Original subtitles

Labourers? Looking for labourers?

A labourer? You want labourers?

No.

- You want labourers, do you? - How many?

Take two.

- Hello, mister. - Hello.

How are you doing?

- What are you doing? - Playing cars.

Know how much a meal costs?

Get to the point...

1 OO,OOO tomans is nothing!

How will we pay it back?

Right, what are they asking for?

Where can we find title-deeds?

Don't hang up! Do you want to make a call?

What?

- Do you want to use the phone? - No.

Yes, l'm listening...

Where?

Outside the museum?

When?

All right.

Good-bye.

- l'll drop you off. - No, l'm working.

- l'm going that way. - l'm working.

- Don't act so proud... - l said l'm working!

Come here. Just a minute, please.

Hello. How are you?

lf you have money problems, l can help you.

No.

- You don't have money problems? - No.

l can help you...

Clear off or l'll smash your face in!

Get lost!

Hello.

- How are you? - Fine. thanks.

What are you collecting?

Plastic bags.

What for?

l pick them up and liquidate them near the factoy.

You mean you sell them?

What happened to your finger?

l cut myself this morning.

Here?

Nice shirt! Where did you get it?

l found it over there last week.

Nice colour, it suits you!

Know what it says on it?

Where are you from?

''Pissy, pissy... Your dick's all sticky...''

- Don't mind them. - They're playing.

- Where are you from? - Near Lorestan.

Not a local then... from Lorestan.

- Are you from Lorestan too? - You could say that.

How much do you make a day?

200. 300. 400... 700...

What do you do with the money?

l send it to my family.

You want to get married?

No, l'm helping my family.

You're helping them?

So, would you do something if l asked you?

What?

A well-paid iob.

No, l don't know how... l iust collect plastic bags and sell them.

Where are you going?

#A Taste of Chery...#

A film by Abbas KIAROSTAMl

with Homayoun ERSHADl

Abdolhosein BAGHERl Afshin KHORSHID BAKHTARl

Safar Ali MORADl

Mir Hosein NOURl Ahmad ANSARl

Hamid MASOUMl Elham IMANl

Assistant cameraman Farshad BASHIR ZADEH

Sound assistant Sassan BAGHERPOUR

Cameraman Alireza ANSARIAN

Titles Mehdi SAMAKAR

1 st assistant director Hassan YEKTAPANAH

2nd assistant director Bahman KIAROSTAMl

Editor Abbas KIAROSTAMl

Sound Jahangir MIRSHEKARl

Mix Mohamadreza DELPAK

Photography Homayoun PAYVAR

Written, produced and directed by Abbas KIAROSTAMl

- Where are you going? - To the barracks.

Come on, get in.

Hello.

Hello.

Are you well? Where are you going?

Down there... not vey far.

The barracks down there?

- Near the reservoir? - Yes.

You look tired...

l guess l am.

- Are you worn out? - Yes.

A soldier is never tired!

What do you expect? l've walked from Darabad.

- From Darabad? - Yes.

But today's a holiday...

l'm on duty tonight until six in the morning.

Then what are you doing?

- Where will you go? - To my aunt's.

She's dead, l stay with her husband, a janitor.

How long ago were you drafted?

How long ago were you drafted?

Two months.

- Still in training? - Yes.

Where are you from?

Kurdistan.

- And you're in the army here? - Yes.

Will you stay or go back after?

- No, l'll go back. - Sory?

- l'll go back home. - Back to Kurdistan?

Good.

What did you do there?

l was a farmer.

A farmer?

Have you studied?

- Were you at school? - Not for long.

Well...

You gave up?

Why?

You know how it is...

How many people in your family?

Nine.

- Nine? - Yes.

- They all work? - Yes. all of them.

- Do you know anyone in Tehran? - Yes.

- Relatives? - Yes.

l have mo brothers in Tehran.

Why don't you stay with them?

They're married, they have small houses, children...

l can't stay there.

Do you have money? Soldiers get pay.

- Money? - A little... the pay's not good.

ls it enough for you?

Oh no, it's not enough...

When do you have to be back by?

Six p.m.

lt's five now.

You're so fond of the place you get there

an hour early?

No, not really... no.

We've got an hour to kill. How about a drive?

l may have a well-paid job to offer you.

