Original subtitles

MIJFIIM presents

Marooned in Iraq

A fiIm by Bahman Ghobadi

Sit down and be quiet. Don't pretend to be crazy...

because you're not. You've been steaIing for ages now.

He's a poor man. He's crazy. He's not a thief. What peopIe say is not true.

Who says he's crazy?

Iisten, the sergeant has been tracking this man for a Iong time now.

WeII, I say that he's crazy and that you're making a mistake.

He's not crazy.

Quiet! I'm going crazy.

Madam! Do you know where the refugees are?

- You don't know? - No.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo.

- Is this car going to Tousheh? - Yes.

- Can you take me with you? - AII right, get in!

- HeIIo! - Get in the car, man!

Why did you put your bike in here?

I was scared. The situation is criticaI. There are bandits around.

But why did you put your bike in the car?

I'm afraid of the road.

But there are no thieves.

You're not scared?

Who, me? Afraid? I couId fight off ten of them by myseIf.

I wouId kiII them Iike dogs.

Here they come again.

Where are you going?

I'm going to the border. There are more refugees.

Saddam has bombed Iraqi Kurdistan. There are a Iot of homeIess.

You know, with a IittIe money, I've made a good profit.

I managed to buy a Iot of stuff cheap. I got a bIack-and-white TV.

So business has been good for you!

I saw it on TV yesterday. They have bombed the other side of the border.

That's why the refugees keep coming to our side.

God bIess Saddam! Thanks to him, I make good money.

Damn Saddam!

Why do you insuIt him Iike that? Saddam has done a Iot for me.

This year we had many refugees, and many have gotten sick.

On the other hand, they had Iots of money. Much money.

I took a Iot of money from them, and I cured them.

So you are a great doctor?

By the way, any news from your father, Mirza?

He Iives with my brother. But he doesn't sing anymore. That's aII I know.

- How come you don't know? - I'm on my way to see them now.

And the dinar? What's the rate of the dinar?

You want news about my father or about the dinar?

- You must have heard the rumor! - Which one?

- The one that everyone has heard. - No, what are you taIking about?

It's about Hanareh. Things are going badIy for her.

What she did to Mirza was bad.

That horribIe woman. I couId spit on her.

She came and went Iike the wind.

I spit on aII faithIess women. She was so seIfish!

You're compIeteIy right.

Driver, stop, I want to get off!

Can't you see I'm taking a shower? Don't kick up the dust.

Weren't you supposed to come this morning?

Bring some water, girI! Hurry up! Pour the water!

That's enough, Audeh. Come out.

CIean up the bath and hurry up.

Where do you think you are? On the highway?

- So, how are you? - Fine, how about yourseIf?

Give me a cigarette. Why didn't you come this morning?

I had things to do.

This furnace seems higher.

My poor brother, you're Iosing it. You shouId change your gIasses!

Where is our father, Mirza?

In fact, a few days ago some Iraqi refugees came, and they taIked a Iot with Mirza.

After they Ieft, Father was reaIIy upset. He asked me to send for you.

Why is that?

I don't know, but I have a feeIing a trip is ahead.

Where is he now?

I don't know anything about it, but, in any case, refuse to go with him.

He's teaching his cIass. Go ahead. I'II join you soon.

Hey, kid! Come here!

TeII your master somebody's here to see him.

Who are you?

I am caIIed Barat. Barat, the son of your master, Mirza.

- Son of Mirza? - Yes.

- How are you? Are you okay? - I'm fine. Go and caII him now.

Okay.

Master Mirza, Barat is here to see you.

TeII him to wait for me.

- Can you wait for him, pIease? - Yes. Come here.

- What's that in your hand? - It's a musicaI instrument.

- What is it caIIed? - A baghIameh.

- Do you know how to pIay it? - Yes. Do you want me to pIay?

No, it's aII right. Do you know how to sing too?

Yes, I sing very weII.

- You know the Dastgahs? - Yes, I know them aII.

Which meIody can you sing?

- ''Shoor.'' - Great, Iet's hear it.

WeII done, my boy!

- You Iiked it? - Yes, I reaIIy did.

Go now! If not you're going to miss your cIass... Go!

Mister Barat, have you made a new song?

- Yes. - What's it caIIed?

- ''Henar, Henareh.'' - ''Henar, Henarah''? I Iove your voice.

Thank you. Next time I'II bring you some of my tapes.

Go now!

HeIIo, dear Father.

You're Iate.

Why did you want to send for me in the middIe of the night?

A few days ago, some Iraqi refugees came to visit me.

They toId me something that made me mad.

What did they teII you?

That Hanareh had accompanied the refugees to the border.

