In the name of God
Laborers?
A laborer? You want laborers?
No
-You want laborers, do you? -How many?
Take two
-Hello, mister. -Hello
How are you doing?
-What are you doing? -Playing cars
Know how much a meal costs?
Get to the point
100,000 tomans is nothing!
How will we pay it back?
Right, what are they asking for?
Where can we find title-deeds?
Don't hang up! Do you want to make a call?
What?
-Do you want to use the phone? -No
Yes, I'm listening
Where?
Outside the museum? When?
All right
Good-bye
-I'll drop you off. -No, I'm working
-I'm going that way. -I'm working
-Don't act so proud... -I said I'm working!
Come here. Just a minute, please
Hello. How are you?
If you have money problems, I can help you
No
-You don't have money problems? -No
I can help you
Clear off or I'll smash your face in!
Get lost!
Hello
-How are you? -Fine, thanks
What is it? What are you collecting?
Plastic bags
What for?
I pick them up and liquidate them near the factory
What happened to your finger?
I cut myself this morning
Here?
Nice shirt! Where did you get it?
I found it over there last week
Nice color, it suits you!
Know what it says on it?
Where are you from?
''Pissy, pissy... Your dick's all sticky''
-Don't mind them. -They're playing.
-Where are you from? -Near Lorestan
Not a local then, from Lorestan
-Are you from Lorestan too? -You could say that
How much do you make a day?
200, 300, 400...
700, 600.
What do you do with the money?
I send it to my family
You want to get married?
No, I'm helping my family
You're helping them?
So, would you do something if I asked you?
A job?
A well-paid job
No, I don't know how...
I just collect plastic bags and sell them
Why? Where are you going?
A TASTE 0F CHERRY
A film by Abbas KIAROSTAMI
with Homayoun ERSHADI
Abdolhosein BAGHERI Afshin KHORSHID BAKHTARI
Safar Ali MORADI
Mir Hosein NOURI Ahmad ANSARI
Hamid MASOUMI Elham IMANI
Assistant cameraman Farshad BASHIR ZADEH
Sound assistant Sassan BAGHERPOUR
Cameraman Alireza ANSARIAN
Titles Mehdi SAMAKAR
1st assistant director Hassan YEKTAPANAH
2nd assistant director Bahman KIAROSTAMI
Editor Abbas KIAROSTAMI
Sound Jahangir MIRSHEKARI
Mix Mohamadreza DELPAK
Photography Homayoun PAYVAR
Written, produced and directed by Abbas KIAROSTAMI
-Where are you going? -To the barracks
Come on, get in
Hello
Are you well? Where are you going?
Down there, not very far
The barracks down there?
-Near the reservoir? -Yes
You look tired
I guess I am
-Are you worn out? -Yes
A soldier is never tired!
What do you expect? I've waked from Darabad
-From Darabad? -Yes
But today's a holiday
I'm on duty tonight until six in the morning
Then what are you doing?
-Where will you go? -To my aunt's
She's dead, I stay with her husband, a janitor
How long ago were you drafted?
Two months
-Still in training? -Yes
Where are you from?
Kurdistan
-And you're in the army here? -Yes
Will you stay or go back after?
-No, I'll go back. -Sorry?
-I'll go back home. -Back to Kurdistan?
-Yes. -Good
What did you do in Kurdistan?
What did you do there?
I was a farmer
A farmer?
Have you studied?
-Were you at school? -Not for long
Well
You gave up?
Why?
You know how it is
How many people in your family?
Nine
-Nine? -Yes
-They all work? -Yes, all of them
-Do you know anyone in Tehran? -Yes
-Relatives? -Yes
I have two brothers in Tehran
Why don't you stay with them?
They're married, they have small houses, children
I can't stay there
Do you have money? Soldiers get pay
-Money? -A little... the pay's not good
Is it enough for you?
Oh no, it's not enough
When do you have to be back by?
Six p.m.
It's five now
You're so fond of the place, you get there
an hour early?
