by

Luc Besson

Bob Garland

Marylin Golden

"God is at the bottom of the sea and

I dive to find him."

Enzo Maiorca

FADE IN:

EXT. GREEK ISLAND - SUNSET

CREDIT SEQUENCE:

The image is in black and white.

The sun disappears behind arid cliffs which cast giant

shadows on the sea.

A little boy around 8 years old -- tanned from head to toe

-- sprints along the cliffs, scrambles from one rock to

another with amazing agility.

In one hand, he carries a transparent plastic bag. In the

other, a net bag containing flippers, mask, pants and

sweater.

The only thing that slows him down is his bathing suit --

obvious hand-me-downs -- way too big. He tugs on them as

he goes, holding them up... Until they slide again... as

he leaps again... and pulls them up...

The little boy is JACQUES MAYOL.

End credits.

EXT. GREEK ISLAND - SUNSET

JACQUES reaches a ledge jutting out over a deserted cove.

He spits in his mask... expertly spreads the spit with a

finger... locks his feet into the flippers... and dives.

He surfaces a long way out... adjusts his mask... and

swims away from shore.

IN OPEN SEA

The boy stops swimming -- starts to gulp air -- sucks it

in -- oxygenating his blood in a series of deep rapid

breaths -- almost hyperventilating, almost alarming if

we've never seen this before.

His gaze is glued to the ocean floor. Clear clear water.

40 feet deep. And intensely blue.

Suddenly, he catches his breath and dives -- into the

blue.

UNDERWATER

JACQUES touches bottom. Clamps his legs around a rock to

hold himself down. Unhurried, thoroughly at home, 40 feet

under... he opens the plastic bag. A huge speckled moray

eel appears in a hole in the rock, slithers toward him.

The carnivore's jaws are bigger than the boy's head.

The boy smiles at him. Pulls a piece of raw meat out of

his bag and holds it out. The eel takes the morsel

delicately -- and slithers back into his hole.

Gravely, JACQUES takes another morsel out of the bag.

EXT. VILLAGE - DUSK

JACQUES walks up a steep road bordering the port, almost

dry now.

Two boys about his age run up the streets; call out, catch

up with him and gesture toward the port.

THE BOYS

Jacques! Come quick!

EXT. PIER - DUSK

The little boys tug JACQUES to the end of the pier and

point to something in the water.

BOYS

Look! Right there! It's shining!

JACQUES walks over, and sure enough sees something shining

a few feet down in the water.

JACQUES

(squinting)

A coin.

FIRST BOY

I found it.

SECOND BOY

Liar!

Camera pans and we see a middle-aged PRIEST loading

supplies into a small boat. He stops to watch the

children's negotiations. Little JACQUES is putting his

flippers on.

JACQUES

Ok. I'll get it, but no fighting,

all right?

The two boys nod as they point to the coin.

JACQUES

We'll split it.

FIRST BOY

You can't split a coin. That's

stupid.

SECOND BOY

He's right. You're stupid.

The pope smiles.

JACQUES

Then we'll buy something and split

that.

SECOND BOY

A helicopter...

JACQUES

It's a small coin.

FIRST BOY

A Ferrari.

SECOND BOY

I don't want a Ferrari... What is

it?

JACQUES

(interrupting them)

Maybe a little radio.

The two boys look at each other.

JACQUES

Well. We'll decide later. The light

is going.

SECOND BOY

I get the radio from after school,

until midnight.

FIRST BOY

Since when do you stay up until

midnight?

JACQUES

All right, all right... Can I

concentrate? And you can stop

pointing. I've seen it.

VOICE (O.S.)

I've seen it too.

The voice is ENZO'S. Another young boy wearing little

round glasses.

FIRST BOY

(annoyed)

Shit, it's the Italian!

He is slightly older than JACQUES but he is taller. ENZO

is with ROBERTO, his younger brother, the only one allowed

to carry his flippers. Five kids are behind him.

ENZO

Well, if it isn't the little

Frenchman! How is the little

Frenchman?

JACQUES

(cool)

Fine!

ENZO pats JACQUES on the shoulder and leaves his hand

there -- a lightly intimidating gesture.

ENZO

You don't mind if I go instead, do

you?

JACQUES

(intimidated, and

pretending not to

be)

No...

ENZO

If you did mind, you'd tell me,

wouldn't you?

ENZO pats his shoulder reassuringly.

ENZO

(to his brother)

Roberto, mio palmo!

