Free Assane Diop!
RUN, POOR RICH FOLKS, RUN!
Free Assane Diop!
-Hello? -Are you happy? Did you get promoted?
-He got away. -What?
I saw him getting arrested.
Forget what you saw. He escaped on the rooftops.
On the rooftops?
-Yes, the snipers saw him. -That's impossible.
There's no trace of the police car he was in.
Hello?
-Hello? -I'll call you back.
Fuck.
-Excuse me. -From that height…
-Police. What happened? -A guy fell from the roof.
-What did he look like? -It was Assane Diop.
Conflicting reports are circulating here at Place Vendôme.
Police thought they had arrested Assane Diop,
but it appears he managed to escape.
The police car that was supposed to take him to the first district precinct
has vanished into thin air.
We have received new information, according to which Diop was involved
in an accident near Place Vendôme.
So what happened to Assane Diop? The answer remains a mystery…
NEW MESSAGE TO FLEUR
I'm sorry, Fleur.
…an investigation has been opened with the Banditry Repression Brigade.
Thank you, Cécile.
Please keep us informed of any further developments.
Today continues to be a day full of news…
This time, I'm making the front page.
DELETE
Is this the man you saw fall?
-You're sure? -Yes. That was him.
Okay. Thank you.
A doctor came and loaded Assane into an ambulance.
They went to Lariboisière hospital.
-We need to get there ASAP. -Okay.
Secure the area for forensics and search the surroundings.
That pearl has to be somewhere.
"He blew kisses to space, the sky, and the sun,
and he spread his arms and took the leap."
Come on. Let's go.
Wait.
MORGUE
-Good evening. -Good evening.
Who are you?
Dr. Vernes.
Nice to meet you.
Do you work here? I haven't seen you before.
I started two days ago. I'm filling in.
-I'll call to double-check. -Don't bother. I'll do it.
I'll call Goyard.
You know him, right?
-The hospital administrator. -I've heard of him.
Now you can get to know him.
He loves calls in the middle of the night.
No, that's okay.
-Are you sure? -Yes, it's fine.
All right.
Sorry, who are you?
Dr. Martinez, head of the morgue.
Great. May I please see your ID?
I'm kidding.
-Do you know who's under there? -No.
-Wait, that's-- -It's him.
We'll follow procedure. Can you take care of the paperwork?
You know this unit, so I'll let you handle it.
I'll prepare the body.
Thank you.
-I don't believe he's dead. -We have 27 witnesses.
We have 27 suckers. Lupin always fakes his own death.
The Hollow Needle, Edith Swanneck.
That's in the books. Just because Lupin did it doesn't mean Diop can.
-Diop is Lupin, and Lupin is Diop! -Please…
When are you going to get it?
The morgue, please.
The blue door down the hall.
Where do they keep the people's personal effects?
You can ask my colleague who just left.
Find Diop's things. We need that pearl now!
Good evening.
We're here to get information.
-What information? -Are you going to perform an autopsy?
An autopsy?
Are you kidding?
For a 16-meter fall?
His liver and heart were pulverized.
His spine is shattered.
You can check. It's all in his file.
Yes.
All right. Let's go.
I'm still going to check.
Excuse me.
Here. Go ahead.
I'm not a doctor.
Do you mind?
Excuse me.
Guédira.
Hello?
Claire? Good evening.
I know it's rather late. This is Daniel Martinez.
Good evening, Daniel.
Can you get to the hospital right away?
But I'm not on call tonight. Am I mistaken?
This is for something else.
Why? What's going on?
Why did you want to see me? Do you have something to tell me?
No reason.
-Come on. I know you. -No, I swear.
I just wanted to see you.
I just received this.
From my mother to my father.
"Tell Sanni Mommy loves him, but he's better off without me."
-Who's Sanni? -I am.
My mother called me that in Senegal.
Where is your mother?
I don't know.
We waited months for her to join us in France,
but she never came.
I thought she'd vanished.
Really, she just abandoned me.
Hey, you coming?
Me and my sister, we're like you. No parents, no family.
How do you get by?
My godfather told the social worker he'd be our guardian.
The worker never came back.
Who's your godfather?
Welcome to my godfather's place.
One, two.
My first time here, I felt like I was reborn.
One, two.
One, two, duck.
That's my godfather. His name's Keller.
This is his place.
Hey, Keller!
This is Assane, a new recruit.
Ever boxed before?
Good. That's perfect.
