Original subtitles

KYRGYZFILM (Kyrgyzstan)

NOE PRODUCTIONS (France)

with the support of the ECO Funds

of the French Centre of Cinematography (ONO) present

THE ADOPTED SON

A film by Aktan ABDYKALYKOV

Let our Lord protect us! These are not my hands...

but those of our ancestor.

This is not my child but the child of God.

He belongs to Mother Earth until the age of 7 months.

Protect him from the evil eye and slander.

Your feet on the ground and hands on the sky, bring us joy.

- Bring me the cradle, my dear. - Why don't you start?

And now my dears...

- Will he bring us good luck? - Bring us luck!

Spread out the cloth...

- Will he bring us good luck? - Good luck!

Put my child in the cradle and let him bring us luck!

It's so cold!

I saw tons of bees...

Here you go!

Oh, how gross!

Baby bull!

You bet!

Do you look like the devil!

- Are you eating mud? - Bug off!

Hey, wait for me!

- Ever been stung? - Nope.

It's so cold my bones are freezing!

Give me your hand...

My pants are stuck on me.

Aynura is coming.

I've had it with you!

How many times have I told you to stop your stupid tricks!

You embarrass me! Get out of my sight!

What's wrong? Is Janyl home?

- Don't know. - Go get her.

- Tell her privately. - OK.

How are you?

Fine.

Are you busy?

No.

Sit in front.

Hang on tight.

I prefer the back.

This is embarrassing.

- Oh come on, sit in front! - I'm going in back.

Let go of me jerk! Get off!

Calm down. Keep moving.

Speed up!

Move over!

Why are you shoving me?

Go sit somewhere else!

Get out of here, I said!

I'll push the dust to your side.

Kids, did you see that?

You call these "boobs".

How impressive!

What are you up to?

Bring us some water, Bakyt.

Hold on, I'll help you.

Hands off!

Watch it!

Pour it out here.

Let's clean it up.

Let's do like dogs!

It's so dusty.

OK, let's go.

- She looks so real. - You start.

How come I'm always first?

Well, wait a sec'...

Let me get situated.

Go for it, you toad!

I'm getting there.

- What? - Nothing.

Get rid of your boxers.

You wimps, can't do anything.

What? You can't get 'em off?

Get it away or it'll get all the milk.

Let me go to the movies.

Not again.

I'm tired of your movies.

I want to go again.

Ask your father.

Let him decide.

Go along with them, my dear.

Stick with the people.

Hey, turn off the light!

Now what?

Will you call her if she's home?

OK.

Be discreet, OK?

No problem, buddy. We'll see each other again.

- Are you comfortable? - Yes.

I'm gonna guess!

A one-word film title, begins with an

- Come on, guess. - "S, s", what is it?

- "Spartacus"! - Right, my eye!

"Sunny Kyrghyz".

Silly head!

Cut it out!

"Sangam", the Indian film.

Right! Take the ring and go in the middle!

- Bakyt, move. - We're squished already.

Knock it off!

- Move over! - I said "No".

Let me have it, please.

Will you give it to me?

Can I have it?

My ring, go out pretty thing...

You're a foundling and an orphan!

Beshkempir "5 grandmas"!

You're an orphan and a foundling!

Just you wait...

poor foundling!

Granny!

Yes...

What do you want, my dear?

Was I really... found?

You're talking nonsense!

Absolutely not! You're our son!

Where could you've gotten that idea?

Everbody says so.

Wicked tongues! To hell with them!

You are my flesh and blood!

So, why such a name?

To protect you from the evil eye.

Raskan...

Be more tender with your son.

His heart senses things.

Especially now.

He is at that age

when life is going berserk.

But I am affectionate!

And... he's not a baby anymore.

Even a snake reacts to tender words.

You may lose control of him.

Yesterday, he came in distraught and crying, saying we found him.

But who told him that?

He won't say.

Only one person is capable of that:

his best friend, Anipa's son.

He would have found out anyway.

In any case, you got him when he was born.

That was your destiny.

- Here he comes! - Don't be afraid.

Got you, didn't we?!

We're going to beat you up for last time.

What a show-off!

Pull it more towards you.

Press hard.

Pull the other part closer.

Can you calm your son down, Anipa?

Why, what happened?

He's bugging us all the time.

What has he done?

A protective mother for a whining child?

You're always picking on my son, everyone says so.

Leave him alone.

Tease, OK,

but why call him a "foundling"?

Because, he is and that's the truth.

So why do you...

