1
- Arctic Heart -
I can't find a signal.
Did they keep it cold
at all times?
Professor Frederic Quignard
in preparation.
Glucose and decreasing dose
of five milligrams of cortisone
for 5 p.m. Thank you.
P.m. Five milligrams. Preparation.
Glucose and decreasing dose
of five milligrams of cortisone for 5 p.m.
Thank you.
- -Cortisone for 5 p.m.
Thank you.
Philippe. It's empty.
Call the lab tech.
He's out longer than expected.
We need to call the PhD student
that's assisting him.
You know. Soline.
- Corrine.
- Pauline.
No.
Hi, it's Philippe.
I'm in the examining room
with Nadine.
We need Pentothal
for a six-pound subject.
...For 5 p.m. Thank you.
Josphine.
Bizantine, are you there?
- Amandine?
- I'm here.
Good. We're waiting for you
in the exam room.
I'll be right there.
How long do we have?
Ten minutes.
Slight dehydration from the trip.
Rectal temperature is 100.4.
It's good.
No anomalies on the feathers.
No pain.
Go ahead, you can pick its name.
Really?
But...
Doesn't Professor Quignard
usually pick the names?
Josephine.
Christophine.
What's its name?
I like Gaston.
Gaston.
Go ahead. Bring it up.
I'll finish the paperwork.
Excuse me?
Well, I could go
and freeze my balls off...
but I'll pass.
That's the spirit, Philippe.
That's the spirit.
Okay. So, you come with me.
Hello.
Syllogism of bitterness.
Okay. So, it's simple.
You just need to follow
the instructions.
Place him with the others.
But don't touch them.
Don't scare them.
P. QUIGNARD
PRIVATE
Corrine?
You need to place Gaston
with the others. That's it.
Don't worry.
I'll guide you
from Professor Quignard's office.
Any questions?
Yes. Is Professor Quignard there?
I repeat.
Any questions? Real questions?
Technical ones?
No.
Let's go, then.
Monique? Go to your right.
Hello?
I can't hear you!
Where are you?
Go to...
I can't hear.
I can't hear you.
Shit.
Tell me what's going on.
Can you hear me? Corrine?
Can you hear me?
Are you okay?
Put it on the ground and wait.
Go ahead.
Josephine. It's Frederic Quignard talking.
Calm down.
You suffer from hypothermia.
Nadine forgot to adjust
the icefield's temperature.
I'll put myself behind you.
I'll hold you tight.
And I'll violently shake you
to warm you up.
That's the warm-up technique.
Okay?
I'll count to three.
One...
two...
three!
Feel any better?
Not really.
You did well
making the new one feel included.
You'll assist me for the injections
and the analysis.
Nadine, I want a meeting this afternoon
with all the section chiefs.
Try not to move.
You suffer from transitional upper motor
neuron syndrome with paralysis.
It'll only last a few minutes.
Don't worry.
You'll be back on your feet
for my visit.
I know. I know.
Eglantine, what do you know
about the PPM?
It's a stress protein produced
by penguins.
And?
Penguins produce it while brooding
and it immunizes them
against all known infections.
So?
So, penguins are never sick
when they produce it.
And?
We study it.
How long have you been studying?
Eight years.
But it took a while before I found myself.
I studied literature,
but I didn't like it.
- So, I went into video...
- I struck gold again.
Here. It's a limited edition.
- I already read it.
- Not this one.
I added stuff in the footnotes.
Eglantine.
I called it the eternal punishment.
Yeah?
He was fighting with Emilie.
I punished them both.
I need more mice
with low antibodies
so the PPM can work.
Good job.
Hey. Hold on.
I was wondering if you wanted
to watch Donkey Skin with me.
I also have Wuthering Heights.
No, thank you.
The Americans,
well, Sophie Lapron,
not to name her...
they are way ahead of us.
Their laws allow them
to test on humans
as soon as next month.
Please.
If we want to stay in the game,
if we want the lab to stay open,
we need...
We need to obtain
the authorization for human testing
tomorrow at the Board of Ethics.
If we can't see results,
I want theories.
We need to show them
we are close, that we're on it.
That we have a lead.
I'm listening.
We have extracted,
studied and purified the PPM
to understand the way it works.
But the PPM can only be read
in an organism
with penguin genes.
We injected the penguin genome
and the PPM into lab mice.
The results are astounding.
