Original subtitles

STRAY DOGS A FILM BY MARZIYEH MESHKINI

Zahed!

I've found a book.

Should we sell it or burn it?

Zahed! We're late.

They won't let us in.

Zahed, hurry! We're late.

There's the dog, come on!

Kill him!

Kill him!

He's a foreigners' dog.

He can't understand us.

He doesn't belong to the Americans,

he's a fucking English dog! He's hunting Taliban.

Come on, it's late.

Hurry up!

He's a Russian dog.

He's looking for nuclear bombs.

Burn him!

He belongs to the Americans who killed Zahed's dad.

Rescue him!

OK.

He belongs to the Americans who killed our fathers.

He's not down there.

Maybe he's dead. Let's go.

Take the sacks. I'll hide the dog.

I knocked. No one's coming.

I knocked. They're not opening up.

Who is it?

It's us.

It's late. Come back tomorrow.

Please open the door.

Visiting time's over.

We're not visitors, we're night prisoners.

We're night prisoners.

So what are you doing out there?

Officer Atef knows us.

Wait there. I'll check.

Why are you here so late?

This is a prison. It's the last time!

What have you got there?

Dogs aren't allowed in here.

For the love of God,

let him in. If you don't, the kids will burn him alive.

Don't you feel sorry for him?

OK, come in.

Search them.

What have you got in there?

Just wood and paper.

Hide the dog. Take this!

Go on.

You can take them.

If we hadn't brought him,

the kids would've burned him alive.

Death would be better than this prison.

Put more wood on the fire.

Time to sleep. Settle down.

Time to sleep. Settle down.

Did you visit your father in prison?

Yes.

Did your sister tell him exactly what I told her?

No, she got it all mixed up.

Just repeat what I tell you, dear.

OK.

What are you going to say?

"When you lived with our mother,

"you beat her a lot. So she didn't love you.

"When you disappeared,

"she got married again.

"Her second husband beat her less."

No, don't say that. He will never forgive me

and I'll stay in prison forever.

He vanished for five years.

We thought he'd been killed.

Isn't that right, dear?

So you must tell him:

"We thought you'd been killed.

"Mum couldn't feed us.

"So she married again so we could eat."

Your father will forgive me

and I'll be freed from prison.

Remember, for five years we thought he was dead.

Do you remember?

Gol-Ghotai!

What?

Don't tell Dad he beat her too much.

Say that our stepfather beat her too much.

Pretend I'm Dad. Practice.

"You didn't beat Mum too much.

"It was her second husband who beat her.

"Forgive our mother.

"Do you want her to die in prison?"

Your father loves you very much.

He'll listen to you.

You must tell him exactly what I've told you.

I understand.

Time to sleep, settle down.

Feed your baby. He's keeping everyone awake.

My milk's run out

and he's freezing.

- Give him to your mother. - She can't look after him.

Time to sleep, settle down.

Please!

Give her this to burn. Her baby's cold.

You can burn this.

Thank you very much.

Come along!

Gol-Ghotai!

Tell your father what I told you.

Tell him: "You're a prisoner...

"Do you want to see me a prisoner too?"

"Tell him he vanished for five years,

"that you were fatherless,

"that my second husband is dead.

"Didn't you beat me enough?

"Will you be happy if they execute me?"

Gol-Ghotai!

Let them execute me!

Don't forgive me! Let them execute me!

Let me die in prison!

Let them kill me!

Why have you brought so little?

Pay me for my sister's wood.

Eat!

It's meat, it's meat!

It's meat.

Eat!

It smells like meat.

Eat, it's meat!

It smells like meat.

Aren't you hungry? Eat!

You're hungry, so eat!

Eat!

It's just like meat.

Aren't you hungry?

You must be hungry.

Pay me for my sister's wood.

They put our father in prison.

You have to wave to them!

- Hello! - Hello!

How much is that rosary?

Ten Afghanis.

- And that one? - Five Afghanis.

Why is it cheaper?

That one brings fewer rewards from God.

That one brings more.

- Who's it for? - For my father.

Does he pray often?

Yes.

A lot or a little?

My father's a Taliban, in prison. He prays night and day.

