EPISODE 1 YOUNG SANTOS
Hey! Hey! There's no one in there!
Where's the train driver?
What's going on?
Hey! Hey!
Run! Run! It's going to crash!
Ready to unload!
For the love of God, kid! What are you doing there?
Get out, now!
- What kind of game is this? - Who says it's a game?
Who left this kid in there all by himself?
So, can I drive it alone now?
Happy now, Alberto? You're just ten. Ten!
I'm sorry, I just...
Just because I let you use the farm machinery
doesn't mean you can grab a train and drive it.
- I know, I screwed up. - Yes, you did. Big time.
But not that much. It was a perfect ride.
It was a perfect prank that could've ended tragically.
You were disrespectful to me and my staff.
My kids must set an example. Go home and wait for me.
We're not done yet.
Go!
You two, come here.
How could he do that?
I don't know, Dr. Henrique.
Platform number 4's supervisor must've left for a moment.
So who connected the second car and released the brakes?
He did! He did it all by himself!
You guys need to understand
there's a line that needs to be drawn
between serious work and these childish games.
Alberto crossed a line today.
- Sorry, Dad, I... - I don't want to hear it.
But... But Dad...
That's enough, Alberto.
You've already been a huge nuisance today.
- But... I didn't want to... - Quiet!
Go to your room and think about what you did.
And while you're at it,
thank God nothing worse happened to you.
After the fun comes the pain. Ignore them, Alberto.
EXTRAORDINARY VOYAGES FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON
Leave it there, Manoel. I'll have it later.
Come see this story.
Last time it was a train. Now it's a balloon?
What else are you up to?
First I need Dr. Fergusson's equipment.
Ferg... Who?
Fergusson, the British adventurer who explored Africa on a balloon,
in five weeks from coast to coast.
You need to nourish yourself to do that.
Only moths eat books.
When will Alberto wake up from his fantasy world?
It's high time he behaved like a young man,
going hunting and fishing, supervising the employees.
He's much more mature than other kids.
Yet he's too squeamish to kill a little bird.
Big cats, carnivorous plants.
Gosh, they found all of that during their journey.
Who are "they"?
Dr. Fergusson and his manservant, John Wilson.
And professional hunter, "Dick" Kennedy.
When my balloon is ready, will you be my John Wilson?
I think it's safer to keep my feet on the ground.
And you should think so too, after all the trouble you caused.
You starve if you're too squeamish to hunt.
Plus a jaguar can eat you.
Will it come back?
I'll put a bullet in its head if it ever comes back.
Stop it, Luiz!
Where do you think you are? In the jungle?
It's so nice to see someone studying like this.
I only understand the drawings.
Then we'll start with what you understand.
Sa-bi-á.
Listen up, Manoel, if we add an accent here,
sabiá becomes "a wise woman."
Remove the accent,
and it's the past imperfect tense of the verb to know, you know?
All I know is you need to have your supper,
and be left all alone as your dad ordered.
PARIS, FRANCE JULY 4th, 1898.
He's insane, totally insane!
Who does that Brazilian think he is?
I had told him so! I had told him!
THE FRENCH AEROCLUB
Get me the Ministry of War! Hurry! It's urgent!
MINISTRY OF WAR
Colonel, the Brazilian's balloon has vanished.
It had been heading Southeast.
Damn!
Attention, all rural units.
Brazil, Santos Dumont's balloon,
has vanished, after being headed Southeast.
I repeat, Brazil, Santos Dumont's balloon, has vanished,
after being headed Southeast.
I'll have the first glass.
A toast to young Santos, Brazil's great inventor.
Cheers!
- Cheers! - Congratulations, sir.
Thank you.
That's him then? The man who's too scared to look at us,
is Paris' greatest explorer?
That's Brazil's own Alberto Santos Dumont,
and one of the founders of our flying club, The Aeroclub.
Yes, he's built a balloon six times smaller than average.
Can you just imagine? So small, a suitcase would do the trick.
To hold the balloon or the balloonist?
- Cheers, my friends. - Cheers.
Who are they?
Don't you make a living drawing faces?
Just those I find interesting.
