Original subtitles

You can trust me.

- I too do not like excision. - You don't?

- No. - Liar!

Why did you have your daughters cut?

It did it against my will.

I got it. I am taken as the sacrificial lamb.

Elders, it's getting late. I am going to bed.

- Good night. - Amen.

The four girls will sleep in my quarters. Keep Amsatou with you.

- Good night. - Good night.

I don't want to! Mercy. Mercy!

Please, don't!

I beg you!

Mother, I'll handle it.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Morning, elder. Morning, Coll�.

Ibrahima, turn off your radio.

The elders are blessing you for your generosity.

Amen!

You've honoured your family. You paid for a whole building.

You provided food during hard times.

- The women too send their blessings. - Amen.

You gave them a water pump that improved their daily lives.

Ibrahima, we are happy to have you back.

May Allah reward you.

Before your arrival, things happened.

The elders confiscated all the women's radios.

You can't turn on your TV set around here.

Its influence is even worst than that of the radio.

Why deny them radios and TVs?

Uncle,

you can no longer silence these media.

Today, everywhere in the world

radio and TV are parts of life.

We cannot cut ourselves off from the progress of the world.

Before your return,

two girls chose to drown themselves in a well rather than submit to purification.

It's Coll� who sets the women against purification.

I opposed your marriage because Amsatou is a bilakoro.

- Fily. - Yes.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

You are cousins.

Yesterday the elders blessed your union in front of Allah, at the mosque.

Father,

I still do honour and respect you,

but my marriage is my own business.

Say what? You damned son!

Kawako, I am your father! You shall marry whom I want.

If you don't submit, I disinherit you.

Take your TV out of here.

Nephew, this is not a way to talk to one's father.

Fily, you are excused.

Mother, I am going to visit families and deliver them their money.

- May Allah bless you. - Amen.

- lbrahima. - Father?

- Go see Mercenaire and pay my debts. - I shall.

I've never spoken to my father like this.

I bought this radio with my toil.

I'll take it anyway. Since when does a woman challenge her husband?

- Balla. - Father.

Come here.

- Here, this one too.

- Father, this is my radio!

Amsatou, you shall be purified. Yes, it will be done,

and I'll deliver you to the first who requests you for marriage.

Let's go!

- You like them? - I do.

He is my son. Rewarding him with his first pair.

- He worked well. - Well, what do you want?

A kettle.

You should not torture bank notes like this. Here, candies.

Thank you.

Put on your shoes and go show them off to your grandma before the purification party.

Doucour�! Konat�.

Greet the Dougoutigui's son. He returned from France.

- How are you? - Fine.

When you grow up, you too will go to France where money is printed.

- May Allah protect you. - Amen.

Francenab�. How is the return to the native land?

Aim� C�saire,

Notebook of my Return to my Native Land.

- Exactly. - It is going well.

Did you know this ostrich egg has been up there for 1 50 years,

when this shrine to Allah was built?

- Coll�. - Yes.

- Coll�. - Yes.

Look at this radio.

It only needs batteries.

Pati. Pati.

It must be older than my grandmother.

Now, be aware.

If Balla or his dad catch you with it, I don't know you.

There is a grave behind the mosque. You know what is it?

No.

It is the moolaade.

- I came to pay my dad's debt. - Well!

Dougoutigui.

30 kilos of bread,

at 1 50 Francs per kilo.

Six new alkaline batteries.

- Here's what he owes me. - This is cheating.

One kilo of dry bread at 1 40 Francs per kilo.

In the city, fresh bread costs 1 35 Francs per kilo.

When unsold, the next day you have it for 65-70 Francs per kilo.

You are cheating people.

What do you think?

I too have to pay for transportation and conservation.

Besides, this dry bread is cheaper than rice or millet.

You visited Europe, and you know what globalisation and free market mean.

Will I have to tell your dad you refused to pay his debt?

What a bullshitter, this guy. You are a true mercenary.

New bank notes!

That is not all.

You have a bill. Your fianc�'s, that is.

- My fianc�? - Yes, Amsatou Ardo Bathily.

She came and took goods for your wedding.

You unloaded your junk on to this girl and I don't have to pay.

Francenab�,

you'll settle that with Khardjatou.

Good morning.

Good morning.

- Greetings. - Greetings.

- Is Auntie Khardjatou in? - Here she is.

Ibrahima Doucour�, how are you?

- Doing fine. - Traor�!

- Coll�. Coll�. - Yes.

Bring in the chair. A distinguished guest.

Doucour�. Doucour�.

- Sy-Doucour�. - Have a seat.

Amsatou, bring your husband the welcoming water.

- I heard it's very cold in France. - Cold, with snow.

No sun, girls with their hair down to their buttocks.

You are right.

- Amsatou. - Coming.

Is it you who refused to be purified?

You will never have husbands.

Won't you marry a woman bilakoro?

A woman bilakoro!

- You do have a sharp tongue. - We listen to the radio.

The radio! The elders prohibited all the women from listening to the radio.

How come?

- Thank you. - You welcome.