- To supplement your income. - l want to be at the barracks by 6.

What?

l want to be back by six.

l'll drive you back.

Don't wory, you won't be late.

Shall we go? Okay?

Okay.

l'll get you back by six, don't wory.

You say...

the barracks aren't much fun?

l had fun when l did my militay service.

lt was the best time of my life.

l met my closest friends there.

Especially in the first six months.

l remember we used to get up at four in the morning...

After breaMast, we'd shine our boots and...

we'd go out on manoeuvres. The major would join us.

There were 40 to 45 men in the regiment.

The maior would start counting.

He'd tell us to repeat: One...

Two...

Three...

Four...

Do you count too? Is it the same?

Well?

How do you count?

Are you shy?

- Yes. - What?

Why? Don't you count with your friends at the barracks?

Yes.

So you don't think of me as a friend...

Of course l do. we're friends.

No, you act as if we don't know each other.

- No, it's not that. - Well then?

lt's not that.

Listen, this is how we did it: One...

Two...

Three...

Four.

One. mo. three. four.

One. mo. three. four.

- Go on, repeat after me: One... - One...

mo. three...

ls that how you do it at the barracks?!

- Soldiers don't count like that! - l can't help it.

You're taking me a long way! l need to know what you want.

- What you have to do? - Yes.

You know. son.

if l were in your shoes, l wouldn't ask

what the iob is, but rather how good the pay is.

For someone like you,

the pay's what matters. A job is a job.

lt's easy if you look at it that way.

This isn't an ordinay iob but neither is the pay.

ln ten minutes, you can earn six months' pay.

What's the iob?

Forget the iob, it's the pay that matters.

You have to tell me what it is!

Listen, when you ask a labourer to dig foundations,

does he ask if they're for a hospital,

a lunatic asylum or a mosque

or a school? He does his iob and gets his pay.

Ever been a labourer?

Yes.

Were you told what you were digging for?

- No, no one told me. - Why ask me then?

Help me out, l'll pay you.

lt's not hard, you'll see.

Okay?

Where are you going?!

l have to be at the barracks by six.

l'll drive you back, wait a while.

l want to get out!

l want to get out!

- Get out? - Yes.

A call of nature?

No, l was thinking l could go.

Why did l ask you to come? You think l'm nuts?

Do l look nuts?

l was thinking l ought to get back.

l promised l'd get you back by six and l will.

Wait a while.

Come on, get out a minute.

- l need to get back. - Get out, l'll explain.

You see that hole...

That hole there...

Now listen carefully...

At six in the morning, come here and call me mice:

''Mr Badii! Mr Badii!''

lf l reply, take my hand to help me out of there.

There's 200.OOO tomans in the car.

take it and go.

lf l don't reply,

throw in 20 spadefuls of earth on top of me...

- Then take the money and go. - Take me back...

Keep it. Take me back!

l don't want to cause trouble.

Trouble, what trouble? l don't want it. It's late...

l want to go back. l don't want to be involved in all this.

You can't throw 20 spadefuls of earth in that hole?

Right now, l really need you,

otherwise l wouldn't have begged you...

You want me to beg you? Is that what you want?

No, why would you beg me?

What does ''need'' mean?

What does ''help'' mean? ''Help'' isn't necessarily paid for,

but l'll give you money, l'll help you...

Don't you need money? Are you sure?

Of course l do...

Well? Isn't 200,OOO enough?

lt's not that... l can't do this for you...

lt's not a matter of money.

You can't throw earth in a hole?

Yes... but not on top of someone, not on someone's head.

You can't throw earth on someone!

lf he was alive, he'd stand up to respond.

Look, l really need your help. l'm not mad!

When you throw the earth in, the man won't be alive.

or he wouldn't be in that hole...

Do you understand now?

Do you understand me?

Yes.

So, if you understand, get out, come and see...

When you come back here at six tomorrow morning...

ls your barracks over there?

From there to here will only take you 20 minutes...

Call my name mice: ''Mr Badii. Mr Badii!''

lf l reply, you'll take my hand to help me climb out.

You'll get paid.

But if l don't reply...

Get out.

Get out!

Get out. come and see!

lt's God's will l should need you

and you don't want to help!