You never had your own, my beauty. If your husband couldn't...

tons could have! So, stop annoying us.

What's the matter with you? Kids argue all the time

and they always make up.

Explain it to your son correctly,

instead of stirring up her old wounds.

Where are you?! What's the meaning of breaking into houses

to beat people up? Let your hands whither

and fall off! Croak, you bastard! I'll get you!

Have some tea and do it later.

It won't be long.

It's so stuffy here.

Since you are here, help your dad.

It'll be done quicker and in time for tea.

You run around and there's work!

The cattle needs cleaning up,

and your idling isn't helping.

At your age, I did everything at home...

even had time for people.

Just hold it, I said.

Hold it!

Come over here, come!

Don't be so shy, come over...

Why be ashamed to go to their house?!

Hey you, what are you doing?

Can't you calm your kid down! Just look what they did to my son!

He's all bashed up!

Beshkempir! What's this I've heard?

You are a swine, not a kid!

But you are nobody to my son!

He was beaten up right in his house today.

So, now you beat people up?

Son of a bitch! We indulged you and here's the result.

He's all black and blue.

He's not your wife to beat him up like that!

If you're so bold, come on, try and hit me!

I'm tired of being ashamed of you! Stop bugging him!

You bastard! When are you going to understand?

Don't touch the child!

It's not his fault, you can hit me instead!

Beshkempir!

Pour some vodka.

We're gonna get high.

Where's your knife? Hand it to me.

Down it, it'll warm you up.

Pass me a can.

Let's fish further away.

Come here, I said.

Beshkempir...

Come over here.

I told you, further.

You'd better get home fast.

I'm expected it seems.

Take off those clothes.

You're soaked.

I've had it. Can't you do without me?

Take them off.

- Hello. - Hello.

Come here, Beshkempir. How are you, son?

Your granny has become very ill, son,

and asked to see you quickly.

We looked high and low 'til we found you.

You can understand things now.

She sent you for a good reason.

She's holding on best as she can.

Go see her.

If she dies, you'll be the first one to cry over her.

Dear mother, you were the blessing of this house...

Dear mother, you were our treasure...

My God, we've lost our treasure... Oh mother, our dear mother.

Where are you now, dear mother?

Be strong, my son. It's God's will that we are here without her now.

We must also go when the time comes.

Your granny died asking about you.

Beshkempifis in charge now.

That was grandmother's last wish.

We'll do the will of the deceased.

Messengers were sent in all directions. We do what we can.

Stop crying.

Beshkempir.

I'll give you granny's will.

I wasn't able to tell you myself...

It's true we adopted you.

A home without children

isn't a home.

We weren't able to have any.

Your grandmother prayed and prayed...

When we'd lost hope, we found you.

I was as strict with you as I would've been

with my own son because I wanted you

to become a good man.

Go meet your friends.

Who executes the will?

Beshkempir, go to the middle.

Friends... dear friends.

Speak without crying.

If granny owes anyone anything,

I'll return it.

If anything is owed to her, I void it.

If anything is owed to her, I void it.

Let Mother Earth receive our precious mother...

Mother Earth that shelters even the Moon...

You will be buried with our sorrow...

and we will never bring you back to life...

Hello.

Can I borrow your bike?

What d'you need it for?

I have to go somewhere.

To Dick up girls?

Come on, would you?

I hear you! Take it.

It's outside, just be careful.

Mister...

- Can I take the back seat off? - OK.

Can I take a ride, too?

- Can I, please? - OK.

That's your fault!

- I'll go get her. - Hurry up!

- How are you, Aynura? - OK.

Want to take a walk?

Sure, let's go.

- Bakyt, don't you dare! - Come on, I'm not going to ride you!

Title Role Mirlan ABDYKALYKOV

Script Aktan ABDYKALYKOV

Avtandil ADYKOULOV Marat SAROULU

Director Aktan ABDYKALYKOV

Photography Khassan KYDYRALIEV

Producers lrizbai ALYBAEV - Cedomir KOLAR

Frédérique DUMAS-ZAJDELA Marc BASCHET

Sound Bakyt NIYAZALIEV

Gaoukhar SYDYKOVA

Editing Tilek MAMBETOVA

Many thanks to Joél CHAPRON

for helping to realize this project.

Special thanks to the people of the village of Bar-Boulak (Kyrgyzstan).

Many thanks to the SOROS-Kyrgyzstan Foundation for its generous support.

SYRUS FILM Labs

Film shot on KODAK

(c) KYRGYZFILM - NOE PRODUCTIONS 1998