1001 Grams Page #2

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- But Ernst never ran that farm?

- No.

And he felt guilty about

not letting Gunnar take over instead.

I found a notebook at the hospital.

I think it was Gunnar's.

It was empty, except for a quote

on the last page.

Written in pencil.

It said:
"Life's heaviest burden

is to have nothing to carry."

What do you think?

I think that's true.

Sad.

Maybe that's how he felt when he left?

And Yngve?

He's almost taken everything.

Only a few pictures are left.

You sure have been patient.

I don't know.

Gunnar?

Gunnar?

Uncle Gunnar?

It's Little Marie!

Ernst is dead!

Dad is dead.

- Good evening.

- Good evening, Marie. How are you?

- Have a seat.

- Thank you.

So,

did anyone come?

Not until right now.

But I enjoyed the play.

- Is that the Norwegian kilo?

- Yes.

Isn't it heavy to carry around?

"Life's heaviest burden

is to have nothing to carry."

Yes.

That's so true.

Are you working?

It's a personal research project.

Awork in progress.

- Some wine?

- No. I'm going back to the hotel.

- Why don't we walk home together?

- All right.

What is this research project?

It's a research project

about birdsong.

Birdsong?

I found out that birds change

their dialect as they approach Paris.

How did you find that out?

By coincidence. I was at a party

at some friends' outside Paris.

I was biking home early

in the morning,

and I noticed that the birds' song

changed character as I neared town.

Why?

Communication.

Good night, Marie.

Good night.

Sweet dreams.

Thank you.

My God!

What happened to you?

I had an accident.

- Was Yngve involved?

- No!

- What happened?

- I drove into a ditch.

- How is the car?

- Totaled.

But that isn't the worst of it.

The kilo was totaled too.

No way!

The capsule was dented

and the bell jars were smashed.

What about the kilo itself?

It...

It seems fine.

I have to go back to Paris

and try to get it fixed

before anyone finds out.

The important thing is that you're OK.

I don't know.

It feels like...

everything around me is breaking.

Marie?

I'll come up.

- Hello, Marie.

- Hello.

- How are you?

- Fine.

- Everything here is closed today.

- So I see.

What happened to your eye?

- I was in a car accident.

- No!

And the kilo was thrown out.

The kilo can be fixed.

Really?

I hope so.

That's why I'm here. No one at home

knows what has happened.

Today is a public holiday.

Most everything is closed.

Don't worry. Some countries

have lost their kilo altogether.

- No way!

- It's true.

May I see it?

Yes.

All right.

Let me make a call.

I have a colleague

who can help us.

- Agardener?

- No, not a gardener.

Hello?

Gerard, how are you?

Am I interrupting?

I'm at BIPM.

Could you come over here?

The Norwegian prototype

has been in a car accident.

Yes.

Hopefully you can help.

Can you come quickly?

All right.

OK.

No problem.

Gerard will be here shortly.

OK.

I have to get some flowers planted

before they die.

- Would you like to help me?

- Sure.

- Are you enjoying yourself?

- Yes.

I like this.

As a child,

I helped my grandfather in the garden.

- Was he a gardener?

- No, he was a pesant.

Pesant?

What does it mean, pesant?

He was a...

He...

He lived in the country.

- Ah, paysan!

- Yes, paysan.

So he was a peasant.

Because pesant means

something else in French.

What does it mean?

Pesant means something heavy,

like a kilo.

- Really?

- Yes. Here is Gerard.

- Professor!

- Hello, Gerard.

How are you?

Allow me to introduce Marie.

Hello.

Marie Ernst.

Ernst?

Are you related to Ernst Ernst?

Yes, he was my father.

- Was?

- Yes.

- He passed away recently.

- I'm sorry.

He was a good man.

I didn't know him well,

but he was a good man.

Thank you.

And the kilo is intact?

- Yes, I think so.

- I think it's fine.

Is it possible

to replace the capsule as well?

I'll see what I can do.

- Where is it?

- In my office.

- Bring it down to my workshop.

- All right.

Gerard?

- Would you like to come in?

- We'll wait in the garden.

Sir, can you attach

the Norwegian flag as well?

Of course.

I'll take care of that.

Thank you, Gerard.

"Professor"?

Yes.

I worked at BIPM for 15 years.

- Mathematician?

- No, physician.

But your name is Pi.

My middle name is Pilate,

so everyone calls me Pi.

Except my mother, of course.

What did you research?

I worked on the Watt Balance Project.

- What about the Avogadro Project?

- No, not me.

- And now you're a gardener here?

- Yes.

Part-time.

I needed some breathing space

in my life.

Why?

- Because of your family?

- Among other things.

But I only have my mother.

And she has Alzheimer's.

So she lives with me.

Only for a short while.

As long as she can manage

outside an institution.

That's very kind of you.

And you?

Were you and yourfather close?

I miss him terribly.

He was all I had.

It's as if...

every reference point in my life

is crumbling away.

But we need some chaos in life.

Our need for references is really

nothing but a comfort answer.

- Acomfort answer?

- Yes.

Athousand grams.

Seven decimals.

Twenty-seven decimals.

Ten raised to the power of eight.

How much does a life weigh?

And love?

How much does that weigh, Marie?

What we are simply trying

to find out is:
Who are we?

My fathertried to tell me that,

just before he died.

You have to put your life

in the balance.

The French poet Aragon said...

"By the time we learn to live

it is already too late."

Are you cold?

Yes, maybe I am.

Sign here.

And write today's date there.

Here.

This is yours.

Hello?

- Hi.

- Hi.

- Are you still cleaning up in here?

- Yes.

I thought I'd finish up

before I take my vacation.

- So you are leaving?

- We'll see.

- Is that Ernst?

- Yes.

- You are burying him?

- Yes, next to my mother.

Talk to you later.

Have a nice trip.

Excuse me, ma'am.

- May I look?

- Yes.

- No kilo?

- No. No kilo.

- Would you like to listen?

- Yes, of course.

I recorded the goldfinch

in three different locations.

The first one,

15 kilometers from town.

It's magnificent!

And now the second one,

seven kilometers from town.

It's different, yes.

But also beautiful.

And now the last one,

in the center of town.

It's...

It's completely different.

Would you like

tojoin me in the field?

Yes, I'd love to.

Foot.

Pled.

Polgnee.

Handful.

Pouce.

Inch.

Fathom.

Brasse.

1.8288 meters.

Or six feet.

Or 72 inches.

My arms.

15.5 centimeters.

No.

Eighteen!

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