Congorama Page #4

l spent 6 months in a coma.

Yes.

What's our fax number?

21st Century Car: Made in Belgium

Michel Roy:

lt's my whole life's work.

We could always file

a patent circumvention.

We'd modify some elements enough

to legally circumvent the patent.

As l've been saying, we haven't

protected the technology yet.

There's a patent problem?

ln Connecticut

they produced a motor like yours.

Really?

Something that resembles

our patents.

lt's similar to the Collignon model.

The what model? Collignon?

What should we call it,

Michel Roy? The Royale?

The Germaine, Germain?

ln St Christopher in Connecticut

is a company,

Forward Electric, making things

like barn door openers.

No cars, of course.

But it seems they have a patent

like ours. And that's a problem.

We must document your work

to protect it.

ln case you're asked

what inspired you,

what made you put the motor

in the wheels, you see?

lt simplifies production.

Stop it, Michel.

Where were you? Eating what?

lt's the context l need.

ln high school.

ln high school?

Let's be pragmatic, work as a team.

A team! Let me quote you:

''With our pals at Fiat

we're forming an A-1 team."

Where do l fit in?

lt's called PR.

l let you handle product.

While Danielle handles Connecticut,

you clear up the patent mess.

l don't give a damn

if you invented it,

but l need arguments,

so work up a good story.

The Congo Pavilion stood here.

lt covered the entire area.

lt's all trees.

We can't launch his book in a forest.

Use your imagination.

At night, with candles.. . Lovely!

What did l tell you?

Look, it was on the other side.

Like l said!

''On July 3, 1958,

''a blackout interrupted

the Congorama show.

''ln the ensuing commotion,

''a Canadian nun escaped

being trampled

''thanks to the aid of the journalist

and his wife.

''A year later, the couple arranged

to meet the nun

in a motel

in the Qubec countryside."

ln 1958 Belgium held an enormous fair

that lasted six months.

The Brussels World Fair

was inaugurated by King Beaudoin.

Here we see the monarch

attending the Congorama,

a sound and light show

that tells the story of the explorers

who made the Belgian Congo

into what will be

a country of the future,

if Whites and Blacks

work hand in hand.

''Congorama was a show

at the 1958 Brussels Fair depicting

the benefits of civilization

in Congo."

Today it's the name of the CC-1000,

a revolutionary car

conceived in Belgium.

Michel Roy, please tell us:

why the name Congorama?

My wife is Congolese.

lt's to honour

her courage and support.

There's also a family reason.

Your father, acclaimed writer

Herv Roy, was born there.

Yes and he fought

for its independence.

Amazing. A question we all have:

What inspired your motor?

Good question.

l worked several years in Africa.

Kids there have an ingenious toy

that l'll show you.

l never got the hang of it.

You do it, Jules.

My son Jules.

He's more athletic than me.

Show them.

African kids play

by propelling a wheel with a stick.

That image has stayed with me:

a self-propelling wheel.

But the National Factory in Lige

built a prototype in 1908.

lt's about the batteries.

20 kilos of my batteries beat

200 kilos of conventional ones.

Meaning electric cars

with greater autonomy,

and above all, zero emissions,

non-polluting.

A stroke of genius, Michel!

Proof Belgium has.. .

-More than just fries!

Happy about your one-man show?

''Made in Belgium!''

The press is wild!

lt's called PR.

l even made the cover

of ''Libre Match''!

Congorama's a shitty name!

While you clown around,

our lawyer is negotiating the patent.

Fiat's furious!

They're bigger than you.

l'd be proud

if the car were Belgian.

A proud Belgian!

Sounds like a sermon by your dad.

Have you heard Herv speak recently?

Since he wears diapers?

The man who opened up Africa to you?

Did you know Dad wears diapers?

lt's dark around the edges,

like in a tunnel.

lt's lodged here, behind the eye.

lt's threatening the optic nerve.

What is it?

lt's definitely not organic.

Are you exposed to stone

or metal splinters at work?

No.

Glass, perhaps.

Glass only shows up on a scan

if it contains lead.

We'll have to do further tests.

l'm ordering an MRl.

We're closing!

Closing?

We're having a guest for dinner.

Jeez!

A friend of yours.

He saw you on TV.

Who? l have no friends.

We'll play Who Am l?

Who is it?

You know the rules.

l can only answer yes or no.

Who's coming tonight?

Your Qubcois friend.

Hi Michel.

You're alive.

Amazing!

l'm glad. Really glad!

lt's unbelievable. l never hoped.. .

You're alive!

Not here, my family.. .

They told me you were in a coma,

that you'd never come out.

What could l do? l couldn'tjust wait.

My family, Jules, my wife.. .

everyone was waiting for me here.

You're alive!

You were in the accident.

Sure, don't you remember?

You're alive!

l'm alive.

lt's unbelievable!

Look what my dad brought me

from Qubec.

When it strikes, the cock crows.

Not now, put it away.

This is real bad!

No, it's delicious.

For us, real bad means great.

You'll have to write us

a dictionary.

So you're in the same field

as Michel?

lt's hard to say

just what field Michel is in.

So true!

Alice.. .

Sometimes it's TV, the factory.

My dad's an inventor.

Really? That's great.

What does he invent? Stories?

Does anybody ever invent?

No, they recycle.

They build on other people's ideas.

You need a cane?

No, it's alright.

The crash.

l wasn't as lucky as your dad.

What crash?

The car crash we had.. .

He didn't tell you?

Of course he didn't tell you.

Michel, what happened in Canada?

Nothing.

l went to St Ccile,

for the reasons you know.

l met Louis, who offered me

a lift to Montral.

And the car hit a sort of ostrich.

An emu, to be precise.

The doctors told me

you were finished.

l didn't tell you about it,

so you wouldn't worry for nothing.

You nearly died and

you didn't want us to worry?

Exactly.

-What else are you hiding?

ls that all?

What?

Look at me! What?

lt was a miracle,

l was barely scratched.

But l just had a scan.

There's something behind my eye.

lt's severing the optic nerve.

l have to avoid any shock!

What?

-l have a diamond in my head!

A diamond?

-l'm going to lose my left eye!

l'm going to lose my left eye.

Why all these secrets?

l won't have secrets here!

Secrets can kill.

Secrets killed my father,

and now you.. .

l'm not going to die.

l'm talking about my eye!

l'm your wife,

they're your father and son.

You've been lying since Canada!

We all tell lies.

-Meaning?

Herv lied to me for 40 years!

And you.. .

What, me?

What are you doing?

l want my father's notebooks.

ls that Dad's medal?

The nerve, give it back!

Give me the notebooks first.

Fine. Tomorrow l'll give you

what you want.

Go to bed, Jules.

What are you doing?

Alice threw me out.

Through here.

The car of the future?

We used an old body.

The revolution is here. lnside.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes