Original subtitles

Arash, are you taking that fan with you?

No, what for?

- When is your flight? - In two weeks.

What will you do during your last two weeks in Paris?

I still have a lot to do.

I have to cancel my phone line, my metro card, etc.

I also have to go to the bank and the university.

That's it.

That's all I have to do.

In four years, we never even went on vacation together.

We will someday!

Why don't you go? I'm the one going back to Iran.

You can go.

- Are you taking your French dictionary? - No, I don't want it.

Everyone is back, now's the time to go south.

Go without me. Why do you insist?

Just because you have three little things to do...

It's not three little things!

I have to study for the law exam in Iran.

You'll never study before leaving.

His dad would kill him if he went with us.

His dad isn't spying on him.

How would you know?

No, seriously! The south, the sea!

- Are you trying to tempt me? - Yes! Seriously, let's go!

Let's go on a trip!

How many days? How many?

One week.

And maybe...

Don't start!

Why didn't you say two weeks? We could've brought it down to one!

Stop messing with my head!

If all I have to do is finished by tomorrow...

no, by Thursday,

we'll go.

No, be realistic.

You'll never be ready by tomorrow, and you won't come.

- I said after tomorrow. - Ok, in two days.

If I'm done by Thursday, we can go.

And your dad?

Let it go!

Don't add to the situation. Everything will be fine.

- It's a deal, Arash? - Where are we going?

- It's a deal! - To the beach!

BEFORE SUMMER ENDS

Arash, won't you miss France?

To tell you the truth...

of course I'll miss you.

Maybe I'll miss certain places, but that's it.

In Paris, for instance?

Yes, in Paris.

Where?

What I'll miss most is the alcohol aisle in the supermarket.

Guys! Corn!

Arash, stop so I can see if it's good.

- Do I stop here? - Yes.

In five minutes, we're getting arrested by the cops.

A pathetic end: dying for corn!

Unbelievable!

What a thief!

Hossein,

is it straight ahead?

Yes, towards Moulin!

- Hossein... - Your cig.

You have very large hands!

Me?

As large as your ancestor's,

who knocked out a donkey with the back of his hand!

It's beautiful. I'm telling you!

If you're planning on making us eat that,

I should warn you that this corn isn't intended for humans.

- How's that? - It's animal corn.

It looks like the corn we eat, but...

- They're perfect. - I'm very serious.

Do you think the corn we eat in Iran,

like sweet corn, is any different?

It's exactly the same!

Stop making a fuss.

Where exactly are we?

We're right in the middle of France! It's cool!

But are there any campgrounds?

We'll find one, don't worry.

- Where are we? - Make an effort!

Since we left,

I've been wondering what could change your mind

about going back to Iran.

You know, solitude...

When you don't manage to forge ties with the people around you,

that solitude can make you unhappy.

I have no one to bond with here.

French people don't have any reason to be interested in me.

Sometimes we have a beer together,

we greet each other at school or at work.

But they have no reason

to actually become friends with me.

I don't agree with you, Arash.

I've made real friends here.

It takes more time to create a group of friends here

because our friends, when they're Iranians, are like us.

Look, in a few days, Arash is leaving. Then it'll be somebody else.

Many go to Canada because they can't stay in France.

Others go back to Iran or emigrate to the USA.

This core of Iranian friends isn't stable.

Only a core of "non-Iranian" friends could last,

but it takes time.

When you're 18, you build a group of friends in a couple of weeks.

It takes more time when you're 30.

But in love, you become attached in a flash.

When I met my wife, I was about to go back to Iran.

Two hours before I met her

I was telling my friends I was going back to Iran.

On that very night, I met her in a cafe.

Everything changed.

If his heart was trapped here, he'd think of nothing else.

If he falls in love, he'll stay. I know our Arash!

The one on the left isn't bad compared to the others.

The blond one?

These tastes of yours, Arash...

I'll send it to you.

Take a picture of the other. She'll be jealous.

Thanks.

Did you see what Miss France gave me?

What? Miss France gave you that beer?

It's Miss Noirétable, not Miss France!

She's Miss France to me.

The Miss France of your heart!

