Flying Home (2014) Movie Script
I know it's always difficult
to determine the value,
but the share price is the
share price, Mr. Karadeniz.
What we can do,
I'm sure you'll appreciate this,
is offer you a fair deal in terms of...
As I told Mr. Walden,
I'm not interested
in profit participation.
WFG needs my shares.
I grant you, sir, your shares are
important for our overall strategy...
Jason, your wife is calling.
How are you, Mr. Karadeniz?
I'm not selling for $18 a share.
Oh, I'm not negotiating this.
This is Jason's deal. We just need
to give him a couple of minutes.
Which way to the bedroom?
It's over there.
Wow.
I love the view.
So do I.
Mr. Karadeniz, how are you?
Am I interrupting something?
No. No, it's okay. We're just...
I can call later.
No, it's fine. It's fine, I assure you.
Asshole.
Everybody's sucking your dick
about the Karadeniz deal.
- Congratulations, you did it.
- Thank you.
I've got a real big one for you.
Sheikh Abdullah Nayed.
Estimated capital, 10 billion.
Wow.
Erik almost got him to
invest a half a billion,
but now he's about to sign
with Horizon Capital.
I want you to take over.
Get him.
Just start with the small
shareholders and work your way up.
Don't worry about that.
Just get it done.
Mr. Montgomery.
Mr. Smith.
Thank you for helping me arrange this.
Useless.
This is garbage.
Who the hell did you use?
No. No, I need real in-depth
research on the guy. Fast.
Deal with it.
Mr. Montgomery.
The Sheikh will see you now.
According to our religion,
feeding birds and treating
them well is a good behavior,
identified with acquiring
merit in the eyes of Allah.
And it was a pigeon that helped Muhammad
when he escaped from the Quraish.
I'm telling you this because I know
many people find it hard to believe
that a Sheikh could be a
passionate piggeon fancier.
Well, I heard Mike Tyson does it.
That's pretty hard to believe, too.
When I'm with my birds,
I feel they bring the best out of me.
I'm sure this is also
the case for Mr. Tyson.
I've already told Mr. Walden
that I won't be investing
in your company.
I like the sound they make.
Isn't it soothing?
Very.
Have you ever wondered why
pigeons are the symbol of peace,
of love and good will?
Every time I hold them in my hands
and look into their eyes,
it's as if I understand exactly why.
To care for them,
to see these noble birds race,
makes me the happiest man in the world.
How do you race pigeons?
Do they fly in circles?
No. They fly in a straight
line back to their loft.
The most fantastic race in the world
is the Barcelona international.
The birds have to fly over
1,000 miles to get back home.
Can you imagine?
That's a long way for such a small bird.
Indeed. It takes them two
days to cover the distance.
The Barcelona race is the
epitome of endurance,
the synonym of willpower,
a hymn to love.
Love?
Yes.
Because the birds fly home to
the one they've left behind.
They want to be reunited as quickly
as possible with the one they love.
It's my dream to win that race one day.
What does it take?
The right bird.
And you don't have it?
No.
A very, very stubborn man
named Jos Pauwels has it.
We have offered him a
huge amount of money,
but he doesn't want to sell.
Why not?
I don't know.
Where is he, this Pauwels?
Flanders, in Belgium.
Have you heard of it?
An ancestor of mine supposedly
died there in World War I.
But let me ask you a favor.
Let me prove to you that you can
trust us with your investment.
Let me get you that bird.
I told you, it can't be done.
Even better. Let me show you that
with hard work and determination
WFG can do what can't be done.
I'm very close to signing with Horizon.
Then I'd better act fast.
...he used to be the village doctor.
The pigeon he's holding
is the champion dove
the Sheikh wants, Wittekop.
This is his granddaughter, Isabelle.
She's a student at the University of Ghent.
Her mother moved back to Holland,
so now she lives with Jos.
It's raining. Again. Welcome to Belgium.
Mr. Montgomery, welcome to Belgium.
Didn't get the memo? It's Mr. Evans.
I've found lodging in the
village itself, as you requested.
Great.
But I have to warn you,
it might not be very comfortable.
Because the place I found
is not really a hotel.
- It's a... A parsonage.
- What?
The local priest is renting out a room
because the Church needs
extra money, I suppose.
But I can book you a hotel in a city nearby.
Everything is very close in Belgium.
No, it's perfect. I want to blend in.
Okay. Here's your Belgian cell phone.
My number is in it in
case you need anything.
Great, thanks.
Voila, this is it.
A very modest car, like you asked.
But we can change it, if you want.
No, it's perfect.
Turn back to the indicated road.
Yeah, yeah. The indicated
road is closed, wise guy.
Oh, what the fuck...
Oh, come on.
Come on.
Shit.
Excuse me.
Sorry, ma'am?
She's asleep, sir.
And without her hearing aid
she's as deaf as a post.
Anna, Anna?
Time to go home. Mass is finished.
See you tomorrow, Anna.
Good-bye.
She falls asleep every morning,
before I even can reach the altar.
- You must be Colin Evans.
- Yeah.
Did you walk all the way from America?
My car got stuck in the mud
a couple of miles back.
I'm sorry to hear that.
I'll send someone later to pull it out.
You know, I was raised by parents that
considered the Americans as our saviors.
And that's why I'm so touched by
you trying to find
your ancestor's grave.
Because he died for my freedom.
I apologize for the mess.
I wanted to replace the old
furniture with more modern things,
but I didn't have the time
to assemble everything.
Don't worry,
I'll deduct it from the room rate.
It's IKEA. Do you have IKEA in America?
Yeah.
Yeah, of course. IKEA is everywhere.
It's like
my boss.
The bathroom is across
the hall, over there.
Dinner is at 7:00. Today is chicken.
I've asked Martha,
my housekeeper, to choose Cecile.
She's a nice, fat chick.
I mean Cecile. Cecile is, not Martha.
Right.
See you tonight.
I was wondering,
I couldn't find your Wi-Fi.
My what?
Your Internet connection.
Oh, no, no. No Internet here. No.
God is my provider.
Right.
I've selected a few books about the
Great War for you from my library.
I know it sounds strange
for a man in my position,
but I'm very interested in war.
I don't know why.
But I'm sure you'll find
them quite interesting
and they could help you to
locate your ancestor's grave.
Yeah. Thank you.
All right.
I wonder, do you know in
which battle he was killed?
No. I only know it was in Flanders.
The American troops have never been here.
They landed in France.
He was English. My great-grandmother
moved to the US with her son
after her husband was killed.
Oh, I see.
I was fearing you would think that
Flanders was just a part of France.
Many people in the US make that mistake.
Yeah. I'm a high school teacher.
So I'm not supposed to make
those kind of mistakes.
Of course. I should have known.
- Enjoy.
- Thank you very much, Martha.
Cecile, as beautiful in
death as she was in life.
Good morning.
The...
He is in church. Morning Mass.
I see.
- Eggs?
- Yes, please.
Is this decaf?
What?
It's like coffee,
but without the caffeine.
We're honest people here, sir.
Oh, one's enough, thank you.
So, Martha, are you from around here?
Yes.
I've lived here all my life.
I know everyone.
So tell me, what do people
do around here all day?
They work.
And when they're not working?
They... They like football.
You know, with the feet.
They like... TV. They like...
I was wondering, is there a local
pub around here somewhere?
Yes. In De Zavelput.
It's three kilometers.
Say if you want more.
Hey, what's up?
Nice day today?
Let me help you.
That's okay.
- Hi.
- Hi.
What would you like to drink?
I'll have a Coke, please.
I'm Isabelle.
I'm Colin. Colin Evans.
Yeah. I know who you are.
Everyone in the village is
already talking about you.
I only just got here.
Well, it's very easy to
become a star in this town.
In the whole of Flanders,
for that matter.
I thought you didn't understand English.
English, yes.
American, no.
He used to be my English teacher.
Yeah.
Until so-called "health problems"
got me fired.
That's the weirdest
pool table I ever saw.
It's very typical for Belgium.
It's a fun game, you know.