Where's the probIem? She's not your wife anymore.

- What do you mean? - You're not divorced yet?

No, she's stiII my wife!

You toId us you got divorced 23 years ago!

We didn't get divorced.

I just made up that story to save the honor of the famiIy.

Now you see how you bIew the honor of our famiIy.

AII because of that woman!

And she chose to Ieave you for your friend Seyed.

That's enough now. Stop it!

She needs me, and you have to heIp me find her.

What do we do now?

- Did you bring your bike? - It's parked over there.

- We have to Ieave for Iraq today. - Today? Is Audeh coming too?

- He doesn't have any choice! - If he comes, then I'II come too.

- So get your bike ready and Iet's go! - AII right.

Hurry up!

So you've reaIIy decided to go? PIease Iet me stay with my famiIy.

What's going to happen to my seven wives and eIeven daughters?

Shut up!

I beg you. Go with Barat.

He has no wife, no chiIdren. He doesn't have to take care of a famiIy.

Be a man!

What do you mean by that?

I'm onIy asking you how I can Ieave my seven wives and eIeven daughters aIone.

Shut up!

Iook at Barat, he has no wife, no chiIdren. Go with him!

Father, what are aII these instruments for?

We're going to take them with us, just in case they arrest us.

We can aIways say we're on tour.

I'm going to get ready. Iet's meet in front of the furnace.

Woman! Get the wedding room ready.

I'm going on a trip and hopefuIIy coming back with a new wife.

Do as you Iike, but don't come back with a non-Kurdish wife.

I swear I wiII not Ieave women aIone untiI I have a son.

But I wiII not come back with a foreigner.

You'II be in troubIe if you do!

Iook at that guy! My wives are in danger. Don't force me to come with you.

Do your homework! Come on, Iet's go!

- PIease Iet me stay. - But why?

There are a Iot of strangers around. I'm worried.

Who is Khajeh?

She's in the Iraqi camp. She has news of Hanareh.

- What does she know about Hanareh? - She knows a Iot. She was with her.

Oh, my God! Iook at aII these peopIe.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo, Mirza. WeIcome.

Do you know someone named Dadeh Khajeh?

- No, who is she? - She's Mostafa's wife.

I don't know her.

- What do you mean? Everybody knows her. - I don't remember.

- Is she the one who Iost three sons? - Yes.

- You can find her over there. - Thank you.

Iady, this injection comes from Germany. It costs 8 dinars. ShaII I inject it?

HeIIo, madam, can you come out, pIease? Which is Dadeh Khajeh's house?

It's over there, in that tent.

- Dadeh Khajeh. - Yes.

Iet's weIcome them.

Thank you so much. May you aIways be happy!

What have you toId your sons?

I Iied to them. I toId them Hanareh ran away.

That she had an affair, and that we were not divorced yet.

You toId them you were stiII married?

Yes. I had to Iie. If I hadn't Iied, they wouId have never accompanied me.

I had to make it a point of honor.

But that's a big Iie, Mirza.

I had no choice.

If peopIe hear about this Iie, they are going to beIieve it.

Because you are their famous Mirza. AII the Kurds know you.

Where is the Ietter? What did Hanareh want from me?

Dadeh Amin, Seyed's mother, has the Ietter.

Hanareh wants you to have this Ietter.

You have to go to the Iraqi side to find Hanareh and Seyed. Hanareh needs you.

Where is the Ietter?

Dadeh Amin has it.

- HeIIo, how are you, Dadeh Amin? - HeIIo.

- Do you feeI fine? - No.

Any news from your son Seyed and Hanareh?

Mirza, why did you break up the band? Why did you disappoint everyone?

That's not the way it was.

Why did you take joy away from aII these peopIe?

It wasn't aII my fauIt. Hanareh and Seyed were to bIame too.

Since you have disbanded, there is no one to sing for the peopIe.

Of course there are peopIe singing.

Iook at them. You see them.

- Can you give me the Ietter now? - I don't have it with me.

I don't know. I don't have it. Maybe I Iost it.

You Iost it?

I had it weII hidden. Maybe I Iost it on the way.

Iook weII. In your cIothes... Maybe you can find it.

No, it's not here.

Iook in your scarf. Iook for it!

It must be Iost.

- You haven't given it to anybody eIse? - No.

- Didn't MoIIah Ghader give it to you? - No.

He did. He gave it to you.

I don't know. I don't understand. I have a headache.

Damned be Saddam.

For heaven's sake, search in your bags.

It's not there. It's Iost.

Do you know what was written in it, at Ieast?

- She has definiteIy Iost it. - What are we supposed to do now?

In any case, you have to go find them. Hanareh needs you.

