KAN DAHAR
Mohsen MAKH MALBAF
What is your name?
Nafas.
Who are you?
The bride's cousin.
Miss Nafas, you have made up your mind
to go to Afghanistan
I will find you a family who can be trusted
to go with you
If anyone questions you, say that you are
a member of the family,
the wife, or the daughter,
so that no one suspects you
Pay attention, girls...
Today is your last day at school
In Afghanistan, you will not be going to school
There are no schools there
You will have to stay at home
But you mustn't give up hope
If walls are high, the sky is higher still
One day, the world will see your troubles and come to your aid
If it doesn't,
you will have to stand together
Close your eyes. Imagine that you are an ant
If you pretend to be an ant
you can close your eyes
and the house will appear much bigger
Thank you!
Let's try something
I throw one of them, and I step on it
If there's a noise, I'm dead
I close my eyes and throw the others
One, two, three... Bravo!
Back a bit
Watch my hand
Don't move
Don't move. Watch my hand
Look at me
You see that black head over there?
Yes
For one hundred dollars,
will you make sure she gets to Kandahar safe and sound?
If anyone stops you on the way,
you must say
that she is your fourth wife
Why should I say that? I have two Hazaras wives,
and one Pachtoune My Ouzbeck wife is dead
With a Tadjik wife, I will have married all Afghanistan!
I'm going to take a photo
Don't move. Look at the camera
Put this UNO flag on your car,
it will protect you
Take these dollars
for the journey to Afghanistan
Your photo is in the file
Don't come back for more dollars
Do you understand?
Madam...
The latest news of the eclipse:
The final eclipse of the twentieth Century will take place in two days
It will cross Western Iran, Afghanistan
and finish in the Indian subcontinent
It's getting late. Why aren't we going?
Don't you want to eat?
What for? I'm late!
Lower your burga first
It is a matter of honor. We are devout people
No man must see my wife's face
People will ridicule you
if your burga is not worn properly
A burga is not for show
It is a veil, to cover you
To cover you up!
All right, I'll do it,
but I am not really your wife
That is true, you are not,
but what will that matter to scandalmongers?
They will say: "His wife is improperly dressed"
The burga is not an ornament
My honor is at stake.
Are we going?
I'll call the driver. He's eating
We'll go when he's finished
Tell the women to hurry up
Quickly, it's time to go
Why are you hurrying us, sister.
We'll be going to Kandahar soon enough
I have to be there by tomorrow
Let the girls do their nails
What do you want?
Let go! Let go!
Don't fear! Praise be to God!
Heavens, we thank you!
God is generous. He is great
May he grant you good health!
Thanks be to You for all things!
We have nothing!
God is great and merciful
May he grant you good health!
Thank you, my God!
Silence!
What is a sabre?
A weapon which executes God's orders
It severs the thief's hand and the murderers head
Continue!
Silence!
What is a Kalashnikov?
A semi-automatic weapon
with gunpowder and repeat
It kills the living and destroys those already dead
You are wrong. Start again
A semi-automatic weapon
with gunpowder and repeat action
It kills the living,
destroys their flesh,
and mutilates the bodies of those already dead
Continue!
Silence!
- You are not moving? - My back hurts
Recite the Koran
No. You, go on
Recite it like him
You do not know it
How can that be?
Learn it. You don't know it
You are just copying the rhythm
No, not like that
Like that
No, that's not right. You haven't learnt it. Why?
Recite it properly,
or I will expel you
Your mind is elsewhere
No, not like that. Go and fetch your mother
Continue!
- Mullah! - Yes
Greetings
- Are you well? - Yes, thank you
I am Khak's mother
Why have you expelled him?
If he'd learned his lessons, I wouldn't have expelled him
Help him to learn, Mullah!
Mullah! He works hard!
Don't expel him!
I have suspended him many times
He learns nothing at school. He will never be a Mullah
Send him to work in Iran
Finish eating and wash before praying
Khak!
You do not work hard enough to become a Mullah
Go and change
Eat properly, finish the meal correctly
May God bless the Mullah! He has taken my son
Why? He has expelled mine!
My son has no father. He was killed by a mine
We are alone, we have nothing to eat.
My son has nothing to eat either
He has to study. He is too young
He is not old enough to work
You accepted two hundred dollars to take me
and you're leaving me here?