ROBERTO who has already started to moisten his big

brother's gear in the water, holds a pair of dripping

flippers and a glistening mask. The pope watches the

scene with obvious pleasure.

ENZO

(to his brother on

the edge of the

pier)

Count!

Sure of himself, ENZO takes a deep breath and dives in the

water. ROBERTO counts out loud.

ROBERTO

1... 2... 3...

The kids all walk over to the edge of the pier. A few

feet away, JACQUES takes off his flippers.

ROBERTO

4... 5... 6...

ENZO bursts out of the water, the coin in his hand. The

children cheer and clap. ROBERTO rushes to catch the

equipment that comes flying at him, piece by piece.

ENZO walks over to JACQUES.

ENZO

(showing him the

coin)

Who's is it now? You saw it but I

dove for it!

JACQUES doesn't answer.

ENZO smiles and slowly puts the coin in his pocket. He

pulls it out again and waves it under JACQUES' nose.

ENZO

(without turning

around)

Roberto? How long?

ROBERTO

Six seconds.

ENZO looks at JACQUES for a while.

ENZO

I'll throw it back into the water.

You dive and if you do less than

six, it's yours.

JACQUES doesn't say anything, then finally shakes his

head, negatively. ENZO smiles, taps him on the shoulder.

ENZO

Brava!

The first boy finally sums up his courage to speak.

BOY

(timidly)

Enzo? I saw the coin first... We

split?

ENZO

(smiling)

You can't split a coin, stupid.

ENZO laughing, sticks the coin in his pocket and leaves

the pier with his gang.

The pope smiles and pulls a coin from his pocket.

With his flippers dangling from one hand, JACQUES sadly

stares out at the sea. The pope calls him over.

PRIEST

Jacques... Come, look.

JACQUES goes over to him, sees where he is pointing, the

faint gleam of the coin underwater.

PRIEST

Is it a coin shining down there?

JACQUES

(overjoyed)

It is. It's a coin! I'll get it

for you, Father!

PRIEST

It'll be for the poor.

JACQUES, intent on the coin's glimmer, quickly slips on

his fins, prepares his mask. He swims in the water like a

fish, goes directly to the coin. Scoops it up, brings it

to the surface.

He breaks water, waves the coin, looks for the priest and

sees he is no longer there.

JACQUES

Padre?

He looks at the ancient impression on the coin -- "Boy on

a Dolphin".

DISSOLVE TO:

ON JACQUES - UNDERWATER

He's swimming near the spot where he fed the moray eel.

He senses something behind him and turns around. He sees

a dolphin, still and silent, floating vertically. It

seems to be watching him. The surprise is such that

JACQUES is in a panic, leaps up to the surface...

ON JACQUES - IN BED

He bolts upright, as if suddenly awakening from a dream.

INT. ROOM - ON JACQUES' FATHER - DARK

A BURLY MAN, around fifty, crosses the room in the shadows

and throws open the shutters with a bang. Sunlight pours

in. He walks over to JACQUES' bed in the one room house,

and runs his hand through his hair.

FATHER

(with a smile)

... Come on, time to get up,

Jacques!

JACQUES rubs his eyes. His father walks over to a pile of

blankets on the floor, on the other side of the room. He

gives the pile a kick.

FATHER

(screaming at the

top of his lungs)

Louis, wake up!

He uncovers a kettle on the fire and ladles up a big bowl

of soup for Jacques. A fifty year old man pokes his head

out from under the pile of blankets. It's UNCLE LOUIS,

who is having a very hard time, waking up.

EXT. HOUSE - DAY

JACQUES bursts out of the house, running. Diving gear

under his arm. A piece of buttered bread in his mouth.

He catches up with his father and UNCLE LOUIS. They're on

a path winding down to the port. JACQUES slows down

abruptly. Tries to imitate their stride. The weather is

balmy and the sea lies before them, peaceful and blue.

EXT. SEA - DAY

Their boat on the water. The chug of its ENGINE ECHOES

off the cliffs. A few gulls -- drawn by the sound -- skim

the waves of its wake.

EXT. BOAT - DAY

On board. JACQUES' Father checks the antique air pump.

JACQUES polishes the enormous copper diver's helmet and

lays out the rest of an old fashioned deep sea diver's

suit.

At the foot of an old monastery another boat passes.

The Priest is in it.

JACQUES' Father and LOUIS take off their caps. JACQUES

takes the gold coin out of his pocket.

The pope nods to JACQUES. His father looks over at him

without understanding. The child quickly puts the coin

back in his pocket.