Really? I'm actually
pretty good at pool.
Oh, yeah? Would you like to try?
Sure, I'd love to.
Do you want red or white?
Red.
Of course. The color of aggression.
Pierre, leave him in peace.
And Coca-Cola.
So you line up the balls like this.
The game is very simple.
The one who first succeeds
in pocketing his five balls
in the opponent's pocket, wins.
We both start at the same time. Okay?
Okay.
I'll count to three and
then we shoot. Ready?
One, two...
Wait, wait.
You first have to make a bet.
It's his first time,
so let's forget about that.
No, no, I think we should.
I'll buy Pierre a beer every
time I lose. How about that?
Fantastic.
But I want you to have one, too.
Sorry, I don't drink alcohol
this early in the day.
"Sorry, I don't drink alcohol
so early in the day."
Fine. I'll have one, too.
Okay, here goes.
One,
two,
three.
Nice shot.
Thanks.
So, do you work here full-time?
No, only during the summer.
I study biology at the
university in Ghent.
What about you?
I'm a high school teacher.
That's why I have all
summer to find that grave.
Yeah, I heard about that.
I think it's really
great that you do this.
Well, family ties are important
to me and my entire family.
One day, I want to be able to
tell my kids where they came from
so they might better understand
where they're heading.
That's beautiful.
Two beers, please.
No mercy?
You don't look like the
kind of guy that needs it.
A rematch after this one?
Why not?
Shall I walk you to the door?
No.
I'm fine, thank you.
Here, your keys.
No. You keep the car.
- Really?
- Yeah.
You're still gonna help me
find that grave, right?
Yeah. I'm happy to help. It's exciting.
- Sure you don't need help?
- Thank you.
I'm good.
- Bye.
- Bye.
Hey.
Drink lots of water, okay?
Thank you. That's very sound advice.
Come on.
- You're sure this is going to work?
- Yes.
But you must drink it all in one time.
- Hi.
- Hi.
How are you feeling?
Good.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Wait, you still have...
- First time you're wearing this?
- Yeah.
- Well, it looks good on you.
- Thanks.
So what cemetery shall we go to first?
I don't know.
There's a lot of them, right?
Yeah, more than 100.
- Let's start with the biggest one.
- Okay.
So, where do we start?
These are really good.
You can't live in Belgium if you don't
like French fries with mayonnaise.
Sure feels good to be out in the open.
This really reminds me of
where I was born and raised.
Where was that?
Bearsville, New York.
It's near Woodstock.
Woodstock. Wow.
Yeah, don't get too excited.
Nothing really happens there anymore.
Does your family still live there?
Yeah, but me and my dad, we...
He's always pushing me.
Ever since I was a kid.
It wears me out sometimes.
I hardly ever see my parents.
What?
Nothing.
It's just that
I thought you said family ties
are really important to you.
They are. They are. It's just...
I'm sorry. I didn't mean
to come across all gloomy.
Must be the country air
messing with my head.
- Oh, God, is it 2:00 already?
- Ten past.
Shit. I promised my granddad
I'd join him at the club.
- The club? What kind of club?
- A pigeon club.
- A what?
- He races pigeons.
He's really good at it.
I never knew you could race pigeons.
Well, it's a big sport around here.
Well, I'd love to see this.
Let's go.
Thank God. I thought
you wouldn't make it.
And I can't manage without my mascot.
He says I bring him luck.
Not that his birds need it.
So, you are the American?
I'm afraid I am.
Isabelle tells me you race pigeons.
Sounds very interesting.
Really?
Tell me, what's the thing that
makes it interesting to you?
Just the whole concept, you know.
The whole concept?
- Jos, your turn.
- Okay.
Don't worry about my granddad.
He's always a bit
overprotective when I...
You know, when he sees me with someone.
So he should be.
What are they doing?
Well, the pigeons all have a
ring with all their data on it.
And that big guy over there,
he scans the rings.
And from that moment on,
the pigeons are officially in the race.
The birds are then put
together in shipping crates
and brought to the start
of the race, which is,
Amiens. That's in France.
How far is that from here?
About 200 kilometers.
Look.
That's Wittekop. It's his favorite bird.
What happens next?
Tonight, trucks will take
all the birds to Amiens.
And tomorrow, around 10:00 a.m.,
the birds will all be
released at the same time.
Thousands of them.
The first one home wins.
A real champion dove can
be worth a lot of money.
Up to 200,000 euros.
I'm sure your friend is not interested
in the financial aspect of the sport.
Oh, I find it fascinating, sir.
I'd love to know more.
You should show him your loft.
Tomorrow I could make us a nice lunch.
We could all wait for the birds to return.
That'd be awesome. Thank you.
I'm warning you. It's boring.
He hates my guts.
He'll warm up to you. You'll see.
So, are you ready for some more
country air to mess with your head?
Sure.
This is a really beautiful spot.
I've lived here all my life.
But when my father died,
my mom went back to Holland.
And I went to live with my granddad.
But the house is still ours.
I'd be heartbroken if anything
would happen to this place.
Why would something happen to it?
Well, a while ago, there was
this Belgian building company
and they were planning on putting,
like, a huge apartment complex here.
Luckily they ran out
of financing, but...
I swear, I'd chain myself to a tree.
I'd do whatever it takes
to save this place.
Why is it that everything beautiful has
to be turned into a mall or a gas station?
Yes, David. What have you got for me?
The construction company you're
looking for is called Boulaert NV.
Where are they located?
Actually, not that
far from you, in Bruges.
All right, set up a meeting with
their CEO for tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.
And then book me on a flight
to New York the day after.
You got it.
Are you coming to the party tonight?
What party?
It's to support our local marching band.
The whole village will be there.
You really should come, too.
Sure. I'll be there.
Who's the guy in all the
pictures with your grandfather?
That's my dad.
So he was a pigeon guy, too?
Oh, yes.
But Mom hated his pigeons because
they shat on her laundry.
So he brought them here.
They've won a lot of races together.
The Barcelona Classic was their dream.
They'd just started to train
birds specifically for that race,
but then he died.
In a car crash three years ago.
So is Jos coming home soon?
He is home.
He's in his loft.
Hey.
You ever hold a pigeon?
No.
This is Romeo.
How does that feel?
It's great. It's great.
I can feel its heart. It's racing.
Yeah.
It's because he doesn't know you.
You should talk to him.
What should I say?
Whatever you want. Calm him down.
Hey, handsome.
Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you.
He likes you.
I will show you something.
What do I do with Romeo?
Put him back in his spot.
Look at this.
Take it.
So tiny.
Just into the world.
Pigeons grow very fast, you know.
In three months' time this
baby will be ready to race.
You should give him a name.
- What, me?
- Yeah.
Maybe one day, he'll win a race for you.
All right.
Speed. I'll call him Speed.
Okay.
From now on,
whenever we see this bird fly,
we'll think of you.
Wittekop?
That's fast, mate.
He's getting better by the day.
You think he's the first one?
Maybe, yeah.
We have to go to the club
to see if he has won.
All right, let's go check.
Jos,
last night, someone broke into Marcel's.
Yeah, all his pigeons are gone.
Good lord.
Is something wrong?
Marcel got robbed of all his pigeons.
It's horrible.
He spent a lifetime
building those birds.
Marcel.
Good afternoon. How may I help you?
I'm Colin Montgomery from WFG.
I have an appointment with Mr. Boulaert.
Yes, Mr. Boulaert is expecting you.
Please follow me.
Colin?
If you see the... You know.
The reverend?
Yes, reverend.
Can you tell him I already go to party?
Okay.
Will you come also?
I don't think so.
You must come. Have some fun.
So you came.
I don't want to miss the number
one party in Bunderzele, right?
Are you making fun of us, Mr. Evans?
Who's the singer?
I want to buy all her records.
Come on, big shot.
Show me how good you
are on the dance floor.
Dear friends, I absolutely want to
thank you from the bottom of my heart
for showing up in such large numbers.
And I'd say, long live Bunderzele.
