The First Teacher
Kyrgyzstan First years of the Soviet rule.
I'm a teacher
My name is Diuishen.
I will teach your children.
We're going to build a school here.
I'm from the city.
I'm a teacher.
My family name is Koksei.
Everybody gets educated now. I'm sent by Komsomol.
I'm teacher Diuishen, and you should call me this way.
We are going to open a school, back there behind the stables.
Who are you? Are you a mullah to teach our children?
Look at yourself. You are stone-broke.
- Kokseis were always poor! - Silence!
Yes, it is true. I used to be a poor man, but they are no poor people any more!
The Soviet Government has abolished poverty.
I'm a Red Army fighter!
I’ve been in the imperial palace.
I’ve been in Moscow.
I’ve seen even a real telephone!
I've spoken through a telephone line.
You say that I'm not your "mullah". Has your "mullah" ever seen a telephone?
I might have been somewhere else and you could hear my voice right from here!
We thank you for your nice fairytale...
Tell us now why our children need the school.
- What? - Let him explain it to us.
Do you need to explain to you?
I'm able to read any book but you are not!
My father and my grandfather didn't know how to read...
but the lamps had no bad feelings for that.
And so it goes for my son. What on earth does he need school to?
Don't you want your children go to school
and become lettered people?
So that means nobody is going to help me repair the stables?
Nobody needs it! Or you intend to get our help by force?
- These days are gone! - Why do we have to listen to him?
How are we going to build the school? We only got sand and stones.
We have no trees at all!
How can you compel Êartanbai to cut his own tree down?
This is not my business!
So you're not going to obey the decree...
which declares that education is compulsory?
Don't you see the stamp of the Soviet Government?
Who gave you freedom? Who?
Who gave you water? Answer!
So you are against the Soviet Government?
Answer!
Or, maybe, it is you?
I'm sent by Komsomol.
- Where are you going to stay, teacher? - At the stable.
You undertook a difficult task. You won't achieve anything at all.
We'll see about that.
Nobody is going to help you. They do not need a school here!
They are many and you are alone.
You don't know me well.
I know life well.
Do you see that tree over there? It is my home.
If you want, come to stay with me. There's plenty of room for all of us.
I live there with my old woman.
Hello there. Well, today is the beginning of the school lessons.
How old is your daughter?
Altynai, how old are you?
Don't bother. She's not going to school.
Why are you sitting there?
Since I won't let my own children, how could I let that orphan?
You can’t blame her for being an orphan!
If you don't want her, we do want her. The Soviet wants her.
Are you playing the boss, now?
This good-for-nothing leads a much better life with me
than she did with her own mother!
Who's feeding her? Me or you, the beggar's son?
- You must obey the law! - I don't give a damn!
Don't shake your little paper to me! I got my own laws!
It's too late to teach me different ones.
If you are not going to obey, you'll get punished!
Aha, you really think you scared me now?
Take from here all those you gathered and go to your stables!
This is my own home and I am the boss here.
As long as I'm alive I'll be the master of this house.
Watch your tongue!
Anyway, if you want to educate the girl, then take her.
Do as you wish. Just get away from here.
Get out of my yard!
Altynai, you better come along with us.
Why she must go to school leaving me behind to strive alone at home?
Her mother and her grandfather did not learn letters...
This is Lenin,
the leader of the world proletariat.
It was his desire all the children to go to school.
Lenin is the greatest teacher.
And now...
...this...
Well, today's your first lesson.
I'm going to teach the letters...
...the numbers...
You'll have lessons every day.
So... you haven't got yet your exercise books.
Does anyone want to ask something?
Teacher, I'd like to ask something.
Why men die?
Men die because they are men.
And the horses die too?
Yes, when their time comes.
- Do all the men die? - Yes, when their time comes.
- Me too? - Yes.
- You too? - Yes myself too.
And Lenin, too?
Who put in your mouth counter-revolutionary teachings?
Children! Shuvan, the beggar's son, is talking like a lackey!
In Soviet school there are no lackeys!
Go to your master. He will pay you well for your service.