You don't want to?!

You won't buy me alive!

Right now, they're buying dozens of people.

As we speak, dozens of dead people are being buried.

- You've never seen a gravedigger? - No. never.

l'm not a gravedigger.

l don't buy people.

l know you're not a gravedigger...

lf l'd wanted one, l'd have fetched one...

lt's you l need.

You're like my son...

Help me...

l have to beg?

ls that what you want?

No, what's the use of begging?

Get out then. come and have a look.

Maybe you'll feel up to it.

20 spadefuls of earth...

Just 20... Each one paid 1 O,OOO tomans.

Where are you from?

- Kurdistan. - You're a Kurd!

A Kurd has to be brave.

You people have fought so many wars,

known such suffering... Your villages have been decimated.

You've probably used a gun, right?

Know what a gun is? Why you're given one?

So you can kill when you need to.

l don't want to give you a gun to kill me...

l'm giving you a spade, a spade...

You're a farmer, right?

Just pretend you're farming

and that l'm manure to be spread at the foot of a tree.

ls that hard?

You're destined to use a gun, not a spade!

You can't even use a spade!

Thank you!

Thank you vey much!

- Hello. - Hello.

- How are you? - Well. thanks.

- What's that machine for? - Making cement.

Really? Why isn't it working?

This place is closed now. The workers aren't here.

So what are you doing here?

l'm the security guard.

- Are you alone? - Yes.

All alone... Do you enioy that?

Come and ioin me.

- l don't want to disturb you. - Come on up!

- l have to climb this ladder? - Yes.

- How can you climb this? - l'm used to it.

- You're used to it... - Yes.

- Hello. - Hello.

What a nice place.

Nice? It's nothing but earth and dust.

You don't think earth's nice? Earth gives us all the good things!

So according to you, all good things return to the earth.

l think that you're...?

l'm Afghani.

- Where from? - Mazar-e Sharif.

That's a strange name. Whose ''Mazar'' is it?

lt's the tomb of the Imam Ali.

lt's a place of pilgrimage.

lsn't the Imam Ali's tomb in Naiaf?

Yes, but some people think it's in Mazar-e Sharif.

Strange...

What are you doing?

l'm making myself an omelette. It isn't worthy of you...

l'll make you some tea.

Thank you vey much!

Don't you get bored here alone?

l'm used to it... l'm used to loneliness too.

Do you know that man?

Yes, he's a fellow-countyman.

He's Afghani?

Yes, he's a ''seminarist''. He's here for his holidays.

A ''seminarist''? He should be in a seminay.

He felt lonely, he came to see me...

He's been here for mo or three nights.

ls he staying for good?

Of course not... iust three nights.

l didn't catch what you said...

- Is he staying tonight? - Yes, he's staying.

You're not entirely alone then.

No, not entirely alone...

- Is he Afghani too? - Yes.

So many Afghanis around here!

There've been a lot since the war in Afghanistan.

Bemeen 2 and 3 million Afghanis live in Iran.

With the war here, why didn't they go back?

The war against Iraq only concerned the Iranians.

But the war at home concerned us...

And our war didn't concern you?

You could say your war troubled us...

but the Afghanistan War was harder... more painful for us.

Tell me...

today's a holiday so why are you here alone?

You feel sad. so do l.

Come for a drive. We can get a change of scene, talk.

l'm the security guard here, l'm in charge.

- A guard in this place? - Yes.

But who could cary off a machine that heavy?

lt's a holiday. No one needs guards. Come on.

Let's get some fresh air. Evemhing's safe.

lt's my duty... We all have our responsibilities.

- l can't leave my post. - You really can't?

No, sory.

l thought we could get some air...

l'll go and see your friend, the seminarist.

Maybe we'll go for a drive together.

l've made some tea.

Leave it for later. Good-bye.

- Ty going the other way... - The ladder moves!

lt's dangerous! Mend it.

You can mend it by wrapping fuse-wire around it.

Are you well?

You're Afghani, aren't you?

Yes.

What are you doing?

l've got three days' holiday.

l was alone. l felt down.

My friend Ahmad was alone too so l came here to visit him.

l meant: what are you doing in Iran?

l study at the Tchizar seminay.

Aren't there any seminaries in Afghanistan?