And now a golden oldie,
a special request from
our dear friend Martha.
The kissing dance.
What?
The kissing dance.
No, no, no. No more dancing.
Oh, come on.
So what do we do?
We kiss.
Are you having fun?
Yeah.
Good. Now you choose a girl.
Hey, what the fuck, man?
Let's rumble.
Leave her alone.
Idiot.
You gonna be okay?
Yeah, it's just a little cut.
I haven't been in a
fight since junior high.
You know, I was on my way to
you when that guy stepped in.
Really?
Yeah.
Then you should finish what you started.
Wait. Isn't this going to hurt?
I hope so.
Martha.
Hey, what's going on in there?
Come on, Martha. Leave them be.
- No sex before the wedding.
- Come on.
Maybe I should go inside, too.
He's not going to get her
up those stairs alone.
Do you want to meet up tomorrow?
After I get back from Ghent?
Yes.
Don't wreck my car, all right?
Thanks for letting me use it.
So I'll come and pick you up
sometime after noon, okay?
Your lips are cold.
Bye.
Are you sitting down?
Yes.
The Sheikh just called.
Guess how much he's
prepared to put in the fund?
Half a billion, right?
Two is more like it.
Wow.
The deal's going to make
you very rich, my boy.
Now, you're on top of it, aren't you?
Sure, yes.
Get it done, get your ass on a plane.
Now, you're flying home tonight, right?
I... Yes.
Good.
Shit.
I was just taking care of Speed.
Look how big he is, in just one day.
I didn't come here to talk about Speed.
I'm here on behalf of Sheikh Nayed.
Mr. Pauwels, I work for a very
powerful financing group in New York.
The Sheikh is a client of ours.
You're wasting your time.
Wittekop is not for sale.
I know.
That's why yesterday afternoon
I had a meeting with the CEO
of Boulaert Construction
Company in Bruges.
Our financing group intends
to provide Bouiaert
with the necessary funding they
need to execute the plans they have
for that beautiful nature
spot near Isabelle's house.
You mean the Kleiputten?
Yes. She's taken me there.
Believe me, I'd love to make sure
that that site remains untouched.
But I can only do that if I can
give my client what he wants.
I'll put 300,000 euros in your
name in an ING bank account.
I don't want any money.
Nevertheless, it'll be there for you.
Always.
What if I told you to go fuck yourself?
Then I'd go ahead and
break Isabelle's heart.
I would.
You know how much
that place means to her?
She said she wouldn't let anyone
touch it for as long as she lives.
And still you want to destroy it?
Let me put it this way,
I wouldn't be standing here
if I wasn't convinced that you love that
girl more than anything in the world.
You... You're a bastard.
That's why they pay me the big bucks.
Jos.
We're giving you a good deal here.
300,000 euros is a...
Shut up. Shut up.
I...
I accept.
But I don't want Isabelle or
anyone else to ever know.
I will tell them that the bird
got lost during practice.
- Agreed?
- Agreed.
Sign here.
You had everything prepared?
Always.
Someone will pick up the bird later
today when Isabelle's in Ghent.
Listen.
Here's my card. Just in case.
Montgomery? That's your real name?
Yes.
And that great-grandfather of yours?
Is he a lie, too?
No. As a matter of fact, he isn't.
Well, then I feel very sorry for him.
Goodbye.
Please sign here.
Thank you.
Sir? Excuse me, sir?
Do you want to take the call?
That was fun. We should do
this again someday soon.
Sure.
Bye.
Come on.
You know, we can't wait any longer, man.
We're gonna have to do it now.
It's your serve, David.
Look. I've looked at the numbers
and I'm saying we move now.
Are you going to serve, or what?
You know, that Skyworks deal
isn't just going to sit there.
Look, I came here to get
a good game in. All right?
Now serve the goddamn ball!
- Hi, Mom.
- Hi, darling.
So good to see you. Did you lose weight?
Me? No.
So how's New York?
It's okay.
Did you meet a nice girl already?
- Jeez, Meg, please.
- You stay out of this.
We didn't put him through
college to meet nice girls.
Actually, I did meet someone.
A while back.
Really?
Yeah, but it got complicated.
You've got no time for complicated, son.
I know, Dad, better than anyone.
It's a lonely road to the top.
So you've told me,
like, a million times.
What, is good advice not
good enough for you anymore?
Forget it.
Remember you're only the man you
are today because I pushed you.
I know.
I didn't have a father who held my
hand and showed me how things worked.
Okay.
Mine was drunk half the time,
barely knew my goddamn name.
I made sure you got everything
you wanted. Everything.
I don't have everything, Dad.
What are you talking about?
You can make more money in a day
than most people do in a lifetime.
- So what?
- "So what?"
So what else is there?
Your mom said you were here.
What have you got there?
I was looking around.
Found some old photographs.
Look at you.
You're quite the rebel.
Oh, God.
That's not Mom, is it?
No, your mom was the
one taking this picture.
- Yeah, right.
- God, I remember that day so well.
This girl in the picture here,
she was your mom's best friend.
She came on to me,
but I wasn't into her.
It was your mom I was after.
She gave me such a hard time.
But in the end, that day
was the best day of my life.
There must be another
one of your mom and me,
'cause I remember, we took it
in turns to take the pictures.
My God, look at this.
My father when he was a kid,
and my grandmother and
her second husband.
What's this?
What?
Is it a letter?
I'll be damned.
It's my real grandfather.
I told you about him when you were
a kid, but you probably won't remember.
I do remember.
I remember it really well.
He's the one that went to
the First World War, right?
Yeah, somewhere in Flanders.
I can't believe you found this.
My grandmother must have hidden it,
because her second husband
was a real jealous guy.
Read the letter.
No, you'd better.
All right.
"My love, I only have a few
moments to write this letter
"as we are called to the front.
"I am scared, but I am
also determined to survive
"and come home to you and our baby boy.
"Because if this war has
taught me something,
"it is that nothing in this
life is more important
"than to be with the one you love.
"Yours forever, Stewart."
You know,
I've always loved your mother. And you.
Always.
His uniform should be able to tell us more
about the regiment he was serving in.
- Do you mind if I keep this for a while?
- No.
I think I know someone
who can help us with this.
I'm very happy your father
is not sick anymore.
I'm sorry I rushed off like that,
without any explanation.
It's been a difficult month.
Not a lot of things happened
here since you left.
Except for Jos, of course.
What happened?
He lost his bird, Wittekop.
Apparently it didn't return
from a practice flight.
Jos thinks that maybe
a bird of prey got it.
- He is very sad.
- Oh, yes.
He almost never leaves the house.
Luckily enough there's still
Isabelle to take care of him.
I wouldn't know what he
would do without that girl.
This is good. Don't let it get cold.
The prodigal son returns.
Is Isabelle here?
Why do you want to know?
I want to talk to her.
I'll go get her.
Now get out of here.
Pierre, easy.
Pierre, stop it!
What are you doing here?
I came back.
Bad idea.
Can we talk?
I've got nothing to say to you.
- Isabelle please, just give me five minutes.
- No.
- Five minutes, please.
- Go away. No.
Just disappear again
like you did last time.
Without a word.
I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to...
Go away! Go back to
New York and let us be!
Now get going.
Okay. But I'll be coming back.
Good. I'll be waiting.
I heard you were back.
Recognize Speed?
He got big in one month.
Look at his feathers.
Beautiful.
Look at his wings.
I should start practicing
with him, but...
Why did you come back?
I want to tell the truth to Isabelle.
You can't.
You promised you wouldn't tell anyone.
I have to.
I want her to know who I really am.
I want to make things right again.
Then get my bird back.
That's the one thing I can't do.
I didn't touch the money, you know.
- I know.
- So what's the problem?
Go and tell that Arabic bastard that
he has no right to keep my bird.
He forced me into selling it.
He didn't force you. I did.
Tell him that.
I can't.
I'll lose my job and
everything I ever worked for.
I'm sure you'll find a way.
Not in this case.
The Sheikh has put a huge amount of
money into our company's hedge fund.