ApparentIy MoIIah Ghader has it.

- Are you sure he has the Ietter? - Yes. You have to go to GoIige.

What is this pIace? Mirza, this is not GoIige.

HeIIo. Anybody here?

- Are we in GoIige? - HeIIo. Anybody here? Answer us.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo.

- What is this pIace? - This is GoIige.

I've been to GoIige before. But it wasn't in ruins then.

Damn Saddam! He ruined this entire region!

- Do you know of a MoIIah Ghader? - Which MoIIah Ghader?

- The matchmaker. - How come you don't know him?

- I don't know him. - Nobody's Ieft.

Where have aII the peopIe gone?

To Gerigeh. PeopIe ran away because of the bombs.

We promised ourseIves never to Ieave our house. Even if Saddam himseIf came.

Good-bye.

- Ieave me aIone. - I wanted to marry her, and you faiIed me.

- Ieave me aIone. HeIp! - Shut up! Stop making a fuss!

- HeIIo. - Get Iost!

- I said heIIo. - This gentIeman is saying heIIo.

- We want to know if we can heIp you. - This is none of your business. Get Iost!

- What happened? - Go away!

Who are you? Iet's see your face!

It's MoIIah Ghader!

- I toId you to get Iost. - Hit him! Hit him, guys!

HeIp! He's beating up my sons.

MoIIah Ghader, who is this guy?

What do you want me to say? I'm fed up with this guy.

His girI is being married to someone eIse today. He's trying everything to stop it.

He wanted me to marry them without the father's consent, and I wouIdn't do it.

It's not the first time he's tried to stop the wedding.

He's mad at me for marrying the girI to somebody eIse.

Mirza. Hey, Mirza. Don't go. Don't Ieave me here.

Iet's go. We have things to do.

Come on. Come over here, guys.

Ahmad! I want to marry your daughter. You have to Iet me.

WeII, I want her, and she's mine!

Even if you try to marry her off ten times, I wiII stop the wedding every time.

It's my wedding. You have to sing and dance in honor of my marriage.

Come on, guys, Iet's pIay. 3... 2... 1 ...

- Whose wedding is this? - I don't reaIIy know.

Who cares, anyway?

I just hope somebody gets hurt Iike Iast year, so I can make some money.

HeIIo, Master Mirza.

MoIIah Ghader needs you to heIp him. He's choking.

TeII him I'm busy. I can't heIp him.

Go and heIp him. He's reaIIy choking.

I don't care! AII this mess is because of him.

Go away now!

- He said he couIdn't come. - TeII him to come. I'm choking.

I toId him. He said he didn't care.

Go and beg him. For Hanareh. Go and ask him to come. Hurry up!

- Master Mirza! - Yes.

- MoIIah is choking. - Ask him to send the Ietter.

But he's choking!

Too bad. Before choking, teII him to send the Ietter.

Ask him if he has any news about Hanareh and everything he knows.

- MoIIah Ghader. - What?

- I'm going crazy. - Why, what did he say?

Where is the Ietter? Do you have any news from Hanareh?

What? He means my Iife is not important.

Go and teII him to come. I wiII give him news from Hanareh myseIf.

I'm not going anymore.

You worthIess...you wouId have never been born if I hadn't married your parents.

Hurry up now. Go!

What? What is it now?

What shouId we do to have a beautifuI voice Iike yours?

Try swaIIowing a few insects. It's very good for the voice. Get Iost now!

Miss, miss. HeIIo!

HeIIo, Mister Barat! What are you doing here?

You know me?

Is there anybody who doesn't know you and your father, Mirza?

Are you from here?

No, I'm waiting for my sisters.

- You have a beautifuI voice. - Thank you.

Have you had this voice since you got married, or have you practiced?

Is marriage good for the voice?

I don't know. But some women get married to make their voices beautifuI.

- No, I'm not married. - ReaIIy? That's strange.

Why? Are you interested?

WeII, what can I say? I feII in Iove with your voice.

Thank you.

And... If you aIIow me, I wouId Iike to ask for your hand.

What did you say?

- Do you want to become my wife? - What?

Do you want to become my wife?

Are you joking?

No, I promise you.

- Okay, but there is one condition. - What condition? TeII me.

You have to teach me how to sing.

Sing? WeII, singing is forbidden for women.

But if after our marriage you want to sing onIy for me, of course you have the right.

And I wouId teach you with pIeasure. But... Miss...

Miss... Miss...

I'm reaIIy sorry. I didn't express myseIf properIy. I beg your pardon.

Of course women can sing Iike men. Women have to sing!

Hey! You're messing up my daughter's wedding. You bastard!

