ELiA
THE TRAVELER
Based on a Story by HASSAN RAFIE
Screenplay by ABBAS KIAROSTAMI
Directed by ABBAS KIAROSTAMI
Qassem.
Aren't you coming to school? - What time is it?
- It was a quarter to 1 when I left. - You swear?
I swear. I just asked.
Well, we beat them.
Persepolis beat us.
Mister, how much is this magazine?
Fifteen Rials.
Will you take 13?
No, I can't take 13.
I will get money from my father and pay you tomorrow.
Who's your father?
Mr. Lar, the carpenter.
"...as if fleeing in terror from the thing that appeared,
and there was a despondent atmosphere all around.''
May I, sir?
- Where the hell have you been? - I had a toothache.
Toothache my foot!
It's infected.
So you show up now? What about this morning?
- My mom took me to the doctor. - I hope it rots.
"Comprehending nothing, even the state he was in,
he felt as if this great and dark force of nature had engulfed him.
It was not just horror that gripped him.
It was something like melan... melan…
Melancholy.
"To escape that strange sensation
that he feared but did not understand,
he began to count in a loud voice.''
Akbar, the big game is in two days.
Lucky for the fans in Tehran.
It's no good unless you are there in person.
They printed Ghelichkhani's picture. I think he's gonna play.
I bet he will score six goals again.
What does "environs" mean?
The surrounding area.
"Fear seized him again,
a natural fear he could not overcome.
At that moment,
Kuzat had just one thought: to escape with all his might
across the jungle and desert
to where there were houses, windows, and lit candles."
- What's that? - It's not mine, sir.
Get out of here. You want to fail this year too?
"He grasped the handle and started on his way.
This time he proceeded a bit further,
but he was forced to stop again.
After resting a few seconds, he started on his way once again."
- I'm back. - Go start your homework.
Right away he hurries off to soccer. God help us!
I said to do your homework.
Stop playing so much soccer.
You are wearing both of us out.
I'm tired of washing your clothes all the time.
You will get a thrashing tonight
with your father's switch.
Aren't you tired of chasing that ball?
Why don't you go study? Why are you always failing?
At least learn a trade like carpentry,
or you will be unemployed, and your life will be ruined.
What can we do with you? Why won't you work?
How much must I work just to feed you?
If you won't study, then learn to weave rugs,
or you will make a mess of your life.
I keep telling you to do your homework.
Stop all this soccer. You think of nothing else.
You have snuck out again, you little devil?
I'm his mother. I'm worried about him.
I tell him these things so he will study and not fail the entire year,
not just to annoy him.
Send him to learn a trade and make a new start.
What if he works the same way he studies?
Then his father has to punish him.
His father whips him at night as it is.
He takes his books and sneaks out.
He tells me he is studying,
then he fails at the end of the year.
Take it up with his principal.
How?
Send him a letter? - Yes, write to him.
I will curse him for teaching the boy about soccer.
Persepolis is winning!
You really messed up. You call that soccer?
If you are so good, show us.
- What was wrong with you? - What do you mean?
Did you even pass once?
So you can mess it up at the goalpost?
- Your mind was wandering. - You always fumble it.
I pass you the ball,
you mess up at the goalpost, and they score.
And you tell me to pass!
Your head was in the clouds.
Okay, I didn't play well,
but you had no right to fumble the passes.
- What were you thinking about? - Nothing.
- Nothing? - Tehran.
Tehran? Why?
- I want to go. - Why?
- To see the game. - You gonna tell your parents?
- Yeah. - What will you tell them?
- That I was at your house. - My house?
We have a test in Persian.
I will study on the way.
- What about money? - Money?
Is this any way to raise children?
You have to think about your kid, ask him if he is studying.
I'm constantly washing clothes and hanging them to dry.
I will leave and I won't come back until you take care of this.
I told you the same thing last year.
You just ignored me,
and he had to repeat the whole year.
You don't give it a single thought.