Children, the capitalist system has intruded between us.
World capitalism seeks to kill us all!
- Me? - Yes, you Altynai!
OK then.
Calm down!
Does anyone want to ask me something?
Do ask me!
Don't you want to learn anything?
You got to be smarter than the children of the Khulaks!
You got to get educated.
You got to learn arithmetic.
You got to prepare yourselves for the world revolution.
Come on, ask your questions.
- Where's Khaltai? - He's sick. Very sick!
He wouldn't let even me myself.
He didn't believe that you could bear me shoulder-high!
- Is he sick in bed? - Yes, with cough and fever.
What a pity!
- Why are you standing there? - I don't want to get into the cold waters.
Is that so?
Don't you want to be educated?
I do but I won't get into the water.
Not even the sheep get into cold water!
You are not sheep!
Am I?
Kirabioubiou you can go home!
At any case, I won't let you go to school
and anyone else who refuses to wet one’s feet.
Go away now!
Leave that place!
Go away!
But you should know that school will always be open to you.
Have you heard me?
Teacher, how can we walk to school during winter this way?
Wait there! Hold it!
Enough.
Don't be so sensitive!
My mother told me that if I get sick she will send me away.
Don't go away. I was just kidding.
Forgive me.
- It was all for you. - No.
I didn't do it for me but for you. Let's go.
I'm going to carry you on my shoulders. It's not too much bother to me.
Ride up my back.
Look at the Komsomolet!
You should have taken him instead of your second wife!
See how he takes care of the children.
Komsomolet! This job is not for men!
You rather go to my brother's to carry sacks in his mill,
You won't work for nothing. You will get paid in soviet money!
You need to buy a new coat and cloath cap...
with the red star on it.
What do you teach them in my stable?
The good old times I had my best stock-mares there.
- Teacher! - Hello there!
Are you ready for a bath?
Coudn't you find a better time for this? You may drown!
Don't by shy, take off all them.
Without pants, yet with embroidered red star cap!
Do you know why the children don't come to you?
You are too dirty!
So dirty that soon enough you will give birth to scorpions!
This is not your problem!
My good people look!
Our teacher has gone mad!
What is he doing?
Don't you see? He tries to fill up the river with stones.
What a joke!
He arranges the place for fishing.
Get that stone on my left.
No need to get tired, my good man.
Even if you had built a bridge, no child would have come to your school.
It will become a stable again.
Why are you standing there?
Help the lad. Lift your skirts.
Otherwise he will exhaust himself to death.
If I help you,
will you sign me in Komsomol?
What are you doing here? Are you crazy?
- Go away! - I want to help.
Go away!
I don't!
Can you hear me? Go away!
I don't!
All right. Help me then to move this stone.
- What happened to you? - A cramp in the leg.
So-cial-ism.
Have you come to take your teacher, smartie?
Hasn't he come back yet, grandma?
He's gone to the city.
He took the old man's horse.
What is he going to do for three days in the city?
Altynai has come.
Get in. I can't see well so I didn't recognize you.
You have forgotten us lately...
Take a seat.
This is not the right thing to do, Altynai. You are like a daughter to us...
But you have not shown up since autumn.
Come on!
Don't you feel ashamed?
Stop by your aunt every now and then. Today we're going to wash the wool. Come.
Or have you become too smart? Shall I wait for you tonight?
Tonight come to sleep here.
Where's the teacher? They're smashing up the school!
What are you doing there? Shame on you.
Come on, now! Bring your sheep here too.
Hurry up!
Let's go.
Don't touch them, little 'un. I'll cut your ears!
Khaibai, Ashabek! Come!
- I can't do it alone. - Go, Kaltai!
We don't go! This is our school!
Go, you tramp! Go home!
I will show you about that school...
- You have no right! - Yes I have. His my own son!
I don't speak about your son. I speak about the school.
He made it all with his own hands. You didn't help him at all.
Nobody ever helped him! And now you brought your goats here.
I don't know about you, but yesterday wolves killed two of my goats.
You didn't make the least effort to help the teacher.
