Even Pigeons Go to Heaven 2007

Mr. Moulin, Bernard Jung, is an elderly miser who keeps to himself in a small, dimly lit home. He spends his days methodically watching over a bottle of spirits and guarding a red sock that houses his hard-won savings. One afternoon, in a routine climb, he reaches for the bottle by standing on a precarious stack of books on a stepstool. The unstable tower collapses, sending him crashing to the floor while he clutches the bottle and the sock. A priest arrives just in time to prevent a worse fall, altering the course of his day in an instant.

Using the accident as a ticket into Moulin’s life, the priest, Frédéric Saurel, delivers a slick pitch about a device that can guarantee Moulin’s salvation. He presses Moulin to surrender his savings, yet Moulin is wary and insists on seeing the device operate before he signs anything away. The priest reveals a tank-like contraption with several port holes, and he proceeds to stage a dramatic demonstration. The show is designed to appear like a journey to Heaven, a performance that takes advantage of Moulin’s limited vision and trust.

Believing the hoax, Moulin agrees to part with his savings, signing over the money to the priest, who sits calmly counting his winnings. Just then, a knock comes at the door. The Grim Reaper bursts into the room, somewhat flustered, explaining that he is late in collecting a Mr. Moulin who reportedly died in a fall involving a red sock. With quick wit, Moulin points to the priest, who is still clutching the sock containing the money. The Grim Reaper advances, slashing the priest with his scythe and splattering blood across Moulin’s face in a stark reminder of what the deception has cost.

Left alone with the priest’s invention, Moulin steps into the contraption and, with a decisive press of a red button, the door seals shut. The device closes and locks, trapping Moulin inside as the room falls into a tense silence, leaving his fate in the hands of a fate he can no longer outwit.