Here you are at Iast, Ahmad! I'm going to take care of you.

Bastard!

Even if you try 1,000 times, each time I wiII mess it up.

Mirza. Run away! It's dangerous.

I'm going to kiII you.

- Mirza. - What's going on?

- I'm choking. - Who was that guy? He nearIy kiIIed us.

- I can't breathe. - Be quiet! AII this because of a Ietter.

I have a Iot of things to teII you. HeIp me.

- How can I heIp? - With your instrument.

That's impossibIe. It'II break.

Use the end part. I beg you, Mirza.

Do you know aII the way I have come just for this Ietter?

And so many things happened to me on the road.

- Where is this Ietter? - Which Ietter?

Dadeh Amin, Seyed's mother, gave it to you.

- No one gave me a Ietter. - What was in it?

HeIp me!

What did Hanareh and Seyed want from me?

The poIice are coming. Give me the Ietter.

- There is no Ietter. - What do you mean?

I don't have it!

- Don't shoot. Nobody shoot. - Mirza, don't Ieave me.

So that was your dear friend MoIIah Ghader! What a mess he got us into.

What bad Iuck! We were beaten up. We had to dig. Where are we going now?

I said shut up!

Why shouId I shut up? I have to know where we're going.

Father, I met a wonderfuI girI today.

I feII in Iove with her voice. She had an amazing voice.

Do you understand anything about Iove?

Stop. Don't move.

- Where are you from? - We're musicians going to a wedding.

- SiIence, get down! - Why do we have to get down?

Shut up, don't argue! Turn around!

Why are you tying us up? What have we done?

We haven't done anything.

You have stoIen a motorbike.

We're not thieves.

I said siIence!

Why are you beating us? We're musicians.

Why are you beating up this oId man?

- We're going to fiIe a compIaint. - Shut up!

Where are you going with our stuff?

We're not smuggIing cIothes! So why are you taking our cIothes?

Open your mouth!

Do you have any goId teeth? Iet me see.

- Is it forbidden to have goId teeth? - Yes.

- I toId you not to bring your bike. - Shut up! Don't argue!

- They were poIice, Iooking for smuggIers. - They weren't poIice. They were thieves!

I asked you to Ieave me with my famiIy. And now what's going to become of us?

AII of this, because of Barat.

- Be carefuI about what you say! - That's enough, now!

Thank you very much. I don't deserve this.

I have Ieft my famiIy aII aIone in the middIe of nowhere to come with you.

WouId you be quiet?

I toId you at Ieast a hundred times that I didn't want to come.

Iook, there's a car coming.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo, Mirza. What are you doing here?

- Is there any room for us? - No, there isn't.

Some thieves took everything from us. Try to heIp us.

But there's no room!

What about the back of the car?

AII right, get in.

Excuse me. I'm reaIIy sorry. Where are you going?

We are schooI teachers going to work.

Have a nice trip!

Iook at us! Iike a bunch of vagabonds. I toId you that I didn't want to come.

That's enough! Stop nagging.

You don't understand anything.

I don't understand anything? You want me to break your teeth?

If you did, you wouId have never separated me from my famiIy.

AII this because of Hanareh.

WeII, weII.

Now I understand why you are so tense. Because you miss your wives, isn't it?

You poor, weak man. You are both useIess.

It's aII your fauIt. That motorbike was aII I ever had.

- Stop. HeIIo. - HeIIo.

I am Sergeant Rahmani. Take us to the poIice station.

- Some thieves took everything from us. - Shut up! It's aII because of you!

- Take us to the station! - Where are your cIothes?

What do you care about our cIothes? I'm teIIing you, I am Sergeant Rahmani.

But you Iook more Iike a prisoner.

Who, me? Be carefuI about what you say.

I promise if you don't take me to the station, I'II arrest you and put you in prison.

WeII, Chief of PoIice, I don't know you.

In the name of the Iaw, I order you to take me to the station.

WeII, I'm not taking you anywhere.

Hey... Hey... Stop... In the name of the Iaw, stop.

Mirza, I know that soIdier.

I'm sure the thieves robbed them too.

Driver, stop the car!

You go inside. I'm going to have a Iook in the bazaar.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo.

Mirza... You're most weIcome.

- Isn't it Mirza, the oId singer? - Yes, it's him.

- What is he doing here? - I don't know.

- What do you want to eat, Mirza? - What do you have?

We have yogurt, eggs and cheese.

- So what shouId we eat? - Some yogurt.

Okay, bring us two yogurts.

What brings you here?

- We got Iost. We got robbed by thieves. - What did they take?

Everything. Money, bike and aII. I had some money in my shoes.

Damn them.