To hell with your education!
If she gets educated, am I going to get more goats?
You've got no goats. Sure, you don't care about mine.
You’ve become worse than the wolves. You too, Darkul...
And you, Kaibai... and you, Salmtikul...
- When Diuishen comes back... - He won't. He ran away...
May you live long to remember him!
You know-all. Diuishen said he will come back.
- He said he will come back. - Nobody asked you, you idiot!
He'll come back. He'll come back and you'll understand.
- You are a bad prying old man! - You too!
You were the one who gave him your horse. Find it now!
You will learn not to give your horse next time...
Is this the way to talk to someone older? Is this the right example for the children?
You're not the one who's going to teach me manners.
Teach manners at your home and to your dogs.
I know what is proper without your help, smart alec!
Let's go.
The teacher came back!
We must go to sleep. Kerosene run out.
Diuishen won't come back tonight.
Go to rest, my daughter.
Lay low behind the oven.
Why are you hurting me so? You took my children.
My family name ends with me.
So many grandparents and forefathers passed away and I alone left behind.
What is this?
Help Diuishen, please.
Protect him against the wolves.
Look after my horse.
They're sleeping.
They're sleeping quietly.
They want to know nothing.
I won't let them sleep.
I won't let anybody sleep.
Wake up!
Get up!
Don't you ever dare to sleep again!
Get out!
- What happened? - We were attacked by the Bosmatsi.
Don't you see? They’ve set the grasslands in fire.
I won't let you sleep.
Help me! This is my area!
Don't get closer!
Don't sleep! Dare you not to put the fire out!
I won't let you sleep neither today nor tomorrow.
Revolution won't let you sleep!
The teacher came back! It was you who set the fires?
Whack him!
He wants to burn us all.
The enemies do not sleep. Why are you sleeping?
Traitors! I'll shoot!
He died.
Lenin.
Lenin died?
Who's going to substitute Lenin?
The Party will decide.
I'm in the Party, too. They accepted me.
The Party must be very strong at this moment.
Steely!
Muhammad is unique like the sun.
There can not be any other sun!
Put aside your insinuations.
They can do nothing.
100.000 communists join the party.
They're all strong and steely.
Your Allah had only one sun.
We have a million!
There will be a million of suns!
It is called electricity! Have you ever heard of it?
- I've lost your horse. - What can we do?
I've never had a horse in my whole life.
Your horse was eaten by the wolves.
Altynai, what's wrong with you?
What's there?
Who are you looking for, Altynai?
The teacher?
The teacher, who else?
They're coming. The Dzhigits are coming!
How you’ve grown up! You've become prettier!
Peace be with you, our dear visitors!
I've brought you lambs and kumis.
Try my kumis while you've still possess your own livestock.
Soon you may got nothing.
Drink, woman, drink!
Do you remember when after the fire you nearly cut my tree down?
Yes, it is a good tree!
When you get close to it you can hear the rustle of its leaves.
What a lovely sound!
As if it understands that its master came!
Why are you shy? Look how she's peeking at you.
Hasn't come the time to take another wife?
Come closer.
Why are you giving me kumis?
- Be careful not to pour it! - Cheers!
Next time I'm going to get silver earrings to Burba.
Yes do it. And pick some beautiful ones.
Come here, Kasim.
A friend of mine from the war has come.
Altynai!
Come here!
Come closer. Sit down.
- What are you doing? - Why?
- You don't respect the elders! - Shut up your mouth, beggar!
- What? - Beggar!
- I'll kill you like a dog. - Don't get close to me, bastard!
We came here with good intentions. What did you do to him?
Five years ago, none would dare touch my brother.
You forgot how you bowed before him!
You forgot how you run to him to nullify your debts.
Each one of you owes me a camel at least.
Maybe two camels!
I'm not a miser. I'm a good man.
I can spare even more camels for you.
And some horses.
- But you are not worth of them. - It's true.
What kind of Dzhigit are you? Ungrateful animals, that's what you are!
Only when you are in trouble, Only when you are starving to death,
then you come to fall at my feet.