Hedge funds only
make rich people richer.
Exactly. And they don't
like to give things back.
You don't know if you don't ask.
Believe me. I've worked a long
time for these people. They won't.
Then get the hell out of here.
And don't come near my granddaughter.
I'll break your neck.
You spoil me, Martha.
Enjoy.
Please. Won't you sit with me?
- I must do things...
- Please.
Yes.
Because I can see you are sad.
You went to Jos?
- Yeah.
- How is he?
Like you said, depressed.
It will take a long time for
him to forget Wittekop.
He was very special.
I don't understand.
I know he's a great champion, but...
It's still just a pigeon.
No, no, no, no.
Not just a pigeon.
What do you mean?
Wittekop is...
How do you say?
Not your real name, but...
- A nickname.
- Yes.
In Flemish we say "wittekop"
to someone with blonde hair.
Like Jos' son.
His name was Tony.
Have you heard of him?
I've seen pictures.
He died in a car crash.
Wittekop was the first pigeon to
come out of the egg after Tony died.
Do you see?
The whole village knows that bird.
We all know how much Jos loves it.
And when we see it fly,
we think of his son.
Sorry.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the
start of The Barcelona International,
the most important race of the year,
with 33,000 pigeons participating.
Attention for the start of the race.
Five, four, three, two, one.
They took off.
Try not to think about it.
Some more coffee?
No, I'm good.
Did you hear? Colin is back.
Yes, so I've heard.
He came to De Zavelput,
but I kicked him out.
Well done.
Why...
did that asshole come back,
for Christ's sake?
Darling, come back here.
Come on. Give that to me.
I wasn't planning on ever telling you,
but he won't leave you alone,
so I'd rather you hear it from me.
That... asshole isn't called Colin Evans,
but Colin Montgomery.
And he wasn't here to find a grave.
Instead, he was hired to
convince me to sell Wittekop.
Here.
His business card.
Did you sell Wittekop?
- I had no choice.
- How so?
He threatened to have this
financing group he works for,
take over Boulaert and to
build all over the Kleiputten.
Mr. Montgomery.
Not a lot of people have been
able to track down the Sheikh
all the way here to Euskirchen.
Well, I hope I'm not intruding.
No, on the contrary.
Oh, look. Our pigeons are
just starting their training.
These are youngsters.
It's their first time out.
Actually, the entire wing is full of birds.
The very best money can buy.
Please follow me.
Mr. Montgomery,
how good to see you here.
Good to see you again.
This is Mr. Conrad.
I race my European
pigeons from his loft.
- Pleasure to meet you.
- Hello.
You must be very good.
I do my best.
But the competition is very tough.
Would you like some tea?
Thank you.
I heard you were in Belgium.
Yes, I was visiting Jos Pauwels.
Interesting.
How is he doing?
Well, as a matter of fact,
I wanted to talk to you about
something that concerns him.
If you will excuse me,
I have to tend to the pigeons.
Seems to me your pigeons
are in excellent hands.
Yes.
If only we could have better results.
I was wondering if we could talk about
the pigeon I recently acquired for you.
I hope you found my gratitude
to be sufficiently generous?
Yes, very generous. Thank you.
It's just that I recently discovered
that the ties between a fancier
and his bird can be very intense.
Oh, yes, very much so.
That's why I...
I was wondering if you
would reconsider Wittekop.
What do you mean, reconsider?
Mr. Pauwels really
regrets his decision. A lot.
I'm not surprised. That bird is amazing.
And it's going to stay with
me until the day it dies.
I have to run.
I hope you'll stay for the night.
Maybe I could use your advice
in a few financial matters.
Of course.
- Is Colin here?
- No. Why?
That's a pity.
You can't imagine what I've discovered
about his great-grandfather.
It's, it's... just unbelievable.
That's Colin's great-grandfather.
He looks a lot like Colin.
And that picture was taken
near the Cloth Hall in Ypres.
Do you see that truck in the background?
Look here.
That's the same truck.
Look closely at it.
It's full of pigeons.
That's a rolling pigeon loft.
Because pigeons were crucial to
communication in World War One.
And the men who took
care of those pigeons
were called the Pigeoneers.
And now... Hold on.
Here.
Now have a close look at what's
standing behind that soldier's leg.
Do you see?
That's a pigeon basket.
Colin's great-grandfather
was a Pigeoneer.
- Where's Wittekop?
- He's racing.
In the Barcelona International.
I want to talk to the Sheikh.
Now. I want to talk to him now.
What's the matter?
What were you doing in my loft?
I tricked Jos Pauwels into
selling Wittekop to you.
What do you mean, you tricked him?
I forced him into selling
by threatening to destroy something
very dear to him and his granddaughter.
- Does Mr. Walden know about this?
- No.
You have to give that bird
back to its rightful owner.
Mr. Pauwels is heartbroken
because of what I did.
I want you to leave the estate.
Right now.
Are you leaving?
Yeah, I'm going back to New York.
- No. You can't.
- Why not?
Because I was looking for you
everywhere yesterday.
I think that I know where your
great-grandfather is buried.
- Do you know who Cher Ami is?
- No.
Cher Ami was a famous war pigeon.
He saved 600 British
soldiers in the Great War.
It's... It's an incredible story.
The British soldiers,
they were lost in enemy territory.
And their only hope of survival
was their last pigeon, Cher Ami.
And the Germans, they saw the
bird take off and they opened fire.
And it was hit several times,
but it kept on going.
And it arrived at the
command post, one eye shot out,
a bullet in his breast
and most of the leg
that had the message
capsule attached missing.
But the soldiers were saved.
And Cher Ami, he received an Honorary
Service Cross and after he died,
a small statue was mounted in its honor
on a little cemetery here.
And I'm convinced that your
great-grandfather is resting there.
Good morning. Could I speak
to Mr. Pauwels, please?
What can I do for you?
Mr. Pauwels, it's an honor for me to meet
such a great pigeon fancier as yourself.
I was wondering if we could
have a word together.
You have already what you want, no?
That's exactly what I wanted
to talk to you about.
Come inside.
Would you like some sugar?
Three teaspoons, please.
I'm sorry to intrude in such an early hour,
but I'd like to be back in Euskirchen
when my birds return from Barcelona.
- Wittekop is racing also.
- What?
You're racing him in the Barcelona?
Why not?
You don't race a bird that comes from
another loft over such a great distance.
- It will get lost.
- Wittekop can do it.
Who says so?
You'd never take the risk if
you would care for that bird.
What is it with you people?
You think I'm a heartless person?
Yes. You and your friend,
Mr. Montgomery.
My grandfather is heartbroken
because he has lost his bird.
I know that. Mr. Montgomery
has told me this last night.
He was with you, was he?
Were you two celebrating on how you fooled
a couple of simple-minded Belgians?
Quite the opposite.
He came to try and convince me to
return Wittekop to your grandfather.
He says you never intended
to sell it. Is that correct?
Yes. It is, yeah.
He also says he tricked you
into selling the bird to me.
He did.
What a fool.
He must realize this will be the
end of his promising career.
He must care for you a
great deal, Mr. Pauwels.
I'm not so sure that I'm
the one he cares about.
Do you know where he is now?
No.
I kicked him off my property last night.
I'd go and look for him if I were you.
Where is she going?
She flies to the one she loves.
- Is Colin here?
- No.
He packed his bags
this morning and left.
- Where to?
- Back to New York, he said.
I told him I think I know which cemetery
his great-grandfather is buried at,
but he didn't seem to care anymore.
- Which cemetery?
- Croonaert Chapel Cemetery.
- Yes, but where is it?
- Right here, in Heuvelland.
Do you want my moped?
Is this the grave?
Yeah, this one right here.
Stewart Montgomery?
I'm not the guy you think I am.
Yes, you are.
You're exactly the guy I think you are.
I'm happy to see you.
He's at least an hour and a half early.
Yeah.
He did a great time,
but he flew to the wrong loft.
So he will be disqualified.
Then let's try again next year.
Do you accept my proposal?
Shall we work together in the future?