Interesting, I don't know, but definitely necessary.
Colonel Chevalier.
Next to him, Mr. Charles Leroux,
secretary-general of the Aeroclub.
And those young men?
My balloon-flying friends.
You hardly see them in the sky. They'd rather go out at night.
That parvenu seems to be a little shy.
I would say the Brazilian is rather bold.
Whatever floats his boat.
The colonel means
that no personal whim can be placed above the Republic.
Definitely.
Balloon flying is far more than a petite bourgeoisie game.
A toast to Paris young women students.
- Hurrah for champagne. - Hurrah for Paris.
Hurrah for love!
- Hurrah for love! - Cheers.
Excuse me.
Do you know her?
No.
Mr. Santos Dumont?
Aída de Acosta. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Nice to meet you, Miss de Acosta.
Are you of Spanish descent?
Yes, Spanish mother, Cuban father.
But I was born in the USA.
Then I'm your American brother. I'm from Brazil.
And this is my friend, Sem.
Pleased to meet you, miss.
Likewise. But why don't we speak French?
Because of him? No, no.
An artist's sensitivity does away with any need for words, right?
I think that's quite enough.
I know and admire the great Sem's works.
At your service, Miss. Please.
- Please, have a seat. - Thank you.
And I can't wait to see you flying the skies in Paris.
Wonderful.
But tell me about yourself.
Me?
After graduating in New York,
I talked my parents into sending me to Paris,
arguing it would be a good "finishing school".
What other options did you have?
Getting married, having children,
leading the life imposed upon us, women.
For now, I only have my aunt in Paris to answer to.
Although we've followed different paths,
we have both arrived at the same place.
Odd for the three of us to have met here,
as neither one of us is originally from Paris.
On the contrary, this couldn't be more Parisian.
We're totally at home here.
So, the great caricaturist meets the green fairy again.
We each must fly with our own wings.
Green fairy of absinthe,
what message have you for me in this bottle?
Yet, some say Americans are extravagant.
I've never prayed to a fairy before taking a hallucinogen.
There's no mysticism here, just pure science.
See this blend of herbs and alcohol? One substance
will automatically enhance the effect of the other one.
That's what makes it such a bombshell.
But once the two different parts are separated...
We can fly even higher without losing control.
Losing control can be good sometimes, right?
I love new experiences.
What I mean is, there's a combination
that allows you to fly the balloon in total safety,
like nobody has ever been able to.
Hurrah for young Santos! Hurrah for Brazil!
Congratulations!
A cylindrical balloon?
It's very easy. I have all the figures here.
Let's see what you're up to now.
It's no secret, actually.
- What's this? - A propeller.
- And this? - Just an engine.
Just an engine?
If you came all the way here
to tell me you're going to resume Giffard's experiments,
I have bad news for you, they all failed.
Resuming those experiments on an obsolete steam engine,
that spits out sparks like fireworks?
No, certainly not.
So what do we use? An electric engine?
Do you know how heavy the batteries are?
Mr. Lachambre,
batteries are useless in a combustion engine.
Hold on.
If I understand correctly,
a combustion engine, underneath a balloon full of hydrogen?
Exactly. You got it.
You're the one who needs to get it.
Do you know how many people
depend on this workshop for their livelihood?
I'll take full responsibility for the risks!
My business hinges on our reputation!
We sell safety here! One tiny mistake, and down it goes!
Modesty apart, I've had good results so far.
So far, you've only caused me a lot of headaches.
I've seen a lot of tragedies with hot-air balloons.
But a suicide? That would be a first!
See? You too have judged the Brazil balloon.
You've told yourself it's too small,
that the wind would carry it off, just like a soap bubble.
Yet, here I am,
ready to show just the opposite once again.
Listen, Mr. Santos. You're still young and rich.
The city of Paris offers much.
Have some fun for God's sake!
That's exactly what I want.
Thanks! I'll be back soon, with the engine.
Very soon!
He's crazy! He's totally insane!
No, not today. Not again. You're staying to help me out.
- You'll upset the baby. - It's a fever. Prepare his bath.
But I'm late, honey.