No, not really... no
We've got an hour to kill. How about a drive?
I may have a well-paid job to offer you
to supplement your income
I want to be at the barracks by six
-What? -I want to be back by six
I'll drive you back
Don't worry, you won't be late
-Shall we go? -Okay
I'll get you back by six, don't worry
You say the barracks aren't much fun?
I had fun when I did my military service
It was the best time of my life
I met my closest friends there
Especially in the first six months
I remember we used to get up at four in the morning
After breakfast, we'd shine our boots and
we'd go out on manoeuvers. The major would join us
There were 40 to 45 men in the regiment
The major would start counting
He'd tell us to repeat: One
Two
Three
Four
Do you count too? Is it the same?
Well?
How do you count?
Are you shy?
-Yes. -What?
Why? Don't you count with your friends at the barracks?
Yes
So you don't think of me as a friend
Of course I do, we're friends
No, you act as if we don't know each other
-No, it's not that. -Well, then?
It's not that
Listen, this is how we did it: One
Two
Three
Four
One, two, three, four
-Go on, repeat after me: One -One
two, three
Is that how you do it at the barracks?!
-Soldiers don't count like that! -I can't help it
You're taking me a long way! I need to know what you want
-What you have to do? -Yes
You know, son
If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't ask
what the job is, but rather how good the pay is
For someone like you
the pay's what matters. A job is a job
It's easy if you look at it that way
This isn't an ordinary job but neither is the pay
In ten minutes, you can earn six months' pay
What's the job?
Forget the job, it's the pay that matters
You have to tell me what it is!
Listen, when you ask a laborer to dig foundations
does he ask if they're for a hospital,
a lunatic asylum or a mosque
or a school? He does his job and gets his pay
Ever been a laborer?
Yes
Were you told what you were digging for?
-No, no one told me. -Why ask me then?
Help me out, I'll pay you
It's not hard, you'll see
Okay?
Where are you going?
I have to be at the barracks by six
I'll drive you back, wait a while
I want to get out!
-Get out? -Yes
A call of nature?
No, I was thinking I could go
Why did I ask you to come? You think I'm nuts?
Do I look nuts?
I was thinking I ought to get back
I promised I'd get you back by six and I will
Wait a while
Come on, get out a minute
-I need to get back. -Get out, I'll explain
You see that hole
That hole there
Now listen carefully
At six in the morning, come here and call me twice:
''Mr. Badii! Mr. Badii!''
If I reply, take my hand to help me out of there
There's 200,000 tomans in the car
Take it and go
If I don't reply,
throw in 20 spadefuls of earth on top of me
-Then take the money and go. -Take me back
Keep it. Take me back!
I don't want to cause trouble
-Trouble? What trouble? -I don't want it. It's late
I want to go back. I don't want to be involved in all this
You can't throw 20 spadefuls of earth in that hole?
Right now, I really need you
otherwise I wouldn't have begged you
You want me to beg you? Is that what you want?
No, why would you beg me?
What does ''need'' mean?
What does ''help'' mean? ''Help'' isn't necessarily paid for,
but I'll give you money, I'll help you
Don't you need money? Are you sure?
Of course I do
Well? Isn't 200,000 enough?
It's not that. I can't do this for you
It's not a matter of money
You can't throw earth in a hole?
Yes, but not on top of someone, not on someone's head
You can't throw earth on someone!
If he was alive, he'd stand up to respond.
Look, I really need your help. I'm not mad!
When you throw the earth in, the man won't be alive,
or he wouldn't be in that hole
Do you understand now?
Do you understand me?
Yes
So if you understand, get out, come and see
When you come back here at six tomorrow morning
Is your barracks over there?
From there to here will only take you 20 minutes
Call my name twice: ''Mr. Badii, Mr. Badii!''
If I reply, you'll take my hand to help me climb out
You'll get paid
But if I don't reply...
Get out
Get out!
Get out, come and see!