EXT. BOAT - DAY

LOUIS casts anchor. A few feet away, siting on a rock,

the kid with little round glasses is fishing. He turns

around to the boat. JACQUES smiles and waves at him.

ENZO waves back, obviously disturbed in his fishing

session.

FATHER

Jacques, come help me.

JACQUES helps his father into the diver's suit. The burly

man struggles into a pair of weighted lead shoes. He

seems sluggish and tired. JACQUES watches worriedly. He

has a weird feeling.

JACQUES

You shouldn't dive everyday, Papa.

UNCLE LOUIS

Then you shouldn't eat everyday,

Jacques.

His father catches him fondly by the scruff of the neck.

FATHER

(winks at him)

Don't worry. When I'm tired down

there, the mermaids help me out.

Father and son smile at each other. Then his father puts

the helmet on. JACQUES joins LOUIS at the pump.

The heavy diver's suit disappears slowly underwater. The

gleaming copper helmet is the last thing to slide out of

sight.

JACQUES and LOUIS work the pump. Regular, steady motions

to maintain the flow of air.

UNCLE LOUIS

(to Jacques)

Hey! Have you ever seen a mermaid?

JACQUES

No.

They keep on pumping for a while, then...

UNCLE LOUIS

I've seen them.

UNCLE LOUIS goes on. JACQUES doesn't budge.

UNCLE LOUIS

Don't you want to know where?

JACQUES looks at the bottom to watch his father.

He doesn't answer.

UNDERWATER - JACQUES' FATHER

He moves along slowly in his cumbersome diving suit. He

is working the top of a rock outcrop on the sea floor. He

sees a sponge, hooks it; puts it in a bag that's attached

to a life line from the boat fastened to his waist. He

moves on.

INT. BOAT - JACQUES AND LOUIS PUMPING

They keep up the rhythm. Sitting on a rock at a distance,

ENZO watches them. UNCLE LOUIS is bored stiff.

UNCLE LOUIS

Why don't you ask me?

JACQUES

What?

UNCLE LOUIS

Where I saw the mermaids?! Why

don't you ever ask any question?

I'm always the one asking the

question! We're sitting here like

two stones and I'm taking to myself.

Ask me something, Goddamnit!

JACQUES calmly looks over at him, slows down his pumping

and almost serenely asks him:

JACQUES

(in a completely

flat tone)

Why did my mother leave?

UNCLE LOUIS seems disturbed by the question. A beat.

UNCLE LOUIS

(ill at ease)

Come on now, pump!

UNDERWATER - JACQUES' FATHER

He is walking with difficulty at the bottom. His bag is

full of sponges. He seems to be having trouble breathing.

EXT. BOAT - JACQUES AND LOUIS

JACQUES and LOUIS are pumping silently. UNCLE LOUIS feels

obliged to answer JACQUES' question.

UNCLE LOUIS finally breaks the silence and explains:

UNCLE LOUIS

Your mother didn't leave. She went

back to America, that's all. It's

her home. She's allergic to this

Island. She likes refrigerators and

machines that clean the floor... so

one day she left. Woman are like

that, unpredictable, like the sea.

They haven't been paying attention to the bubbles gushing

at the surface. The air hose is being pulled down in a

very worrisome way.

JACQUES

(with a slight grin)

So where did you see mermaids?

UNCLE LOUIS smiles.

UNCLE LOUIS

In the bars in Athens!

Very pleased with himself, UNCLE LOUIS burst out laughing.

JACQUES shyly shrugs his shoulders. The air hose is

suddenly yanked down. JACQUES immediately sees all the

bubbles. He is white as a sheet.

JACQUES rushes to the side of the boat and starts yelling

down at his father. He grabs the life line and starts

pulling at it hysterically. The air hose snaps and

starts flying around like some crazy snake. JACQUES tries

to jump overboard. UNCLE LOUIS catches hold of his foot

at the last second. JACQUES is slapping the water with

his hands, trying to go down but UNCLE LOUIS won't let

him. JACQUES is yelling desperately. ENZO is now

standing on his rock, watching the scene, horrified.

The sea now looks as if it were boiling.

UNCLE LOUIS grabs hold of JACQUES and hugs him in his

arms. Standing on his rock, ENZO is now crying

desperately.

ENZO

(screaming)

Jacques! Jacques!

The last air bubbles are now breaking on the surface; it

looks as if they will never stop.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. ITALIAN VILLAGE STREET - DAY

The image is now in color.

