Hodja from Pjort
(based on the book by) (manuscript)
(director)
Far away behind the high mountains and barren deserts was the city of Petto.
Here lived the Sultan in his white palace -
- surrounded by gardens, high above the city noise.
Sultan was the richest man in the world.
All his 235 wives were dressed in silk.
If he wanted, he could buy all the camels, donkeys and dates.
But what would he use all the camels and donkeys for?
And he didn't like dates.
He ate only the very best food, small hearts of white doves.
So many doves had to be slaughtered before the Sultan was full.
Yet he was always sour and grumpy.
For nobody could fulfill his greatest wish: He wanted to fly.
Hurry. Sultan can not bear to wait.
Today a new inventor was presented.
And the court was anxious to see whether he too would be beheaded.
El Faza
Pjort
Mighty Sultan, this is a historic moment.
You will be in books all over the world.
Noted for your unbelievable feat: Getting people to fly.
- Your honored Sultan! - Stop!
Well
Well, your mighty Sultan.
Now, one of our advisers has found something interesting.
Come on!
Honored, esteemed Mr. Sultan
Here is a picture...
a tooth, a duck, uhh m-man.
- He has a carpet. - What would he do with a carpet?
It is the only flying carpet in the world.
It's owned by one man, El Faza. He's dangerous.
- We will send an army after it. - He will fly from an army!
- I'll get it. - Stop.
When the Sultan gets the carpet, the court will get a new General.
- Give me just a little food. - Get away.
Don't you know that one should not steal?
What if Sultan's soldiers see you?
One is only a thief, if you are found out.
- Where do you live? - The, ehhh
Now you come with me.
- My purse is gone! Where is it? - It is with your grandmother.
Esméralda, have you lived on the street since your father and mother died?
- Yes. - That's just like the other kids around here.
I'll take care of you as best I can.
Can I have some more soup?
Tell us about the carpet.
No, you've heard that story so many times.
- Which story? - The one about the carpet.
Yeah, it was an old man I once knew. He was called El Faza.
He lived in a village called Pjort, far inland.
He had blue eyes, blue as the sea.
I can't remember if he was my husband -
- or my son, or my brother. Well, it doesn't matter.
His eyes were certainly blue.
He had a carpet, a fantastic carpet.
It was a flying carpet.
With this he and I flew across the mountains and cities
- Somebody's coming...! - Go, go!
What do you want?
Are any of your kids from Pjort?
No one here can be purchased.
I could tell the Sultan that your little friends steal.
No one here can help you.
Is there anyone here who knows El Faza?
I can pay.
And I'll pay well, if you help me.
Why don't you answer?
You know him, right? What does he look like?
You know I'll find him.
With or without your help.
Then it will be without my help.
Psst... Psst!
Esméralda!
Esméralda...!
Hey you, I can help you.
- Do you know what I need to get hold of? - Umm hmmm.
I am the Sultan's general. But you must not tell anyone.
- I promise. - What do you want to help?
My own bed, and all I can eat, and a whole lot of dates.
What does El Faza look like?
His eyes are blue, blue as the sea.
I must get that carpet, even if I have to steal it.
Come here.
Come here, my dear little white friends.
Let the others get.
Good morning, Hodja. Have a nice day!
I'll take the puppy dog.
- Do you think it likes fish? - Eat, eat.
Wait for me.
Would you like to have helped, Hodja?
Tell me, are your eyes blue because you have seen the sea? Tell me!
If you want to experience the adventure, then you must really want it.
Not just dream about it.
Adventure is here, it's now. But you must have courage.
- I'm not scared. - But you will be.
Yeah, scared you will be.
You just said you had to really want it.
Yeah, yeah, but you've also time ahead of you.
I can't see all of the world unless I leave very soon.
And here we have Petto.
Our capital, where our high Sultan lives.
Unfortunately I have never been there, but the Sultan takes good care of everyone -
- who lives in his city. And if you are diligent and listen carefully, -
- then you might enter the palace one day -
- and serve our Sultan. And might even be recruited as a soldier.
But it requires diligence -
- and attention.
But Hodja doesn't want to be a soldier?
I dreamed, I..., I saw camels and -
You must learn, not dream. Do you understand that, Hodja?
Drink, now drink.
I'm done, now. I have given them a lot of water. They don't want any more.
Isn't there anything else I can do?
I don't think there is anything left that you can manage.
If I may go with you, I'll be able to handle everything.
Then you can move that donkey over to the other donkeys.
Come.
Come, apple of my eye.
Do show him how to do it.
Come.
Can't I come along then?
Oh, can't I?
- What's this village called? - Pjort.