Amsatou. Come back.

- The youngest, what's your name? - Diattou Coulibaly.

Some candies to share. But don't let them cheat you. Candies.

Merci.

Ibrahima.

You are about to steal our girl.

- Aren't you? - Yes, I am.

Since marriage is such a serious matter, we visited Mercenaire,

took things for credit, with the promise you will pay.

- I hope I did the right thing. - You sure did. I'll pay.

- I have to leave now. - Doucour�.

- Greetings to your parents. - Thank you.

- Traor�. - So long.

- lbrahima, do not forget to see Mercenaire. - No, I won't.

- Our radios, we want our radios.

- Out of here. Go back home.

Fast.

You bastard.

- Sanata. Sanata. - Yes.

Since you hang a lot around men, do you know why they confiscate our radios?

Our men want to lock up our minds.

But how do you lock up something invisible?

We are all ignorant. I am telling you.

Binetou, let's go.

Ah! Without my radio I can no longer sleep.

Me neither.

Without these programmes, no more sleep.

Sisters, my sisters,

why this vigil at this well?

We bought these radios, didn't we?

Who should dictate what we listen to?

- Let's have a shower. - Are you sleepy?

I am outraged. It's intolerable.

- Hi, Francenab�.

- Mercenaire.

Came to pay your bills?

Yes.

I told you, Khardjatou is a bully.

So, let's see for Amsatou.

Here, what you owe me.

All this? This is perverse!

Your junk is not worth even half of this!

Francenab�, watch out.

I could tell Khardjatou.

Don't let it annoy you.

Here, a rubber, your first wedding present. From me.

Thanks.

New bank notes!

It is expensive to have a wedding.

I know you are loaded. You can be a friend.

Listen, I would like

to help with your marriage.

My marriage to Hamsatou won't happen.

My father is opposing it on the ground that she is a bilakoro.

From a nearby village he summoned my uncle and Fily, his daughter.

The elders celebrated and blessed the marriage at the mosque.

- He doesn't know you already laid her. - I didn't, she's eleven.

- No shit, eleven!

- Yes, but purified.

Francenab�, Fily is still being breast-fed!

You, your father, and your uncle are paedophiles.

Did you say paedophiles? Fuck you!

Now, let's talk about you. Why were you kicked out of the military?

That's ancient history.

I participated in many UN military's peace expeditions in the Middle East and Africa.

At a point, we, the junior officers,

noticed that the senior officers were stealing from our earnings.

I became our spokesman.

We made so much noise that they hurriedly returned our money.

But it was not to end there.

I was especially targeted.

Five years in the jug,

and dishonourable discharge.

In the media I was nicknamed Mercenaire!

It suits you well.

Let's come back to you. I have to speak to your father.

No, I can speak for myself.

You shitty little fellow, your dad and uncle should be jailed for being paedophiles.

Africa is a real bitch!

Good morning, brother-in-law.

Balla! Come here.

- Coll�! - Yes.

You sit here.

I wouldn't have married you if you were a bilakoro. Never!

We do not need to have a witness to have this kind of conversation.

Younger brother, your wife just kicked me out.

Not so fast. Calm down.

Sit down, older brother.

Coll�, have you gone mad? How dare you expel my elder from my house?

Young brother, have you given up your authority as a husband?

Purification dates way back.

It is required by lslam,

and you woman want to put an end to it.

Why are you dishonouring us?

Why are you opposing purification?

Amsatou is going to be purified.

- Mother. - Yes.

You have visitors.

Father, the salindana want

to speak to my mother.

You may go.

Young brother,

Coll� is holding you up to ridicule.

To put an end to it, I had you take Alima as a third wife.

A very docile girl.

You have become the laughing stock of the village.

To restore your authority,

you have to repudiate Coll�, kick out the four girls,

and have Amsatou purified.

Take this!

You have to flog her to have her utter the word that exorcises the moolaade.

Here. Take it.

I have never beaten a woman before.

- Not even my daughter. - Say what?

On your feet. I am your elder.

Do as I say!

Mah, take care of the kids.

The moolaade is still in effect.

Alima, follow me.

Coll� Ardo,

there is still time to purify the girls.

You only need to say the word.

- Coll�. - Yes.

Utter the word!

- My Amsatou's father... - Say the word!

Say it!

Say it! Say it! Say it!

Utter the word!

Say it! Say it! Say it!

Tame her! Tame her! Harder!

Coll�, the word.

The word!

Coll�, say it! Say it!

Do not say it. Do not utter it. Do not. Resist, Coll�!

Coll�, what are you waiting for? Coll�, what are you waiting for?

No shit, say it! Say it, damn it!

Tame her. Break her.

Say nothing. Nothing.

Do not fall. Do not fall!

Why are you meddling with this? She is his wife!

K�mo Amsoumana,

she did not say the word.

She did not say it.

After all this beating, not a word!

- Unprecedented. - That's the end of it.

The kalfa is with Mercenaire.

- What a failure. - A real blow.

Tell me,

have you ever laid a bilakoro?

Allah forbid.