BeIieve me, Mirza, these things never happened around here before.

It was our bad Iuck.

They're not from around here.

They come with the refugees, so nobody knows where they're from.

- Barat! - Doctor... Is it you?

- Yes. - HeIIo.

- WeIcome. - Thank you. What are you doing here?

- I'm trying to seII some stuff. - This stuff?

- How much for this radio? - 1 4,000 tomans. It's Japanese.

- I'II take it for 10,000. - No, I can't do it for Iess.

What are you doing here, Barat?

The thieves took everything. They took my motorbike.

- When? - Not Iong ago.

- How much is this? - It's 1 2,000 tomans.

The same motorbike you saw the other day.

No, it's German.

It's medication against AIDS. You know AIDS, the iIIness that muIes get.

Poor Hameh, his two muIes are dead because of this disease.

I brought back this drug that performs miracIes on purpose. And it's onIy for us.

Come on, don't hesitate to buy this medicine.

Save your muIes. This disease comes from abroad.

They want to erase our race of muIes.

- What are these rumors? - You too, you've heard them?

- These rumors are aIways around! - Mirza, do you have any news of Hanareh?

I've heard she's with the homeIess. She sings for them! She even dances!

Shut up. Aren't you ashamed? That's enough.

I've heard that even Saddam has faIIen under her charm!

So what? What's it to you?

He's crazy. Since he Iost his two sons, he has Iost his mind.

Don't upset yourseIf.

I can't heIp it. They reaIIy get on my nerves.

Shut up. You shouId be ashamed.

Since you have disbanded, no one can stop the rumors.

You don't have any news of Hanareh and Seyed?

I saw them a coupIe of months ago, but I can't remember where.

Here? Or the previous teahouse, or maybe another one?

- We were in Choman. - Yes, he's right.

How many teahouses do you have?

We are Iike gypsies.

As soon as the bombs start faIIing, we change Iocations.

We are moving aII the time.

- Was Hanareh aIone? - No, she was with her husband, Seyed.

Even if you go to Raman, I don't think you'II find her.

- Where did this bike come from? - I bought it.

- Who did you buy it from? - I bought it from two guys.

- Which guys? - I didn't know them.

I'II get you arrested, you thief!

Don't Iet them fight. What's going on?

HeIp! Audeh, come and heIp. Audeh!

Father, I hear Barat's voice. Come on, Iet's go.

- What's going on? - They're beating up Barat!

Why are you fighting? 1 ... 2... 3... Stop fighting!

- That bike is my honor! - CaIm down! Stop fighting!

What are you saying now? It's aII your fauIt.

They took my bike, my goId teeth. They tied us up and stoIe everything.

- It's aII your fauIt. - CaIm down!

- This bike is ours! - No, we bought it!

Who did you buy it from?

I didn't know them, but I paid 350,000 tomans for it.

He's not Iying. He reaIIy bought it for 350,000.

I paid one miIIion tomans for this bike. You're teIIing me you bought it for 350,000?

It was in good condition. Why is it in pieces if it wasn't stoIen?

AII our troubIes are because of this motorbike.

Thank you, Mirza, for aII this troubIe. You and Hanareh!

- You'II have to pay me back. - CaIm down.

Apart from the bike, weren't there any instruments or cIothes?

We don't know.

How come you don't know? We're freezing without our cIothes.

We have a few second-hand coats we couId give you.

We're freezing now. What shouId we do in this coId?

We didn't get anything eIse. We just bought the bike.

- Nothing eIse? - No, onIy a Dayereh and a Sorna.

That's aII you found? AII right, give them to us.

They're down here.

HeIIo, I'm Sergeant Rahmani. Give me a hacksaw...

so I can take off these handcuffs.

Why doesn't anyone know me? Give me some pIiers.

Mirza. Mirza.

Where are you going now? My famiIy is aIone, and they have stoIen our bike.

- I won't foIIow up! - Shut up!

Saddam is no joke, here in Iraq. He's going to kiII us aII.

Mirza, for heaven's sake, Iet's go home!

The further we go, the more dangerous it gets!

They are bombing everywhere. PIease, Iet's go home.

In the end, you wiII get aII of us kiIIed!

I have to go on. Ieave if you want.

I promise, you wiII not find her. You can be sure of that.

Who are these peopIe here?

I have no idea.

Come, Barat, Iet's go and ask them the way.

- Are you on the right page? - Yes, teacher.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo.

When you're finished with your cIass, I'd Iike a few minutes of your time.

Wait, it won't take Iong.

TeII me, what are aII these kids doing here?

- In the middIe of bombs and mountains? - AIone?

CaIm down, kids! Here come the pIanes. Iook at them!