We found the stimulus
that activates the PPM.
We are this close
to universal immunity.
Professor, you can therefore reveal
the nature of the stimulus.
I'd love to, but it's impossible.
Last night, my lab was broken into.
It was ransacked.
And all of our data was stolen.
There's no doubt that this was
scientific espionage.
Therefore, I will not expose
my team and our work today.
I'm asking you to come back
in a month...
for a closed hearing.
We give you three weeks.
I'm coming with the fish.
You were up there?
She was there?
You shouldn't have.
He needs his space after all this.
Three weeks.
The lab might as well shut down now.
What can we even find in three weeks?
Did he say anything?
He might have said goodbye.
He's gonna kill himself.
They killed him.
Nadine, calm down.
We could knock you over.
You need to rest.
Professor Quignard, are you there?
I hope you're there.
I just locked myself up
on the icefield.
If you don't come quickly,
I'll freeze to death.
I decided to accept.
I accept the sacrifice.
I accept this adventure for two.
I accept science.
The testing is initiated.
I have the genome, the PPM...
Everything.
There.
I know the drill.
I'll work from here.
I swear I won't say anything
if you don't want me to.
And...
I'm so cold.
Stay calm. Easy.
We'll start the trials tomorrow morning.
As you wished...
or because of your putsch...
you are now my guinea pig.
Everything must remain confidential.
Josephine, look at me.
Thank you for this insane move.
You're absolutely crazy.
But thank you.
By the way...
my name is Christophine.
There.
Thank you.
Nadine and Philippe, I want to see you
in my office. Thank you.
What's the lead?
I'm superstitious.
- Since when?
- Since now.
Look, I can't tell you.
It could skew your experimentation.
I know what I'm doing.
Trust me. Was I ever wrong?
Okay. You have free rein
for three weeks
to find the stimulus.
The lab is yours.
Meanwhile,
I'll focus on the penguins.
Christophine will assist me.
She'll help in her own way.
Any questions?
No. A problem.
One of the vials of penguin genome
and modified PPM is missing.
- That's me.
- I knew it.
Oh, my God, Frederic.
You didn't do anything crazy, did you?
Philippe, say something.
We love you.
I lost it last night.
To calm down...
I threw a PPM vial against the wall.
- Out of frustration.
- It's over $185,000 per vial.
It's like...
a lot.
- I'll erase it from the register.
- Good.
- I'm happy. You can go.
- Yes, but...
Life is nothing.
There's nothing like life.
There's nothing like life.
Life is nothing.
It's still $185,000.
You will work with the professor
until further notice.
The code and the new password
are in this envelope.
Extraordinary circumstances require
extraordinary measures.
Professor Quignard decided to give you
six mice each.
- Yes.
- Six?
Six.
That's abuse of power. They will all die.
Be creative.
May the best man win.
The country is counting on us.
And the country is unforgiving.
Disease injections in the Lab 1.
Dissection in Lab 2.
Dissection in 2.
Christophine.
I'll try to be brief.
You have the manipulated penguin DNA...
the modified PPM,
and I have the knowledge.
If we put our efforts together,
we can try, together...
to uncover the nature
of the stimulus of immunity.
We have three weeks.
The scientific collaboration
is first and foremost an exchange.
It requires generosity...
mutual assistance...
and sacrifice.
If we find the stimulus,
I'll get the Board of Ethics' approval,
prove my theory, beat the Americans,
and win the Nobel Prize.
The confirmation of my calling.
For a life of sacrifice...
of devotion...
of renunciation...
of solitude in service of science.
Any questions?
Any requests, then?
No.
I'm just...
I, too, love sharing
- and a joyous atmosphere at work.
- Good.
Today, we're doing basic tests.
We'll take samples
and do a full workup.
I'll need to ask you...
to get undressed.
Hurry. We have a lot
of samples to take.
Christophine, I only meant the blouse.
It's okay. We'll do a full checkup.
Right side.
Right.
- What was your last weigh-in?
- One hundred and ten pounds.
I have 120 here.
My bones are heavy.
Only ten left.
Is it good?
One of your bandages is off.
There. That's better.
Urine and stool.
Christophine, I have the impression
today was tough on you.
No, no. It was fun.
I'm a bit hungry.
- Aren't you?
- No.
Let's have some fun.
I have planned a little something.
You'll see. I think I did good.
The stimulus we're looking for coincides
with an electrical signal
or nerve response.