Your memory is short and you forget quickly the good deeds done to you.
Stop!
Never mind, the time will come when you come back to me crawling.
Nobody will come to you. Your times are gone.
Komsomolet!
You are a rich living from others' sweat.
I'm uninterested in your words. I'm the boss.
My hands are like the donkey's back!
Look! I'm toiling for nights and days!
You are a rich, but soon your riches will be over.
- You have no power any more! - Yes, I'm dead.
Yes, you are dead. A relic of the old world.
We'll take revenge for everything.
You killed Pugachov!
So you say I'm dead!
Come out, Komsomol, to fight with me.
I'm too weak.
Come out for a face-off with me.
Come Komsomol to see who is the strongest.
Who among you are Dzhigits?
Who wants to test his strength?
Be careful, teacher, don't bring disgrace to yourself.
Accept the invitation.
Don't do it! He's going to break your back.
We'll see about that!
Kerson and Andanda are on his side...
whereas the world proletariat is on mine!
Take your hands!
We've won Denikin. We’ve won Wrangel too!
And we've won Emire of Buchar!
I'm his second.
Yes, somebody's found at last.
Bring the horses. There will be a battle.
The fat master versus the thin poor devil.
Step aside to let them pass. They're going to fight.
Do you listen to them? They want to ridicule you.
Take care of yourself.
They chose their strongest blacksmith.
I know. You don't have to tell me.
Knock him down!
Bravo!
Drink, my child. You served him right
Didn't you notice her?
There, a slim one. She was sitting next to the column.
- Too thin! - I didn't notice her.
So beautiful!
How did I miss her! Where did she go next?
Don't be stingy!
In the old days, they would offer two herds for one of these girls.
What's the worth of the herds?
Either way, they're going to be taken from you.
What are you standing there? Get inside!
Say welcome to our guests.
She is very shy. There you are, a present for you.
Now, it's your turn.
Now, you are engaged.
Bravo, Kuvan.
Let's repeat the previous lesson.
Altai, tell me who our enemies are.
- The rich. - Get up.
Who else?
- The capitalists. - Who else?
- The millionaires. - Who else?
The mullah.
- The mullah. - Who's going to tell who our friends are?
Ask me. May I tell them?
Teacher, ask me.
- The poor. - Bravo. Who else?
The proletariat and the oppressed people of the world.
Right. Who else?
- The members of Cheka. - Who else?
The black people?
Bravo.
Tell me the cities you know, Altynai.
You answer Shuvan.
Moscow, Tashkent and Pishpek.
Altynai, count how many cities Shuvan cited.
Why don't you study enough?
Do you want to educate yourself like Lenin commanded?
Or you want to eat left-overs for the rest of your life?
Moscow-one, Tashkent-two, Pishpek-three.
Bravo, Shuvan. You'll become a genuine Bolshevik.
- What do you want here? - That's not your affair.
I'm giving the girl in marriage.
Don't touch me!
It is a school here. Go away. Here nobody gets married.
We will see that.
- Hi there, Komsomol! - Stay clear of me.
Says you, dog!
I'll teach you how to treat the girls who belong to others...
Stay clear of me.
Don't beat the teacher.
Take me!
- Take me! - Run, Altynai.
Teacher! Teacher!
Teacher!
Do you see where we got at? Is it studies that you want?
Now you'll have "studies" from your husband!
You've bitten me! You tramp!
Your teacher won't run to your aid.
Be careful!
You will cut me like that!
Out!
Chernukha, you will finish the shave of my head.
With caution, stupid!
What if you are my first wife!
You've never learnt how to shave your husband's head.
Leave now.
Take this.
No!
No! No!
Let me! No!
Help me, my daughter.
- It's going to be a warm day. - We must hurry up.
Get up!
You won't go.
Altynai!
My beloved! You're the best and the prettiest.
What are we going to do now away from our master?
Don't touch me!
Are you cold?
I'm asking you, are you cold?
Why don't you answer to me?
Are you crying?
Don't you ever dare to cry again!