HERE WE GO...

NODDY

CHARLEY AND MIMMO!

You've been here how long?

In this town? Until I was 17 or 18.

Do you have a cig?

- Yes. - I've got nothing left.

You want an Iranian one?

Well...

Let's try it!

An Iranian cig! You'll love it.

It's small, but it's extremely...

Let me see the packet.

There's a great picture, look!

What's it say?

It says: "Caution, smoking can create an addiction."

In France, it's says: "Smoking kills."

Here, there are chapels in the woods. It's great.

I'm going to buy the Bible.

I don't know about it. I'll read it and see.

- I've read it. - It's an experience.

Hook a Duck 10 Ducks for $4

This vase, risen from the dirt

was once a tormented lover like me

Prisoner of some beauty's tress

The handle attached to its neck

was once a hand embracing the neck of a loved one

Alas, life runs through our fingers!

Death tears at our hearts

No one has ever come back from beyond

to tell us of the travelers here below

Avicenna once said...

this is interesting, because he was a Muslim doctor and philosopher.

He told old people to drink as much wine as they could.

He told young people

to get regularly drunk

to evacuate bad vapors.

I think he was right.

When I started drinking alcohol,

I wanted to know if some Muslims allowed it.

- Now I'm convinced... - A doctor's advice is more important.

I think going to Hell isn't that bad. Really!

If Heaven is like the mullahs say it is,

them who try to send us by force,

if it really was so, would you want to go?

And find yourself up there with four mullahs?

I think it must be a cool place.

People like us go to Hell!

If you want to be with your friends, go to Hell!

I'd like to be with other people.

- With whom? - With strangers.

As far as I'm concerned,

I don't know about you,

but I've been doomed since childhood.

Why?

They used to call me the son of the devil.

Why?

Whenever I heard the call to prayer or religious hymns,

I would hide behind the drapes and start screaming.

- Well, your fate has been set. - From the very beginning.

That's why I only drink the hard stuff.

I'm going to Hell on the high-speed train!

Who knows...

Ashkan!

You took me to the ground.

Heavy attack from the opponent.

Very heavy.

Hossein, hand me a beer!

- Hand him a beer! - You're sober and already sleeping.

What else is there to do?

- Let's go swimming. - Go on. Bye.

You're not coming?

I can't do it like him.

It's not comfortable.

You'd be guaranteed insomnia.

But you feel supported. That's what friendship is about.

Arash, come for a swim!

Leave me alone.

What's going on?

Come take a dip!

We've been wanting to go for hours.

Stop complaining, Ashkan!

Put some there.

What a jerk! After all that snuggling.

- You hit me too. - I did it gently.

Yeah, right!

Did I hit you hard?

Put some here.

It's already burnt!

Who, me?

It's a tan line.

The rest is ok.

I'll put some on my nose.

Boy, she's cute!

So is her dog.

Hossein, don't look at her!

For a reminder, you're married!

Did you notice, when people are undressed,

it's harder for them to communicate.

When you say hi, they don't answer.

If they had clothes on, they would.

It's important, when you go towards someone,

if you're flirting or interested in them, when you're trying to make contact...

You have to have a goal,

but also choose the right strategy.

You can't flirt the same way with everyone.

To one girl you'll read a poem by Hafez,

to another you'll talk about Tarantino.

And then there's how you talk about it!

You have to take into account all these parameters.

But you also have to be flexible.

If she's not interested in marriage,

she can become a good friend.

You can be picky,

if you have a lot of options.

In that case, you choose the one you like best.

Otherwise, you have to be less difficult.

Do you know who Ashkan reminds me of?

Those guys who whistle at girls and wave their keychains at them.

Are you from here?

More or less, between the south and Paris.

I spent my childhood...

I mean originally, your origins...

I was born in Paris.

But I have different origins.

Let's say... My dad is Moroccan.

Nice!

That's it.

- I'll go take their order. - Go ahead.

It's a city full of lovers

and from every corner comes forth a beauty.

Companions,

it is love's calling if you want to try your luck!

Don't turn around! If you turn around, it's too obvious.

She sat down where you were sitting. She wants to feel your vibrations.