Yes, there are some. But there was a war on.

And my seminay wasn't that good

so my father told me to study in Iran or at Najaf.

So l came to study in Iran.

What about the fees? Does your father send you money?

My father isn't that well-off, no...

The seminay pays me 2,OOO tomans.

During the summer, l work

to build up my savings.

What kind of work?

l work as a labourer, simple work.

l didn't know a seminarist could work as a labourer.

When you need to, you work.

So if a iob comes along, you take it?

Yes.

Aren't you wondering why l've offered you a ride?

Yes...

l know that your duty is to preach and guide people.

But you're young, you have time, you can do that later.

lt's your hands that l need.

l don't need your tongue,

or your mind...

l'm lucky that those hands belong to a true believer.

With the patience, endurance and perseverance that you learn,

you're the best person to cary out this job.

You're not telling me what l have to do...

l know my decision goes against your beliefs.

You believe God gives life and takes it when He sees fit.

But there comes a time when a man can't go on.

He's exhausted and can't wait for God

to act. So he decides to act himself.

There, that's what's called ''suicide''.

You see. the word ''suicide''

isn't only made for dictionaries.

lt has to have a practical application.

And here's the application.

Man has to decide on its application.

l don't really understand. Tell me what l have to do.

lf l can, l'll do it for you.

l've decided to free myself from this life...

What for?

lt wouldn't help you to know and l can't talk about it.

lf l told you, you wouldn't understand.

lt's not because you don't understand

but you can't feel what l feel.

You can sympathize, understand,

show compassion. But feel my pain? No.

You suffer

and so do l. l understand you,

you comprehend my pain but you can't feel it.

That's why

l ask you to be a true Moslem and help me. Can you?

Yes, l understand you. But suicide is wrong

since the Hadiths, our melve Imams and the Koran

refer to suicide

and say that man mustn't kill himself.

God entrusts man's body to him.

Man must not torment that body.

l understand you but suicide, viewed from evey angle...

That's right...

but l told you that l didn't need a lecture.

lf l had wanted a lecture, l'd have turned to someone

with more experience, who's finished his studies.

l'm simply asking for a helping hand.

My hand does God's iustice. What you want

wouldn't be iust.

l know that suicide is one of the deadly sins.

But being unhappy is a great sin too.

When you're unhappy, you hurt other people.

lsn't that a sin too?

When you hurt others, isn't that a sin?

Hurting your family... your friends...

hurting yourself,

isn't that a sin?

lf l hurt you, that isn't a sin.

but if l kill myself, it is?

You're right,

hurting the people close to you is a great sin too.

l think that God is merciful and so great

that He doesn't want to see His creatures suffer.

He's so great that He can't possibly

want to force us to live.

That's why He grants man this solution.

Have you ever thought about the meaning of this?

l've thought about it but not like you have.

ln any case, our talk won't get us anywhere.

This isn't the time or place.

Get out now. Next to that tree, there's a hole...

Go and look. l'll explain afterwards.

Go on... Take a look.

Get in.

l'll explain now.

l've decided to swallow

all my sleeping pills tonight

and then come and lie down in that hole.

To sleep.

What l want you to do is wait until dawn

then come here like a kind brother

and cover me with soil... That's all.

Of course...

l follow the Koran when it says...

This work will bring you not only Heaven's reward,

but also a material reward so you won't need to work this summer.

The Koran says...

You shall not kill yourself.

What's the difference bemeen killing someone

and killing yourself?

Killing yourself is killing.

Well then, what's your decision?

Why don't you get out?

My friend has cooked an omelette and it smells good. Let's eat.

You'll find a solution.

Thank you! l know he's cooked but eggs are bad for me!

Some other time! Good-bye!

Mister. mister...

Mister, move your car. The digger has to work.

Clear the way.

Move your car, the digger has to work.

What are you doing here?

This is no place to sit down!

Are you sick? Come on, move your car!

You can't sleep here!

lf you want cement, you have to go to the office.

Come on, take your car.

Why have you come here?

Are you sick?

Do you want some tea?

Stand up, take your car.

Come on... Come on.

So, no more questions?

No.

You've got your bearings? That tree is a good landmark.

Yes.

So, no more questions? No problems?

No problems but...

But what?