A rocky pink cliff over looks the very bright sea which

fills the screen.

SUPERIMPOSED: 1987 SICILY

ALFREDO runs (skips) up the cobbled street as fast as he

can go, surprisingly fast.

He runs to the large terrace of a restaurant which he

enters. We have time to read the sign carrying the

restaurant's name: "LA MAMMA".

INT. RESTAURANT - DAY

ALFREDO skips in. He is panting, covered in sweat. His

panic is palpable. The whole room watches him approach a

long table where a large family is having a birthday party

for a very old lady.

He has to stop a second and catch his breath before he can

get the words out. Then leans over and whispers in the

ear of a great big man -- around 30 -- built like a bull,

wearing little round glasses.

The man listens, then stiffens.

EXT. HARBOR - CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY

A beat-up FIAT, towing an equally beat-up trailer, stops.

ENZO unfolds out of the driver's seat, like a circus clown

emerging from a toy car.

The construction SUPERVISOR, an American, wearing a three

piece suit, hurries over to him.

ENZO has already started undressing. ROBERTO unloads the

diving gear from the trailer.

SUPERVISOR

(exhausted)

Signore Molinari?

ROBERTO

(shaking his hand)

Yes.

ENZO

(calmly undressing,

expressionless)

How did it happen?

SUPERVISOR

(upset)

The company asked me to extract

everything I could from the wreck;

so the divers were trying to get at

the engine... and then the boat

turned over... in the current...

and... look, I fucked up! Can you

help?

ENZO

How many are, down there?

ENZO goes back to the car.

SUPERVISOR

Just one... We're feeding him air,

but he's not breathing regularly...

You've got to get him out fast.

ENZO glances at the map, then at the accident site.

ENZO

(a beat)

Ten thousand.

SUPERVISOR

Lira?

ENZO

Dollars.

SUPERVISOR

You're going to hold me up at a time

like this?

ROBERTO

You do understand you're talking to

the champion diver of the world?

SUPERVISOR

Yes, but ten thousand dollars...

ENZO opens the trunk of his FIAT and pulls out the jack.

He slams the trunk shut, and stands looking at the

American, straight in the eyes.

ENZO

Okay. You tell me. How much would

you say the man's life is worth?

Extremely uncomfortable, the SUPERVISOR doesn't answer.

ENZO

In my village, we have a saying:

when the wind blows, the flags of

all nations flap in the same

direction.

SUPERVISOR

(baffled)

What does that mean?

ROBERTO

That you should get your checkbook.

Damn quick.

EXT. UNFINISHED PIER - ENZO

He's at the end of the pier, his feet dangling in the

muddy water of the port. A few feet away a pump sends air

HISSING through a rubber tube to the diver trapped below.

ENZO inhales steadily, his chest heaving like a bellow.

He carefully puts his spectacles inside his shoes, dons

his flippers, etc., with his usual flair of suspense.

Behind him the SUPERVISOR and other construction workers

watch expectantly. ROBERTO heaves a stone weight into the

bay, a cable attached to it plays out from a drum on the

pier.

ENZO ignoring everyone, grabs the ordinary tire jack,

flip-flops over to the now taut cable, the stone has hit

bottom. He takes a deep breath and dives into the bay.

UNDERWATER - WRECK

ENZO dives down a chimney of muck. Picks his way over and

around every hazard, until he reaches the diver, trapped

under a huge piece of debris.

He pats his shoulder to comfort him, he then inserts the

tire jack under a piece of concrete... And, as if he were

changing a tire, begins to pump the handle...

Slowly, in a swirl of mud and water, the chunk of debris

rises off the diver's leg.

EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY

Everyone is staring at the water silently, suspensefully.

The SUPERVISOR has his checkbook in hand, but has

completely forgotten it, intent upon what's going on

underwater. ROBERTO taps him on the shoulder.

ROBERTO

Since we have a little time, what do

you say you write that check?

UNDERWATER - WRECK

ENZO cuts the cables tangled around the diver's torso.

Then he takes off his flippers, plants his bare feet on

the concrete, grabs the diver by the shoulders and pulls

him free.

The diver drops the air tube and climbs as quickly as

possible toward the surface.

EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY

The diver surfaces, gasping for breath. A cheer goes up

from the crowd. Several men hurry to pull him onto dry

land. But there is no sign of ENZO. Everyone waits,

breathless.

ROBERTO

(to the Supervisor)

Sign here.