- Is there anyone who knows El Faza? - I've known him my whole life.
Hello, you there. Can you help us?
We need a carpet from a guy with blue eyes. Do you know him?
- Yeah, I do - Is he called El Faza?
Hodja, do you remember what we talked about?
Come, I have something to show you.
El Faza, she was asking about you.
Come, he is here!
El Faza, does he still sell carpets?
Drink, please
El Faza, I'll be traveling soon, so if it's a pigeon you want to give me...
Come with me, inside.
My pigeons I don't give away like that.
Esméralda!
It's something else I'll give you.
Esméralda...!
- Now I know where he lives. - Yes, but does he have the carpet?
- Uh - I'll go and get it.
- What is it you want to.... - Ssh.
Sorry I am intruding.
I deal in carpets.
I thought you might want to sell something?
What about this one?
What about the carpet, you're sitting on?
I've been sitting on this carpet, as far back as I can remember.
I could give you a much more beautiful carpet.
I will not sell this carpet.
Think about it. I'll be back.
Hodja, can you find your present by yourself?
Yeah, use your imagination.
Yeah, like that.
- Hodja, this carpet can fly. - Wow, a flying carpet.
If you dare to use such a carpet, then you can experience everything.
And if you treat it well, it will be the best thing you ever had.
And if you really want it, it'll obey your every move.
But you must believe in it, it is very important.
Us two have experienced so much back in our time.
Now it's your turn, my young friend. Now it's yours.
Are you sure you can spare the carpet?
I've seen everything, I've desired to see.
In the last several years I have been living on memories.
I'm a happy person.
Yeah, like that.
- Come, my friend and say hello to Hodja. - Are you going to fly too?
Yeah, we're going for a walk.
Flying, carpet, fly!
Hey, why did you fly up there for?
Now now, little carpet, I should fly, too, right?
So, come on. Lift you.
Fly, carpet, fly.
You there, wake up!
Have you seen the general, uh, the carpet dealer?
Carpet dealer...
He's gone. I think he was going all the way to Petto.
He did buy his carpet.
Hey...!
I was almost scared for a second.
Why are you stopping? You know where we live.
Good, carpet, please land.
Thank you for the trip, little carpet.
We must find a good place to hide you.
You know what, carpet? Tomorrow we'll fly around and see us a little bit.
Uh, if I could just find it.
Oh, he has hidden it here, that yokel.
- Look, Mom, it lifted up like this. - Yes, you're going to travel.
That's something I've always dreamed of.
To see the blue sea, where there are fish as big as houses.
And some which are smaller than this one.
And travel far over the mountains and meet all kinds of people.
I've always wanted.
How many times do I have to tell you? Come on, you old rotten rug.
Hey you!
Take off! You dusty old moth-eaten heap.
What are you doing with my carpet?
- You're not entitled to that. - Shall we get going?
- What are you saying? - You talked to El Faza, right?
Didn't he tell you that you should bring me along?
Why do you think, you got the carpet?
It's definitely mine.
Anyway, I can still fly with you.
- I have something I must do. - So do I.
What do you think they agree on up there?
Now you, go fly and follow Hodja.
Hodja, then we're agreed that I only fly for a little while.
Because I can't stay here.
- Where do you come from? - She knows El Faza.
- My name is Esméralda. - Please take care of Hodja.
And, Hodja -
- when you return, you must tell me all about your adventures.
Everything you have experienced and seen, right?
- We must go that way. - Huh?
That way!
- Did you see El Faza's dove? - We need to go to Petto.
Mum, Dad. Dad, Mum.
Why don't you go home again?
I don't have a father or mother.
I didn't know.
Did you know that there are fish as big as houses?
- We could be rich! - Huh?
We can perform on stage: We need to go to a place with lots of people.
"Hodja and his magic carpet."
I don't think my carpet wants to do anything like that.
But you are its master. Even the Sultan will come. He loves to fly.
Petto? Umm umm.
Come.
M-my ee-esteemed s-Sultan.
The General is vomming, uuh, coming. He'll be here very soon.
It will be a big day.
Flying up high, Mr. Sultan. Up in the air.
- I'm happy for you, little carpet. - Tell it we need to go to Petto.
- Farther down. Follow them. - But, they're scared.
See...! People.
Oh, the humps.
- It's like at home. - Peasant farmers!
Abra-cadabra. Hocus pocus.
Filiocus. Yksi, Kaksi, kolme. Kolme, Kaksi, yksi.
Alakazaml Simsalabim...!
Damn...!
- I want to go down! - You must be mad.
- Yokel boy! - Oh, come on.
I'm hungry and thirsty.
We're tired of hearing her complain, aren't we, carpet? If there's water, then we'll land.