What's a pIane?

A pIane is something that fIies. Iike a bird.

Humans have invented something that fIies Iike a bird in the sky.

A pIane has two purposes:

First, it transports goods between cities.

But there is aIso a negative side. And what is it? It's the bombing.

What is bombing?

That is what destroys our houses. Iisten carefuIIy.

That's the sound of bombs.

At this moment, somebody's house is being destroyed.

Our house and our schooI were destroyed by bombs.

You said each wing was the size of 2 houses.

SiIence. We came up here to see the pIanes from cIose up. Iook!

- Why is it so Iong? - It's not that Iong. That's the smoke.

Why is it so far?

Because if it fIies Iower, it couId crash against mountains or even peopIe.

Have you ever been in a pIane?

Not me, but my brother has a friend whose nephew has been in a pIane.

Take a good Iook before it disappears! There it goes!

It's gone now. It was a passenger pIane.

When can we see it from cIose up?

Soon, I hope. InshaIIah. If we study weII, sIowIy...

we can make it to the top, and we wiII touch it.

And one day we wiII aII get on it.

Hurrah.

- Have you brought them with you? - Yes.

CIap for our success today. Hurrah.

Ready? 1 ... 2... 3...

Kids, be carefuI where you waIk. FoIIow my steps!

There are a Iot of mines here.

- Mirza, stay tonight at the camp with us. - Thank you.

- Are you going to Raman? - How did you know?

Everybody knows you're Iooking for Hanareh.

So you know too.

Who doesn't know?

If Hanareh Ieft you for Seyed, it was because she wanted to sing.

Not onIy couIdn't she sing in Iraq, but she got into a Iot of troubIe.

God damn you and your entire famiIy!

- Doctor? - HeIIo, Mirza.

What happened to you, Doctor?

The thieves took everything from me. I have nothing Ieft.

My cIothes, aII my stuff. My money, my gIasses.

Where were they from?

OnIy God knows where they came from.

In any case, they were not Kurds. I didn't understand anything.

Saddam be damned. May he burn in heII!

AII of this is because of him. He sends us aII these thieves.

How come you praised him before?

I was wrong. I regret it.

Don't stay here. Come with us to the camp. You're going to freeze here.

Somebody promised to bring me a muIe. I'II wait for him. Maybe he'II come.

You said you couId fight against ten of them.

This is the onIy thing I have Ieft to wear. Oh, my God! It's so coId!

My God! Iook at aII these kids.

They are aII orphans.

ChiIdren who have Iost their parents during the war.

They don't have anybody. They are aII aIone.

Some are from Iraqi Kurdistan and some are Iranian Kurds.

There are four camps Iike this in the region. I teach the Iranians.

There are two more teachers for the Iraqis.

Come with me, pIease.

ChiIdren, aII of you come here. I'm going to pIay some music for you.

- Do you know me? - No.

I'm Audeh, Mirza's son. How about Mirza? Do you know him?

No.

- Mirza, the singer? - Yes, that's right.

- Do you know them? - No, not reaIIy.

- It's Mirza. Master Mirza the singer. - ReaIIy! WeIcome.

- This is his son Barat. - Nice to meet you.

And this is his other son Audeh.

Can you give one of the tents to them? You couId aIso make some tea.

AII right.

It's very dangerous in Iraq. As soon as they arrest somebody...

they take him prisoner and use him as a soIdier.

You shouId go the rest of the road aIone.

Don't take your sons with you. You have to go to Raman aIone.

The viIIages at the bottom of the mountain have aII been destroyed. Everybody's dead.

You might find one or two peopIe who have news of Hanareh.

Why, do you have any news of Hanareh?

Not reaIIy. But I've heard that she's iII. Nobody has seen her for a whiIe.

Where is she?

I have no idea. You'II probabIy find more cIues if you go to Raman.

- Mister Audeh. - Yes?

- Can you sing the song ''Hanareh'' for us? - Sorry?

- Come on, sing ''Hanareh'' for us. - AII right.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo, Audeh.

How do you know me?

I don't know you personaIIy.

Mister Mohamad toId me you were Master Mirza's son.

Are you Mohamad's wives?

No, we onIy work together.

My name is Rojane.

- Rojane, are you married? - No.

And your friend, is she married?

Why do you ask? No. We onIy take care of the chiIdren.

How about you? Are you married?

Yes. I have seven wives and eIeven daughters.

Oh, my God!

Why did you make so many women unhappy?

It was just to have a son! The first one couIdn't give me one.

Neither couId the second one, same for the third one...

and same again untiI my seventh wife.

I promised myseIf never to Ieave women aIone untiI I had a son.

Why?

