The Ice Rink

12. INT. CHANGING ROOMS AND SHOWERS OF THE ICE RINK - DAY

A small cocktail party has been improvised in the changing rooms of the ice rink. Gathered together are financiers, bankers, and the film's main backers.

The producer, very elegant, watches over the gathering of the upper crust.

She sips a glass of champagne.

The producer

This will be, I believe, the best picture I’ve ever made.

Everyone raises their glass.

The producer

To Dolores!

Everyone clinks glasses.

Preceded and filmed by the TV reporter, the director enters the changing rooms. He is greeted by the producer, who introduces him to a few carefully-chosen people.

The producer (to the director, while introducing)

It went well this morning?

The director

Yes, the lighting is almost done.

The producer

How many shots did you do?

The director

None. As scheduled.

The director and the producer go off in a corner.

They talk softly together, filmed in close-up by the reporter that has stopped in front of them.

All the while smiling hypocritically to the camera, his champagne glass in his hand, the writer-director, a little put out, complains between his teeth to the producer about being filmed non-stop by the reporter.

The producer (between her teeth, also smiling at the camera)

Yes, yes, I understand. I understand perfectly. But unfortunately it’s too late now to do anything.

The director

We could perhaps try limiting their shooting time. Only give them an hour a day, for example...

The producer

No, no, it’s impossible, you know very well, it’s in the contract that we have with the TV co-producers. I already talked to you about this. But, you know, it’s quite unusual that they take such an interest, we’re lucky to have a channel that is so interested in the picture. Come on, if that’s you’re only problem... (She clinks glasses with him) It’s sometimes difficult to be liked so much.

The director (dejected)

You think that? That I’m liked that much?

The producer

Over exposed, over admired, over idolized.

The director (maliciously)

Maybe.

A somewhat stiff fellow with glasses, impeccably dressed, who smiles the whole time with an important and self-satisfied air, looks at the producer and the director.

He lifts his glass from a distance to them.

The producer responds to his raised glass with respect.

The producer

You see, once again.

The director (in a low voice, between his teeth)

Who's that?

The producer (between her teeth, with respect)

Taquin. That's Taquin. He's extremely important for us. He's the manager of the ice rink. He's also a town councillor. I'll introduce you. It would be nice if you could have lunch with him today... I've got to go now...

13. INT. CANTEEN - DAY

In the canteen tent the technicians and the players eat lunch. The players are practically fully dressed, they have removed their shirts but they have kept their different pads on as well as the diverse straps that hold them in place. A few helmets and sticks lie beside them on the tables, among the bottles and plates of chop-suey.

The players talk animatedly in Lithuanian.

A couple of Vietnamese waiters serve them, passing between the tables with plates of rice and Chinese noodles.

A little to one side, in his bathrobe, the star of the film eats with dark glasses on.

The director and the manager of the ice rink eat together, filmed close up by the TV reporter.

The manager of the ice rink is very talkative, very precise, very technical, very clumsy with his chopsticks.

He explains to the director in the finest detail the conditions of conservation of the ice at a fixed temperature.

He is very slow, very methodical.

He hardly eats at all.

The director listens politely, nods thoughtfully, sadly.

The cinematographer, seated a little way off, listens idly to their conversation, turns his head to them now and again.

Suddenly, preoccupied, he gets up and goes over to the electricians to ask them if they have turned off the lamps in the ice rink.

The electricians get up quickly, leave the tent with the cinematographer. They rush over to the ice rink.

14. INT. ICE RINK - DAY

In the ice rink, under the shining lamps, the ice has completely melted. Clothes and boxes of material float over the water, groups of wooden blocks drift slowly on the surface.

The camera alone is preserved on its parallel in the middle of the rink, enthroned above the water among the lamps.

Donning plastic boots, the cinematographer and the electricians advance slowly through the water, turn off the lamps, start collecting everything that has been soaked by the flood.

15. INT. CANTEEN - DAY

In the tent lunch comes to an end, coffee is brought.

The Lithuanian trainer gets up and starts making a small speech on cinema in general, at the same time art, poetry and industry.

16. INT. ICE RINK - DAY

In the middle of the flooded rink the cinematographer and the electricians advance side by side with huge squeegees to get the last water off the surface of the ice. The assistant watches them from the side of the rink, her walkie-talkie to her ear, to ensure that the refreezing process is under way.

17. INT. CANTEEN - DAY

In the canteen tent the Lithuanian trainer's speech is coming to an end. He is applauded, and in the general merriment the Lithuanians start singing Lithuanian songs.

18. INT. ICE RINK - DAY

The technicians come back little by little into the refrozen ice rink.

The camera is still on the parallel, covered with a barney.

People sit on crates, boxes.

Everyone waits.

A song by David Bowie comes on (I’m not losing sleep).

The script girl does a few figure skating manoeuvres, a triple loop, a double axel.

Scattered applause.

The players come back in their helmets and uniforms, and do a few Arabesque movements on the ice.

18b. INT. CORRIDOR. ICERINK. - DAY

In one of the corridors, the director and the assistant walk by quickly, still preceded by the reporter who films them, walking backwards.

Suddenly annoyed at being filmed all the time, the director picks up the pace and trips up reporter, pushes him, and throws his equipment on the floor.

He heads off, arriving in the rink on a lighter note.

18c. CANTEEN - DAY.

In the canteen, the Vietnamese do the dishes, finish cleaning off the tables.

19. INT. PROVISIONAL PRODUCTION AND DIRECTION OFFICES - DAY

The star of the film comes back into the make-up room with a coffee.

He takes off his bathrobe, sits back down in front of the mirror.

The make-up artist takes up her work again.

20. INT. ICE RINK - DAY

In the ice rink light checks are being done.

The lamps are lit up, shut off.

The cinematographer takes readings with his light meter.

The cinematographer.

Well, I'm ready...

The director

Veronique!

The assistant shoots like a rocket over the ice and, in a perfectly controlled skid, halts before the director.

The director

We're going to start.

The assistant (shouting into the walkie-talkie)

Make-up, do you read, make up... main actor called for, main actor called for.

21. INT. MAKE-UP ROOM - DAY

In the make-up room, the make-up artist carefully removes the paper towel from around the actor’s neck.

A production assistant accompanies the main actor, and brings him to the dressing rooms.

The make-up artist calls the small referee over, sits him down, and shaves off his moustache in double time.

22. INT. CHANGING ROOMS AND SHOWERS OF THE ICE RINK - DAY

Stark naked in the changing room except for a G-string and his dark glasses, the main actor stands unperturbed between two assistants who dress him from head to toe in a goalie's uniform. The full costume, with wire mask and enormous shin guards, hangs on a hanger behind them.

The main actor lets himself be dressed, lifts his arms or his legs when needed, allows pads to be fitted to his legs or to his shoulders, but never makes a single move on his own initiative. He concentrates on practicing his diction exercises (In Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly happen).