And where is the water, then?
- There must be water. - Who'll find it first?
There...! What did I say?
Couldn't you wait until I had drunk from it?
Mother's little boy has no one to scrub his back. Oops...
Any idiot can fly this carpet.
- Then you should also be able to. - I can, indeed.
You can certainly let me try.
That would be much better so then you could look at your big world.
So I have to teach you to fly my carpet?!
It's like when you have a bag of dates, then you have many friends.
However, when the bag is empty, then the friends are all gone.
I have many friends. I have lots of them.
Where? In Petto?
- Look! We must seek shelter. - You're such a chicken.
You might be one yourself.
It's dangerous to stand under something when it thunders.
- It's dangerous. - That's superstition, yokel boy.
Come here.
Up, up. Higher yes, like that.
Hurry...!
You yokel boy!
Even though you're a spoiled mother's boy, you were right this one time!
Once upon a time, there was a poor girl. She never had anything to eat.
One day she found a bag of dates. But when she grabbed it -
- the soldiers caught her and brought her to the Sultan.
He could see that she was really a princess.
He gave her her own bed and a lot of dates.
The Prophet's beard!
If he doesn't show up soon with that carpet, he'll definitely be beheaded.
- Almighty Sultan. - Come, come.
As I suggested, let us send soldiers out to get the carpet.
- I have a new flying machine - Stop!
Come on, Esméralda. You may as well give it a try.
When you finally get your chance, you don't even dare do it.
See, you can do it!
It's going very well. Just believe it, really believe it.
Why do we need to be this high up?
- Now I'll let go! - And so will I!
No, are you crazy? We'll fall down!
Help me...!
Help me...! I won't allow you to fly the carpet again.
- Nonsense. I saved you. - I might've died.
See, Hodja, now I can.
- See, the carpet dealer. - You don't know anything.
Have you seen that? Let's land and get some food.
We can get food when we get to Petto. Let's get away.
- No, let's land. - No, fly on.
Little carpet, it'll be nice to get something to eat.
- I'll br the one to decide! - You can decide not to eat.
I mean the carpet!
Hands off!
Keep our carpet. Take care of it.
Get out! Get out, thieving girl!
What is this cheap cloth?
Don't steal my food?!
Esméralda, we won't get any food here.
- The carpet dealer, he can help us! - No, he's evil.
He's the Sultan's General. He's just disguised.
Why did you leave?
- May I offer you some food? - Thank you.
Come.
- Sit. Food, quickly. - It's good you came -
- otherwise we wouldn't have anything to eat.
You are more fortunate, than you think you are.
Someone else only has a donkey.
Now, eat as much as you can. You too, Esméralda.
...of course, the Sultan is correct.
There are no children even though he has 235 wives...
- He has 237 - Yes, but no children.
- and I think that children should be banned.
Silence...!
Now, has the pain stopped?
Well, kids, where're you going from here? Are you going to Petto?
I'd prefer to see the whole world.
Esméralda wants to go to Petto. So maybe on the way back.
It's also her carpet.
Now we'll make a toast. Have a pleasant journey.
Here you are.
So, good luck.
I have never drunk wine before.
It tastes good.
Hodja, Hodja, pull yourself together.
Don't sleep now. That was just a bit of wine.
Goodbye, little friends. From now on, you're on your own.
The carpet!
- Where's the carpet...?! - Oww, my head.
- Where is everyone? - We must find him.
Now you must go to Petto.
El Faza, Pjort, and sit on the carpet.
Up up...!
UP!
Honored Sultan, the carpet is tired after the long journey
Koggenut, oggedut. Otherwise knuggenuf, understood?
It's not much farther.
Don't follow me in there. One must be quick.
You'll just flounder it. Wait here.
- Sultan's soldiers are everywhere. - My carpet is in there!
So, it's no longer our carpet...
Is it my fault, that you lied to me for so long?
- About the general. - You don't understand.
Esméralda! Esméralda...!
I want to come with you.
They're coming...!
Hey, you look like El Faza's pigeons. I wish I dared let you free.
He's playing with the Sultan's food.
Do you think he'll get thrown in jail, if the soldiers see it.
He's either crazy, or a naive yokel boy.
Yes, it's you we're talking about.
- What do you think of Petto? - I'm glad to see you!
Well, shall we find the carpet?
Fine dates! 10 oranges for 2 ducats.
It's my turn.
Come and see the dancing bear. 1 Dukat.
See my bear dance. 1 Dukat.
- See the bear dance. - They're coming!
It's good that you dared come to me.
That time with the General. I didn't know it was Hodja's carpet.
I think she'll help us.