Suddenly, ENZO appears, burst out of the water, holding

his flippers up in the air like a trophy. The onlookers

cheer, help him out of the water, slapping him on the

back.

ENZO tosses the jack and his flippers to ROBERTO.

Impassive and silent, he slips his arms into the prize

fighter's robe that ROBERTO holds out for him, walks

solemnly back to his car.

ROBERTO takes the check and walks over to the car. ENZO

bends down into the car and opens the roof.

SUPERVISOR

(through the open

roof smiling)

Thanks, thanks a lot. I mean that

too... You extortionist bastard!

The car rushes off. In the distance we see a police

(carabinieri) car and an old fire engine rolling in the

direction of the construction site.

INSIDE FIAT - DRIVING AWAY

ENZO'S car drives past them. ENZO looks at ROBERTO out of

the corner of his eye, then suddenly explodes with joy.

ENZO

Dollars, Roberto! We took him for

ten thousand dollars!

ROBERTO whoops and whistles. ENZO reaches over and leans

on the horn. The little car races by and finally stops at

the top of the cliff facing the sea.

EXT. TOP OF CLIFF - DAY

The two brothers sit back, relax.

Stare out to sea.

ROBERTO

(after a while)

Enzo, what are you going to do with

the money?

ENZO

Have the car painted.

ROBERTO

Santini will do that for 25 dollars!

ENZO

Then tell him to wax it too.

ROBERTO

Enzo, really. What are you going to

get?

ENZO

(thinking)

A rosary for Mama, a dress for

Angelica, something with rhine-

stones for what's her name, and get

yourself a suit that fits... But

most important...

ROBERTO

Yes?

ENZO

Find the Frenchman. Find me Mayol.

EXT. FLAKES OF SNOW - MOUNTAINS - DAY

Mountain peaks, stark and white. A winter sky which is

strangely and disquietingly dark. A landscape swept by

snow.

SUPERIMPOSED ON SCREEN: PERU - LAKE HUACRACOCHA - MAY 1987

A yellow light comes out of the storm -- advances toward

us. The headlight of a train.

A narrow gauge locomotive steams up grade pushing piles of

snow in front of it.

INT. TRAIN - DAY

Sitting in the train, leaning against the misty window,

JOHANA CROSS, 27, has clear quick charm and a sort of

romantic fragility. She is dressed simply but warmly.

She looks through the window; all she sees is white.

It is clear that she was not the one who decided on this

trip. Reading the key phrases from a beat-up note book,

she calls upon an old Peruvian.

JOHANA

(in Spanish)

Is this the Lago del Demonio?

(Es bien aqui el Lago del Demonio)

... Huacracocha?

The old man goes into a long, rambling explanation.

JOHANA nods without understanding a thing.

JOHANA

Gracias.

OLD MAN

You welcome.

EXT. TRAIN STATION - DAY

The train pulls in, slowly pushing piles of snow in front

of it and finally stops in front of an old shack which

serves as the station.

A man, FRANK, bundled in a parka, comes out of a

snowmobile parked by the station, and walks up to the

train.

JOHANA steps down, carrying her suitcase and drops two

feet in the snow as she comes off the last step. FRANK

walks over and leans down towards her.

FRANK

(smiling)

Welcome to Peru!

INT. SNOWMOBILE - DAY

FRANK throws the luggage into the back of the snowmobile,

jumps in and turns the ignition on. JOHANA takes her hat,

scarf and gloves off. FRANK glances over at her, he is

both amused and charmed.

JOHANA

Don't you have a heater?

FRANK

(hitting at the

dashboard)

Yeah... Sure... Is this your first

trip to Peru?

JOHANA

Does anybody live to make a second?

FRANK smiles and kicks the heating system, then leans over

to check it, his eyes off the road.

JOHANA

(a little worried)

Forget about the heater!

EXT. LAKE OF THE DEMON - CAMP - DAY

The storm is at its peak. The frozen snowmobile plows

along side the lake HUACRACOCHA and stops in front of a

cluster of quonset huts almost completely buried in snow.

FRANK gets the bags out of the back. The suitcases are by

now frozen stiff. JOHANA follows in his steps.

A couple of llamas are huddled up against the hut in

attempt to protect themselves from the storm.

JOHANA is bewildered. Shacks in the middle of the Andes,

the lake of the "Demon", and now llama that have to be

pushed aside to enter one's home.

