denied. Alice also pointed out numerous calls on Matthew's phone,
11:49assuming they were from another woman, when in fact they were from Arnaud.
11:54Matthew desperately tried to explain that she was the only woman he loved. He had always dreamed of
11:59her since the very first sight, but he was no one back then. Then Black Sand changed everything.
12:04They started to get to know each other, and that was the happiest day of his life. Matthew finally
12:09confessed that he wasn't a great writer, and that the novel wasn't truly his. He had only been afraid
12:14that if Alice knew the truth, she would leave him. But to his relief, Alice still loved Matthew,
12:20even knowing he wasn't the brilliant writer she had believed him to be. Their love, she said,
12:24was true and needed no reason. They reconciled and spent the rest of the day together. Days later,
12:30Matthew found inspiration to write a novel about his own story. It began with his past as a nobody,
12:35his falling in love with a high society girl, his intense struggles, and everything that had
12:41happened in his life, including the murder and the lies he had experienced. Of course,
12:46he changed all the character names so Alice and everyone else wouldn't suspect it was his real story.
12:51Matthew wanted to prove that he could write a good novel with his own hand,
12:55while Alice continued to encourage him never to give up. Finally,
12:58the novel was complete. He titled it False Pretenses and confidently wrote his name as the
13:04author. However, when he went to find Alice on the beach, he instead saw that the police had
13:09discovered Stan's body in the sea. Panic surged through him. His problem seemed endless. The
13:15police soon arrived at their house and informed the residents that skin had been found under Stan's
13:19fingernails, suggesting Stan had scratched his assailant. The police requested that every member
13:24of the household, including neighbors and anyone known to Stan, undergo a DNA test in Paris on
13:30Sunday. As if that wasn't enough, Arnaud called Matthew again, demanding more money. Matthew grew
13:35increasingly frustrated. He was in a dilemma. If he took the DNA test, he would surely be caught for
13:41Stan's murder and sent to prison. He began frantically thinking of a way to escape this impossible
13:46situation. The next day, Alice and her parents left to meet Stan's parents in Paris for the funeral.
13:51Matthew couldn't join them, feigning a meeting with his publisher. He then gave Alice the novel
13:56about his life story, asking her to read it, and promised to meet her in Paris for the DNA test
14:01on
14:01Sunday. It was time for his meeting with Arnaud, who continued to extort money from him. Matthew
14:07planned to harm Arnaud by inserting a coin into the seatbelt buckle slot, hoping to disable it. Arnaud,
14:13feeling superior, threatened to harm Alice and her family if Matthew didn't give him the money,
14:17even planning to take antique items from their home himself. Matthew, now utterly disgusted,
14:23crashed the car into some rocks. Fortunately, Matthew survived, but Arnaud had perished.
14:29His seatbelt clearly failed. Matthew then conceived a desperate plan to escape the DNA test and
14:34imprisonment. He moved Arnaud's body to the driver's seat and put his watch, wallet, and phone
14:38on him, hoping everyone would believe Matthew himself had died. The risk, of course, was that he would be
14:44presumed dead and could never live with Alice again. To ensure the scenario's perfection,
14:49he doused the car and the body with gasoline and set them ablaze. Matthew then vanished,
14:55with the entire world believing he had died in the accident. Two days later, Matthew watched the news
15:00from a hotel, seeing reports that he, the phenomenal author of Black Sand, had tragically died in a car
15:06crash. Two years passed. Matthew had reverted to his old self, working as a junk hauler. He had come to
15:12terms with the fact that he was not a great writer and that this was perhaps his true fate. For
15:18him,
15:18it was better to be an ordinary person than to be famous in rotten prison. Though his wages were
15:23meager, his life was finally peaceful, free from the burden of living a lie. Soon rain fell,
15:29drenching the city streets. As he walked past a bookstore on his way home, Matthew was stunned to
15:35see his own photograph displayed prominently. The novel about his life, False Pretenses, which he had
15:41given to Alice, had been accepted by a publisher and was now a bestseller across Europe. Not only that,
15:47but he also saw Alice inside with a baby, who was in fact his own son. Matthew looked devastated,
15:53unable to embrace his adorable child. Suddenly, Alice glanced toward the door and the story ended.
15:58You
15:59and
16:01you
16:02and
16:02You
Comments