You saw yourself, they took everything
We must return to Iran
I have to get to my sister in Kandahar
I have to go back to Iran. In Afghanistan, nothing is safe.
Shall I recite the Koran for your dead?
We are the dead. Sing for us
What am I going to do?
Come back to Iran with us
Have I come this far just to turn back?
Afghanistan is our homeland. We long to return there
But there is nothing there but famine, suffering and massacre
I must take my family back to Iran
And me, what should I do?
You could return with us to Iran
If not, go to Kandahar by cart
Shall I recite the Koran for your dead?
Forgive us. Your journey is more perilous than ours
The UNO flag will protect you
Take it, little one.
If you see any dolls, don't touch them
Shall I recite the Koran?
Will you take me to Kandahar?
No. It is too dangerous.
Walk half a day, then go on by cart
- Where are you going? - To Kandahar
- How much for taking you there? - Is it far?
- Three days' journey - I only have two days
Three days if you go slowly, two days if you hurry
One day if you run
I'll run
How much will you pay me?
- How much do you want? - Fifty thousand Afghani
I don't have Afghan money How much in dollars?
Fifty thousand dollars
What are you talking about?
Fifty thousand Afghani makes one dollar.
One dollar is nothing. I want fifty thousand dollars
I'll give you fifty dollars. All right?
Lift your burga, so I can see you
Why do you want to see me?
To make sure it's not a trick
Look at me
- And you, can I trust you? - It's OK
Let's go
- What's your name? - Khak
How do you earn a living?
And you, what do you do?
l am a student. I get paid to study
I earn my living with my voice
What do you mean?
Give me a dollar and I'll show you
I've given you fifty dollars!
That's for being your guide
Take it. Another dollar to hear you sing
OK, I'll sing
- Don't look at me - Why?
I'm shy. I'll sing if you walk in front.
Okay
Don't look at me
- Why not? - I'm shy
There are two paths
We have to take the long one
I don't have time. Let's go the short way
Don't be afraid
I'm going the long way
I want to find things to sell so I can give my mother money
Khak! Khak!
Where are you?
I've found a beautiful ring!
A beautiful ring!
I'll sell it for five dollars!
Look how beautiful it is!
You want to buy it?
It matches your eyes!
Only five dollars!
It's beautiful! You want to buy it?
What is your name?
Nafasgul.
Who is sick?
My mother
What's wrong with her?
Stomach ache
Does she throw up her food?
Do you throw up your food?
No.
- Does she go to the toilet a lot? - Do you go to the toilet a lot?
No.
- What has she eaten this morning? - What have you eaten this morning?
She has a stomach ache
Did she eat a heavy meal last night?
- Was your dinner heavy last night? - I didn't eat anything
She was sick, she didn't eat anything
Was she sick yesterday afternoon?
- Were you sick yesterday? - Yes
Has she eaten any spoiled meat?
Have you eaten any spoiled meat?
I was sick yesterday. I didn't eat anything
She was sick, she didn't eat anything.
And yesterday morning?
I was sick, I didn't eat a thing
She was sick, she didn't eat a thing
Tell her to move closer
Open your mouth
Tell her to say "ah"
Cough
Tell her to cough
Tell her to put her eye to the hole
Put your eye to the hole
She is anaemic
- Do you have stomach ache too? - Yes
Since yesterday?
For three days
Here, take this bread
Eat some three times a day. Morning, midday and evening
'Surgery'
- Who is sick? - My sister
What's wrong with her?
It's her stomach
She throws up everything she eats
and keeps going to the toilet
- What has she eaten? - Water and bread
What water?
From the wells
Tell her to drink this
She has a fever
Tell her to move closer
The doctor wants to examine you
Move closer to the hole
It's the dirty water, I'm certain
Tell her to move her ear closer
Tell her to move her mouth closer
These are for you
Nuts. Eat them
Tell her to breathe deeply
Breathe... like that...
She is very sick. Tell her to move closer
You are very sick. Move your ear closer
Tell her to breathe deeply
Breathe... deeply
Hello, doctor
- Will you buy my chickens? - If they're healthy
Khak, come here
What do you want?
I have given you fifty dollars
Take another fifty
and go home. I'll go on alone
You won't make it
There are mines and bandits
You're too slow. I'm in a hurry
It's you who's slow. You're sick. I'll go quicker
I am sick, I'm worn out
Go back home
Give me a dollar for the ring
No, you took it from the hand of a corpse
It's clean! The body was clean! Buy it!