As FRANK opens the door, a man is leaving the hut. The

man is JACQUES MAYOL. JOHANA and JACQUES pass each other

in slow motion. Everything seems suddenly suspended:

time, sound, cold...

JACQUES MAYOL instantly makes an impression on her. He is

now 34, still dark-haired, with dark eyes. He is wearing

a red diving suit and a pair of round goggles. He looks

like some legendary creature one would dream about.

Everything finally regains its formal speed. The door

slams, the man is gone. She and FRANK are in the middle

of the entrance hall. JOHANA hasn't yet gotten over the

vision she has just had, but she regains composure and

enters the next room.

INT. QUONSET HUT

JOHANA happily takes her gloves off.

FRANK puts down the bags and walks into the next room.

It's a sort of laboratory, filled with ultra modern

equipment.

A big bay window overlooks the lake on which is built a

long wooden dock.

Sitting in a corner, an old Peruvian man is preparing hot

drinks. JOHANA drops into a chair.

FRANK

A drink to warm up?

JOHANA

Yes, thank you. Intravenous if

possible.

FRANK

(pulling out a flask)

Tea... or whiskey?

JOHANA

... both. Did I just see a man in a

red suit and goggles?

FRANK smiles and pours some whiskey in her tea cup.

FRANK

... right.

(calling out)

Dr. Lawrence? The insurance man...

uh... The insurance person is here!

LAWRENCE

It's about time!

FRANK smiles and pours JOHANA some tea. She warms her

hands on the cup. She asks blankly.

JOHANA

Would it be out of place to ask what

he's doing?

FRANK

Who?

JOHANA

The guy in the Halloween suit!

LAWRENCE comes in from the other side of the room.

He walks straight over to the bay window.

LAWRENCE

Did you have a nice trip? We were

getting restless, it's been three

weeks since the accident.

JOHANA walks over to the bay window and starts staring at

something in the distance.

EXT. DOCK - ON JACQUES

At the end of the dock, JACQUES who is sitting on the edge

of a hole which is cut in the ice, is putting a pair of

gloves on. He then grabs the handles of a strange machine

which emerges from the water and starts taking deep

breaths, oblivious to the cold, his mind completely

elsewhere.

BACK IN LAB

JOHANA watches JACQUES. She just can't believe her eyes.

LAWRENCE is bent over one of his machines, fiddling with

different switches.

LAWRENCE

(to Johana)

You should get things moving, you

know. We're out of equipment and we

can't do half of our experiments...!

Frank, check the program!

JOHANA is finally able to speak.

JOHANA

Who... Who is that?

LAWRENCE

Mayol... Jacques Mayol.

JOHANA

That's the experiment? Dumping a

guy into a frozen lake?

LAWRENCE turns one last knob.

LAWRENCE

... The truck fell into a very deep

crevasse. We weren't able to save

the equipment.

JOHANA

I'll have to talk to the driver.

LAWRENCE

In the spring when he melts!

JOHANA walks closer to the window. She isn't hearing a

thing he's saying.

JACQUES is putting on his flippers.

JOHANA can't believe it.

JACQUES is standing by a hole cut in the ice. He is

holding onto the machine in the water. He is waving a

mask.

JOHANA

(dumbfounded)

You really send him under the ice?

He isn't a slave or a convict or

anything?

LAWRENCE

My dear, science is a cruel

mistress.

JOHANA

But... how is he going to breathe?

LAWRENCE

He isn't going to breathe.

JACQUES takes a deep breath, turns a handle and a weight

yanks him straight down into the water. LAWRENCE sets his

stop watch off and flips a few switches.

JOHANA grabs his arm as if they could do something about

it.

LAWRENCE

Listen...

He raises the volume: we hear the man's heartbeat through

a small speaker.

LAWRENCE

That's his heartbeat.

(excited)

Can you hear the speed at which it's

slowing down, it's incredible.

LAWRENCE tears off the sheet with the heartbeat measures

on it and hands it to JOHANA.

JOHANA feels she's on the verge of crying, and can't

figure it out.

UNDERWATER - JACQUES

JACQUES stops his machine by turning one of the handles.

He's deep beneath the surface of the frozen lake. He

swims deliberately, carefully into a large tube which is

hinged open. He closes it around himself. His heart is

still slowing down. He pushes a button on the machine,

and a flash of light bursts in the opaque night

surrounding him.

BACK IN LAB - ON VIDEO SCREEN

We see a moving X-ray image.

