Original subtitles

- Is "Battalgazi the Warrior" on? - Not yet.

After the news. Let's check.

The Republic established its first census in 1927.

Since 1935, the census occurs every 5 years.

Today's census will determine statistics on language and religion.

To secure order,

curfew will be respected until sundown.

All citizens are instructed

to cooperate with officials.

Failure to cooperate will result in punishment...

There are gremlins under my bed.

Really? How do you know?

They come when I wet the bed.

Once upon a time, there were many gremlins here.

This village was cursed.

The gremlins crawled out at night.

They whispered into people's ears.

Everyone moved beyond the mountains to get away from the gremlins.

But there was no freedom from the curse.

There was a little girl among them.

She lost her entire family in a snowstorm.

She was lost, alone and freezing.

Then a fairy came.

The fairy gave her a halo.

It kept her warm.

The fairy offered the girl a third eye.

She would never get lost again.

"Where do you want the third eye?" Asked the fairy.

Where do you think she put the eye?

Think about it.

- Can't you guess? - No.

Keep thinking.

Good morning.

We're here for the census.

He's speaking Russian.

Look at that devil face!

He is the devil. Ma'am, please turn it off.

Documents, please.

Your name?

Ayshe Gokce.

- Father's name? - Suleyman.

Mother's name?

Ayshel.

- Married or single? - Single.

- Place of birth? - Mersin.

- The Mersin next to Trabzon? - No, in southern Turkey.

Why did you come here?

I was...

Mehmet, call your mother.

Selma Alem. Born 1900.

Widow.

- Is she a relative? - My older sister.

They'll seize my truck. It's the curfew.

This woman is dying.

I have to drive all the way to Iran tomorrow.

Wait here.

There's nothing else I can do.

You should take her home.

- Did anyone see you come here? - No.

My mother will kill me if I'm not counted in the census.

You don't count as a man anyway.

Have you ever been counted?

I'm not stupid.

I won't end up in a damned orphanage.

Let me see.

These binoculars are only for me and my father.

Is he really in Russia?

Yeah.

- That's not what everybody says. - What do they say?

That he was killed on the way.

Nobody can touch my father!

He'll come and take me to Russia. Or I'll go to him.

Do you know when Fadime's wedding is?

Her father wanted the wedding during the highlands season.

Running off to get married isn't easy.

Feride, didn't you do that?

I wasn't even 14.

You were smart not to lose him to another girl!

Was Selma counted?

Even my newborn baby was counted!

Poor Selma... Here today, gone tomorrow.

Where will they bury her?

Not on the roof! In the cemetery.

Her husband is buried in Mersin. Her father, too.

Ayshe won't return to Mersin. She'll bury Selma here.

Let's hope the sky will be clear on the Night of Hidirelles.

Why?

On the Night of Hidirelles,

if the stars Hidir and llyas collide, then your wishes will come true.

Did you ever see them?

No.

Why not?

It doesn't matter anyway. A man alone has no wishes.

I'm alone, too. But I have a wish.

To join your father?

Yes.

What does the village have against him?

He's a Communist.

They couldn't kill him. I'm sure he's in Russia.

If he's not dead for you, then he's still alive.

If you see the two stars, make 41 wishes.

Throw 41 stones into the sea, one each day.

Come on, come on! Time to collect fish!

Chengiz, let's go get some fish!

Muharrem will kill me for collecting exploded fish.

No one can tell when they're cooked.

- Good morning. - Thank you, sir!

Be seated.

What week is this?

Turkish Products Week!

What have we learned?

Turkish products are the best products.

What did you bring from home? Put them on your desks.

In the name of Allah, the merciful and munificent.

I wash the deceased's body as an offering to you.

May she taste the fruits of Heaven.

May she smell the scents of Heaven.

May Allah forgive her if she has ever been blasphemous.

May she smell the scents of Heaven.

May she show no shame on Judgement Day.

May Allah let her open Heaven's Door with her right hand.

May her left hand not bear a list of bad deeds.

May she step into Heaven with her right foot. Amen.

One, two, three...

If surrounded by the enemy...

If abandoned on their own...

Do the Turks give up?

Do the Turks give up?

Turks never give up!

Turks never give up!

Until the end of time...

Turks never give up!

If surrounded by the enemy...

If abandoned on their own...

Do the Turks give up?

Do the Turks give up?

Turks never give up!

Turks never give up!

If surrounded by the enemy...

Turks never give up!

Turks never give up!

I got it! I know where to put the third eye.

Where?

On my finger.

Good for you!

Now, the fairy will always watch over you.

Ayshe...

We made some halva.

We can do nothing about death.

May Allah send you patience.

We should go.

Get some rest.

Attention, fellow students!

I am a Turk.

I am honest.

I am diligent.

My law:

Protect the younger.

Respect our elders.

Love my country,

my nation,

more than myself.

My goal:

Success

and progress.

My existence

is for the good of Turkey.

What an honor to say "I am a Turk."

Battalgazi the Warrior!

- Give it to me. - What will you give me?

My marbles.

I'll win those from you anyway.

What if I prove to you that I have 11 fingers?

You only have 10!