He can live here?
This is his home.
to determine the value,
but the share price is the
share price, Mr. Karadeniz.
What we can do,
I'm sure you'll appreciate this,
is offer you a fair deal in terms of...
As I told Mr. Walden,
I'm not interested
in profit participation.
WFG needs my shares.
I grant you, sir, your shares are
important for our overall strategy...
Jason, your wife is calling.
How are you, Mr. Karadeniz?
I'm not selling for $18 a share.
Oh, I'm not negotiating this.
This is Jason's deal. We just need
to give him a couple of minutes.
Which way to the bedroom?
It's over there.
Wow.
I love the view.
So do I.
Mr. Karadeniz, how are you?
Am I interrupting something?
No. No, it's okay. We're just...
I can call later.
No, it's fine. It's fine, I assure you.
Asshole.
Everybody's sucking your dick
about the Karadeniz deal.
- Congratulations, you did it.
- Thank you.
I've got a real big one for you.
Sheikh Abdullah Nayed.
Estimated capital, 10 billion.
Wow.
Erik almost got him to
invest a half a billion,
but now he's about to sign
with Horizon Capital.
I want you to take over.
Get him.
Just start with the small
shareholders and work your way up.
Don't worry about that.
Just get it done.
Mr. Montgomery.
Mr. Smith.
Thank you for helping me arrange this.
Useless.
This is garbage.
Who the hell did you use?
No. No, I need real in-depth
research on the guy. Fast.
Deal with it.
Mr. Montgomery.
The Sheikh will see you now.
According to our religion,
feeding birds and treating
them well is a good behavior,
identified with acquiring
merit in the eyes of Allah.
And it was a pigeon that helped Muhammad
when he escaped from the Quraish.
I'm telling you this because I know
many people find it hard to believe
that a Sheikh could be a
passionate piggeon fancier.
Well, I heard Mike Tyson does it.
That's pretty hard to believe, too.
When I'm with my birds,
I feel they bring the best out of me.
I'm sure this is also
the case for Mr. Tyson.
I've already told Mr. Walden
that I won't be investing
in your company.
I like the sound they make.
Isn't it soothing?
Very.
Have you ever wondered why
pigeons are the symbol of peace,
of love and good will?
Every time I hold them in my hands
and look into their eyes,
it's as if I understand exactly why.
To care for them,
to see these noble birds race,
makes me the happiest man in the world.
How do you race pigeons?
Do they fly in circles?
No. They fly in a straight
line back to their loft.
The most fantastic race in the world
is the Barcelona international.
The birds have to fly over
1,000 miles to get back home.
Can you imagine?
That's a long way for such a small bird.
Indeed. It takes them two
days to cover the distance.
The Barcelona race is the
epitome of endurance,
the synonym of willpower,
a hymn to love.
Love?
Yes.
Because the birds fly home to
the one they've left behind.
They want to be reunited as quickly
as possible with the one they love.
It's my dream to win that race one day.
What does it take?
The right bird.
And you don't have it?
No.
A very, very stubborn man
named Jos Pauwels has it.
We have offered him a
huge amount of money,
but he doesn't want to sell.
Why not?
I don't know.
Where is he, this Pauwels?
Flanders, in Belgium.
Have you heard of it?
An ancestor of mine supposedly
died there in World War I.
But let me ask you a favor.
Let me prove to you that you can
trust us with your investment.
Let me get you that bird.
I told you, it can't be done.
Even better. Let me show you that
with hard work and determination
WFG can do what can't be done.
I'm very close to signing with Horizon.
Then I'd better act fast.
...he used to be the village doctor.
The pigeon he's holding
is the champion dove
the Sheikh wants, Wittekop.
This is his granddaughter, Isabelle.
She's a student at the University of Ghent.
Her mother moved back to Holland,
so now she lives with Jos.
It's raining. Again. Welcome to Belgium.
Mr. Montgomery, welcome to Belgium.
Didn't get the memo? It's Mr. Evans.
I've found lodging in the
village itself, as you requested.
Great.
But I have to warn you,
it might not be very comfortable.
Because the place I found
is not really a hotel.
- It's a... A parsonage.
- What?
The local priest is renting out a room
because the Church needs
extra money, I suppose.
But I can book you a hotel in a city nearby.
Everything is very close in Belgium.
No, it's perfect. I want to blend in.
Okay. Here's your Belgian cell phone.
My number is in it in
case you need anything.
Great, thanks.
Voila, this is it.
A very modest car, like you asked.
But we can change it, if you want.
No, it's perfect.
Turn back to the indicated road.
Yeah, yeah. The indicated
road is closed, wise guy.
Oh, what the fuck...
Oh, come on.
Come on.
Shit.
Excuse me.
Sorry, ma'am?
She's asleep, sir.
And without her hearing aid
she's as deaf as a post.
Anna, Anna?
Time to go home. Mass is finished.
See you tomorrow, Anna.
Good-bye.
She falls asleep every morning,
before I even can reach the altar.
- You must be Colin Evans.
- Yeah.
Did you walk all the way from America?
My car got stuck in the mud
a couple of miles back.
I'm sorry to hear that.
I'll send someone later to pull it out.
You know, I was raised by parents that
considered the Americans as our saviors.
And that's why I'm so touched by
you trying to find
your ancestor's grave.
Because he died for my freedom.
I apologize for the mess.
I wanted to replace the old
furniture with more modern things,
but I didn't have the time
to assemble everything.
Don't worry,
I'll deduct it from the room rate.
It's IKEA. Do you have IKEA in America?
Yeah.
Yeah, of course. IKEA is everywhere.
It's like
my boss.
The bathroom is across
the hall, over there.
Dinner is at 7:00. Today is chicken.
I've asked Martha,
my housekeeper, to choose Cecile.
She's a nice, fat chick.
I mean Cecile. Cecile is, not Martha.
Right.
See you tonight.
I was wondering,
I couldn't find your Wi-Fi.
My what?
Your Internet connection.
Oh, no, no. No Internet here. No.
God is my provider.
Right.
I've selected a few books about the
Great War for you from my library.
I know it sounds strange
for a man in my position,
but I'm very interested in war.
I don't know why.
But I'm sure you'll find
them quite interesting
and they could help you to
locate your ancestor's grave.
Yeah. Thank you.
All right.
I wonder, do you know in
which battle he was killed?
No. I only know it was in Flanders.
The American troops have never been here.
They landed in France.
He was English. My great-grandmother
moved to the US with her son
after her husband was killed.
Oh, I see.
I was fearing you would think that
Flanders was just a part of France.
Many people in the US make that mistake.
Yeah. I'm a high school teacher.
So I'm not supposed to make
those kind of mistakes.
Of course. I should have known.
- Enjoy.
- Thank you very much, Martha.
Cecile, as beautiful in
death as she was in life.
Good morning.
The...
He is in church. Morning Mass.
I see.
- Eggs?
- Yes, please.
Is this decaf?
What?
It's like coffee,
but without the caffeine.
We're honest people here, sir.
Oh, one's enough, thank you.
So, Martha, are you from around here?
Yes.
I've lived here all my life.
I know everyone.
So tell me, what do people
do around here all day?
They work.
And when they're not working?
They... They like football.
You know, with the feet.
They like... TV. They like...
I was wondering, is there a local
pub around here somewhere?
Yes. In De Zavelput.
It's three kilometers.
Say if you want more.
Hey, what's up?
Nice day today?
Let me help you.
That's okay.
- Hi.
- Hi.
What would you like to drink?
I'll have a Coke, please.
I'm Isabelle.
I'm Colin. Colin Evans.
Yeah. I know who you are.
Everyone in the village is
already talking about you.
I only just got here.
Well, it's very easy to
become a star in this town.
In the whole of Flanders,
for that matter.
I thought you didn't understand English.
English, yes.
American, no.
He used to be my English teacher.
Yeah.
Until so-called "health problems"
got me fired.
That's the weirdest
pool table I ever saw.
It's very typical for Belgium.
It's a fun game, you know.