LAWRENCE

He's in the fluoroscope now. Listen

to his heart. Impressive, huh? The

flow of blood is concentrated in the

brain and doesn't even feed the

limbs anymore. It's a phenomena that

has only been observed with

dolphins... until now.

JOHANA

How long can he stay down? Without

breathing?

LAWRENCE

It depends. He should come up soon.

(smiling)

Unless he's decided to stay for the

night.

JOHANA

Why is he doing this?

LAWRENCE

For one thing, it's his job... as

for the rest of it, I wish I knew.

JOHANA sighs with relief as JACQUES appears at the surface

in one big breath.

JOHANA

Shouldn't somebody take him a

blanket or something?

LAWRENCE

(smiling at Frank)

Coffee might be nice.

She heads towards the Old Peruvian and pours a cup of

coffee...

JOHANA

(afterthought)

Will he understand Spanish?

LAWRENCE

His mother's an American. He spent

half of his life in the states. I'd

try English if I were you.

EXT. DOCK - JACQUES SURFACING

He's groggy, half hypnotized. He looks up at the dock,

sees JOHANA with a cup of coffee. He stares at her. She

hands him the coffee.

JACQUES

(puzzled)

I recognize you.

JOHANA

We saw each other a little while

ago.

JACQUES

(serious)

In the lake?

JOHANA

(wondering whether he

is joking or not)

No... in the hut.

After a long beat...

JACQUES

(with a beautiful

smile)

Then it was somebody that looked a

lot like you... Thank you.

JACQUES then turns around and walks toward the huts.

JOHANA still hasn't moved, as if petrified by her emotions

and the severe cold. She then walks up to the hole in the

ice and peers into the dark water. She shudders.

INT. CABIN - DAWN

JOHANA emerges from a down sleeping bag. She's wearing a

big sweater and a wool hat. She is not sleeping.

Intrigued by the sound of the snowmobile, she gets up and

walks over to the frozen window. JACQUES and FRANK are

loading their luggage onto the snowmobile.

Outside, LAWRENCE is saying "Goodbye" to JACQUES. Unseen,

JOHANA also waves from behind her curtain. JACQUES senses

something: he turns around toward the cabin and smiles,

waving his hand at JOHANA. She hides behind the curtain

and shyly waves back.

JACQUES gets into the snowmobile and drives out of the

frame. We are left with an endless array of snow-caped

mountains.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. COTE D'AZUR - DAY

Fixed image of the Cote d'Azur. The sparkling blue sea

fades into the distance.

A French taxi rides along the winding road overlooking the

creeks.

INT. - TAXI

From behind all his bags, JACQUES obsessively stares at

the sea.

The driver smiles.

DRIVER

It's beautiful, isn't it?

JACQUES smiles.

DRIVER

We had some bad wind this week. The

"Mistral"!! "Peuchere"! There

isn't one olive left on its tree.

It suddenly left us this morning...

I sure won't be the one to call it

back.

EXT. ANTIBES - ROAD TO MARINELAND

The taxi comes to a stop in front of Marineland. JACQUES

gets out, carrying one of his bags.

JACQUES

(to the driver)

I'll only be five minutes.

He enters Marineland.

EXT. MARINELAND - ON JACQUES

The park is closed, the paths are deserted. JACQUES

approaches the Dolphin's tank. All three dolphins rise up

in the water. Greet him with a click and clatter of

tongues. JACQUES sits down at the edge of the tank.

JACQUES

Good morning, everybody! Did you

sleep well? I slept in a plane, and

it wasn't too great.

He opens his duffel bag. Hunts around, comes up with two

packages wrapped in brownpaper. The dolphins stare at

him, intrigued.

JACQUES

(calling out)

Hey! presents.

The dolphins CACKLE some more.

JACQUES

You think I'd forget you?

He laughs. The driver, who seems to be quite familiar

with the place, walks in heading straight over to the soda

machine. Out of the corner of his eye, he takes in the

scene, very intrigued.

JACQUES has not noticed him.

He starts unwrapping the first package.

JACQUES

For Bathsheba.

He produces a little ceramic Llama.

ON BATHSHEBA

looking at the llama, bewildered. As bewildered as a

dolphin can be. JACQUES turns the llama upside down. It

moos: HIAK, HIAK...

JACQUES

It's a Llama. You understand? From

Peru. It's fighting.

BATHSHEBA shakes her head. JACQUES throws the llama into

the water. He unwraps the second package. A pair of

Peruvian gloves and hat. Wide eyed, the driver sits in

the stands to watch the show.