I'm an idiot!
Cry!
Go for a bath, if you want to.
I'll wait for you.
Go, go! I'll wait for you.
Look there, the bride has come. Who did you come to see?
Bitch!
You'll never step through this door again!
Where will she go? She's neither a girl nor a woman.
Either she's going to be homeless or she's going to live in your stable!
Nobody will let that foul woman in his house!
There are some good people. Kartanbai will let her.
She's not for you!
Let her look for those good people. But away from here!
If she doesn't go away from here, I will have her knocked off.
People, come to see my shame!
It serves me well. I was too stupid!
She lacked for nothing. I didn't sleep in the nights.
And now, see where I came to!
I'm a stupid old woman!
All this time I was breeding a snake within my house!
Look at her! She has run away from her husband!
She's not ashamed of coming here!
Let alone that she is involved with that beggar!
Foul and base woman!
How much we degraded ourselves!
Look at me!
Have you ever seen these things anywhere else?
You are the disgrace of our family!
That whore!
How she dares to show her face!
Tramp!
I'd rather die but you won't live either!
Kartanbai you have visitors.
These things are impossible. Stop it!
The sorrow has stricken me. That whore has disgraced me.
Spit on her! Kill her! Stone her!
Here is that education of yours!
She's a disgrace for all the girls in the neighborhood.
Who's going now to marry us?
What are we going to do, now that we are overcome with shame?
Tell them, Kartanbai!
Why have you been gathered here? Who are you looking at?
- What do you want here? - Why not to look at?
Go away!
Don't shout on us! We are not your servants!
Since he came to terms with the chekists, he can do anything he wants.
He can even steal other people's wives.
She wasn't his wife! He took her by force!
He's a criminal!
You are a criminal! You disgraced our family.
Everyone respected us and now I will shy away from their gaze.
You came to give lessons to our children! Look what you have finally done!
If I knew it from the start I wouldn't have let her go to school.
This is not true. I wanted to do all the things in justice and according to law.
I only wanted your good!
My little poor soul!
Come here to give you a kiss.
I must say good-bye to you.
Don't touch me! Go away!
Don't you dare to get closer!
I won't let you.
Calm down!
Be quiet and listen!
Now it's my turn to speak.
Look at her and remember my words!
This is the first liberated woman of the Orient.
Now she's the only, but tomorrow there will be many more like her.
- Go away, teacher! - Don't turn her head!
- Our neighborhood is the best. - The truth defeated the evil!
The falsity vanished away and the freedom celebrates its victory!
Diuishen, you've been in many places.
The earth is vast, boundless.
It's so large that people can be lost.
What is that keeps people together?
It's the tradition! It's like a clay vessel.
If it cracks, the water will poor onto earth.
Tradition is necessary when people live in darkness.
We will educate the people!
They won't learn under pressure.
A man of intelligence uses words not beating.
You are a bad teacher.
Yes, I am.
But for the time being you have nobody else.
He was the one who tied up the girl and took her by force.
What a hero! Tell me, what to do?
What Altynai will do? It's not good to abandon her home.
That's right. Altynai mustn’t stay here any more.
It seems that she must leave because of me.
I'll take her to the city. I'll send her to a school, there.
There are some people willing to help in Tashkent.
You are a good man. Go to the city.
- I won't abandon my school. - What do you want from it?
Why did you become so attached to the school?
Why did you become so attached to your tree?
You can not compare one to another.
My grandfather had planted it.
I risked my life for it. I would gave one of my arms!
Last year Bosmatsi nearly burnt it.
You know how I felt?
If the walls fall I'll raise a tent next to the tree.
Don't be fool! There are only steppe, stone and mud all over.
You won’t find a tree anywhere over that steppe.
Everybody is proud for my tree!
On the contrary who's proud for your school? It did only harm.
How can you talk like this?
Go away, Diuishen. Leave so I can sleep well at night.
I have to teach the children letters.
No child will come again. You've arrested the Khulak!
You've disgraced a family. No mother Will let her children go to school.
Now, you must take care of yourself. If they find, they'll cut into pieces.