Really? I'm actually
pretty good at pool.
Oh, yeah? Would you like to try?
Sure, I'd love to.
Do you want red or white?
Red.
Of course. The color of aggression.
Pierre, leave him in peace.
And Coca-Cola.
So you line up the balls like this.
The game is very simple.
The one who first succeeds
in pocketing his five balls
in the opponent's pocket, wins.
We both start at the same time. Okay?
Okay.
I'll count to three and
then we shoot. Ready?
One, two...
Wait, wait.
You first have to make a bet.
It's his first time,
so let's forget about that.
No, no, I think we should.
I'll buy Pierre a beer every
time I lose. How about that?
Fantastic.
But I want you to have one, too.
Sorry, I don't drink alcohol
this early in the day.
"Sorry, I don't drink alcohol
so early in the day."
Fine. I'll have one, too.
Okay, here goes.
One,
two,
three.
Nice shot.
Thanks.
So, do you work here full-time?
No, only during the summer.
I study biology at the
university in Ghent.
What about you?
I'm a high school teacher.
That's why I have all
summer to find that grave.
Yeah, I heard about that.
I think it's really
great that you do this.
Well, family ties are important
to me and my entire family.
One day, I want to be able to
tell my kids where they came from
so they might better understand
where they're heading.
That's beautiful.
Two beers, please.
No mercy?
You don't look like the
kind of guy that needs it.
A rematch after this one?
Why not?
Shall I walk you to the door?
No.
I'm fine, thank you.
Here, your keys.
No. You keep the car.
- Really?
- Yeah.
You're still gonna help me
find that grave, right?
Yeah. I'm happy to help. It's exciting.
- Sure you don't need help?
- Thank you.
I'm good.
- Bye.
- Bye.
Hey.
Drink lots of water, okay?
Thank you. That's very sound advice.
Come on.
- You're sure this is going to work?
- Yes.
But you must drink it all in one time.
- Hi.
- Hi.
How are you feeling?
Good.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Wait, you still have...
- First time you're wearing this?
- Yeah.
- Well, it looks good on you.
- Thanks.
So what cemetery shall we go to first?
I don't know.
There's a lot of them, right?
Yeah, more than 100.
- Let's start with the biggest one.
- Okay.
So, where do we start?
These are really good.
You can't live in Belgium if you don't
like French fries with mayonnaise.
Sure feels good to be out in the open.
This really reminds me of
where I was born and raised.
Where was that?
Bearsville, New York.
It's near Woodstock.
Woodstock. Wow.
Yeah, don't get too excited.
Nothing really happens there anymore.
Does your family still live there?
Yeah, but me and my dad, we...
He's always pushing me.
Ever since I was a kid.
It wears me out sometimes.
I hardly ever see my parents.
What?
Nothing.
It's just that
I thought you said family ties
are really important to you.
They are. They are. It's just...
I'm sorry. I didn't mean
to come across all gloomy.
Must be the country air
messing with my head.
- Oh, God, is it 2:00 already?
- Ten past.
Shit. I promised my granddad
I'd join him at the club.
- The club? What kind of club?
- A pigeon club.
- A what?
- He races pigeons.
He's really good at it.
I never knew you could race pigeons.
Well, it's a big sport around here.
Well, I'd love to see this.
Let's go.
Thank God. I thought
you wouldn't make it.
And I can't manage without my mascot.
He says I bring him luck.
Not that his birds need it.
So, you are the American?
I'm afraid I am.
Isabelle tells me you race pigeons.
Sounds very interesting.
Really?
Tell me, what's the thing that
makes it interesting to you?
Just the whole concept, you know.
The whole concept?
- Jos, your turn.
- Okay.
Don't worry about my granddad.
He's always a bit
overprotective when I...
You know, when he sees me with someone.
So he should be.
What are they doing?
Well, the pigeons all have a
ring with all their data on it.
And that big guy over there,
he scans the rings.
And from that moment on,
the pigeons are officially in the race.
The birds are then put
together in shipping crates
and brought to the start
of the race, which is,
Amiens. That's in France.
How far is that from here?
About 200 kilometers.
Look.
That's Wittekop. It's his favorite bird.
What happens next?
Tonight, trucks will take
all the birds to Amiens.
And tomorrow, around 10:00 a.m.,
the birds will all be
released at the same time.
Thousands of them.
The first one home wins.
A real champion dove can
be worth a lot of money.
Up to 200,000 euros.
I'm sure your friend is not interested
in the financial aspect of the sport.
Oh, I find it fascinating, sir.
I'd love to know more.
You should show him your loft.
Tomorrow I could make us a nice lunch.
We could all wait for the birds to return.
That'd be awesome. Thank you.
I'm warning you. It's boring.
He hates my guts.
He'll warm up to you. You'll see.
So, are you ready for some more
country air to mess with your head?
Sure.
This is a really beautiful spot.
I've lived here all my life.
But when my father died,
my mom went back to Holland.
And I went to live with my granddad.
But the house is still ours.
I'd be heartbroken if anything
would happen to this place.
Why would something happen to it?
Well, a while ago, there was
this Belgian building company
and they were planning on putting,
like, a huge apartment complex here.
Luckily they ran out
of financing, but...
I swear, I'd chain myself to a tree.
I'd do whatever it takes
to save this place.
Why is it that everything beautiful has
to be turned into a mall or a gas station?
Yes, David. What have you got for me?
The construction company you're
looking for is called Boulaert NV.
Where are they located?
Actually, not that
far from you, in Bruges.
All right, set up a meeting with
their CEO for tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.
And then book me on a flight
to New York the day after.
You got it.
Are you coming to the party tonight?
What party?
It's to support our local marching band.
The whole village will be there.
You really should come, too.
Sure. I'll be there.
Who's the guy in all the
pictures with your grandfather?
That's my dad.
So he was a pigeon guy, too?
Oh, yes.
But Mom hated his pigeons because
they shat on her laundry.
So he brought them here.
They've won a lot of races together.
The Barcelona Classic was their dream.
They'd just started to train
birds specifically for that race,
but then he died.
In a car crash three years ago.
So is Jos coming home soon?
He is home.
He's in his loft.
Hey.
You ever hold a pigeon?
No.
This is Romeo.
How does that feel?
It's great. It's great.
I can feel its heart. It's racing.
Yeah.
It's because he doesn't know you.
You should talk to him.
What should I say?
Whatever you want. Calm him down.
Hey, handsome.
Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you.
He likes you.
I will show you something.
What do I do with Romeo?
Put him back in his spot.
Look at this.
Take it.
So tiny.
Just into the world.
Pigeons grow very fast, you know.
In three months' time this
baby will be ready to race.
You should give him a name.
- What, me?
- Yeah.
Maybe one day, he'll win a race for you.
All right.
Speed. I'll call him Speed.
Okay.
From now on,
whenever we see this bird fly,
we'll think of you.
Wittekop?
That's fast, mate.
He's getting better by the day.
You think he's the first one?
Maybe, yeah.
We have to go to the club
to see if he has won.
All right, let's go check.
Jos,
last night, someone broke into Marcel's.
Yeah, all his pigeons are gone.
Good lord.
Is something wrong?
Marcel got robbed of all his pigeons.
It's horrible.
He spent a lifetime
building those birds.
Marcel.
Good afternoon. How may I help you?
I'm Colin Montgomery from WFG.
I have an appointment with Mr. Boulaert.
Yes, Mr. Boulaert is expecting you.
Please follow me.
Colin?
If you see the... You know.
The reverend?
Yes, reverend.
Can you tell him I already go to party?
Okay.
Will you come also?
I don't think so.
You must come. Have some fun.
So you came.
I don't want to miss the number
one party in Bunderzele, right?
Are you making fun of us, Mr. Evans?
Who's the singer?
I want to buy all her records.
Come on, big shot.
Show me how good you
are on the dance floor.
Dear friends, I absolutely want to
thank you from the bottom of my heart
for showing up in such large numbers.
And I'd say, long live Bunderzele.
And now a golden oldie,
a special request from
our dear friend Martha.