Because they need a head of the famiIy who wiII take care of them.

He wiII become a singer Iike me. A great artist!

Why not teach your daughters?

So they can be Iike Hanareh? No, thank you, one was enough.

She dishonored our famiIy.

I forbid you to taIk about her this way.

Mirza's Iove for Hanareh destroyed our Iives.

He ruined the Iife of my mother and aII his wives because of her.

In any case, did you say your friend was married?

Why do you want to know? No, she's not married.

Iisten, I just asked you a question, that's aII!

I wouId Iike a wife that can give me a son.

What? You mean you're ready to make another woman unhappy, to have a son?

We have a Iot of boys here. That makes it very hard for us.

- I onIy dream of having one. - Many famiIies adopt these orphans.

If you reaIIy want a son...

go to the main office and get an adoption form. Then we'II give you one or two sons.

- Where? - At the main office.

You're teIIing me if I get this paper, you wiII give me a son.

Yes, of course. The poor IittIe ones don't have any parents.

Is this a joke, or what?

No. You're a joke, getting married to seven wives.

You are reaIIy joking, aren't you?

No, not at aII. I have to Ieave.

- HeIIo, and courage to you! - Courage to you too!

Is the IittIe one ready?

Yes, he's been up for an hour. He's waiting for you.

Yesterday, I asked Mirza to Iet Audeh stay.

Avat, pIease bring some tea for Master Mirza and Barat.

I'm going to take the IittIe one to Panjavine with Barat and Mirza.

From there, I'II show them the way.

What are you doing today?

I'm taking Audeh to the main office.

That's a good idea. Try to heIp him. AII right?

I promise to find Hanareh for you. You can count on me.

Iast night, I got upset with Audeh.

The same way he was during the whoIe trip, he didn't stop taIking.

FinaIIy I asked him to Ieave me aIone. I toId him to adopt.

It must be the wiII of God if we find ourseIves in this pIace...

so that he can become the father of two sons at the same time.

Of course, he has to be up to it.

- HeIIo. - Good morning. How are you?

- I Iove you. I reaIIy do. - Don't start again.

Iast night I was so happy. CouIdn't sIeep.

Stop the fIattery.

Don't be in a bad mood. I'm not exaggerating.

I onIy managed to sIeep five minutes, but thanks to God...

I dreamt that God was giving me two sons.

Be strong when you get back home. Don't Iet your sons be weak Iike you.

Don't start again. I hope I won't make anybody jeaIous!

Thank God, two sons! Two at the same time, and no wife.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo. Thank you.

You're weIcome.

Why are you Iooking at her Iike that?

The girI with the voice. Why don't you find her...

and marry her, Iike a man! It's your destiny.

But I'm asking you not to Ieave Father aIone.

Mister Audeh, pIease come here for a minute.

I don't know if this scoundreI is so happy because he found two sons or this woman!

Are you sure these are the same ones that were singing?

Yes, I'm sure. It's them.

Mirza, Barat, come on. It's Iate. We have to go.

My God, my God. What are aII these corpses?

That's what we caII a mass grave. PeopIe found it not so Iong ago.

Saddam ordered their massacre.

This is the fifth or sixth mass grave found.

When did they discover it?

Today. They aIso found one in Garmian. At Ieast 15,000 corpses.

Where are you going?

Mirza, with your permission, I have to Ieave for Pinjouine. This chiId is sick.

Do you know the way to Raman?

It's this way. But I'm teIIing you again...

it's best if you go aIone. Don't take Barat!

They force young peopIe to become soIdiers there.

I repeat, don't Iet Barat come with you. Good-bye.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo, Barat.

Is it reaIIy you?

Yes, it's me. What are you doing here?

I'm here to Iook for my brother's body.

They said he was kiIIed around here.

May his souI rest in peace.

They said we couId find his corpse around here, but we haven't.

Oh, my poor brother!

I'm reaIIy sorry. If there's anything I can do, I'd Iove to heIp.

Thank you so much. We have to Iook somewhere eIse.

Where?

I don't know, anywhere we can find a trace of him.

In any case, miss, if there's anything I can do...

You can count on me. Be patient. If you want, I can accompany you.

I thank you.

In any case, I hope you haven't forgotten my proposition.

I hope to get an answer soon, and I wouId Iove to see you again.

With your permission, I am Ieaving now. Good-bye.

Father, Father. Wait for me.

- What do you want? - Stop. Where are you going?

- I'm going. - Where?

- I'm going to Raman. - I'm coming with you.

No. If they arrest you, I'II never see you again.

It doesn't matter. I'm coming anyway.

What happened? You took your gIasses off?

Yes, it was time to take them off.

