J'ai vu tuer Ben Barka Page #5

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You believe me?

- Think they killed him?

- I have no idea.

He didn't enter Lipp.

I keep my nose out of their business.

Want me to swear?

I swear.

You sweetheart...

This place is too grim.

We'll find somewhere else.

Lemarchand can get me a blank passport.

I'm making a new start.

I'll travel a bit, make myself scarce.

I'll vanish, like the Negus.

"In the three bars open all night,

"along the empty avenue,

"sits the Negus

of the Iberian Anarchist Federation

"and the Transport Union

handed out guns to his pals. "

Guns for all! That guy has guts.

I have things to do.

You shouldn't be seen with me.

The cops don't scare me.

I know.

But you needn't get involved.

My poor Georges...

Pierre Lemarchand, please.

All right, I'll call back.

Hello? Georges?

- Who is this?

- Franju?

It's me, Georges. Big surprise, huh?

I spoke to Nedjar, the producer.

He'll produce that screenplay.

The one about the boy

blackmailing Marcel Dassault.

it'll be a big hit.

Mr Franju...

Answer, Pierre, answer...

Mr Lemarchand?

He's already gone?

You told him I had called?

All right.

DE GAULLE RE-ELECTED

- Lock everything!

- What?

Lock the doors and drive!

Where to?

Down the Champs-Elyses.

Got the cash?

Ready when you are.

One, two... One, two, three.

OK, it's working.

It was about 2.. 30

when I left Lipp last October 29.

I jumped into a cab

and went to Fontenay,

to Boucheseiche's.

Out there, Jo was fuming.

Upstairs,

the Moroccans were going wild.

One guy wanted to send the package

to the next world.

Fine, but what about the body?

I SAW BEN BARKA GET KILLED

Only one thing works with guys like you!

Only one. A bullet in the head!

I have what I need so lay low.

Shut up, I never ratted on anyone!

I'm no grass. Let people know that.

Put out a radio news-flash.

Print a disclaimer in your rag.

Look at the sh*t I'm in, you jerk!

A disclaimer

or I'll blow your brains out.

I never told L'Express that.

The journalist made it up.

- Are you scared?

- Scared? I have the jitters, yes.

He's made me enemies.

I didn't need that.

You acted like scum.

It's all made up, OK!

Never mind what you make up now.

You acted like scum.

It's me.

I called you yesterday.

The move for sixty grand, OK?

Exclusive photos, comments, the lot.

No, not 30,OOO.

Paris Match pays 60,OOO.

You're so handsome. What happened?

A photo shoot for France-Soir.

I sold my move.

You're moving house?

There's money in photos.

I see why girls want to be models.

You'll be a great Lysistrata.

The part was written for you.

That's just like you,

withholding sex to attain your goal.

She does it to stop the war.

The war...

Look at this gun, honey.

It's a MAB T.65.

It's brand-new.

I told people I carry a Ruby.

If you hear I killed myself,

they'll say I used a Ruby.

But this is mine.

It's never fired. Look.

Why tell me this?

I don't understand any of it.

These endless lies

and shady deals of yours...

What is all this for?

What is it against? Who?

- To hurt the bastards who hurt you.

- Stop it.

I bumped into Duras earlier.

My new film project interests her.

It's about a woman

who hides a fugitive in WWII.

But he's not in the Resistance

he's a German spy.

Or the opposite. We'll see.

It's the perfect part for you.

You're my favourite actress.

I'll start work on it tomorrow.

It's true this time.

I called his mother

the day after he died.

She didn't believe it was suicide.

I don't either.

Figon, Ben Barka...

Ben Barka the militant

Figon the rogue.

Two lives brought into contact

by trivial circumstances.

The production of a, political film

for one

an iniquitous way of getting rich

for the other.

They shared nothing,

except their death.

Both died

victims of the same secret networks.

THE KILLERS:

If you please...

Your Honour...

Yes?

I knew Georges Figon.

I saw his gun.

He showed me before coming here.

Georges Figon committed suicide.

He preferred death to jail.

Whether it was the gun you saw

or another doesn't matter.

It certainly does matter!

He loved to cause trouble

for the law and society.

You knew him.

The gun he showed you was

his final contribution to that cause.

Forget Figon, mademoiselle,

like the rest of us will.

Forget him? I doubt it.

I doubt you'll be able

to forget Georges Figon.

You can't hide anything anymore.

He gave it all away.

All the details and names.

You're trapped.

And the truth will come to light

in spite of you all.

the truth will come to light!

Good girl.

What happened on the French side?

What happened here

had nothing coarse or base about it.

It was an operation

that consisted in taking Ben Barka

to meet Oufkir and his assistants

in a place suited

to settling matters between them.

But nothing, absolutely nothing,

indicates that counter-intelligence

and the police

in any capacity whatsoever

were involved in the operation

or condoned it. On the contrary.

Too many newspapers

have soiled the honour of the ship.

the ship was sinking

as the captain covered his men.

An all-out stampede.

In heaven's name, no one wanted that.

But who gave the order

to eliminate this poor man?

Who were our employers

and why did they hate him?

I understand.

Yes.

No, but... But...

Listen. I need more time, yes.

OK. See you soon.

Chtouki' called him an eel.

the hell he was!

this Ben Barka was a huge catch.

His reputation

and anti-American stance

were a source of concern

for the agents of the CIA.

the CIA that trained

Moroccan intelligence,

thus getting a hold on Africa.

What was in that case at his feet?

What future secrets did it contain?

Plans and operations around the world,

names of leaders

places where guns could be found...

I should have seen

who the man I'd met was.

But I was too excited

about how I'd blow the money

with Anne-Marie

Boucheseiche and his lads...

Chtouki' had been dreaming too.

He thought he could bump the man o Ff

when we met.

He had had to face it.

In Cairo

Ben Barka was too well protected.

What happened?

The operation was impossible.

His bodyguards and Egyptian agents

were protecting him.

How could you expect the Egyptians

to scale down surveillance

at a time when Castro's men

are in Cairo

to meet Ben Barka?

Don't say you didn't know.

I told your superiors myself.

It's true, sir.

You did warn us.

But that's not the main problem.

The main problem...

Do I need to remind you

what's happening in Cuba in January?

We don't have much time.

the next attempt would work.

Chtouki' realised it that night

and his CIA friend's worries

would soon be over.

For the first time

he has taken our bait.

Don't you understand?

This film idea is going to work.

May heaven hear you.

You're heaven, sir.

Look...

These cloudless heavens

around the world

that's you.

Abdelkader, it's me.

- Mehdi'?

- Yes.

I'm in Paris, at Jo's.

- Who?

- Joseph Ohana, from Meknes.

You're in Paris?

Isn't anyone with you?

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