No bad habits. Starting from scratch.
Come on. Let's go.
One, two. One, two, three.
He pretended to be my godfather for the social worker.
I owe him everything.
He can help you too.
One, two, duck.
THE OBJECTOR
Where did this come from?
Arnold got a tip.
I've been working on Diop for weeks.
Listen, Fleur, I wasn't going to send you an RSVP.
You don't own Diop.
I got some info, I acted on it. That's all.
The important thing is we got the scoop. Now we need to follow up.
-I have a piece about the burglary. -That's ancient history.
Let's focus on Diop's death.
I already have something for tomorrow's front page. I'm sorry.
You know what they say. If you don't like the front-page story, find a better one.
Diop's death has already made the news.
-The funeral is scheduled for Thursday. -I know.
-At Père Lachaise? -Yeah.
-Are you going? -Yes. His accomplices may be there.
And whoever took the photo at the morgue.
-He's so annoying. -What's wrong?
Imbert, the pearl's owner. He won't get off my back.
-What does he want? -His pearl.
-Do you know where it is? -No clue.
It wasn't with Diop's stuff at Lariboisière.
"Assane Diop, the final act."
"Arnold de Garmeaux…"
"Fleur Bélanger…"
ASSANE DIOP, PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1
Hello?
Fleur Bélanger?
Who's this?
Youssef Guédira from the police. I have some questions for you.
-What about? -Assane Diop.
There's a café to the right of your building. Can we meet there?
-Sorry, I'm not there. -Then you have one hell of a look-alike.
You know the Diop case by heart, and there's something I don't understand.
Once we knew where he was, we rushed to the hospital.
We should have been the first ones there, but a photographer beat us.
Can you explain that?
We got a tip, so we bought the photo.
-From whom? -I didn't get the scoop. I have no idea.
That's a shame.
It's been bothering me.
Why is that?
It seems staged.
Why do you say that?
Well…
You're going to think I'm crazy, but I'm an Arsène Lupin fan.
He's always staging his own death. I wonder if Diop did the same thing.
What's Diop's connection to Lupin?
Well,
they have quite a bit in common.
I can give you a tip or two, but then what? You scratch my back?
Isn't that how it works?
The funeral of Assane Diop will take place at Père Lachaise this week.
His career of affronts to the police and authorities made him a sensation.
His swagger and charm captured the imagination of thousands
who saw in him a symbol of hope.
The Diop family is asking to have their privacy respected
and is requesting that the funeral be reserved only for those close to him.
So, who will be there?
Friends? Enemies? Accomplices?
Police inspectors will be keeping a close eye on the crowd.
The extremely rare Everlin Black Pearl has still not resurfaced.
Some are convinced it is part of a final sleight of hand
by the elusive Assane.
TO MY FRIEND - YOURS FOREVER
We are gathered here today to bid a final farewell to Assane Diop.
He had his flaws.
He may not have been very honest,
but he was a loving father and a loyal spouse.
And so we bury him today with goodwill
and in the spirit of forgiveness.
Those who wish to pray for him may do so.
Thank you.
Excuse me!
Police!
Please step aside.
I'm sorry.
Guédira. Stop.
Stop.
Look, I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
I know this is a difficult time for everyone.
There are many people here who do not believe Assane is dead.
Especially victims who'd like to move on.
That's exactly right.
I'm sorry, but I'm going to ask you to open the coffin.
Are you crazy?
We can't do that.
He's right!
Where's the proof he's really inside that coffin?
Huh? Where's the proof?
-He's not wrong. -We can't be sure.
Open it!
Ben, please do something.
-He's right. -Calm down. Listen to me!
-That's enough now. -Calm down.
Please, calm down.
Open the coffin. That's an order. Please, go ahead.
I'm sorry.
2 WEEKS EARLIER
France's most famous burglar is nowhere to be found.
The seemingly impossible stunt has fingers pointing at Assane Diop's wife.
Ben, I have a plan.
-Okay. -But it's tricky.
Very tricky. Dangerous, even.
It's a big stunt.
The stunt.
The last one.
With the pearl, we escape through the square.
-Are you sure? -Yes. The more people, the better.
I'll get out down the road and escape on the rooftops.
Why do that?
The cops will see me on the rooftops.
And they'll follow me…
until I get here.
Well, if you jump from there and land on the other side, you're home free.
Almost. I'll jump from there, and I'll fall.
Okay.
-Uh, repeat that last part. -I'll fall.
With a parachute?
A mattress? A net?
Hold on. If you fall from that high up…
That's right. The sidewalk cafés will be crowded at that time.
We'll have witnesses.
Witnesses to what?
Assane Diop's death.
That's the plan.
This fall will require blood.
My blood.
Because they'll definitely check.
-Hello. -May I have the morgue list?
-Do I know you? -Sorry, Dr. Choukri.
-Ah, you're the foreign doctor? -I'm sorry?
Well… I mean… here!
I'll put my name on the guest list.
We'll also need to soften the impact.
We'll need to be equipped.
Okay, airbag.
Hurry!
This is very important, Ben.
You need to be the first at the scene.
Everyone step back!
Get back.
You and an accomplice.
I'm a doctor.
Like Courbet? No, it'll cost us a fortune again.
But Courbet is reliable.
He's our way into the hospital.
Most importantly, everyone needs to think I'm dead.
And I mean everyone.
Here's the cold spray.
If Guédira shows up, you'll need to hide.
And you'll need to make us a stethoscope.
A rigged stethoscope.
Férel style.
And finally, you'll tell everyone the sad news.
Let the press know.
NEW MESSAGE TO FLEUR BÉLANGER SUBJECT: MEETING
We need everyone to believe Assane Diop is dead.
That will definitely make the headlines.
And there you go. Assane Diop is gone. It's over.
Next, you'll take the pearl to Alberto and tell Claire and Raoul everything.
I'll buy a house in the country,
and it's perfect.
Perfect isn't exactly the first word that comes to mind.
But it is, Ben.
If everyone thinks I'm dead, they'll leave me alone. And them too.
The press will stop hounding them.
And that is perfect.
Okay.
And how do you plan to get out from under a two-ton gravestone?
Just curious.
J'accuse!
J'accuse! Ah, there he is!
Look, I have a treat for you.
Don't tell me the dog is part of the plan?
Go fetch!
J'accuse!
J'accuse?
I get it. I'm going back up.
J'accuse?
You found your treat.
You're a good dog.
What now?
First, we dig a tunnel. Then, we choose the wood.
It's one of our finest models. 100% made in France.
You know, made in France is important.
-Entirely handcrafted. -Yes, of course.
-It's good to shop local. -Absolutely.
-Is it for someone close to you? -Yes, someone close.
Very close.
This here is oak, sir.
-I could hear it was oak. -Yes, sir.
It's more expensive but more refined.
I can hear the refinement.
We have several sizes. Do you know the deceased's height?
Well, in terms of size, they're pretty much the same as me.
More or less.
We're very close in height as well.
-I see. -All right.
-This is oak? -Yes, sir.
-It's expensive? -Yes, sir.
-It's the best? -It's excellent.
-The strongest? -Yes, sir.
-The best guarantee? -Yes, sir.
I'll take it for my friend.
-My very close friend. -Friendship is priceless.
That's right.
He received a letter from his mother.
Apparently, she's not coming.
She abandoned him.
That's good. Keep it up.
Come on.
Go ahead. Let it all out. Trust me. I'm your family now.
Five, four,
three, two,
one.
Stop!
Good job.
Now that's what giving it your all means.
That's what giving it your all means!
Come on. Again.
Come on. Keep going.
That's good. Keep going.
Keep going!
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One!
J'accuse?
Yes, buddy. You found me.
Don't move.
Thanks, buddy.
Here.
Come on, J'Accuse. We're leaving.
INTERNET SEARCH
WEDDING OF MARIAMA DIOP AND AZIZ N'DIAYE MARIAMA DIOP, SENEGALESE GUILD
Do you recognize her?
Hold on.
Try adding Saint-Louis, where she mailed the letter from.
That's her!
Shit.
There must be some mistake.
COURT CONVICTIONS AGGRAVATED THEFT: 8-YEAR SENTENCE
It says she's in prison in Senegal.
Assane?
Madam?
You seem lost. Can I help you?
I'm fine, thanks.
Are you sure? Where are you headed?
-Montparnasse Station. -I'm headed that way too.
Shall we share a cab?
-No, I'm fine. Thanks. -Please…
I insist.
If we can find one!
Oh, look. There's one now.
We're in luck.
Thank you.
After you.
Thank you.
-Hello, sir. -Hello, madam.
-Hello. -Hello.
ALBERTO WILL RETURN SHORTLY
Hello.
Hello, Alberto.
How are you?
It's been a while.