I think it's a sign.

What do you think I should do?

Ask the poet for his advice!

Look up in the book... what to do with the waitress?

We want to know where we are at.

Or what to avoid!

Unbelievable! Look at what poem it is!

Read it, but don't say anything!

Drink the wine and kiss the lips of the one serving you!

Believe me, it is the best advice!

What more do you want?

Hafez's quill is a plant that bears a sweet fruit.

Take it!

In this garden, you will find no fruit finer than this.

Do not look down on the libertines!

Do not go by the tavern without stopping!

The joy your lips bring me is great,

but your kisses are not enough.

What did he say?

He told me he had the same problem in Iran.

What problem?

He doesn't like talking to people. He prefers to be alone.

He doesn't like connecting with others.

He told me that's it easy for you to talk to people

but that he's not interested in chatting with strangers.

When you react that way,

even in your own country, when you emigrate,

it only gets worse.

At least he talks about it.

Arash?

This trip is an opportunity for him to reflect on it.

I don't think anyone can change in one trip.

The only thing that can change him

is if he fell in love with someone here.

If someone held him back.

Guys, I had a weird dream last night.

I dreamt...

that I was in a strange situation with a mullah

or someone who looked like a man of religion.

He asked me to chant the Koran

and in the dream, I knew I could chant very well.

I felt that if I started chanting the Koran,

he would try to keep me so I would continue.

So I hastily chanted a short passage.

Then I suddenly stopped and left.

He gave me this look...

I woke up in a weird state.

Can you really chant it?

When I was young,

I was n° 1 in Koran singing in my neighborhood.

That good?

I came in 3rd at the call to prayer and 1st at Koran singing.

My family is special...

They have a deep attachment to religion

and did all they could to pass that on to us.

But their dream was shattered.

To my parents, my education is a failure,

even if they're happy with who I am

and even though we love each other.

It's still a failure to them.

Maybe the meaning of your dream had something to do with it.

Wasn't the religious man in your dream your father,

looking after you?

You didn't want to chant the Koran for him

like you used to do.

But you tried not to make him sad before leaving.

Maybe...

When you said your father had failed in educating you...

I thought of that man in your dream who said:

"Chant the Koran, you who chanted so well!"

When I was in Iran,

I didn't like what I did.

When I came here I found the courage to do what I wanted

and it gave me a lot of self-confidence.

In Iran, my situation tormented me.

It tormented me.

I studied in one field and worked in another.

I studied computer science and in the evening I printed photos.

I loved that job more than anything else.

Here, I found the courage to build my life around it.

This is the freedom I was talking about.

Social freedom.

The advantage here is that you start from scratch

and allow yourself to do things you didn't do back home

because you're far from your family, friends, and social class.

You're in a society with other social values,

so you can...

When I went to the university in Tehran, we lived in the Afsarieh neighborhood.

I had a girlfriend... it's a painful memory.

I didn't have enough to pay for a taxi to bring her home.

So we took the bus, and that's why she dumped me.

When she understood I came from a poor neighborhood, she left me.

That's enough! Be quiet!

We're leaving early tomorrow.

Good night, guys.

May I be excused?

- Good night, guys. - Sleep tight!

What are you looking at?

Did you see his boxers?

What about my boxers?

My short shorts.

Good night, guys!

Please, don't help us.

It's cold out! You'll freeze to death.

No, it's better now.

You're both rude.

We've gained weight.

We've gained weight.

Arash, does alcohol make you fat?

You bet!

- Alcohol makes you fat. - What did you think?

Since I don't drink...

Right.

I know nothing!

You know when I went to get my dispensation from military service,

I weighed as much as Reza Zadeh in the Hungarian championship.

- The weightlifter? - Yes.

But between him and I lies an ocean of differences.

Tell me...

How did you manage to gain so much weight not to be drafted?

It was wonderful, guys! Wonderful!

It was a beautiful period of my life!

I ate so much at the time,

there was nothing that didn't end up in my belly.

Ice cream,

lamb brains, pizzas...

All you can imagine. It was hard to keep up!

Denying yourself nothing.

Denying myself nothing, and with great pleasure!