When you want to help someone,

you have to do it properly, with all your heart.

lt's better... more just and more reasonable.

You can even use your hands instead of a spade.

Keep your feelings for more essential things.

But how?

What's your iob?

l already told you.

What specialization?

Shovelling earth doesn't require specialization...

Just shovelling earth...

lf l could help in another way,

l'd prefer that.

Just do what l ask.

But what help?

lf a man wants to help his fellow-man,

he ought to do it differently!

He can save a life.

l won't be responsible for someone's death.

but, since you ask, l'll say yes.

But it's hard. Admit that it's not easy!

lf you don't explain your problem,

who can help you? l've never seen you before.

But you have relatives, friends. a brother...

Forgive me for pying...

lt's either a family problem or debts...

Evey problem has its solution.

But if you don't talk,

no one can help you.

We all have problems in life.

lf we all chose this way out of evey tiny problem,

there would be no one left on earth.

lsn't that right? No one!

Not a living soul!

Turn left, please.

- l don't know this road. - l know it.

lt's longer but better and more beautiful.

l've been a prisoner of this desert for 35 years.

l'll tell you something that happened to me.

lt was iust after l got married.

We had all kinds of troubles...

l was so fed up of it that l decided

to end it all.

One morning, before dawn,

l put a rope in my car.

My mind was made up, l wanted to kill myself...

l set off for Mianeh. This was in 1 960.

l reached the mulbery tree plantations.

l stopped there. It was still dark.

l threw the rope over a tree but it didn't catch hold.

l tried once, mice but to no avail.

So then l climbed the tree

and tied the rope on tight.

Then l felt something soft under my hand. Mulberries...

Deliciously sweet mulberries.

l ate one. It was succulent.

then a second and third...

Suddenly, l noticed

that the sun was rising over the mountain-top.

What sun, what sceney,

what greeney!

All of a sudden, l heard children heading off to school.

They stopped to look at me.

They asked me to shake the tree.

The mulberries fell and they ate.

l felt happy...

Then l gathered some mulberries to take them home.

My wife was still sleeping.

When she woke up, she ate mulberries as well.

And she enioyed them too.

l had left to kill myself,

and l came back with mulberries.

A mulbery saved my life...

A mulbery saved my life...

You ate mulberries.

so did your wife and evemhing was fine.

No, it wasn't like that but l changed.

Afterwards, it was better but l had in fact changed my mind.

l felt better...

Evey man on earth has problems in his life.

That's the way it is. There are so many people on earth.

There isn't one family without problems.

l don't know your problem,

otherwise l could explain better.

When you go to see a doctor,

you tell him where it hurts.

Excuse me, you're not Turkish, are you?

l'll tell you a ioke.

Don't feel offended...

A Turk

goes to see a doctor. He tells him:

''When l touch my body with my finger, it hurts.

''When l touch my head, it hurts, my legs, it hurts...

''my belly, my hand, it hurts.''

The doctor examines him and then tells him:

''Your body's fine but your finger's broken!''

My dear man, your mind is ill

but there's nothing wrong with you. Change your outlook!

l had left home to kill myself

but a mulbery changed me,

an ordinay, unimportant mulbery.

The world isn't the way you see it.

You have to change your outlook and change the world.

Be optimistic.

Look at things positively.

You're in your prime!

Because of some minor problem, you want to commit suicide.

For one single problem...

Life is like a train

that keeps on moving forward

and then reaches the end of the line, the terminus...

And death waits at the terminus.

Of course, death is a solution

but not at first, not during your youth...

Forgive me for dragging you off along this rocky road.

l didn't know...

You think something is good, then realize you're wrong.

The main thing is to think hard.

You believe what you do is right

but then you realize that you're wrong...

Talk, say something to give me a breather.

l've talked too much, l've said evemhing.

l've given a whole speech. Just say something!

Turn left here, please.

ln any case, if you don't talk, l'll talk some more.

lf you don't talk, l will.

Have you lost all hope?

Have you never looked at the sky when you wake in the morning?

At dawn, don't you want to see the sun rise?

The red and yellow of the sun at sunset.

don't you want to see that anymore?

Have you seen the moon? Don't you want to see the stars?

The night of the full moon,

don't you want to see it again? You want to close your eyes?