Don't you see what's going on?
Things will improve, trust me.
"Things will improve." I've heard that before.
Who worries about me is what I want to know.
Can't you see it's my chance
to do something I enjoy and make some money?
Santos Dumont is a man of the future, honey.
His future isn't like ours. Nuno, he's rich.
And you're a laborer. Stay out of it.
Almerinda, I know what I'm doing.
You'll lose your job and your family.
Hold on, Charlotte.
Not that Portuguese guy!
What are you doing here?
Trying to ruin my life? To double-cross me somehow?
Get lost, I'm busy.
If you work hard,
you can soon trade this place for the Moulin Rouge.
To hell with the Moulin Rouge!
I'd rather have cheap cognac with my girls,
than champagne with that petite bourgeoisie.
You know him.
He can't stand tardiness. Come on!
Take it easy, Nuno! I'm buying here!
Make yourself at home, relax. Clémentine!
Please, I need to make money, not spend it!
Don't you get it? Come on!
Sorry, Camille. Excuse me. Excuse me.
A little present.
And you, pussycat, see you later.
Could vibrations from the machine
bring about lateral pilot impact?
Let's check that out. Let's run some tests.
Ready.
Take it up!
It needs a few minor adjustments.
Watch the spark plug, boss.
Yes, I know. The cylinder's stuck.
- Ready? - Yes. What do you think?
Boss, the other wrench.
Here.
I'm feeling a little dizzy.
Faster, Nuno!
Okay! Stop, stop, stop!
It's ready!
OK. Faster!
Take note, Nuno. It's working.
Last one there's a rotten egg!
Come!
Okay. Me first.
Can butterflies fly?
Can bats fly?
Can dogs fly?
Okay. Your turn.
Can birds fly?
Can dogs fly?
Can snakes fly?
Can humans fly?
What? Humans can't fly.
Of course humans can fly. Haven't you read Jules Verne?
What's that?
Come back!
Humans can fly!
Son, I'm expecting a supplier.
Mr. Henrique Dumont.
What a pleasure it is to meet the king of coffee again.
May I say we built part of this empire together?
I'm very grateful to all those that helped me,
but sometimes my memory...
Simão Sabrosa, former coal trader from Cabangu,
at your service.
Right. Right. To what do I owe the honor?
After you moved from Cabangu,
I couldn't keep up with the market's new pace.
I couldn't afford to update my machinery.
And?
I decided to shut down the mine.
But first I'd like to make a special proposal
to someone even more special.
Do you have a good harvest?
We had certain frost issues.
I mean labor.
Big, strong Negros, very obedient and tamed.
Mr. Sabrosa, slavery was banned a long time ago here.
In western São Paulo we work with immigrants.
Ever heard of The Free Womb Law and The Sexagerian Law?
Forgive me, but in Brazil,
some laws are like coffee plants.
They thrive only in certain regions.
Mr. Sabrosa! I'd rather build a new Brazil.
Both slavery and my patience have reached their limit.
Have a nice day.
If you decide to change your mind, sir,
I'm at your complete disposal.
Have a nice day.
Look, son.
We made these machines here with English technology.
English?
Yes, they'll help us increase our productivity.
- Ready? - We're ready to start testing.
- You can switch it on. - Okay.
There's no human contact with the coffee
while it's being processed.
From grain selection to packaging.
I love that noise! It's music to my ears.
8 YEARS LATER
- Giuseppe. How are things going? - Everything's fine, boss.
Are you ready for the rainy season?
No problem, boss.
Mom.
Why didn't Dad have breakfast?
He left early to check out some land
for the new machinery shed.
I would've liked to go.
There's no easy access to water. And the land is very uneven.
- Let's see the next plot? - The weather's shifting.
Dr. Henrique!
Are you okay, boss?
Your father's spine injuries have seriously impaired
any movement of the lower extremities.
His chances of recovery are unfortunately minimal.
But in Europe there are therapies
to make life more comfortable with his new limitations.
You took after your grandpa more than me.
But I inherited my interest in mechanics from you.
I'm just a tough businessman.
I don't share your inquisitiveness.