For how long?

Three months.

If I lost weight, could I be dispensed?

No, the law has changed.

You'd be dispensed from going to war.

Do you know what I said to myself,

the last time I was in Iran?

When I'm there, I'm happier.

When I wake up there, I feel better.

But I prefer the person I am here

to the one I am over there.

It's strange.

The image I have of myself here,

the Hossein that I am here,

matches more accurately the Hossein I'd like to be.

But I'm happier in Iran, and I don't know why.

Hi, Dad.

How are you?

How's Mom?

Where are you? In Amol or Pelur?

No, I'm at the library.

I'm studying. We'll see.

Everything's fine. And you?

I'm fine, I don't need anything.

Thanks.

Arash got a tan!

- What? - Arash got a tan!

Can't you shut up when I'm talking to my father?

No.

Thanks.

Where did you tell him you were?

How come you get out of the water so easily and I can't?

My ancestor was a frog.

Hossein, look at this weather!

It's wonderful.

It's crazy how the south of France looks like the north of Iran!

Now that I see this, I think... Wow! Guys!

Seriously, Arash should move to the south.

You didn't like Tehran because you preferred the north of Iran.

If a place looks like northern Iran, you have to move there.

Do you know what I like here?

The rain is warm, just like in our north.

In Paris, the rain was gray.

It's different here. Come live here. You'd like it.

Your first mistake was to go to Paris.

Hossein, pass the shampoo.

Arash, can you pass the shampoo?

Arash!

Do you have any scissors?

- Use the army knife! - No, I need scissors.

I need to cut underneath.

- They'll think we're gay. - They're the ones who are gay.

No, they're not.

If you had a daughter, she'd be their age.

- Are they that young? - They have a great camera.

It's old-school.

You should talk photography with them.

Talk about their camera.

- Let's trade places. - It's not discreet.

You know what?

I'll go outside to smoke a cigarette.

You can join me and when we come back, we'll switch places.

- Is it obvious? - No.

Pretend we're going smoking.

Give me the cigarettes.

- Chetori? - Chetori.

- Chetori. - CHE - TO - RI.

- Chetori? - Chetori!

Going up: Chetori?

- What is it? - "What's up."

Then say: "Khubam".

- Khubam? - "And you?"

No. "I'm ok."

Chetori? Khubam!

Salam...

- Salam! Chetori! - Gouzou!

What's that?

Someone who farts.

- A farter. - Yes, a farter.

Gouzou.

Gouzou? It's cute.

Yeah.

If you met an Iranian, you can say: "Chetori gouzou?"

He'll laugh, he won't be upset. It's not mean...

I think I'll go to Iran right now to see if I can make friends.

It's cute.

There's gouzou but there's also tchossou.

Tchossou?

Tchossouri!

There are two types of farts. Actually, three...

- Three types of farts? - Three terms.

Gouze is the loud but odorless one.

It's just noise.

Right: pfft!

What is it?

Gouze.

Tchoss has the smell, without the noise.

- It's the worst one. - We don't have that.

Tchoss is the worst one.

What's the third one, Arash?

Come on, tell us!

Teleng.

- Teleng! - That one has both!

In the teleng, there's a question of will.

Teleng is when you fart unwillingly. You know?

You don't have one with a special gift?

What?

That's Teleng!

We're not gross!

Towards the back!

No, she looks like a foreigner visiting Iran.

I can't help it.

Like a tourist who doesn't know how to wear it.

How's that?

No, it's like a foreigner visiting Iran.

It's not a real headscarf.

There are different styles.

A middle-aged, pious woman.

What?

Like this? With a little thing here.

- That's the school principal. - That's exactly it.

I'll do something else. That's another period, in our childhood.

- Don't move. Don't be scared. - With a rock?

This will bring back memories.

That's how it was.

They wore hairpins.

They put it up here.

- In the 1990's. - They put their hair up?

They had a bun.

- They used a stone? - A hairpin.

Then there's this.

Like an old lady.

She's cute.

And this one.

Knock knock!

Mrs. Mahin!

Hossein, they bite one side and let the other one down.

Knock knock! Mrs. Mahin!