It's God's will I should need you
and you don't want to help!
You don't want to?!
You won't bury me alive!
Right now, they're burying dozens of people
As we speak, dozens of dead people are being buried
-You've never seen a gravedigger? -No, never
I'm not a gravedigger
I don't bury people
I know you're not a gravedigger
If I'd wanted one, I'd have fetched one
It's you I need
You're like my son
Help me
I have to beg?
Is that what you want?
No, what's the use of begging?
Get out then, come and have a look
Maybe you'll feel up to it
20 spadefuls of earth
Just 20, Each paid 10,000 tomans
Where are you from?
-Kurdistan. -You're a Kurd!
A Kurd has to be brave
You people have fought so many wars,
known such suffering... Your villages have been decimated
You've probably used a gun, right?
Know what a gun is? Why you're given one?
So you can kill when you need to
I don't want to give you a gun to kill me
I'm giving you a spade, a spade
You're a farmer, right?
Just pretend you're farming
and that I'm manure to be spread at the foot of a tree
Is that hard?
You're destined to use a gun, not a spade!
You can't even use a spade!
Thank you!
Thank you very much!
-Hello. -Hello
-How are you? -Well, thanks
-What's that machine for? -Making cement
Really? Why isn't it working?
This place is closed now. The workers aren't here
So what are you doing here?
I'm the security guard
-Are you alone? -Yes
All alone... Do you enjoy that?
Come and join me
-I don't want to disturb you. -Come on up!
-I have to climb this ladder? -Yes
-How can you climb this? -I'm used to it
-You're used to it. -Yes
-Hello. -Hello
What a nice place
Nice? It's nothing but earth and dust
You don't think earth's nice?
Earth gives us all the good things!
So according to you, all good things return to the earth
I think you're...?
I'm Afghani
-Where from? -Mazar-e Sharif
That's a strange name. Whose ''Mazar'' is it?
It's the tomb of the Imam Ali
It's a place of pilgrimage
Isn't the Imam Ali's tomb in Najaf?
Yes, but some people think it's in Mazar-e Sharif
Strange
What are you doing?
I'm making myself an omelette. It isn't worthy of you
I'll make you some tea
Thank you very much!
Don't you get bored here alone?
I'm used to it. I'm used to loneliness too
Do you know that man?
Yes, he's a fellow countryman
He's Afghani?
Yes, he's a ''seminarist''. He's here for his holidays
A ''seminarist''? He should be in a seminary
He felt lonely, he came to see me
He's been here for two or three nights
Is he staying for good?
Of course not...just three nights
I didn't catch what you said
-Is he staying tonight? -Yes, he's staying
You're not entirely alone then
No, not entirely alone
-Is he Afghani too? -Yes
So many Afghanis around here!
There've been a lot since the war in Afghanistan
Between 2 and 3 million Afghanis live in Iran
With the war here, why didn't they go back?
The war against Iraq only concerned the Iranians
But the war at home concerned us
And our war didn't concern you?
You could say your war troubled us
but the Afghanistan War was harder... more painful for us
Tell me
today's a holiday, so why are you here alone?
You feel sad, so do I
Come for a drive. We can get a change of scene, talk
I'm the security guard here, I'm in charge
-A guard in this place? -Yes
But who could carry off a machine that heavy?
It's a holiday. No one needs guards. Come on
Let's get some fresh air. Everything's safe
It's my duty. We all have our responsibilities
-I can't leave my post. -You really can't?
No, sorry
I thought we could get some air
I'll go and see your friend, the seminarist
Maybe we'll go for a drive together
I've made some tea
Leave it for later. Good-bye
-Try going the other way. -The ladder moves!
It's dangerous! Mend it
You can mend it by wrapping fuse-wire around it
Are you well?
You're Afghani, aren't you?
Yes
What are you doing?
I've got three days' holiday
I was alone, I felt down
My friend Ahmad was alone too so I came here to visit him
I meant what are you doing in Iran?