Just imagine, your grandpa left everything in Paris
to come to Brazil looking for a diamond.
Are you capable of doing the opposite?
You clearly aren't cut out to run the ranch.
But don't worry. I left you enough money.
I want you to grow up.
Go to Paris and hopefully that'll make you a man.
I rather you don't become a doctor.
And remember.
The future of the world is Mechanics.
Congratulations.
I'm going to pay you twice as much.
Your skills and commitment are worth it.
Nuno.
Chapin.
What time does the Moulin Rouge open, boss?
It's Sunday, Chapin. Don't you have a family?
Good morning, sir. Here's your breakfast.
Were you able to get some rest?
No.
But a good cup of coffee will do.
- Enjoy, sir. - Thank you, Julien.
The aroma of our ranch, of my family.
So true, sir.
Excuse me, sir. Your sister is here.
My new house is finally complete!
Dearest sister!
Darling!
Nephew!
You won't stop growing.
You want to be taller than your uncle?
It's beautiful.
Mom said not to touch anything. But I just want to watch.
Mom, uncle wears high heels, just like you!
You tell him.
You're right, nephew, they do look alike,
but we use them for totally different reasons.
Your mom wants to attract attention,
while I want to be anonymous.
I'll tell you another secret.
Look at the lines.
The vertical ones
that look like they're standing, they make you look taller.
And the horizontal ones
make you look wider.
And height is reduced proportionally.
Vertically. Look how the kid grows up.
Plus, you have the collar,
which when it's as low as a priest's
it makes you look shorter, but if you stretch the collar...
Size is relative, nephew.
Uncle, are you an inventor or a magician?
Even the chairs are taller.
I like my guests to feel they're up in the clouds.
Where I've been so often.
Great.
Don't invite me to the opening.
Leave the kid alone.
Will you teach me, Uncle?
It's no secret, nephew.
I've done more than 200 hot-air balloon flights,
and it's basically the same principle.
The valve and ballast system
is based on expelling the gas to make the balloon descend.
But if you want the balloon to rise,
you just make it lighter.
The wind decides what direction you take.
And landing is always full of surprises.
How so, Uncle?
One day, I landed near a coal mine,
and a man aimed a shotgun at me thinking I was trespassing.
Novelties always do that.
First come the threats, then comes the curiosity.
And finally, the fascination.
It's a balloon.
They ended up offering me some coal to heat the air.
But I always prefer hydrogen to fill up my balloons.
Because it's so light,
hydrogen makes it climb higher and faster.
Once I stumbled into a hot air current.
It started climbing and climbing,
and there was no way I could stop it.
Next thing I knew, I was almost 3,000 meters high.
Rising that fast increases the pressure of the hydrogen
and the risk of exploding.
Dear God!
When will you stop tempting fate, Alberto?
When I gain full control of flight.
And I've almost designed the perfect engine.
So what's missing?
Grand master Lachambre's permission.
He's so stubborn.
Just him?
Mr. Santos, I don't think you understand.
The main thing here
is to comply with the limitations Physics imposes,
and with the know-how of experts.
Of course!
But sooner or later we must let go of those ties,
and leave everything behind, literally.
As far as possible from my workshop, please.
I just need your shop for sewing my fabric.
Don't worry,
I won't blow myself up without your consent.
I still have a lot of tests to run.
We need to boost the thrust,
without making the engine any heavier.
Just as we should be able to sleep with a woman
without having to pay her.
Chapin, a little compromising will make everybody happy.
Boss, hasn't it ever occurred to you
that the model recommended by the manufacturer
is the best way to go?
What if we put in two cylinders from two tricycle engines,
with just one chain guard?
The entire system must have just one crank,
totally fueled by just one carburetor.
Let me guess.
You've already bought the second engine.
You're full of surprises, boss.
Let's get to work!
- I'll fetch the second engine. - Excellent.
We're here!
Watch out, please! Watch out!
Coming through, please! Coming through!
Mr. Lachambre!
There you have it! That's my equipment.
The engine.
The ropes.
Piano strings.
And the propeller.
A cigar-shaped balloon.
Well then, we just need to light it.