The kissing dance.
What?
The kissing dance.
No, no, no. No more dancing.
Oh, come on.
So what do we do?
We kiss.
Are you having fun?
Yeah.
Good. Now you choose a girl.
Hey, what the fuck, man?
Let's rumble.
Leave her alone.
Idiot.
You gonna be okay?
Yeah, it's just a little cut.
I haven't been in a
fight since junior high.
You know, I was on my way to
you when that guy stepped in.
Really?
Yeah.
Then you should finish what you started.
Wait. Isn't this going to hurt?
I hope so.
Martha.
Hey, what's going on in there?
Come on, Martha. Leave them be.
- No sex before the wedding.
- Come on.
Maybe I should go inside, too.
He's not going to get her
up those stairs alone.
Do you want to meet up tomorrow?
After I get back from Ghent?
Yes.
Don't wreck my car, all right?
Thanks for letting me use it.
So I'll come and pick you up
sometime after noon, okay?
Your lips are cold.
Bye.
Are you sitting down?
Yes.
The Sheikh just called.
Guess how much he's
prepared to put in the fund?
Half a billion, right?
Two is more like it.
Wow.
The deal's going to make
you very rich, my boy.
Now, you're on top of it, aren't you?
Sure, yes.
Get it done, get your ass on a plane.
Now, you're flying home tonight, right?
I... Yes.
Good.
Shit.
I was just taking care of Speed.
Look how big he is, in just one day.
I didn't come here to talk about Speed.
I'm here on behalf of Sheikh Nayed.
Mr. Pauwels, I work for a very
powerful financing group in New York.
The Sheikh is a client of ours.
You're wasting your time.
Wittekop is not for sale.
I know.
That's why yesterday afternoon
I had a meeting with the CEO
of Boulaert Construction
Company in Bruges.
Our financing group intends
to provide Bouiaert
with the necessary funding they
need to execute the plans they have
for that beautiful nature
spot near Isabelle's house.
You mean the Kleiputten?
Yes. She's taken me there.
Believe me, I'd love to make sure
that that site remains untouched.
But I can only do that if I can
give my client what he wants.
I'll put 300,000 euros in your
name in an ING bank account.
I don't want any money.
Nevertheless, it'll be there for you.
Always.
What if I told you to go fuck yourself?
Then I'd go ahead and
break Isabelle's heart.
I would.
You know how much
that place means to her?
She said she wouldn't let anyone
touch it for as long as she lives.
And still you want to destroy it?
Let me put it this way,
I wouldn't be standing here
if I wasn't convinced that you love that
girl more than anything in the world.
You... You're a bastard.
That's why they pay me the big bucks.
Jos.
We're giving you a good deal here.
300,000 euros is a...
Shut up. Shut up.
I...
I accept.
But I don't want Isabelle or
anyone else to ever know.
I will tell them that the bird
got lost during practice.
- Agreed?
- Agreed.
Sign here.
You had everything prepared?
Always.
Someone will pick up the bird later
today when Isabelle's in Ghent.
Listen.
Here's my card. Just in case.
Montgomery? That's your real name?
Yes.
And that great-grandfather of yours?
Is he a lie, too?
No. As a matter of fact, he isn't.
Well, then I feel very sorry for him.
Goodbye.
Please sign here.
Thank you.
Sir? Excuse me, sir?
Do you want to take the call?
That was fun. We should do
this again someday soon.
Sure.
Bye.
Come on.
You know, we can't wait any longer, man.
We're gonna have to do it now.
It's your serve, David.
Look. I've looked at the numbers
and I'm saying we move now.
Are you going to serve, or what?
You know, that Skyworks deal
isn't just going to sit there.
Look, I came here to get
a good game in. All right?
Now serve the goddamn ball!
- Hi, Mom.
- Hi, darling.
So good to see you. Did you lose weight?
Me? No.
So how's New York?
It's okay.
Did you meet a nice girl already?
- Jeez, Meg, please.
- You stay out of this.
We didn't put him through
college to meet nice girls.
Actually, I did meet someone.
A while back.
Really?
Yeah, but it got complicated.
You've got no time for complicated, son.
I know, Dad, better than anyone.
It's a lonely road to the top.
So you've told me,
like, a million times.
What, is good advice not
good enough for you anymore?
Forget it.
Remember you're only the man you
are today because I pushed you.
I know.
I didn't have a father who held my
hand and showed me how things worked.
Okay.
Mine was drunk half the time,
barely knew my goddamn name.
I made sure you got everything
you wanted. Everything.
I don't have everything, Dad.
What are you talking about?
You can make more money in a day
than most people do in a lifetime.
- So what?
- "So what?"
So what else is there?
Your mom said you were here.
What have you got there?
I was looking around.
Found some old photographs.
Look at you.
You're quite the rebel.
Oh, God.
That's not Mom, is it?
No, your mom was the
one taking this picture.
- Yeah, right.
- God, I remember that day so well.
This girl in the picture here,
she was your mom's best friend.
She came on to me,
but I wasn't into her.
It was your mom I was after.
She gave me such a hard time.
But in the end, that day
was the best day of my life.
There must be another
one of your mom and me,
'cause I remember, we took it
in turns to take the pictures.
My God, look at this.
My father when he was a kid,
and my grandmother and
her second husband.
What's this?
What?
Is it a letter?
I'll be damned.
It's my real grandfather.
I told you about him when you were
a kid, but you probably won't remember.
I do remember.
I remember it really well.
He's the one that went to
the First World War, right?
Yeah, somewhere in Flanders.
I can't believe you found this.
My grandmother must have hidden it,
because her second husband
was a real jealous guy.
Read the letter.
No, you'd better.
All right.
"My love, I only have a few
moments to write this letter
"as we are called to the front.
"I am scared, but I am
also determined to survive
"and come home to you and our baby boy.
"Because if this war has
taught me something,
"it is that nothing in this
life is more important
"than to be with the one you love.
"Yours forever, Stewart."
You know,
I've always loved your mother. And you.
Always.
His uniform should be able to tell us more
about the regiment he was serving in.
- Do you mind if I keep this for a while?
- No.
I think I know someone
who can help us with this.
I'm very happy your father
is not sick anymore.
I'm sorry I rushed off like that,
without any explanation.
It's been a difficult month.
Not a lot of things happened
here since you left.
Except for Jos, of course.
What happened?
He lost his bird, Wittekop.
Apparently it didn't return
from a practice flight.
Jos thinks that maybe
a bird of prey got it.
- He is very sad.
- Oh, yes.
He almost never leaves the house.
Luckily enough there's still
Isabelle to take care of him.
I wouldn't know what he
would do without that girl.
This is good. Don't let it get cold.
The prodigal son returns.
Is Isabelle here?
Why do you want to know?
I want to talk to her.
I'll go get her.
Now get out of here.
Pierre, easy.
Pierre, stop it!
What are you doing here?
I came back.
Bad idea.
Can we talk?
I've got nothing to say to you.
- Isabelle please, just give me five minutes.
- No.
- Five minutes, please.
- Go away. No.
Just disappear again
like you did last time.
Without a word.
I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to...
Go away! Go back to
New York and let us be!
Now get going.
Okay. But I'll be coming back.
Good. I'll be waiting.
I heard you were back.
Recognize Speed?
He got big in one month.
Look at his feathers.
Beautiful.
Look at his wings.
I should start practicing
with him, but...
Why did you come back?
I want to tell the truth to Isabelle.
You can't.
You promised you wouldn't tell anyone.
I have to.
I want her to know who I really am.
I want to make things right again.
Then get my bird back.
That's the one thing I can't do.
I didn't touch the money, you know.
- I know.
- So what's the problem?
Go and tell that Arabic bastard that
he has no right to keep my bird.
He forced me into selling it.
He didn't force you. I did.
Tell him that.
I can't.
I'll lose my job and
everything I ever worked for.
I'm sure you'll find a way.
Not in this case.
The Sheikh has put a huge amount of
money into our company's hedge fund.
Hedge funds only
make rich people richer.