I study at the Tchizar seminary
Aren't there any seminaries in Afghanistan?
Yes, there are some. But there was a war on
And my seminary wasn't that good
so my father told me to study in Iran or at Najaf
So I came to study in Iran
What about the fees? Does your father send you money?
My father isn't that well-off, no
The seminary pays me 2,000 tomans
During the summer, I work
to build up my savings
What kind of work?
I work as a laborer, simple work
I didn't know a seminarist could work as a laborer
When you need to, you work
So if a job comes along, you take it?
Yes
Aren't you wondering why I've offered you a ride?
Yes
I know that your duty is to preach and guide people
But you're young, you have time, you can do that later
It's your hands that I need
I don't need your tongue
or your mind
I'm lucky that those hands belong to a true believer
With the patience, endurance and perseverance that you learn
you're the best person to carry out this job
You're not telling me what I have to do
I know my decision goes against your beliefs
You believe God gives life and takes it when He sees fit
But there comes a time when a man can't go on
He's exhausted and can't wait for God to act
So he decides to act himself
There, that's what's called ''suicide''
You see, the word ''suicide''
isn't only made for dictionaries
It has to have a practical application
And here's the application
Man has to decide on its application
I don't really understand. Tell me what I have to do
If I can, I'll do it for you
I've decided to free myself from this life
What for?
It wouldn’t help you to know and I can't talk about it
And you wouldn’t understand
It's not because you don't understand
but you can't feel what I feel
You can sympathize, understand
show compassion. But feel my pain? No
You suffer and so do I. I understand you
You comprehend my pain but you can't feel it
That's why I ask you to be a true Moslem
and help me. Can you?
Yes, I understand you. But suicide is wrong
Since the Hadiths, our twelve Imams and the Koran
refer to suicide
and say that man mustn't kill himself
God entrusts man's body to him
Man must not torment that body
I understand you, but suicide, viewed from every angle...
That's right
but I told you that I didn't need a lecture
If I had wanted a lecture I'd have turned to someone
with more experience, who's finished his studies
I'm simply asking for a helping hand
My hand does God's justice
What you want wouldn’t be just
I know that suicide is one of the deadly sins
But being unhappy is a great sin too
When you're unhappy you hurt other people
Isn't that a sin too?
When you hurt others, isn't that a sin?
Hurting your family... your friends
hurting yourself
isn't that a sin?
If I hurt you, that isn't a sin
but if I kill myself, it is?
You're right
hurting the people close to you is a great sin too
I think that God is merciful and so great
that He doesn't want to see His creatures suffer
He's so great that He can't possibly
want to force us to live
That's why He grants man this solution
Have you ever thought about the meaning of this?
I've thought about it but not like you have
In any case our talk won't get us anywhere
This isn't the time or place
Get out now. Next to that tree, there's a hole
Go and look. I'll explain afterwards
Go on. Take a look
Get in
I'll explain now
I've decided to swallow
all my sleeping pills tonight
and then come and lie down in that hole
To sleep
What I want you to do is wait until dawn
then come here like a kind brother
and cover me with soil. That's all
Of course
I follow the Koran when it says-
This work will bring you not only Heaven's reward
but also a material reward so you won't need to work this summer
The Koran says
You shall not kill yourself
What's the difference between killing someone
and killing yourself?
Killing yourself is killing
What's your decision?
Why don't you get out?
My friend has cooked an omelette and it smells good. Let's eat
You'll find a solution
Thank you! I know he's cooked but eggs are bad for me!
Some other time! Good-bye!
Mister, mister
Mister, move your car. The digger has to work
Clear the way
Move your car, the digger has to work
What are you doing here?
This is no place to sit down!
Are you sick? Come on, move your car!
You can't sleep here!
If you want cement, you have to go to the office
Come on, take your car
Why have you come here?
Are you sick?
Do you want some tea?
Stand up, take your car
Come on... Come on
Thank you.
So, no more questions?