Please, take the right fork!

The people on the other side would like to take a look here

and you want to rush over there!

Don't you ever want to drink water from a spring again?

Or wash your face in that water?

Turn right!

lf you look at the four seasons,

each season brings fruit.

ln summer, there's fruit, in autumn too.

winter brings different fruit and spring too.

No mother can fill her fridge

with such variety of fruit for her children.

No mother can do as much for her children

as God does for His creatures.

You want to refuse all that? You want to give it all up?

You want to give up the taste of cherries?

Don't. l'm your friend, l'm begging you!

lf you want to, do it!

Turn right.

Turn right, this is the main road.

Turn left, please.

Before l get out,

l'm going to sing you a song in Turkish...

lt means: ''My love, l'm flying off, come to me.

''l'm hounded from my friend's garden, come to me.

''From happy days before,

''l've fallen on hard times, come to me...''

Tell me, we barely know each other.

You go, l'm your friend. You stay, l'm your friend.

ln any case, l'm your friend.

You stay, l'm your friend. You go, l'll be your friend too.

Good-bye.

Do you work here?

Wait... Tell me what you do.

l told you, l work here, at the Natural Histoy Museum.

No, l mean tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow, l come at dawn... l call mice:

''Mister... Mister...''

Badii!

Badii, and you reply.

Then l take your hand to help you out.

And if l don't reply?

You will reply! Inch'Allah, l know what you'll say.

But what if l don't reply?

l'll do what you asked me to do,

don't wory!

Say it to put my mind at ease.

Some things

are easier to do than to say.

ln any case, you'll do it.

lf it wasn't for my child, l wouldn't.

Believe me. it's hard.

lt's a deal.

l come and l cover you with earth.

You take your money and you leave.

What a relief for you!

l must go, the kids are waiting.

May this money help to cure your child.

Keep your promise, or you won't be blessed.

l hope you'll be all right.

Take this now. You'll get the rest tomorrow.

Thanks for bringing me back here... Thanks again!

Right! l'll see you at 6 tomorrow. Or rather, you'll see me at 6.

God willing, you'll see me too.

Take it, take the money.

Thank you but no. After l do the job.

Sir, please, could you take our photo?

lt's all set, just press the button.

Thank you.

Hey, what's wrong? Are you in a hury to die?!

Sir!

Yes.

l want to see the man who just came in.

- Many men come in. - He had a blue jacket.

His name?

He works here. He was carying a bag...

Many men work here.

He had a bag full of quails

for the students. To stuff them.

What's his name?

l don't know. He has a sick child. with anaemia.

Oh, you mean the old man who works in the workshop.

Mr Bagheri.

Yes, Mr Bagheri. Could you call him?

We can't do that.

- Can l go in? - You need a ticket.

Please! How much is it?

- 1 OO tomans. - Where do l go now?

Follow the path, turn right,

behind the main building. You'll find ''Taxidermy''.

Taxidermy...

Four, please.

Thanks, Mr Bagheri. More partridges!

Just as good! What you get is a matter of luck.

Please, girls...

A partridge or a quail...

We were supposed to study quails!

Birds don't fall into the net to make you happy.

Mr Bagheri, someone for you.

First, you have to lie them on their backs

and wet the thorax feathers with a sponge.

Then slit them open with a scalpel

along the whole length of the body.

Don't cut too deeply or the innards will spill out.

Mr Bagheri, come and sit with me.

No thank you. l'm busy.

- Mr Bagheri, are you well? - Yes, thank you.

That white coat suits you.

Thank you vey much.

What were you doing?

- What birds have you handed out? - Quails.

Quails? Did you kill them?

Yes. For work.

You're well then?

- l have something to tell you. - Go on.

When you come in the morning,

bring mo small stones and throw them at me.

l might iust be asleep but still alive!

Two stones aren't enough. l'll use three.

Shake my shoulders too! Perhaps l'll be alive.

You promised me!

Even if they behead me, l'll keep my word.

You promised. Don't forget, don't let me down.

That's enough, you hear?

#Yes.#

Tell your men to stay near the tree

to rest. The shoot is over.

We're here for a sound take.

#Yes, yes.#

English subtitles: lan Burley

Subtitling by TVS - TITRA Paris