We gotta do what we gotta do.
It's past 7 p.m.
You can leave.
Here.
Inside, you'll find your diet
for the week.
You need to have the perfect lifestyle.
You are to note every single move you make
outside of the lab.
You'll also find
a customized questionnaire.
And my cell phone number
for emergencies.
Well...
Have a nice evening.
- Have a nice evening.
- Day One.
Stimulus by physical shock...
and electrical shock.
Day Two.
Taking samples of blood
and saliva
from the control patient.
First analysis confirms the presence
of penguin DNA
and of modified PPM
in the system.
Day Three. Changing the eating habits
of the subject.
Going for oligophagy.
No physiological alterations.
Day Five. The hematological
monitoring of the patient,
urine and stool testing
confirm that the PPM is
accepted by the system.
Although it is not yet active.
Day Seven.
Still looking for the stimulus
by activating
the somatosensory system
in the spinothalamic pathway.
On my signal.
Three...
two...
one.
Twenty minutes, Christophine.
Twenty minutes.
There.
That's it for today.
Okay.
She's still praising herself for
having prolonged
about a half-life
the life of the mice.
She wants me to make a mistake.
She's publishing her advances
in the hopes I'll publish mine.
It's a ridiculous plan.
Are you coming?
What is he doing up there?
Don't worry, Nadine.
He knows what he's doing.
You know it's only 7:15 p.m.
Dinner time in this week's schedule
is at 8.
I know.
- Can we make an exception?
- No.
I'm leaving a little early this evening,
I have plans.
I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you.
You can still rest if you want.
Good night.
Is it a dinner date?
Sorry?
Your dinner. Is it...?
Dinner.
See you tomorrow.
Hi.
Hi.
None of them lived?
No.
Tomorrow, they are putting them
in ice water. A massacre.
This morning, I read an article.
It said making love lowers the risks
of cancer and heart problems.
Do you have heart problems?
No.
It also increases life expectancy
and oxygen levels...
I will sleep with you, Siegfried.
It's a miracle.
Christophine, come here.
It worked.
The PPM activated.
Your system is a fortress.
Christophine, you are a miracle.
You need to tell me
everything you did last night.
Come on. Let's go.
Explain this.
I slept.
Be more precise.
In my bed.
Christophine, what did you do last night?
I had sex.
A little bit.
With whom?
A boy.
And...?
With Siegfried.
Anything important or meaningful?
No.
It was a mistake
and it didn't mean anything.
How long?
I'd say...
two and a half hours.
What was the quality?
- It was okay.
- How was the quality of the intercourse?
So, the sexual intercourse alone...
and the hormones it generates...
activate the PPM.
To all personnel.
Meeting in the mice room
in 60 minutes.
Okay. Influenza or stomach flu?
Both.
No bleeding.
No cuts.
Here. Try it.
Go ahead.
No sign of influenza.
No stomach flu either.
Your system is immune.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Thank you all.
You've worked very well
these past few days.
I know it was tough.
Your loyalty goes straight
to my heart.
I was sure you'd find it.
How did you come up
with this idea?
With work, of course.
And the mice.
We need to congratulate
Siegfried.
For all his work.
So, here's the new protocol.
All mice need to copulate.
It needs to be systematic.
We have two weeks left.
Let's get to work.
As planned, I will try
to have them copulate tonight.
We will meet to discuss the results
tomorrow morning.
For acupuncture,
take off the needles.
We don't want them to get hurt.
That's right.
Here, in the United States,
it's completely different.
We've just begun
the first clinical trials.
- We're the first in the world to do so.
- Bitch.
And I must say that the results
are already encouraging.
This is from this morning?
Yes.
Why is the PPM so short-lived?
For penguins, it lasts for weeks.
Maybe humans need
repeated stimuli.
I'm listening.
We need to study the interactions
between sexual intercourse,
stimulus and PPM activation.
Maybe the lack of repetition
makes the stimulus less efficient.
You need to have sex with Siegfried again.
Have him come here.
I'll hide and watch.
- That's impossible.
- Why?
Siegfried can't hold his tongue.
He doesn't know what a secret is.
The board and the Americans
will know all about it.
Another guy, then.
Professor, our research
must be kept quiet.
We need a full-time guinea pig
with great stamina
that can keep quiet.
He'd need to work at the lab, too.
So, it doesn't look suspicious.