No
You've got your bearings? That tree is a good landmark
Yes
So, no more questions? No problems?
No problems but...
But what?
When you want to help someone
You have to do it properly, with all your heart
It's better... more just and more reasonable
You can even use your hands instead of a spade
Keep your feelings for more essential things
But how?
What's your job?
I already told you
What specialization?
Shovelling earth doesn't require specialization
Just shovelling earth
If I could help in another way
I'd prefer that
Just do what I ask
But what help?
If a man wants to help his fellow man
he ought to do it differently!
He can save a life
I won't be responsible for someone's death
but, since you ask, I'll say yes
But it's hard. Admit that it's not easy!
If you don't explain your problem,
who can help you? You don't know me
But you have relatives, friends, a brother
Forgive me for prying
It's either a family problem or debts
Every problem has its solution
But if you don't talk
no one can help you
We all have problems in life
If we all chose this way out of every tiny problem
there would be no one left on earth
Isn't that right? No one!
Not a living soul!
Turn left, please
-I don't know this road. -I know it
It's longer but better and more beautiful
I've been a prisoner of this desert for 35 years
I'll tell you something that happened to me
It was just after I got married
We had all kinds of troubles
I was so fed up with it that I decided
to end it all
One morning, before dawn
I put a rope in my car
My mind was made up, I wanted to kill myself
I set off for Mianeh. This was in 1960
I reached the mulberry tree plantations
I stopped there. It was still dark
I threw the rope over a tree but it didn't catch hold
I tried once, twice but to no avail
So then I climbed the tree
and tied the rope on tight
Then I felt something soft under my hand. Mulberries
Deliciously sweet mulberries
I ate one. It was succulent,
then a second and third
Suddenly, I noticed
that the sun was rising over the mountaintop
What sun, what scenery,
what greenery!
All of a sudden, I heard children heading off to school
They stopped to look at me
They asked me to shake the tree
The mulberries fell and they ate
I felt happy
Then I gathered some mulberries to take them home
My wife was still sleeping
When she woke up, she ate mulberries as well
And she enjoyed them too
I had left to kill myself
and I came back with mulberries
A mulberry saved my life
You ate mulberries,
so did your wife, and everything was fine
No, it wasn't like that, but I changed
Afterwards, it was better but I had in fact changed my mind
I felt better
Every man on earth has problems in his life
That's the way it is. There are so many people on earth
There isn't one family without problems
I don't know your problem
otherwise I could explain better
When you go to see a doctor
you tell him where it hurts
Excuse me, you're not Turkish, are you?
Here's a joke. Don't feel offended
A Turk
goes to see a doctor. He tells him:
''When I touch my body with my finger, it hurts
''When I touch my head, it hurts, my legs, it hurts
''my belly, my hand, it hurts''
The doctor examines him and then tells him:
''Your body's fine but your finger's broken!''
My dear man, your mind is ill
but there's nothing wrong with you. Change your outlook
I had left home to kill myself
but a mulberry changed me
an ordinary, unimportant mulberry
The world isn't the way you see it
You have to change your outlook and change the world
Be optimistic
Look at things positively
You're in your prime!
Because of some minor problem you want to commit suicide
For one single problem
Life is like a train that keeps on moving forward
and then reaches the end of the line, the terminus
And death waits at the terminus
Of course, death is a solution
but not at first, not during your youth
Forgive me for dragging you off along this rocky road
You think something is good, then realize you're wrong
The main thing is to think hard
You believe what you do is right
but then you realize that you're wrong
Talk, say something to give me a breather
I've talked too much, I've said everything
I've given a whole speech. Just say something!
Turn left here, please
In any case, if you don't talk, I'll talk some more
If you don't talk, I will
Have you lost all hope?
Have you ever looked at the sky when you wake in the morning?
At dawn, don't you want to see the sun rise?
The red and yellow of the sun at sunset,
don't you want to see that anymore?
Have you seen the moon? Don't you want to see the stars?