If he prays so much,

take this one which brings the greatest rewards from God.

My father is a Taliban.

A Taliban? Take this one, it's more powerful.

How much?

Twenty Afghanis.

That's too much.

But it brings the most rewards.

- Five Afghanis. - No.

That one's nice. I'll buy it.

This one?

Yes.

It's so beautiful!

I bought it for my father, little doggie...

but you can have it. You're so pretty!

What do you have to say to Dad?

I'll tell him: "You disappeared for five years

"and Mum thought you were dead.

"There was no one to take care of us.

"So Mum got married again.

"You're in prison.

"Our mother's also in prison.

"If they kill our mother, what will happen to us?"

Mollah Rahman's children!

What will you tell Dad?

"You disappeared for five years.

"Mum thought you were dead,

"there was no one to look after us.

"So Mum got married again.

"You are in prison.

"So is my mother.

"Will you be happy if they kill our mother?

"Who will take care of us then?

"Forgive our mother. For our sake."

Mollah Rahman's children, come.

Little girl, it's not your turn. Come back tomorrow.

Can't I see my father?

It's not possible.

I have to talk to him.

Impossible.

OK.

Boy, you can come in.

Zahed, did you tell Dad what Mum said?

- Did you tell him? - Yes.

Did he feel sorry for us?

He said: "I went to fight in a Holy War.

"Your mother married again.

"Didn't she love me?"

She married again because we were hungry.

Now that man is dead.

Dad said that's good, and if Mum dies,

they can make love in Hell.

What's Hell?

It's the place where Angels

burn sinners up.

If he loves us, he should forgive Mum.

Dad said: "If you love your mother,

"pray for her. Pray God forgives her!"

They don't let dogs in. Stay here. I'm going to pray.

Do you understand, little doggie?

My brother's gone to pray

for my mother,

so God won't send her to Hell.

Do you know what Hell is?

Hell is a big, big pit full of sinners

and Angels who cast fire down on them.

Do you understand what I'm saying,

poor little doggie?

Did they want to burn you alive because you got married twice?

I saved you from Hell.

Do you remember?

Do you understand?

Pray, little doggie.

Pray for Mum.

O Merciful God, who forgives all sins

I cry out to thee, O Merciful God!

We are night prisoners.

- What prisoners? - Night prisoners.

Who have you come to see?

Guard Atef knows us.

Wait a moment.

Hello.

Hello, little one.

I'm sorry, but the governor won't allow you to come in.

If I let you enter,

he'll put me in prison. Forgive me.

But the governor isn't here.

Let us go and sleep with our mother.

We don't know where else to go.

Do you want us to sleep on the street?

Let us sleep with our mother.

I'm truly sorry

but the governor won't allow it.

Goodbye! Look after yourselves.

OK.

Why are you still here?

Don't give me this baby. Her mother's in prison.

Where will I find milk?

Take it! Go on!

What will I do with so many grandchildren?

The father of these two was killed,

so was the father of the others,

and the baby's mother's in prison. What will I do?

Zahed, I'm scared.

He's noisy because he's scared too.

Cover your eyes and you won't be scared.

Zahed, I need to pee.

Go a bit further off.

I'm scared to go far.

Do you want me to go?

I'd still be scared.

Go and pee.

I'll keep talking so you won't be scared.

OK. Look after the dog.

Gol-Ghotai.

The dog peed too.

Give him to me.

Look after the dog.

Son of a bitch!

Trying to trick me?

If you needed a place, you should have knocked.

We didn't see you. You're strangling me.

We didn't know it was your place.

We wanted to get out of the cold.

Let go of my brother!

Leave him alone!

I didn't know you were here.

Get off! You're strangling me!

How much can it bother you

if we stay here for one night?

Maybe just a little.

We didn't know.

OK. Get in!

We can go in?

Stick your head out. We need to talk, man to man.

Who's that girl?

She's my sister.

This place is dangerous.

Last night, they grabbed a girl from one of the carts.

Don't let me see your sister here again.

We usually sleep in prison with our mother.

But tonight they wouldn't let us in.

So we came here.

I don't want to see her here again.

What are you scared of?

We're not thieves.

You're joking! Me, scared? I escaped from prison.