- How much does your bird eat? - What bird? How rude of you!
- No, no, seriously. - Yes, right, seriously.
- No, seriously. - Yes, of course.
I think my dream will soon come true.
- And so will my nightmare. - Sem!
Really? And who will make my dreams come true?
- Julien. - Sir?
Please make sure my guests lack nothing.
Certainly, sir.
Julien, ask your boss to make you a balloon.
Wouldn't that make your job easier?
The stairs are good enough for me, sir.
It's better to go one step at a time.
Listen to him!
I'd rather go jumping up and down.
Did you enjoy it? This dinner up in the clouds?
Very much indeed. My head was up in the clouds.
Well, it's time to get our feet back on the ground and go home.
I'll see her home.
Thank you for an unforgettable evening.
You're most welcome.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
Cheers.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Don't worry, please!
Julien, please.
Sir?
- See my guests to their car. - Of course, sir.
- Bye. - Bye.
- Good night. - Good night.
Thank you.
My father is dead.
I can't believe I'm saying it.
He was buried ten days ago.
Mother refused to tell me in time for the funeral.
I was fascinated by the skies when I was young.
It also scared me, at the same time.
Even today, it has the same effect on me.
After one star,
there comes another star and then another one.
And then still another one.
Trying to see why all of that existed would upset me.
What if there were nothing?
Listen to your heart, when you have no answers.
I can hear mine clearly.
What is it telling you?
My father is dead.
So now I answer to no one but myself.
Come, let's go have a drink.
I'm worried about Alberto.
Yes, he upsets me sometimes.
But then I realize he's different.
- True. - It's only natural.
Geniuses live in another world, right?
Exactly.
You know what we need?
- Some good wine? - Some good wine.
Charles.
- Yes? - Wine, please.
- Your finest bottle. - Right away.
Do you know what would happen if a bird flew in that direction
at the same speed as the Earth spins?
It would never see the sun set.
Do you know why days are longer here in the tropics?
No.
Because the circumference of the Earth expands
from the poles to the equator.
So the central part of the planet gets more sunlight at daytime.
But Manoel says the sun rises and sets on the ranch.
We're very short-sighted, son.
Look at that bird.
It files above fences,
borders and countries.
Without asking for permission.
You know why?
Because up there nobody owns the Earth.
- Mr. Lachambre. - Santos.
SEPTEMBER 20th, 1898.
A little more to the left.
Right here's perfect.
Okay, Nuno.
Okay, thank you, okay. Good.
The Paris Aeroclub will allow military authority to disembark.
It's your duty, Charles. Thank you.
Tell me, Colonel,
being the advocate of progress that you are,
wouldn't a gas-run automobile make things easier for you?
I know oil production depends on us,
but I'm a horse enthusiast. Let's go, Charles, nice and easy.
The Brazilian's made too much noise already,
with that engine under his balloon.
Look! Unbelievable!
Lachambre.
- What audacity! - He's talented, this young man.
Yes, but he needs to be set boundaries.
I did what I could to stop him, Colonel.
All we can do now is cross our fingers.
You can still help me avoid the worst.
Look, he's getting ready to take off against the wind.
You're right, that'll put more pressure on the engine.
Why does this young man always choose to go against the flow?
Not this time! I'll decide which way things go here!
Dumont!
Santos! Please, stop the propeller.
Why?
Sorry, Santos, you can't take off in that direction.
The idea is precisely to use the air drag to boost the lift.
Wouldn't it be much wiser to follow the wind?
And the authorities?
I appreciate your concern,
but I've closely analyzed each and every detail.
An airship is different from a regular hot-air balloon.
Flying with the wind can mean going too fast,
and risking crashing into the trees.
In the French skies,
the greatest responsibility is all mine.
I know you'll put my support to good use, Mr. Dumont.
Chapin!
Turn it around.
Yes, boss.
Careful, Mr. Santos!
Mr. Dumont!
Mr. Dumont, can you hear me?
Can you hear me, Mr. Dumont?
Mr. Dumont!
Nuno, get up there! Get up there!
Mr. Dumont!
I told you so!
Are you okay, Mr. Santos?