K�mo Ti�coura, I have never done that.

Never!

- What about you? - That's blasphemy!

I'll never do that!

Mercenaire!

What have you just done? Stop a husband from beating his wife?

- Who do you think you are? - I cannot bear the violence!

Motherfucker, you are perverting our wives and daughters.

Get hold of this motherfucker.

Once out of the village, make him disappear!

Hurry up! Quick!

- Elder, it hurts!

- Be strong.

I regret having my girls cut.

Allah is my witness, no other girl will ever be cut.

Alima, I swear!

- Easy, I am in pain! - Don't move.

I felt the blows in my flesh.

Amath orchestrated it all to publicly humiliate Coll�.

I hate that man!

Where are my girls?

During your flogging, Salba stole Diattou.

She had her cut and she died from it.

My poor Diattou. May Allah protect her!

Mercenaire has also been murdered.

- What? - Yes, and all his money was stolen.

Poor fellow!

Don't cover your wounds.

Elder, the moolaade has ended.

Alima, go undo the symbol.

Right away.

Greetings.

- Mah, bring the mats. - All in peace?

- Peace. - Thanks.

Be seated.

- Coll�. - Yes.

- Salba, our condolences.

- Amen.

- Greetings, ladies. - Bathily. Bathily.

- I am heading for the mosque. - Well.

- Pray for us. - Allah willing.

Elder, your husband looks pained.

He is remorseful. It is Amath who manipulates him.

We are being told everyday that a woman bilakoro smells bad,

and yet nothing can smell worst than a man who does not shower.

Sisters, I am pleased with your visit.

- Nafissatou. - Yes.

Come reunite with your mothers. From now on, the moolaade has ended.

- Amsatou. - Yes.

Bring water.

- Mah. - Yes.

Bring the girls' loincloths.

My Diattou died in my arms.

Coll�, we too felt the blows.

I was so choked up that I peed in my pants.

Coll�, we honour your resistance.

Any other mother would have done what I did.

Salba, dry your tears.

Coumba, lbatou, my condolences.

Diattou's blood was dripping on my arms.

Diattou shouted her hate for purification. My Diattou, my Diattou.

Coll�, purification robbed me of my daughter.

Oh, my Diattou!

- Oumy. - Yes.

Your loincloth.

Nafissatou. Yours.

Awa. Your loincloth.

Salba.

Salba.

Salba.

I can hear her screams.

I want to follow my daughter.

Diattou.

Diattou, come here, here.

Diattou, here.

No, no, I don't want to!

I don't want to get cut.

No, don't cut me!

I don't want to.

Mothers,

be my witnesses.

Salba.

Here is your goddaughter, have her for life.

This one will not be cut.

No girl will ever get cut.

No girl will ever get cut.

Why are these females still bitching?

They are aroused by Coll�'s resistance.

Do what they please but no one will marry a bilakoro.

- Never. - Never.

Our radios. Our radios ablaze.

This one will not get cut.

- No girl will ever get cut again. - Never ever again.

Our radios.

Allah!

Our radios blazing.

Some give birth, others kill!

The child killers are here.

- They will no longer cut anyone. - Let's end our genital mutilations!

Calm down. Calm down.

- No girl will get cut. - Forever!

Throw your knife, quick.

Are you deaf? Throw your knife.

Your knife.

Now yours.

No girl will ever get cut again.

I am going to confront the men.

Give it to them. Now or never, let's put an end to female genital mutilations.

But don't forget the knives.

This day will see the end of our ordeal. I am coming too.

Hope gives birth to courage. Women's hope.

What is this?

Brother, if you don't subdue your wife, I'll do it.

Elder, Coll� is not a newborn.

If you touch her, I'll deal with you!

- He lost it. - Brother-in-law.

You already burnt our radios.

But if you raise your hand on me,

I, Coll� Ardo, will set the village on fire and drown it in blood.

My warrior has spoken.

Admire my noble warrior.

Coll� Ardo Gallo Sy has spoken

Coll� from Niani has spoken

Djerisso women, fasten your belts

You are more valiant than men

Sanata, shut the fuck up! You are but from a lower caste.

You are scared of the radios. Fear also lead you to murder Mercenaire.

Coll� Ardo, take away this filth.

Coll� Ardo, be reminded that purification is a legacy decreed by lslam.

Here are the knives the salindana use to mutilate us.

Purification is not required by lslam.

The Grand lmam said it on the radio.

Each year millions of women go for pilgrimage to Mecca.

- All have not been cut. - Astarfirou Allah.

You are Satan. Satan himself!

Balla, let's get out of here.

Cir�, you are betraying your menfolk!

It takes more than a pair of balls to make a man.

- lbrahima! - Father.

You will not marry this bilakoro.

Father, my marriage is my own business.

Cursed son, challenge me and I shall disinherit you.

You will have a bad ending.

Father, it is easy to hit a son,

but the era of little tyrants is over. Forever and ever.

From now on I'll have the TV on.

Son of a bitch!

I am and shall remain a bilakoro!

Visiontext Subtitles by: Adrian lsaac