The night of the full moon,
don't you want to see it again? You want to close your eyes?
Please, take the right fork!
The people on the other side would like to take a look here
and you want to rush over there!
Don't you ever want to drink water from a spring again?
Or wash your face in that water?
Turn right!
If you look at the four seasons
each season brings fruit
In summer, there's fruit, in autumn too
winter brings different fruit and spring too
No mother can fill her fridge
with such a variety of fruit for her children
No mother can do as much for her children
as God does for His creatures
You want to refuse all that? You want to give it all up?
You want to give up the taste of the cherries?
Don't. I'm your friend, I'm begging you!
Turn right
Turn right, this is the main road
Turn left, please
Before I get out
I'm going to sing you a song in Turkish
It means: ''My love, I'm flying off, come to me
''I'm hounded from my friend's garden, come to me
''From happy days before
''I've fallen on hard times, come to me''
Tell me, we barely know each other
You go, I'm your friend. You stay, I'm your friend
In any case, I'm your friend
You stay, I'm your friend. You go, I'll be your friend too
Good-bye
Do you work here?
Wait. Tell me what you do
I told you, I work here at the Natural History Museum
No, I mean tomorrow morning
Tomorrow, I come at dawn. I call twice:
''Mister... Mister...''
Badii!
Badii, and you reply
Then I take your hand to help you out
And if I don't reply?
You will reply! Inch'Allah, I know what you'll say
But what if I don't reply?
I'll do what you asked me to do,
don't worry!
Say it to put my mind at ease
Some things
are easier to do than to say
In any case, you'll do it
If it wasn't for my child, I wouldn’t
Believe me, it's hard
It's a deal.
I come and I cover you with earth
You take your money and you leave
What a relief for you!
I must go, the kids are waiting
May this money help to cure your child
Keep your promise, or you won't be blessed
I hope you'll be all right
Take this now. You'll get the rest tomorrow
Thanks for bringing me back here. Thanks again!
I'll see you at six tomorrow. Or rather, you'll see me at six
God willing, you'll see me too
Take it, take the money
Thank you but no. After I do the job
Sir, please, could you take our photo?
It's all set, just press the button
Thank you
Hey, what's wrong? Are you in a hurry to die?!
He's crazy, man!
Sir
I want to see the man who just came in
-Many men come in. -He had a blue jacket
His name?
He works here. He was carrying a bag
Many men work here
He had a bag full of quails
for the students. To stuff them
What's his name?
I don't know. He has a sick child, with anemia
Oh, you mean the old man who works in the workshop
Mr. Bagheri
Yes, Mr. Bagheri. Could you call him?
We can't do that
-Can I go in? -You need a ticket
Please! How much is it?
-100 tomans. -Where do I go now?
Follow the path, turn right
behind the main building. You'll find ''Taxidermy''
Taxidermy
Four, please
Thanks, Mr. Bagheri. More partridges!
Just as good! What you get is a matter of luck
Please, girls
A partridge or a quail
We were supposed to study quails!
Birds don't fall into the net to make you happy
Mr. Bagheri, someone for you
First, you have to lie them on their backs
and wet the thorax feathers with a sponge
Then slit them open with a scalpel
along the whole length of the body
Don't cut too deeply or the innards will spill out
Mr. Bagheri come and sit with me
No thank you. I'm busy
-Mr. Bagheri, are you well? -Yes, thank you
That white coat suits you
Thank you very much
What were you doing?
-What birds have you handed out? -Quails
Quails? Did you kill them?
Yes. For work
You're well then?
-I have something to tell you. -Go on
When you come in the morning
bring two small stones and throw them at me
I might just be asleep but still alive!
Two stones aren't enough. I'll use three
Shake my shoulders too! Perhaps I'll be alive
You promised me!
Even if they behead me, I'll keep my word
You promised. Don't forget, don't let me down
Can you hear me?
Tell your men to stay near the tree to rest
The shoot is over
We're here for a sound take