- Come, come. - Will you help us?
Listen now.
You must find the pearl stone.
But remember, anyone who helps you, could be beheaded.
Pearl Stone Is that you?
Pearl Stone...!
She is the only one who can help you into the palace.
She goes there every morning.
It is easier to get a camel through a keyhole, -
- than to get to our Fat-Ass. (* Meaning the Sultan)
Pearl Stone, Is it much further?
Ssshh.
Pearl Stone, stop!
Stop.
Pearl Stone, I must check what you have in your sacks.
- Ouch...! - Is there something wrong?
It must be this one. Feel for yourself!
- Pass. - Good morning, Pearl Stone.
We're inside. Now it's up to you.
Do you think the carpet can carry him?
Yksi, Kaksi, kolme. Abra-cadabra.
Simsala-damn-bim! Up with you!
You will obey me, even if I have to unravel you.
It's best I go in alone.
Wait here.
Esméralda? How I've missed you.
Where did this Cutie come from?
Show me what you've learned.
We don't need your friend, do we?
Come, I'll show you your reward.
And put him in the basin.
Don't.
It tickles.
He's mine!
He is full of lice and fleas.
- Seize him! - Ouch, that hurts.
Ouch, stop it.
Well, isn't this what you've been dreaming about?
But it's not yours, yet.
Ouch, stop it. I'm not the one who's a thief.
It's the general. It's him you should throw in jail.
I'm the jailer here
Everyone gets decapitated. But of course you know all about that.
- Ow! Ow! - Come here.
Damned lock.
Think about what might happen with your friend down there.
Just a word from me, so...
- Now we understand each other. - I don't think...
Here we don't know mercy. Our little friend will be...
Teach me to fly. Then I'll treat you like a princess.
Dear little carpet. You must help me now.
What was it you said?
Psst. Jailer?
Honorable Mr. Jailer.
The boy next door is a thief. But I have done nothing.
The Sultan will get very angry, as I'm the one who catches his doves.
Sultan will get nothing to eat, if he does not get his favorite food.
I don't know what the Sultan will do, if...
Sultan? Did you Sultan?
So it's not even locked.
What a damn job to have.
First there's one boy, and then there's another boy.
Then there is two, and then one disappears.
And then there's one left. What...
Nah
Now you're good enough to make the Sultan float by yourself.
High above Petto.
What a triumph! Just by such a piece of thread.
- What is it now? - Up, carpet, think of Hodja.
That's fine, Esméralda. Get it down again.
- Which words should I use? - Up, carpet, all the way up!
Oh, ouch!
- Where's the carpet? - It's high up.
He's sitting on it.
Carpet, come, come down to us.
Yes, hurry, hurry.
Carpet, hurry. Yes, good.
- It did exactly what I said. - Now we'll see the rest of the world.
Remove them!
Give me that!
They still need us. He can't fly it.
The Sultan is waiting for his new general.
Guard, release the girl.
Beggars, Poor, Crippled, Camel-Drivers and other folks.
Today, our mighty Sultan will soar high above his town.
Come.
Make it work!
Come, come!
Dear carpet. Do you think you can lift such a flake?
Oh, oh, oh.
Come, come. Up, up.
Think of your neck.
It's a matter of our lives, carpet!
- Now it's serious! - We trust you.
Ah, ooh, ooh, ooh.
Oh oh, oh...!
Uh, uh, uh.
- Umulius, Umuliusl - I'll have him beheaded!
Distinguished Sultan, highly revered Sultan, don't be afraid, I shall soon...
Esméralda, it's your last chance!
Fly, carpet, fly.
- They'll be here soon... - He'll be coming around that.
There they come.
- Where are they going? - They can't control it.
Uh, uh, uh!
I can't swim! I can't swim!
Esméralda!
- Come on! - I'll meet you on the outside.
If faith can move mountains, it can also move carpets.
Hodja from Pjort Hodja from Pjort
He flies farther and farther away
- on his amazing flying travels
Hodja can't stop
- before he has seen all of the world
Faza from Pjort Faza from Pjort
gave him the traveling carpet
across the country from south to north
Hodja, it's something that you believe
Faith can raise you high above this Earth
East of the sun and west of the moon
7 wild winds will carry you
East of the sun and west of the moon
Now we're free!
Hodja became free Hodja escaped
Called the carpet and flew just 'past
Sultan fell on his tailbone
and that hurt, because
no one should steal a child's fantasy
East of the sun and west of the moon
7 wild winds will carry you
East of the sun and west of the moon
Hodja from Pjort Hodja from Pjort
He flies farther and farther away
- on his amazing flying travels
Hodja can't stop
- before he has seen all of the world