I keep telling you, and you keep ignoring it.
You just sit there,
cigarette in hand, blowing smoke.
I keep telling you,
but it's in one ear and out the other.
I need money for a mourning ceremony tomorrow.
O God, make our mothers and fathers...
and teachers...
proud of us.
O Creator...
lead us on the right path...
You are going to Tehran with five Tomans?
Come in.
Sir, I'm Qassem Julayi's mother.
Well, well.
What brings you here?
He goes to bed every night without doing his homework.
When I ask, he says he has done it.
I'm here to find out
if he is doing his schoolwork and coming to school.
I can't read or write.
You come once a year to see if the little vagrant is coming to school?
He has made my life hell and turned the whole school upside down.
He is not a child, He is a monster.
What can I do?
I ask if he has done all his homework,
and he says yes.
He goes to bed early and gets up early.
He leaves for school before the other kids.
I ask him, "Where is your homework?"
He says he did it at school, or on the way,
or out in the yard, or on the roof.
How am I to know? I can't read.
I'm busy fixing their lunch and dinner.
They eat and leave, and I don't say a word.
Then the neighbor's child tells me Qassem is not coming to school.
So I've come to see you
to find out if he is doing his schoolwork.
You are in charge here. - That's right!
If a chicken snuck out of your yard,
You had follow it halfway across town.
In all these years, have you ever come to see what he is up to?
Have you even come to see what the school looks like?
Now you come and say, "You are in charge.''
Just last night
he acquired a new habit I don't like one bit.
Last night I put five tomans under the rug.
This morning I served their breakfast
and gave him the five riaIs he had asked for.
After he left, I tidied up,
and when I went to get the five tomans, they were gone.
No one else goes in that room.
What do I do about this new habit of his?
What do you expect from such an ill-bred boy
with parents like you?
What am I supposed to do with him?
Did you ever come see me before he stole that money?
You say it's his first time. What can I do?
You are his mother, and even you can't stop him.
And if I give him a beating,
no one may say a word now,
but tomorrow they will all be on my back.
You are the authority here.
Ask him what he did with those five tomans.
We give you our permission.
You have the authority here.
Two things could happen here.
Either I wash my hands off this
and let you sort it out...
or you can…
Young man!
Go tell Qassem Julayi to come here.
… Or you can leave it to me, and I will set him straight.
I entrust him first to God and then to you.
I will show him who’s boss so he thinks twice in the future.
He just picked up this new habit.
I put the five tomans under the carpet last night.
No one else goes in our house.
Come in, young man.
Come closer.
Closer.
Your mother says you took
five tomans from under the carpet.
What did you do with it? - Why would I have it?
Watch how you speak to me, or you will be sorry.
Last night I had dinner and went to bed,
and this morning I left for school. I never saw it.
- Tell the truth. - I don't have it.
Where did you go, and who with?
Who did you spend it with? - No one.
- Then where is it? - I don't have it. She is making it up.
I will knock your teeth out and hand them back to you.
I swear I don't have it.
He is lying.
You are not going to tell me?
I swear I don't have it.
Put out your hand.
I swear I don't have it.
No one else goes in the house.
- Who did you give it to? - She is wrong.
Your mother says you took it.
I swear I don't have it.
Tell the truth, or I will beat you to a pulp.
You have to tell the truth.
Stand here.
He just started this stealing.
She is making it up.
Tell the truth. Put out your hand.
I told you I don't have it.
...and the left atrium.
Blood circulation in human beings
takes part in two stages.
Blood circulates in two stages in the human body,
and we wll examine each stage in order.
In the first stage,
the left ventricle contracts, causing blood to flow.
When this ventricle contracts,
the blood inside this large blood vessel,
bent to the left like the handle of a cane,
starts moving inside this blood vessel called the aorta,
and it splits into two branches a bit above the heart.
One branch delivers fresh blood to the upper body…
- May I, sir? - Take your seat.