JACQUES

That's for you, Darjeeling. We

wouldn't want you to catch cold!

He throws them to DARJEELING who catches them.

JACQUES

And now...

(singing out)

"Ta, da..." For you Tina.

He pulls out a thermos.

JACQUES

Something you've never seen either.

He opens the thermos.

JACQUES

Snow!

He sprinkles snow flakes on TINA'S head. She tries to

taste it.

JACQUES

(smiling like a

child)

A new experience, Tina.

(nostalgic)

I missed you little rascals. Did

you get my post card?

The three dolphins leap into the air and land with a huge

splash which soaks JACQUES. He takes his shirt off.

JACQUES

(pretending to be

serious)

Oh? Is that what you want?

Alright, but five minutes, no more.

I have a taxi waiting.

He takes off his pants. The taxi driver gets up, as if to

keep him from going in. JACQUES dives into the pool.

UNDERWATER - ON JACQUES

He swims under the dolphin, reaches out and grabs hold of

the dolphin's snout.

The dolphin pulls JACQUES around and around the basin

while JACQUES pets his chest and belly. We have never

seen JACQUES so relaxed and happy.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. MANHATTAN - DAWN

Overview of a gray and dirty Manhattan morning. JOHANA

depressed, stares blankly out of the window of a yellow

cab. She watches the muddy brown water flow under the

Brooklyn Bridge.

The driver keeps yelling obscenities to all the cars

around him.

EXT. MANHATTAN - DAY

A suitcase in each hand, JOHANA gets out of the cab and

walks up the stairs of her apartment.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY

JOHANA puts down her suitcase wearily. Catches her breath

and gets out her keys. She tries one in the top lock. It

doesn't work. She tries harder. There's a woman's voice

yelling angrily from inside the apartment.

SALLY (O.S.)

I changed the lock you son of a

bitch!

JOHANA

... Sally?

The door opens.

SALLY

You're back! Hello. We were

burgled.

JOHANA

Again?

SALLY

They got the new T.V.

JOHANA comes in, looks at the ransacked apartment.

SALLY

... And the new stereo.

JOHANA

I hope they remembered to take the

microwave this time?

SALLY

Yep. How was your trip...? Help me

clean up, okay?

JOHANA

You called the police?

SALLY

They're going to send detectives.

When they get around to it.

JOHANA

(shrugging)

So what, all they ever want is your

phone number anyway.

JOHANA goes over, slumps into an easy chair and sighs.

After a beat...

SALLY

Well?

JOHANA

What?

SALLY

How was your trip?

JOHANA

(flatly)

Nice... Very interesting... Great!

(doubtfully)

... I guess.

SALLY

(ironically)

Okay... Who'd you meet?

JOHANA opens her handbag, takes out the strip of

electrocardiogram paper, hands it to her.

SALLY

A cardiogram...? You met a doctor!

Congratulations, you're in the

chips...

(an afterthought)

Unless they have socialized medicine

in Peru. Do they?

JOHANA

(indicating paper)

It's his heartbeat.

SALLY

Oh Jesus...! I'll make some coffee.

(starts toward

kitchen)

They left the stove.

TIME DISSOLVE:

INT. APARTMENT - LATER

The living room is almost completely put back together...

SALLY is replacing books in the bookcase, JOHANA is using

a carpet sweeper, and talking away.

JOHANA

(nonstop)

6'3", 6'1", maybe 5'9" -- You can't

be sure, you know the flippers, they

add height or they take it away, or

something. Anyway short dark hair...

Not punk or anything, just short.

And the cutest smile. He wasn't

smiling at me, I don't think -- just

smiling. And he thought he saw me in

the lake. I mean that was a figure

of speech... They're so romantic,

the French.

SALLY

(bored, half asleep)

I thought you said he was Peruvian?

JOHANA

(annoyed)

Haven't you been listening?

SALLY opens the drapes, revealing it's dawn outside.

SALLY

... Since eight o'clock last

night...! You're in love.

JOHANA

Don't be a jerk.

(emphatically)

There's no such thing as love at

first sight.

DISSOLVE TO:

UNDERWATER - SWIMMING POOL

JACQUES is swimming alone at the bottom of a gigantic

swimming pool. He wears a monofin, his head and chest are

wired up to an assistant who runs back and forth alongside

the pool.

A man's feet are seen walking over to the side of the

pool.

JACQUES is swimming laps, arching his body like a dolphin.

As he approaches one end of the pool, he sees a coin