If I can prove it, will you give me your binoculars and the Warrior?

OK, count!

10, 9,

8, 7,

6...

6 plus the other 5...

That makes 11! Now give me the Warrior.

Is that what they teach you in school?

What do you want to show me tonight?

You'll see tonight. Let's go to the castle.

Those stars will never collide. I'm going home.

Stay here!

I couldn't think of 41 wishes anyway.

Then just make one.

They're colliding!

One!

Skipping school again! I'll wring your neck!

Ayshe?

Who do these things belong to?

To the gremlins.

What are you doing with them?

I don't want the gremlins to whisper into our ears.

What if they start to do it?

They won't. Don't worry.

Who's that?

Her?

That's Selma.

- How old was she? - Just a baby.

Who are they?

Selma, Mother and Father.

And them?

Mother, Father, Selma and Selma's husband.

Why don't you have a husband? Nor children?

I have you!

Who are those strange looking people?

This year's march into the highlands is set for June 15.

Citizens are advised to prepare their belongings

and make the necessary arrangements.

My wedding dress will never be ready!

There's no need to worry. I'll help you.

Ayshe is so distant. She never speaks to anyone anymore.

She just needs time.

Mehmet!

You'll come to the highlands...

but only if your grades are good.

If not, you'll stay here with the gremlins and count the stars.

Why tape your ears?

Leave my ears alone. The gremlins whisper into them at night.

What happened to Ayshe?

She locked herself in.

Selma's death was a hard blow.

We should cast lead.

The highlands will cheer her up.

Why doesn't Ayshe have anyone?

I'll give you to her.

Who will bury her when she dies?

God forbid! Do your homework.

You're a really lazy student!

The teacher has it out for me.

Ex-cel...

...lent.

Sixth wish!

Ex-cel-lent.

How does it look?

Good enough to let you go to the highlands.

You're coming, right?

No. I'll go fishing with Muharrem.

Is Fadime's dowry ready?

Yes, of course.

What are you preparing for the wedding?

We're going to slaughter a lamb.

May Allah bless the couple.

Come on. Let's move on.

She's not getting any better.

It's time to cast lead.

I caught these birds last night.

You have fever. Why did you stay out all night?

She's really going mad.

Why bring all this wood inside?

Niko, don't go...

Who is Niko?

Who is Niko?

What are you talking about?

Ayshe said that.

She finally opens her mouth and says that?

So who is this Niko?

I told you to cast lead to save her soul.

Why don't you speak to us?

Aren't you ever going to speak again?

God forgive me.

Please help me.

In the name of Allah, the merciful.

May Allah protect her soul

from this curse, from the devil, from the evil eye...

Enough!

You don't know what's inside me.

Get out of here!

Leave me alone! Go away!

I can't handle her anymore.

Where are you off to?

To get Ayshe.

That's not your business!

Ayshe!

Please come back with us.

Ayshe, everybody is leaving.

You think Allah is punishing you?

You'll be eaten by wolves up here.

I know why Ayshe isn't talking anymore.

Why?

Because Niko is a Russian spy.

You think that man might be Niko?

No one.

Get away from there! Go home!

How long are you staying?

A couple of days.

- Tourist? - Yes.

Passport?

Room 204.

No funny business. Just sleep.

All right.

OK. Sleep well.

Wake up!

What's wrong?

Look!

The boat's name is the same.

You didn't change it.

Bottoms up!

I have been moved all around.

Back in 1916,

you helped find an escape passage to Russia

for me and the other orphans.

Two years later,

I went to Greece.

In 1947...

I joined the partisans

to drive the imperialists from Greece.

Eventually,

the imperialists

forced me back to Russia.

My home became Russia while in exile.

You have lived in Russia since 1947?

Yes, for 27 years!

But now...

the Greek government

is allowing us to return home.

But what home?

I decided to start

with a visit to the first place

that kicked me out 59 years ago.

I think they had a meeting with the Muscovites.

He's no Muscovite! He speaks that language like Ayshe.

If he's not Niko, then I'm a pumpkin.

- Wanna bet? - On what?

If you lose, I get all your Battalgazi cards.

- What's your name? - Mehmet.

Are you Niko?

No, I'm Tanasis.

See!

Are you a Russian spy?

No.

You speak like Ayshe.

Who's Ayshe?

Ayshe!

I know, I know!

I know where she is!

Niko...

you came back...

See Mother in the clouds? She's carrying Sofia on her back.

But I can't see Sofia clearly...

Her head bounces lifelessly. I can't tell if she's alive.

Father isn't there to protect them anymore.

He was shot with the other rebels, remember?

Look...

Mother put baby Sofia in the snow. She's leaving her there.

Oh, little Niko...

Remember how we feared for our souls every night?

We used all our strength to walk each day,

only to watch each other die at night.

Why did they do this to us, Niko?

They told us "only 2 days."

You'll have to walk "only 2 days."

But what happened?

We walked weeks and weeks to get to Mersin.

They watched us bury our dead along the way.

Should we tell him who you are?

Niko is my brother.

I'm Eleni Terzidis, the daughter of Prodromos and Marika Terzidis.

Before my father died, he made me promise to protect Niko.