Why were you in prison?

Me and a pal broke into a video store

and the cops caught us.

- Is he still in prison? - Yes.

I want to go to prison too.

It's not difficult.

Steal something and you'll get there.

What's hard is staying out.

I couldn't work. I'll pay you tomorrow.

Don't let me see your sister here again.

What are you doing here?

We want to see our mother.

- What's her name? - Shabaneh.

What was her crime?

My father disappeared for five years.

She thought he was dead.

She remarried and my father had her put in prison.

She's a whore.

Bastard, it's your mother who's the whore!

Son of a bitch! Bastard!

Piece of shit! Your mother's the whore!

Come here, son of a bitch!

Come on, Gol-Ghotai.

Your mother's the whore!

Run, Gol-Ghotai!

He's going to beat us up!

Bastard. Your father be damned! Stop!

If I catch you I'll kill you!

Don't beat my brother!

Officer, sir, don't beat my brother!

Tell me, what happened to your grandma?

What happened to your grandmother?

It was freezing last night.

Gol-Ghotai, come on.

I'll go and watch the TV.

When he gets out of the car,

we won't run away.

That way he'll get us.

I'm scared.

If he sees us, he'll beat us.

Stay here.

I'm going. When he takes me to prison,

start crying. Say you're my sister and you'll be arrested.

Come on. There's no one here.

He's locked up the TV. He'll lock us up too.

Bastards!

I go for a piss and you take over my house!

Bastards!

I just went for a piss!

You've moved in!

If I piss in the North,

American occupies the South.

If I piss to the South,

the Russians move in on the North.

You won't even let me shit in peace!

You want a shit? Come down here!

I'll wash out the toilets.

Your bombs killed my wife and my daughter!

Now come and piss on my head, fucking planes!

Fucking planes, come down here and piss on me!

This way to the toilets!

I'll wash your stinking asses!

Send us to prison.

We broke in to watch your TV.

It was freezing last night.

Down here if you want a piss! The airport's right here!

I'll wash your shitty, stinking asses clean!

Zahed, let's go.

Come on, run!

This guy won't send us to prison.

Understand what I'm saying, little doggie?

I'm talking to you.

I told my dad to forgive Mum.

If he doesn't forgive her, they'll kill her.

I'll really cry a lot so he forgives her.

I'll tell my dad...

Mollah Rahman's daughter, approach.

Dogs are not allowed in prison.

- And me? - You can come in.

Thank you.

Zahed!

Look after the dog, they won't let him in.

Thank you.

Tell Dad what you have to say.

Gol-Ghotai, why are you crying?

Did you tell Dad to forgive Mum?

So why are you crying?

Did you tell Dad we slept rough last night?

Yes.

What did he say?

"Don't sleep in the street. Go to my friend's house.

"If he isn't there,

"tell his wife I'm in prison and she must look after you."

This one?

No.

No... Yes.

- Who is it? - Us.

Who are you?

Zahed and Gol-Ghotai.

Whom do you want to see?

Mollah Mohamad Razagh.

There's no such person here.

What do you mean? Open the door.

- Who are you? - Zahed and Gol-Ghotai.

The children of Mollah Rahman.

Our father sent us here.

Open up a minute.

- Hello. - Hello.

Come in.

He wants to see Mollah Razagh. What should I tell him?

Mohamad Razagh isn't here.

Where is his brother?

He's asking where his brother is.

He's in an American prison.

Where is his wife?

She is dead.

May we stay here?

Thank you.

They sent our father to Guantanamo Bay.

The Americans sent him.

Who's there?

It's us. We've come to ask you to forgive us.

Who are you?

Sir, we've come to ask your forgiveness.

Why have you come back, wretch?

For the love of God,

let us go to our mother.

You called my mother a whore.

Forgive me. You said the same to me.

What I said, that was the truth.

Forgive us, Mr. Officer, sir.

But you did call my mother a whore.

Because she is one.

Bastard! Your mother's the whore!

Son of a bitch, I'll kill you!

Son of a whore!

If you want to go to prison, steal something.

If you don't feel sorry for me,

at least have pity on my dog.