You found the girI you feII in Iove with?

- Yes. - What is she doing here?

Her brother was kiIIed, and she's Iooking for the body.

Go and heIp her. It's the ideaI time.

I'II find her Iater.

But right now, for me, the most important thing is to heIp you.

If I'm asking you to Ieave, I must have a good reason.

Go and heIp her. Don't worry about me.

- But, Father... - I toId you to Ieave.

- Iet me come with you. - No.

Is anybody there?

- HeIIo. - HeIIo.

- Is this Raman? - Yes.

Why is it so empty?

Saddam attacked this viIIage and kiIIed aII the men!

Everybody was kiIIed? And the women, what happened to them?

There is nobody Ieft. The men are dead, and the women ran away.

Where have they gone, and why? What have these poor peopIe done?

- Do you know Hanareh? - Yes, I do.

Was she with the other women?

I have no idea, I don't know.

- Do you know where the women are? - Taken to a camp.

- Thank you. Good-bye. - Good-bye.

It's behind the mountain over there. Go straight.

Is there anybody here?

Kobra, come and see. Master Mirza has arrived.

HeIIo.

- HeIIo, and weIcome. - Is Hanareh here?

Where were you? Why have you come so Iate?

I went to Raman. They toId me you were transferred here.

What are aII these women doing here?

They hit us with chemicaI weapons.

They massacred aII our sons and aII our men.

I hope one day Saddam wiII pay for aII he has done to us.

- Where is Hanareh? - She's not here.

Why? She asked me to come. She wanted to see me. Where is she?

She waited for you for a Iong time. But you arrived too Iate.

How is it possibIe? I've come aII this way for her.

And you're teIIing me she's not here anymore?

I'm sorry, I have something to teII you. She's been affected by the chemicaIs.

What? Affected by chemicaIs?

Don't worry. She'II be fine. She's Iost her voice.

And she is a IittIe disfigured. But the Iatest news reaIIy got to her.

- What news? - The death of her husband.

- Seyed is dead? - Yes, Seyed is dead.

When did he die?

- He died a month ago. - Where is he buried?

They haven't buried him yet.

They've kept him in the snow. You must bury him.

Where is his body?

- His sister Mastooreh is with him. - Can you show me?

Somebody show the way to Mirza.

Mirza, Hanareh reaIIy wanted to see you.

Sometimes she hoped after aII these years you wouId come back to Kurdistan...

and sing with her for these peopIe again.

Mirza, don't taIk to Mastooreh too much.

She's aIso been affected by the chemicaIs. She's over there.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo, Mirza.

- Why have you come so Iate? - Where is Hanareh?

She waited for you for a Iong time, and then she Ieft.

What happened to you?

- Nothing. It's not important. - Iook at me. I want to see you.

I can't.

TeII me what happened.

Don't ask me to Iook at you.

Why?

Mirza, Seyed wanted so much to see you again.

He wanted to sing with you just one Iast time.

His Iast wish was to be buried by you, and onIy you.

Do you have any news of Hanareh's chiIdren?

Her sons were aII kiIIed. OnIy his daughter is Ieft.

Where is she?

They have her here.

I'm going to get the women, so they can bring a coffin. Wait for me here.

Mastooreh...

- HeIIo, Mirza. - HeIIo. Where is Mastooreh?

She's sick. She cannot come. She sent some bread for you.

- Was it reaIIy Mastooreh yesterday? - I don't know.

- Do you think Hanareh wiII come back? - No, I don't think so.

Why?

Because, Iike the other women, she has been put in quarantine.

And the women's miIk has dried up. Soon they wiII take these women away too.

Hanareh waited to give you something. It's why you came.

- What is it? - It's Seyed and Hanareh's daughter.

- Is the girI here? - Yes, she is.

She wanted you to take her with you.

What's your name, my dear? TeII me.

My name is Sanooreh.

Sanooreh? What is your mother's name?

Hanareh.

She reaIIy Iooks Iike Hanareh.

- Is she the daughter of Seyed? - Yes.

- My father is gone. - Don't cry, my dear. Don't cry.

Hanareh, why didn't you show yourseIf? How couId you?

Mirza came aII this way just to see you.

You wanted him to see me in this state? You wanted him to hear this voice?

- Do you think I'II see my daughter again? - Yes, I'm sure you wiII.

Producer: Bahman Ghobadi

Photography: Amir Asadi, Saed Nikzat

Editor: Hayedeh Safiyari

Music: ArsaIan Kamkar

Starring:

Shahab Ebrahimi, AIah-morad Rashtian, Faegh Mohammadi

TransIation: Amin Mahdavi

EngIish subtitIes by: SOFTITIER