-Did you find someone better than me? -You know there's no one better.
Just different.
Good thing I don't hold grudges.
I found you a buyer.
A real big shot.
Do you have the pearl?
-I have the pearl. -Wonderful! I mean…
I'm sorry about Assane.
I liked him a lot, but you have to keep the business afloat.
How much are we talking?
I'll do my best.
For Assane.
Sixteen million.
For Assane.
That's right. Assane taught me something.
If a buyer doesn't offer a round number, it means he's willing to round up.
So, let's save some time.
-Twenty million, and it's a deal. -Are you insane?
Come on.
Seventeen?
Eighteen?
Nineteen? Or…
Or…
-Okay. Twenty million. -Right.
We'll do the usual.
Everything okay, honey?
Yeah, I'm going to practice.
Are you sure you feel up to it?
Yeah. Why?
We both know it's bogus.
He's not dead.
-Why do you say that? -We're talking about Dad here.
About Lupin.
Sorry, I don't buy it.
These are specific documents, so we keep them in the manuscript room. Up there.
Have you been interested in Napoleonic maps for long?
No, not really.
This way.
Come in.
Have a seat over there. I'll be right back.
EDITH SWANNECK
"An unidentified body."
"Therefore, said Mr. Dudouis…"
"…near the tunnel."
"And crossing his arms…"
"…he jumped."
"With Lupin, I told you, there's no such thing as death."
"There's no such thing as death."
There you go.
All right…
Be sure to wear these when handling it.
-All right. -All right?
-Be very careful, okay? -Of course.
PARIS SEWAGE SYSTEM
"And his body ends up in a tunnel…" Of course!
CEMETERY DEPARTMENT CONCESSIONS OFFICE
How are you, buddy?
A BURGLAR'S FUNERAL
ANONYMOUS SANNI. CALL ME: 03 53 01 50 59
-Hello? -Hello. Mom?
No, I'm the warden's assistant.
Mariama Diop was transferred three months ago.
She's in Dakar now.
Okay, thank you.
She's in Dakar.
Yes, the Dakar prison.
There are several prisons in Dakar.
You shouldn't waste the prison administration's time.
I'm begging you.
Let me talk to her. I'm her son.
Okay, but only for a minute. Please hold.
Okay.
Hello?
Mom?
Is that you?
It's me.
It's Sanni.
Sanni?
It's me.
I'm back, and I know you're alive.
Come to Saint-Etienne-du-Mont Church tonight at eight.
Bring the pearl with you.
I'm counting on you, Sanni.
End of pre-recorded message.
So, what's the deal?
Come with me.
Have you met with Alberto yet?
Yes, he'll pay 20 million for the pearl, and the house is confirmed.
Everything's set. You can tell Claire and Raoul the truth.
Cancel everything.
Is something wrong, man?
I'll explain.
I just got a message from my mother.
What?
-But I thought she was dead. -I don't know anymore.
I haven't heard from her in 25 years, until now.
She wants to meet tonight.
How do you know it's your mother?
She called me Sanni. She's the only one who calls me that.
-That doesn't mean… -I know.
Whether it's my mother or not, someone knows I'm alive.
So what are you going to do?
Listen,
I didn't do all this just to give up. Not now.
-What if it's not her? -Then it's a trap.
There's only one way to find out.
I have to meet her.
Can you hear me?
I can hear you.
What happened? Why are you in prison?
Are you okay?
Why are you calling me?
Because I miss you.
I miss you so much, Mom.
We'll be reunited again. I promise.
Just us two. Like before.
Like when you'd take me to the river
and you'd sing me our song.
Mom?
Sanni, put the pearl inside the collection box.
Keep this phone on you and get out of there.
Mom, is that you?
Where are you?
Please, Sanni.
Leave the pearl, or they'll kill me.
How can I be sure it's you?
Remember, Sanni.
I promise I'll get you out of there.
Listen, Sanni. I can't do anything for you. All right?
Don't waste your life. Be happy.
-And forget about me. -Mom.
Forgive me.
I'm sorry.
Listen to me.
The people who kidnapped me say you have to work for them now.
What did she say?
Hey, wait up.
Assane, what's wrong? Just tell me.
That's it. You're giving up?
She's the one giving up on me.
-She doesn't give a damn about me. -You can't do that.
Wait!
She's your mother. You can't do that.
Assane!
My father was a thief.
My mother is a thief.
I guess I'm no better than they are.
Subtitle translation by: Emily Moorlach