I don't have a clue.
We are the only two
who know the protocol and I'm already in.
Let me think for a second.
A man...
who knows the protocol...
who's loyal...
discreet...
Professor, we don't have time.
Very well.
If we have to.
For science.
For science.
New protocol. Day one.
We don't do much,
but we do it well.
Can we turn off the lights?
Of course.
So?
Nothing. It didn't work.
No PPM.
Maybe we need to do it more.
But you only slept with Siegfried once.
Christophine, you need to tell me
all the details of that.
That's not a good idea.
What?
Yeah. It's like this.
I don't understand.
The wall's over here.
We start like this,
and then we go down.
But it's like this.
No. We could do it like this,
but he was standing up.
That's okay.
I'll figure it out.
You couldn't make things simple,
like everyone else?
Thank you.
Well, I...
I tighten.
Go ahead.
I got it. Let go.
So I go...
like this?
Yeah.
That's it.
Very well.
I'm just a little...
I'll...
Is that okay?
Hold on, I'll push.
That's it. Just like that.
I'm letting you go.
Do you need help with your coat?
Nothing's happening. Aren't they supposed
to copulate all the time?
No. The genital cycle
is from three to six days.
Females accept
the males 10 to 18 hours per cycle.
It won't work.
We can't wait for them
to start menstruating.
We could spray some of the cages
with pheromones.
It would activate the sensors
of the olfactory epithelium.
Nadine, you're amazing.
I must remind everyone
to be gentle with the boxes.
Those creatures are alive.
Celine...
Celine is on protocol A.
They are six months old.
Very well. Thank you.
Do you see how they put
the boxes down?
Do you see?
Protocol A also?
They are six months, too?
Protocol A.
And they are...
Jean-Louis.
Protocol D, 2 years old.
Protocol A, six months old.
Albert. Hi. Protocol C.
I'm dizzy.
I'm dizzy.
Take a break, Nadine.
- It must be the fumes.
- Yeah.
You look younger like this.
Nadine, did you do something
to your hair?
It looks good.
It's just a new hairdo.
Did you notice the new coffee
I bought?
A lot.
- Professor? Professor?
- I don't have time, Siegfried.
But I have 30 newborns.
I can't handle it.
- We'll talk about it later.
- What am I supposed to do? Colonize?
Make them do your exercises.
Continue.
Oh, my God.
It's going well.
You want a rundown
for tomorrow's meeting?
Yes.
Did you succeed in isolating
the stimulus?
We're close.
We go in front of the Board
in 48 hours.
Close isn't enough.
See you later, Nadine.
See you later, Frederic.
Nadine?
Yes?
What...?
What do you think of Siegfried?
- Very involved in his work.
- He's nice.
No, I mean...
physically.
- Exciting.
- Normal.
When I say "exciting,"
I mean in general.
Personally, he's not doing it for me.
I always see beyond the physique.
I find the inner qualities
to be more exciting.
I fell asleep.
I can see that.
It's the last day.
Yes.
One last-ditch effort.
We can't do this.
You're not up for this.
We don't have much time.
Get some rest.
It's only 8 a.m.
We have all day.
I'll be back in an hour, okay?
Christophine?
Christophine?
Christophine, can you hear me?
Yes.
Do you feel better?
Professor.
I think there's something wrong.
Don't worry.
We did our best.
With the time and the conditions
we had.
I'll let the team know tomorrow.
I didn't find it.
I don't know what could be worse.
Are you still there?
Yes.
I couldn't hear you.
Do you want to say goodnight to Gaston?
No, thank you, professor.
I'm very tired.
I'm going to bed.
Of course.
You wanted to tell me something?
Not at all.
Have a good evening.
Christophine?
Yes?
Thank you.
Christophine.
Christophine, you are sad.
I can see that.
Don't be ashamed.
It will stay between us girls.
I know what frustration is.
I, too, had a relationship...
that remained platonic.
But it was also passionate
in a cerebral way.
I'm telling you to be patient.
He'll come to you.
No shame here.
I don't mind silence.
The key is to say
what the other wants to hear.
Nadine?
Yeah.
Think about it.
- Prick it. Prick it.
- Yes.
Go, go.
Yes!
Microscope. Go.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Yes.
Let's check. Let's check.
Go ahead.
Come here.
Go ahead.
And?
- Let's check again.
- Let's check again.