They're going to skin you alive!
Let's go, teacher.
If they kill you, I’m not going to live too.
Good.
Let's go.
- I'm afraid - Don't be afraid, silly.
It is driven by an engine, understand? It is called train.
There is a steam-engine in it.
The steam is generated in the boiler and travels through the pipes.
So the piston is set in motion.
And the train moves forward. Understand?
The wheels are rolling.
Let me alone!
Your name is...
...Altynai?
- How old are you? - 16.
What time are you arriving in Tanskhent?
Tomorrom, towards the evening.
- May I ask something? - Of course.
Are we going to stay in Tanskhent?
You're going to stay and study in the orphanage.
Tanskhent is a very big and beautiful city.
It has large parks, gardens and a cinema theatre...
enormous roads and shops.
You will be 120 children there.
You are going to study and work at the same time
in a factory where they manufacture telephone sets.
At weekends they will take you to the parks
or to the movies.
Later on you may work at a factory...
or you can go somewhere else.
We have to get in.
Well, go alone
I'll stay back.
This is what I want.
Won't you come with me?
I'll go back.
Then I'll stay with you.
You have to, Altynai!
- I won't leave without you. - The time has come, Altynai.
You must leave. You're going to study, to work.
I can't leave the rest of the children behind.
What will become of Shuvan, Altai, Kaltai...
There's not even a lock on the door.
But you are a big girl now.
You...
Do not forget me where you go!
Teacher, you made me what I am you educated me...
You have taught me... Without you...
How can I forget?
Forgive me, teacher.
- What's this all about? - Forgive me, teacher.
For what? Cut it.
Forgive me because I'm leaving!
Forgive me!
We will meet again, won't we?
Yes, yes, yes.
Teacher, we will meet again without fail!
Are you hiding?
Where are you?
You think you could burn the school while I was away?
Come out! Come out!
Are you there?
When will you come to your senses? When are you going to be just human?
Didn't you go away?
If I could, I would have ripped your eyes out!
I would have cut your ears and your tongues
because you are the enemies of your own children.
Don't you want your children to learn the world?
To get educated?
To become better than you?
- You said you will go to the city. - And you were glad about that!
I cursed myself for the idea coming into my mind ...
I hate myself but I'm not a coward.
- His voice! - Whose is this voice?
It is you!
Wasn't enough the harm you did?
Let me pass!
Here you are! Look!
Can you see? There lies my son, Shuvan.
He died for your cursed school!
He went to put out the fire.
You cry... But now it's too late for crying.
If it wasn't for you, my son would still be alive!
You criminal! My little boy died because of you!
Of me?
No, it is you that destroyed Shuvan!
If you had believed in me, if you had helped me a little...
the Kulhak would have never dared to burn down the school.
Look at my arm!
Look at him!
You think that as long as the school was in flames we stayed put?
You are annoyed because your hands were burnt...
Do you know how many people died for the Soviet Power?
And so what? We are not against Soviet Power.
But we don't want our children die for your school!
You better leave this place!
Go away, teacher! Leave with you will!
Go away, go away!
They burnt down your school. We don't want them to burn our homes too.
You are cowards! You are despicable cowards!
You are afraid of khulak's revenge!
I feel ashamed for you! You stay in your darkness!
You are servile!
Do the blows from the rich scare you?
The world revolution can not be done with people like you.
Let's tan his hide!
Put your hands away from me! He killed my son!
He killed my only son! He destroyed our family!
Why didn't you listen to me? I told you, you couldn't tangle with him!
Shove off now that it's still early. Escape as soon as possible.
All right, I'm going away.
No!
I'll go only when I cut down your tree
and build the new school
with large windows and durable roof!
I will name it by the name of Shuvan,
the real hero.
At this school, your children will study
and the children of your children. It won't be me the one who will teach them...
the unskilled beggar's son
but a real teacher with his microscopes and maps.
If you don't want this
you have only one choice.
To kill me!
Kartanbai, we don't want the school. I will kill him with my axe.
Leave it to me.