If you were a dog...

and if children wanted to set you on fire,

to kill you,

and if a prison guard

wouldn't let you in,

would you think it was fair?

Stop breaking my heart, little one.

If you were a prison guard earning one dollar a day

and forbidden to allow two children to see their mother,

would you think that was fair?

If you were like us

and this poor dog, alone,

without any shelter,

who no one will take in,

would you think that was fair?

Don't you feel pity for us?

Little one, the laws have changed.

The governor won't allow it.

A prison isn't an orphanage.

Do you understand?

I understand.

Gol-Ghotai, come here.

If you want to go to prison, go and steal!

Come on, Gol-Ghotai.

If you want to go to prison, steal!

She looks good.

Zahed, don't run!

Let her catch us!

Don't run away! Let her send us to prison!

Why are you stealing?

Aren't you ashamed to steal?

If you're hungry, go and beg. Go away! Aren't you ashamed!

Why do you steal?

Go and beg, don't steal.

I begged this bread for my children.

But lady...

If you take him to prison, take me too.

Please, put us behind bars.

We're not beggars.

We are thieves!

We stole your bread.

We are thieves!

Can't you understand?

What sort of person are you,

who won't have us arrested?

We've stolen so much but no one puts us in prison.

Eat, little doggie.

You won't eat bread or meat. What do you eat?

You'll die. Is that what you want?

Eat that, or the other dogs will get it.

Eat.

You'll die if you don't eat.

You won't eat bread, you won't eat meat.

Eat.

What do you want to eat then?

Do you want to die?

Eat, little one.

The other dogs are coming.

If you don't eat, you'll die.

We stole this meat for you and you won't eat it!

Zahed, let's run. They're attacking us.

Calm down, calm down.

They ate up the cow's head and we weren't arrested.

The dogs ate our cow's head

and we didn't get paid. I'm going to get what we're owed.

Your dogs ate our cow's head.

You have to pay me.

Pay me for my cow's head.

Son of a whore!

Zahed, come on. The dogs will eat you.

Come on. They'll eat you.

You want to beat me? Bastard! Shithead!

Son of a bitch! Why are you hitting me?

Want me to fuck your stuff up?

Warder, give my mother this wood, her cell's freezing.

Bring back the sacks.

- Hello. - Hello.

We stole things but no one sent us to prison.

Carry on stealing.

We stole bread and a cow's head for the dog.

They beat us but we weren't arrested.

We stole lots of things.

Go to the Park Cinema.

They're showing a film

about a lousy thief who gets arrested.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

I don't want to see your sister here again.

We want to see this film, sir.

It's an art film.

If you walk out halfway through, you won't get a refund.

We won't walk out, sir.

Just tell us what happens in the film.

It's all about a thief.

But there's no action. It's boring.

If you want to see a real film,

go to my brother's cinema.

Go on.

I go there every night, when this bloody film's over

to see a real movie before I go to sleep.

We want to see this film.

The dog doesn't need a ticket.

A cinema with so few customers...

I don't know...

Two tickets.

When there are so few customers, one person handles everything.

Watch the film, little doggie.

Don't bark. They'll throw us out.

Thief! Thief!

Bicycle thief!

- Did he steal something? - Get back!

Officer, sir, she's my sister.

Come too, Gol-Ghotai.

I'm a thief as well.

Put me in prison too.

This isn't my mother's prison!

I want to go to my mother's prison!

I want to go to my mother's prison!

My sister will be lost, all alone on the streets.

Lock me up in my mother's prison!

For the love of God!

Take me to my mother!

This isn't my mother's prison!

Who is it?

It's me.

Who is "me"?

I'm the bicycle thief's sister.

Written and directed by Marziyeh MESHKINI

Director of photography: Ebrahim GHAFOURI

Sound: Faroukh NEGAHDAR

Editor: Mastaneh MOHAJER

Mix: Behrouz SHAHAMAT

Music: Mohamad Reza DARVISHI

Stills: Meyssam MAKHMALBAF

With: Gol-Ghotai

Zahed

Agheleh REZAI

Sohrab AKBARI

Assistant directors: Hana MAKHMALBAF - Kaveh MOINFAR

Executive producer: Mohamad AHMADI