Exactly. And they don't
like to give things back.
You don't know if you don't ask.
Believe me. I've worked a long
time for these people. They won't.
Then get the hell out of here.
And don't come near my granddaughter.
I'll break your neck.
You spoil me, Martha.
Enjoy.
Please. Won't you sit with me?
- I must do things...
- Please.
Yes.
Because I can see you are sad.
You went to Jos?
- Yeah.
- How is he?
Like you said, depressed.
It will take a long time for
him to forget Wittekop.
He was very special.
I don't understand.
I know he's a great champion, but...
It's still just a pigeon.
No, no, no, no.
Not just a pigeon.
What do you mean?
Wittekop is...
How do you say?
Not your real name, but...
- A nickname.
- Yes.
In Flemish we say "wittekop"
to someone with blonde hair.
Like Jos' son.
His name was Tony.
Have you heard of him?
I've seen pictures.
He died in a car crash.
Wittekop was the first pigeon to
come out of the egg after Tony died.
Do you see?
The whole village knows that bird.
We all know how much Jos loves it.
And when we see it fly,
we think of his son.
Sorry.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the
start of The Barcelona International,
the most important race of the year,
with 33,000 pigeons participating.
Attention for the start of the race.
Five, four, three, two, one.
They took off.
Try not to think about it.
Some more coffee?
No, I'm good.
Did you hear? Colin is back.
Yes, so I've heard.
He came to De Zavelput,
but I kicked him out.
Well done.
Why...
did that asshole come back,
for Christ's sake?
Darling, come back here.
Come on. Give that to me.
I wasn't planning on ever telling you,
but he won't leave you alone,
so I'd rather you hear it from me.
That... asshole isn't called Colin Evans,
but Colin Montgomery.
And he wasn't here to find a grave.
Instead, he was hired to
convince me to sell Wittekop.
Here.
His business card.
Did you sell Wittekop?
- I had no choice.
- How so?
He threatened to have this
financing group he works for,
take over Boulaert and to
build all over the Kleiputten.
Mr. Montgomery.
Not a lot of people have been
able to track down the Sheikh
all the way here to Euskirchen.
Well, I hope I'm not intruding.
No, on the contrary.
Oh, look. Our pigeons are
just starting their training.
These are youngsters.
It's their first time out.
Actually, the entire wing is full of birds.
The very best money can buy.
Please follow me.
Mr. Montgomery,
how good to see you here.
Good to see you again.
This is Mr. Conrad.
I race my European
pigeons from his loft.
- Pleasure to meet you.
- Hello.
You must be very good.
I do my best.
But the competition is very tough.
Would you like some tea?
Thank you.
I heard you were in Belgium.
Yes, I was visiting Jos Pauwels.
Interesting.
How is he doing?
Well, as a matter of fact,
I wanted to talk to you about
something that concerns him.
If you will excuse me,
I have to tend to the pigeons.
Seems to me your pigeons
are in excellent hands.
Yes.
If only we could have better results.
I was wondering if we could talk about
the pigeon I recently acquired for you.
I hope you found my gratitude
to be sufficiently generous?
Yes, very generous. Thank you.
It's just that I recently discovered
that the ties between a fancier
and his bird can be very intense.
Oh, yes, very much so.
That's why I...
I was wondering if you
would reconsider Wittekop.
What do you mean, reconsider?
Mr. Pauwels really
regrets his decision. A lot.
I'm not surprised. That bird is amazing.
And it's going to stay with
me until the day it dies.
I have to run.
I hope you'll stay for the night.
Maybe I could use your advice
in a few financial matters.
Of course.
- Is Colin here?
- No. Why?
That's a pity.
You can't imagine what I've discovered
about his great-grandfather.
It's, it's... just unbelievable.
That's Colin's great-grandfather.
He looks a lot like Colin.
And that picture was taken
near the Cloth Hall in Ypres.
Do you see that truck in the background?
Look here.
That's the same truck.
Look closely at it.
It's full of pigeons.
That's a rolling pigeon loft.
Because pigeons were crucial to
communication in World War One.
And the men who took
care of those pigeons
were called the Pigeoneers.
And now... Hold on.
Here.
Now have a close look at what's
standing behind that soldier's leg.
Do you see?
That's a pigeon basket.
Colin's great-grandfather
was a Pigeoneer.
- Where's Wittekop?
- He's racing.
In the Barcelona International.
I want to talk to the Sheikh.
Now. I want to talk to him now.
What's the matter?
What were you doing in my loft?
I tricked Jos Pauwels into
selling Wittekop to you.
What do you mean, you tricked him?
I forced him into selling
by threatening to destroy something
very dear to him and his granddaughter.
- Does Mr. Walden know about this?
- No.
You have to give that bird
back to its rightful owner.
Mr. Pauwels is heartbroken
because of what I did.
I want you to leave the estate.
Right now.
Are you leaving?
Yeah, I'm going back to New York.
- No. You can't.
- Why not?
Because I was looking for you
everywhere yesterday.
I think that I know where your
great-grandfather is buried.
- Do you know who Cher Ami is?
- No.
Cher Ami was a famous war pigeon.
He saved 600 British
soldiers in the Great War.
It's... It's an incredible story.
The British soldiers,
they were lost in enemy territory.
And their only hope of survival
was their last pigeon, Cher Ami.
And the Germans, they saw the
bird take off and they opened fire.
And it was hit several times,
but it kept on going.
And it arrived at the
command post, one eye shot out,
a bullet in his breast
and most of the leg
that had the message
capsule attached missing.
But the soldiers were saved.
And Cher Ami, he received an Honorary
Service Cross and after he died,
a small statue was mounted in its honor
on a little cemetery here.
And I'm convinced that your
great-grandfather is resting there.
Good morning. Could I speak
to Mr. Pauwels, please?
What can I do for you?
Mr. Pauwels, it's an honor for me to meet
such a great pigeon fancier as yourself.
I was wondering if we could
have a word together.
You have already what you want, no?
That's exactly what I wanted
to talk to you about.
Come inside.
Would you like some sugar?
Three teaspoons, please.
I'm sorry to intrude in such an early hour,
but I'd like to be back in Euskirchen
when my birds return from Barcelona.
- Wittekop is racing also.
- What?
You're racing him in the Barcelona?
Why not?
You don't race a bird that comes from
another loft over such a great distance.
- It will get lost.
- Wittekop can do it.
Who says so?
You'd never take the risk if
you would care for that bird.
What is it with you people?
You think I'm a heartless person?
Yes. You and your friend,
Mr. Montgomery.
My grandfather is heartbroken
because he has lost his bird.
I know that. Mr. Montgomery
has told me this last night.
He was with you, was he?
Were you two celebrating on how you fooled
a couple of simple-minded Belgians?
Quite the opposite.
He came to try and convince me to
return Wittekop to your grandfather.
He says you never intended
to sell it. Is that correct?
Yes. It is, yeah.
He also says he tricked you
into selling the bird to me.
He did.
What a fool.
He must realize this will be the
end of his promising career.
He must care for you a
great deal, Mr. Pauwels.
I'm not so sure that I'm
the one he cares about.
Do you know where he is now?
No.
I kicked him off my property last night.
I'd go and look for him if I were you.
Where is she going?
She flies to the one she loves.
- Is Colin here?
- No.
He packed his bags
this morning and left.
- Where to?
- Back to New York, he said.
I told him I think I know which cemetery
his great-grandfather is buried at,
but he didn't seem to care anymore.
- Which cemetery?
- Croonaert Chapel Cemetery.
- Yes, but where is it?
- Right here, in Heuvelland.
Do you want my moped?
Is this the grave?
Yeah, this one right here.
Stewart Montgomery?
I'm not the guy you think I am.
Yes, you are.
You're exactly the guy I think you are.
I'm happy to see you.
He's at least an hour and a half early.
Yeah.
He did a great time,
but he flew to the wrong loft.
So he will be disqualified.
Then let's try again next year.
Do you accept my proposal?
Shall we work together in the future?
He can live here?
This is his home.