Perfect half-moon, frozen fingers

You'll want to keep me forever

We'll never play newlyweds

I'll never drive a motorbike

What I like about love Is that we never learn

What I like about love frightens me

Beyond the forest,

I still could

If you were to try

I still could love you

Offer to carry her!

I offered!

- Arash can carry you! - Yeah! He offered.

We can't do this!

Are you sure?

Nice catch.

It's too far!

Come see this!

- It's too hard. - Here we go.

There...

We'll miss him when he's gone.

He's not gone, and I already miss him.

Did you hear him, earlier?

I don't think he's so sure about wanting to leave.

Hey guys!

Ashkan, if you go it's not that bad.

I'll look like the boring guy and you the nice guy.

- The girls will love you. - I'd be uncomfortable.

Go on!

Ashkan,

be a man!

Are you ready?

Our pride depends on you! The girls depend on you.

Show them you're the strongest. Girls like manliness.

That was good.

Get out your flags.

Get close to her, the other girl will be jealous.

Where is she? They went up on that thing.

This is huge!

The groom is a prince, the bride is honey

The groom is candy, the bride is a poem

It's the wedding night tonight!

Congratulations!

We bring the candi sugar, the mirror, and the candle

To put the hand of the fiancée in his

This will be the most beautiful evening of them all

And for the newlyweds, the most beautiful night

We should have invited them.

Where to?

We could've had a last drink.

You'll invite them.

Invite them tomorrow.

I don't like

people taking me for a ride.

- You do the same. - No.

- You're doing exactly the same thing. - Why do you say that?

- What time is it? - Midnight.

Is it a time to be talking about this?

It's not about me, but them.

You say they took you for a ride

but you're just as bad.

You made the other one jealous, like I said.

You put your arm around Michèle on the ride.

Why did you do that?

You gave her a hug. What was her friend supposed to think?

You kept on saying: "You're so cute! You're adorable!"

It's to show her I'm not interested in her.

You told her: "You're pretty, you're as sweet as candi sugar!"

What idiot would flirt that way?

You! You said that!

Yes, I said that, but what idiot would flirt that way?

That's not flirting.

How was the other one supposed to understand that?

That's why I'm saying she's not jealous.

If you flirt with her, it means you like her.

I don't like her, plus she has a boyfriend.

That's what she says, but you kept on flirting with her.

Then I'll stop tomorrow.

Then confess you're just as bad.

Show her in a subtle way that you like her.

I did show her!

Yes, but you showed it to both of them.

Even we didn't understand who you liked.

You weren't there.

Are you kidding? She had her head like this.

All right, but you didn't see it.

- Did you really see us? - You bet! She was in your arms.

But she has a boyfriend...

- You put your arms around her! - I couldn't push her away.

Ashkan, stop for a minute. What do you really want?

With which one?

- Which one? - That's the question.

With the tall one, Inchallah.

Who's the tall one?

Here's a gray one.

What do you think, Hossein?

Between these two.

That red one will go best.

Which one?

Which one?

This one with the brand is different.

Forget it! And the pink one?

Wear that!

It looks way cooler.

Your wish is my command.

How do I look cool?

I have to look cool.

You still have to prove your coolness.

If it looks too cool, I'll wear something else.

This one looks more serious.

I need to look serious.

- Don't forget to wear perfume. - Obviously!

Inchallah, tonight you'll both be engaged!

Only fate will tell us. We are mere puppets.

What are you looking for?

It's pretty neat, after all.

Fate blessed us with these two girls.

At least my leaving...

... will have helped you in some way.

You can thank me until the end of your days.

What is it? Ask my opinion first!

- We'll smell the same! - So?

Never mind.

What's the problem?

I got some in my mouth.

Give these cigarettes to Charlotte, she likes them.

Really?

You're so good to me.

- Four should be enough. - It's too much.

This is for you, and this is for her.

Even our cigarettes are exotic.

Very exotic.

When I smoked, the girls I met never smoked.

Now that I've quit, all the girls smoke.

It's Murphy's law, my good sir.

I'm ready.

Did you like it?

You were amazing!

Give me that.