- I don't want it. - It's beautiful. Only one dollar
Put it away, I don't want it
Only one dollar
No. Go home
It matches your eyes
Buy it, it's a bargain
I don't want it
Goodbye, then. I'm going
These chickens are diseased. Don't sell them. Don't eat them.
Here, go and buy some bread
- Will you buy the ring? - I already told you, no
It's beautiful, like your eyes. I'll give it to you
I don't want it
Why?
Because it came from a dead body
The skeleton was clean. Here, I'm giving it to you
I don't want it. You took it from a corpse
It was clean. Take it, I'm giving it to you
No
Take it
If you don't want it,
take it for your sister
- I don't want it - Why not? For your sister!
Give it to me and go home
I beg you,
take me to the Red Cross
Take me to the Red Cross
Get in, we can talk
- Where are you going? - To the Red Cross
My wife's legs were blown off by a mine
They gave her a temporary set, for a year
She can't walk with them
Today, I have to change them for a new pair
What misery!
- What's your name? - Hamdallah
- You're a soldier? - No, a farmer
I stepped on a mine
- Does it hurt'? - Very badly
- Do you sleep well? - No
We'll give you drugs
You'll have to wait
I've lost my hand. Give me a new hand
Do you walk on your hands?
No, I was going to Kandahar
The ground was full of mines. I wasn't thinking
I touched a mine with my hand
I have no family left. I had four brothers
All blown up by mines, except me
I'm homeless and penniless
I lost my leg. Here, they've given me
two boxes of penicillin, but no leg
They lie to us Always promises
They' don't have enough drugs or legs
I can't get to sleep
I've lost my hand. Please, give me a new hand
We only have legs here
Then give me some legs
What use would they be? You already have legs
We are crossing the desert
There are mines everywhere. It would be good to have some
What happened to you?
I set off a mine on my way to work
I'm in agony
- Your name? - Ebrahim
- What do you do? - I'm a labourer
- How old are you? - Twenty
You'll have to wait
You're here every day
No, only today. Give me a leg
Are you blind? They don't have any. You have two.
We don't make hands here
A mine took my leg, while I was working
Don't touch it! It hurts
I haven't shut my eyes in four months
I haven't come for myself
I can't come every day
At least give me one for my friend. He has no one
His parents are martyrs of the war
I pity him
I lost my legs in my own field
I'm not getting better. No one cares for us here
If you don't have drugs, you can't sleep
My friend has no one
I'll take the legs for him
I swear to you
- I don't believe you - I'm not lying!
If you won't give me any for him
give me some for my mother
She lost both legs I was taking her to the hospital
leading her by the arm
She fell to the ground
I stood on a mine, and lost my leg
Try to walk with that
It's agony, even with crutches
- And at night? - Night and day
You have to wait
We have ordered them
Doctor, give me some legs for my mother
She'll have to come herself
She has no legs, she can't come
I don't believe you. Every day it's a new story
I don't come every day
Today is my first time
Give me some legs for her
Follow me
I'll give you a temporary pair
on the condition you don't come back
Do you promise?
Take them
These are no good! You can't walk on these!
Give me a decent pair
Those are the best I have. I don't have any others
No one could walk with those. I want a proper pair
They are for someone else
He's been waiting a year
Give me some proper legs,
I beg you
No. Go on. Now
No. Go on, go!
Does it hurt a lot?
Yes, very badly
Now, or mainly at night?
Day and night
Here, these are for your wife
You must tell her,
if they break, she will have to wait another year
They are enormous!
They're not right for her
They are her size
These are for a man
They have to be sturdy
Your wife has to be able to walk on them
She has to be comfortable on them
Was she comfortable with the temporary ones?
Miss!
They're to big. They're not her size!
My wife has slender legs
- They aren't meant to be elegant - They're heavy
They have to be sturdy so she can walk on them
People have to wait a year to get them,
and you don't want them?
These are for a man, not a woman!
They are to allow her to walk,
not to make her look pretty
Those legs are for a man, not a woman
What are you doing?
I'll take these, they're her size.
What are you doing? They are for someone else!