As you all know, I wanted
to do some parallel research
to increase
our chances of discovery.
I tried everything.
I followed through every theories.
I didn't overlook anything.
So, yes. The sexual intercourse
- helps the activation of the PPM.
- We found it.
I was explaining that the PPM
activates during copulation.
It also coincides
- with the presence of a sugar which...
- No.
The intercourse activates the PPM
because
it's during intercourse,
when it's done properly...
that the mouse has an orgasm.
That peak of pleasure is the stimulus.
The orgasm...
is the key to immunity.
I...
I don't understand
why yours did and...
Did you inject penguin DNA
and purified PPM to the males
and to the females?
Yes. Of course.
So...
your males weren't that good.
That's all.
Science is a miracle.
We are ready to discuss
our results with the Board.
We won!
That's crazy.
Hi, I'm not here, but leave me a message.
Thank you.
Christophine, this is my fifth message
in five minutes.
Call me back as soon as possible
on my cell or here, but call me.
Champagne in Lab 1.
Petit fours in Lab 2.
Petit fours in Lab 2.
Look at me.
Amazing.
Good.
Thank you.
The French research team
of Professor Quignard
just made the biggest discovery
of all time.
- -Human kind, and probably
for the next 2,000 years.
...To do now is to make them permanent.
The effect of the PPM is short.
The challenge Quignard is facing
is to stabilize the PPM effect
to make it permanent.
GASTON
WHY DO WOMEN LOVE HIM?
Your coffee is good, Frederic.
It's nice to have it here.
The view...
makes it better.
I just got two-week sick leave notice
from Christophine's doctor.
Frederic.
I'm a woman.
Some things I can feel strongly.
- Philippe.
- What?
Nadine, Christophine will come back.
Did you call her?
She's not picking up.
Hi. I'm not here, but leave me a message.
Thank you.
Hello?
What's going on?
The transformation occurred overnight.
Those are the first mice
in which the PPM activated.
The back and front legs are webbing.
Their temperature is rising.
Those we put on ice are okay.
Frederic.
The injected DNA
gave them the donor's characteristics.
Do you know what this means?
The guinea pigs
developed webbed feet?
- And that they changed temperature?
- Yes.
Christophine, it's Professor Quignard.
Open up.
They gave me the key.
I'm coming in.
Christophine?
You're here.
I stayed home.
The ice is melting.
Sorry?
The ice is melting.
Can you get some from the freezer?
I faint every time I try to go.
Show me.
Please. I wanna see.
Your skin is decomposing.
You can't stay here.
You need to come to the icefield.
I'm not your guinea pig anymore.
If I leave you here, in a few days,
your skin will disintegrate.
I don't want to be
your guinea pig anymore.
I'll find a solution.
Let me help you.
You can't stay alone.
Soon it'll be impossible.
No more blood draws.
No more samples.
No witness.
I want you to know
I'm making progress.
I'll find something. Don't worry.
You know that wonderful moment
right before you fall asleep?
I'm there.
How is it?
It's the end of the need.
I'm going to sleep.
Are you sure you don't want coffee?
I'm sure, Nadine.
How are the mice?
We lost two last night.
Siegfried is doing the autopsy.
He's losing his mind.
Cause of death?
Vital signs falling.
How is it going?
Good.
You're dying here.
I know.
You are dying,
and I don't know what to do.
I know that, too.
Antarctica.
Bring me to Antarctica.
We need to find a solution
before the Atlanta conference,
but otherwise, it's a success.
Not really.
The immune mice have webbed feet.
We got a message from Christophine.
Hi, everyone.
Don't worry.
I'm drifting in the fluffy clouds of life.
I love you.
I love you all.
That kid is fragile.
Okay.
I got a call from
the Concordia Antarctica base.
They are reviving their project
with sounding balloons.
They need our space probe.
I will deliver it as soon as possible.
Do you really need
to deliver it yourself?
The probe is very fragile.
I'd rather go alone.
Sorry?
I'd rather go alone.
It's not possible.
You can't ask me that.
I need to go with you...
I know.
But I need to be alone.
Okay?
Goodbye.
Professor Frederic Quignard
in preparation.
Glucose and decreasing dose
of five milligrams of cortisone
for 5 p.m. Thank you.
And this year,
the Nobel Prize of Science
goes to the team
of Professor Quignard
for his outstanding research results
on DNA immunity.
Subtitle translation by
Annick Gagn