He trusted me.

We finally found you.

We've been looking all night.

Aren't you afraid to be here at night?

- Niko... - Let's go.

Suleyman... father...

He found Niko and I in the snow.

I was like a wild animal, full of fear.

Suleyman became my new father. His daughter, Selma, became my sister.

They helped me feel human again.

My Niko

wanted to stay in the barracks

with the other orphans.

Then came the order to collect all orphans.

They wanted to load us onto boats and send us away.

I didn't want to go on a boat. I didn't want to walk again.

Suleyman gave me his name.

For 50 years, no one suspected who I really was.

For 50 years, I never spoke in my own language.

Our father made us swear

never to reveal our secret.

We never told a soul.

Even Selma's husband never knew who I was.

Then Selma brought me back here.

We bought the house I was born in.

She said this would clear my conscience.

But the guilt was always there.

Now Selma has left me, too.

Come with me.

Niko is gone.

My only wish is to die up here.

My betrayal of Niko keeps torturing me.

Niko searching for me behind the curtains...

This is etched on my mind.

Now I don't even know if he's still alive.

We kept casting lead, to free her from the devil.

And all this time, she was just an infidel!

Who knows if casting lead works on infidels?

Boy, you're going to get it!

Is Mehmet feeling better?

He still has a cough from his trip up with that stranger.

But he still runs around.

"Old Woman, what's a lakoti?"

Our wires picked that up.

"Did you say lakoti?" She told the Russian comrades.

"I dream of the biggest lakoti. I ever had.

"Leave before you meet one!"

I can't believe she called it that!

That made the Red infidels leave. Our big lakotis scared them!

Ayshe an infidel?

- What about Selma? - How should I know?

She's six feet under our cemetery now.

Let's dig her up and check.

How can we check? Women can't be circumcised!

We'll see if the earth accepted her or instead she grew horns.

Let the dead rest in peace.

At least she has a God.

Not like those Communists! The earth won't accept them.

They will never have proper resting places.

How can you be so horrible?

You should all be ashamed!

Stay out of this!

Bad enough you protect that little Red bastard.

But he'll learn his lesson soon enough.

A miracle he made it this long. With guys like you!

God helped us throw out the Communists once.

We can do it again with our own strong arms.

You never threw them out.

They just left to join the Revolution!

That old woman taught the Russians about Revolution!

Come out and show us your true face, infidel!

You've been hiding for 50 years!

Look who's there!

Come over here!

You little Red bastard!

Leave that boy alone!

Get back to your kitchen!

Go away or I'll cook you!

He stabbed me!

Even the women here are part of the Red plot!

He's running away!

Why are you so sad?

Then take this to your friend.

A letter for Ayshe.

Eleni!

Eleni, open the door!

A simple letter brought you back.

If I could, I would have written one!

Get some rest. I'll have Mehmet bring you some soup.

What's an infidel?

I don't know.

I think Ayshe has real balls.

Don't you know how to use a toilet?

41!

Dear Eleni,

I hope this letter finds you.

I didn't forget your request.

It wasn't easy, but I tried to find him.

I'm happy to write you some good news.

- Are you going back to the highlands? - No.

Are you going to Russia like Chengiz?

No.

I don't want you to go.

I should have gone before.

But I don't want you to leave.

I suffered all my life because a boy left me.

Now I will suffer for leaving a boy behind.

Watch over my house.

Keep the gremlins away.

Have a safe trip.

Come back before this water dries!

How do I get to this address?

What did you say?

How do I get to this address?

It's up there near the castle.

Niko?

Yes, I'm Niko. Who are you?

I'm Eleni.

Your sister.

You must be cold.

Come inside and warm up.

Don't think now. Tomorrow will be better.

Rest.

Get some sleep.

Good night.

How could you?

How long have we been married?

How could you keep such a secret from me?

There is no secret.

I lost my entire family during the long march.

It was 50 years ago, but I still see Sofia's little head.

On my mother's back...

Bouncing lifelessly, then just lying there.

Some time later...

I was forced to abandon my mother's body in the snow.

I continued the rest of the way alone.

- Then who is she? - I don't want to know.

Talk to her.

Why should I?

She might be your sister. Go on.

Do you know Tanasis?

I know him. Yes, I do.

He lives there.

But he found a job away.

He won't be coming back anytime soon.

Come have some coffee at home.

OK. Let's go.

- Are you a Pontus Greek? - Yes.

Where from?

Trebolu.

You?

I came from Havza.

What's your name?

Eleni. And you?

Damoklia.

There's a mulberry tree in Havza...

I wish to be buried in its shade.

Come, sit with me.

See.

This one is from Thessaloniki.

My first year in school.

This was taken at the orphanage. My first home in Thessaloniki.

My first job... Apprentice in a garage.

This was taken on the Albanian front.

See how beautiful Zoe is!

Zoe again.

She couldn't be more than 18.

The christening of my son Yanis...

My father-in-law, my mother-in-law,

Zoe...

her brother, his wife...

These photos represent my life.

You aren't in any of them.

You say you are my sister. You ask for forgiveness.

There's nothing to forgive.

If you were really my sister, you would be in these photos.