Just that one. Thank you!

- Are you sure? - Yes.

Thanks! Thanks so much!

Did you think that was our kind of music?

No way!

We didn't shock you?

A bit!

I didn't picture you... playing the drums.

- You didn't think I played the drums. - I thought you played guitar.

- It's because when you met her... - I don't know...

I feel you're more of a guitar person.

I see what you mean.

I disagree. I've played for 10 years.

- I know... - You can't tell, but I love the drums.

- It's because I've seen you play guitar. - Yes, you've seen me play guitar.

- Michèle was great too! - Yeah, crazy.

- Are you sulking? - A bit.

Because of the concert?

It's not that. It's just:

"I prefer when you play the guitar..."

Are you kidding me?

What?

Oh, I get it!

Maybe he's flirting with you.

I don't think that's what it is.

I think this guy

doesn't think I play right, like an actual drummer.

Or he doesn't know anything about it.

Maybe I didn't play well and he didn't see how great I was.

All I know is that it's upsetting.

There was this old, too-familiar male condescendence...

I shouldn't have said anything.

Why?

I thought she preferred the guitar.

- Who? - Charlotte.

- You told her she was better on guitar? - No, I said it suited her better,

that I pictured her as a guitar player.

Why don't you shut your mouth when you should?

Don't laugh.

Go take a walk.

Don't stay here, breaking our hearts.

Ashkan!

Never mind, go ahead.

I grant you the gold medal of barbecue!

- Thanks! - It's delicious.

Delicious? Right, delicious!

No, that one's for me.

Hello?

Unbelievable...

What's going on?

My sister phoned from Tehran.

She said the bank called.

They said we had to deal with the issue of my military service.

What issue?

So I could come here to study, we had to pay the army a guarantee.

Since we didn't have enough, we put a mortgage on the house.

The bank called today.

Since I didn't enroll at the university this year,

they can seize my parents' house, or I have two days to pay 5,000 euros.

What are you going to do?

I don't know.

Reimbursing the guarantee isn't the issue.

I'll manage to get a loan

so they don't seize my parents' house.

The real issue

is that I'm going to have to choose.

I thought I still had a year left.

You can't go back to Iran?

If I do, I won't be able to come back. I'll have to do my military service.

At 33 years old, being drafted for two years!

Working for them for free!

Hating myself more and more each day.

I can't abandon my wife here

or tell her to come to Iran for two years,

where she'll be alone because I'll be doing my service.

If I stay here, how can I stand not seeing Iran again?

The service is crap! At least you did it, now you're free.

It's a waste of time.

When you're 18,

two years doesn't make a great difference.

In hindsight, I would just have gone to college two years later.

No, it's the same at 18!

But I'd be free today.

You don't know the road your life would have taken.

You don't know what you would have become.

Doing your service at 18, coming out a broken man,

not knowing if you can go to college...

When I came out, I didn't know if I wanted to study anymore.

Starting a master's degree at 25...

What do they want from a 33-year-old guy?

How will I be of any use?

I don't know what to do.

You have to cope with it.

- You have to cope with it. - Cope with what?

Not seeing Iran again.

Come on, let's go. They stood us up.

I don't know why we're still here waiting for the girls.

They won't come now. Get up.

That was a nice move.

Don't you find it weird there are only women?

That man over there proves you wrong.

- Where? - On the right.

You know Hossein, the moon makes me strangely sad.

Why?

When I was a kid,

on summer nights,

when I played outside with my friends, my mother would say:

"when you see the moon

and hear the call to prayer, you have to come home."

That feeling of parting with my friends,

while they played on under the street lamp,

having to go home,

walking through the streets at dusk,

by the light of the moon, the sky full of bats that frightened me,

hurrying to get home and leaving my friends behind...

When I see the moon, I think it's beautiful,

but its beauty makes me sad.

Hossein?

Can you sing: Each Night the Sky?

If you want.

Each night, the sky is proud of its moon

Each night, the sky is proud of its moon

But it doesn't know that on Earth

I spend my time With the most beautiful moon

Since I saw you, my idol, I no longer care for religion

Your enticing hair

Has freed me from that torment