A woman is coming for them
She has waited a year,
just like your wife
My wife can't walk with a man's legs
What's important is that she can walk at all
Look, miss. These are her size
The others won't do. They're too big
Look, these are the shoes she got married in
They fit these feet, they're the right size
Magda!
Yes
Excuse me, are you going to Kandahar?
No, I've no reason to go there
Look at these shoes. They fit on the feet.
I'll take these
I won't take the others
My wife wouldn't have them. She cries all the time...
Will you buy these legs?
Get in, we'll talk
You want to buy them?
I still have my own, thank God
It's good to have replacements
They belonged to my mother
She has never used them. They're like new
These fields are full of mines, you should have a spare pair
You have to wait a year for them with the Red Cross
I'll let you have them for next-to-nothing
- Are you going to Kandahar? - No
The legs, whose are they?
My mother's. God bless her soul
She was old, bedridden
She never used them
The pennies you give me
will help me bury her
Will you take me to Kandahar?
No, I can't
Why not?
There's a problem. Go with this gentleman
l am a woman on her own
I can't hurt you
Take me to Kandahar
If I go there, people will ask where I lost my hand
If I tell them "At work" they won't believe me
They'll turn me in to the Moudjahedin
They will say: "What about your head?"
Why won't you help her?
And you?
I'll give you four laks
to take this woman to Kandahar
I can't go there
Buy them for the journey
There's a problem. He can't go with me
You're a coward!
I'm not. Why don't you go?
What if I give you a hundred dollars?
A hundred dollars isn't enough to go there
- You're a coward! - I'm not
- A hundred dollars is nothing. - A hundred and fifty?
I won't go there, even for a hundred and fifty
I'll give you two hundred
- How much? - Two hundred
Two hundred dollars?
I have to think. I'm going to get my things
I'll be right back to take you
Give me four laks for the legs,
then I'll come back and take you to Kandahar
If I don't pay you, you'll come back quicker
Give me the money. You're trying to trick me
Pay me
I'll make sure the road is safe, then I'll take you
- Give me four laks. - When you get back
Give me four laks
Wait here for me
I'm": waiting. Hurry up
Don't be scared, it's me
Where have you been?
They're going to a wedding in Kandahar
Hurry up, time's running out
Come on, we'll go with them
Take the four laks. Let's go!
I'm keeping the legs
Something to remember my mother by
Goodbye
If I speak, they will know that I'm a man
Go and tell them we are cousins of the groom
Ask the bride's name, in case we meet a patrol
I'll find Out
I am the groom's cousin. What is the bride's name?
l am his cousin. Who are you?
There's some mistake. I am the bride's cousin
What is the groom's name?
His name is Mossafer
The groom's name is Mossafer
We are the bride's cousins
First, she pretends to be
the groom's cousin, then the bride's...
If they question us, we'll say we're married
What's your name?
- Nafas. - I'm Hayat
We'll say we have two children, a boy and a girl
Why are they going that way?
Is that the way to Kandahar?
They're going the wrong way
Ask someone else
I'm taking my sons to Iran
If you're going to Iran, come with us
No, I'm going to Kandahar
Tell them you're the groom's cousin
Stop!
Sit!
If they ask us say that we're married
- What is your name? - Nafas
I'm Hayat
Be quiet! Don't speak!
Put your baggage on the ground
Stand up!
Search them thoroughly
What is your name?
Search them as well. Look under their burgas
- What is your name? - Burga
- What? - Burga
Go and sit over there
- What is your name? - Zaer
Go and sit over there
What is your name?
Hayat
- What? - Hayat
Go and sit over there
Get rid of your tape recorder
You. You can go
Congratulations on the wedding
The others can go
You, wait here. Search her thoroughly
What is your name?
Nafas
Who are you?
The bride's cousin
With:
Nelofer PAZIRA
Sadou TEYMOURI
Safdar SHODJAI
Mollazaher TEYMOURI
Monica HAN KIEVICH
Zahra SHAFAHI
Assistant directors Mojtaba MIRTAH MASEB
Kaveh MOYI N FAR Hassan SARAJ IAN
Director of photography: Ebrahim GHAFOURI
Music: Mohamad-Reza DARVISHI
A MAKHMALBAF FILM HOUSE (Iran)
and BAC FILMS (France) production
Scripted, edited and directed by: Mohsen MAKHMALBAF