Rosetta

Rosetta's probationary employment ends without being hired, and she lashes out at her manager and the police as she refuses to leave the premises. The violent outburst shows her desperation and willingness to defy authority. This scene establishes the harsh economic reality she faces.

Rosetta returns home to the caravan park where she lives with her alcoholic mother. Her mother mends worn clothes to sell to charity shops, highlighting their grinding poverty. The two struggle to keep something resembling a life together.

A physical struggle erupts over the mother's accepting gifts from men in return for sexual favors. Rosetta confronts the exploitation and the consequences of her mother's alcoholism. The scene underscores the dysfunctional family dynamic that shapes Rosetta's choices.

Rosetta goes to the river and lays out fish traps to poach trout for food, resorting to whatever means are available to survive. The act reveals her resourcefulness and desperation. She also demonstrates a sense of independence emerging in difficult times.

Unable to receive unemployment pay and desperate for work, Rosetta begins seeking vacancies and comes upon a waffle stand. She approaches the owner for a job, showing determination even in the face of rejection. Her persistence marks the start of a new chapter.

Riquet visits the caravan park and informs Rosetta that a colleague was fired, implying she can have the job. The news arrives as a glimmer of hope amid ongoing hardship. Rosetta begins to consider a future beyond subsistence living.

Rosetta treats her period cramps with pain relievers and a hairdryer, attempting to warm her abdomen. The unconventional remedy highlights her willingness to improvise for comfort. It foreshadows the physical fragility that threads through her days.

Rosetta stays with Riquet for the night and learns about the waffle iron he possesses. He tries to dance with her, but her cramps interrupt the moment. The night hints at a fragile connection forming between them.

At work, Rosetta is replaced after three days by the owner's son who failed school, triggering an emotional meltdown. The setback shakes her resolve and tests her continued pursuit of employment. The owner promises to contact her if an opportunity arises.

Rosetta quits by calling the boss on a payphone, then returns to the trailer and turns on the gas, intending to poison both her and her mother. The plan is interrupted when the gas runs out, forcing her to seek another canister. The moment reveals the depths of her despair.

Riquet arrives on his moped as Rosetta struggles with the heavy gas canister, circles around her, and eventually helps her to her feet. Their exchange is tense, but it marks a moment of fragile support between them. The scene ends with Rosetta still uncertain about her future.

The next stand confrontation unfolds as Rosetta watches Riquet being thrown out after it is revealed he has been selling waffles under the table. She is handed his apron, a symbolic transfer of responsibility. Riquet chases her on his moped, demanding to know her motive.

Riquet confronts Rosetta with questions of motive; she explains she wanted a job, not to save him. He counters that she did save him in the river, and ultimately lets her go. The moment punctuates the film's collision of need and loyalty.

Riquet buys a waffle from Rosetta while she is working, a small sign that their complicated relationship persists. She can barely look him in the eye, hinting at unresolved feelings.

Rosetta finds her mother unconscious and intoxicated, dragging her inside and calling the boss to quit. She returns to the caravan and tries to turn on the gas again to end their lives. The gas runs out, and Riquet arrives, circling her with concern before helping her back to her feet.