- Which bus? - The 4:00.
- No 4:00. We have a 6:00. - Fine.
For one? Name?
- Ahmadi. - Ten tomans.
Mister...
Yes?
- How much is a ticket? - To where?
- Tehran. - Ten tomans.
What time?
You can board.
What time?
- What times do you have? - 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
- I want to go at night. - Nothing at night.
The bus from Abadan comes through here at night.
- There is one at 11:00 p.m. - All right.
- How many? - One.
- Name? - I will come for it later.
The game is the day after tomorrow.
We have to find some money.
I'm not going to math.
- I wanna go too. - No, forget it.
Julayi, you read.
Where, sir?
Lesson two.
Saburi, continue.
Jafari, you translate.
Akbar, I only have five tomans to get to Tehran.
Let's figure out how much more I need.
Ten tomans for the bus each way,
another 10 to get around,
and five to get into the stadium.
That makes 25.
Five tomans for the taxi
and a bus to the stadium, how much is that?
That's 30 tomans.
What about food?
That's okay. I will take some food from home.
I will take lunch and dinner from home.
So 10 and 10 is 20,
plus two times five makes 30,
and I only have five.
I need another 25 to get to Tehran.
Come with me next period to find some money?
No, we have math.
Neither of us knows the lesson.
He will just hit us.
Forget about math.
You are my friend. You have to come.
He might give a test.
No, he won't. Just come.
Fresh bread here!
Hello.
Will you buy this fountain pen?
- No. - Why not?
I don't need one.
AII those broken pens, and you won't buy mine?
I don't have broken pens, and I'm not buying any.
- It's practically new. - Makes no difference.
I'm not interested.
- Just buy this one. - I don't buy used pens.
It's not used.
I don't buy used pens. I have no need for them.
No one here uses a pen?
- You keep it. - What would I do with it?
You will need it for school.
I probably won't be going to school anymore.
Makes no difference. I don't need it.
- For God's sake - No. And don't be swearing.
I wouldn't buy it if you stayed here all day.
I don't need any pens.
- Buy this then. - No, not that either.
- At least buy this! - No, nothing.
Not from you.
- Then who do you buy from? - The wholesaler.
Why do you need a wholesaler? Just buy this.
What's the difference?
There's a big difference. We buy in bulk.
You sell to kids, but you won't buy from them?
- We are sellers, not buyers. - If you sell, you should buy too.
I said I'm not buying.
Then at least buy this stamp collection.
No, nothing.
- But it's a stamp collection. - Not that either.
Look. It has everything.
Children's stamps and everything. - I don't need it.
- Just buy one of them. - No.
At least buy something.
Come on. There are lots of other stores.
You don't have to beg him.
Go sell to someone else.
- Let's go somewhere else. - Let's go.
That's right. Go on.
No, I can't use it.
I'm not interested. It's used.
No.
Whose camera is this?
My uncle's. I got it out of storage to sell.
Hello.
Hello, boys. What's that?
We want to sell this camera.
I don't need a camera.
Why not?
It's missing parts.
I'm not interested. - Why not?
Who is your father?
Mr. Lar, the carpenter.
- Whose camera is this? - Mine.
I can't use it.
Why not?
It's missing parts.
I have taken thousands of pictures with it.
- What are you asking? - You want to buy it?
- Who is your father again? - Mr. Lar, the carpenter.
Since you are a good boy...
and you are Mr. Lar's son, I will give you three tomans.
Give it back.
I passed up a better offer yesterday.
Give me the cover. - Then sell it to them.
Young man...
I will give you four.
- No. - Take it.
- Go on. - Forget it.
Go sell it to him. Stop playing with it.
I can't get to Tehran with four tomans.
We will make more than that with it ourselves.
What will you do for pictures?
I will say they didn't come out 'cause they moved too much.
Take this.
Stand still.
Look, he is taking pictures.
Stay back.
Smile.
That's five rials.
- When do I get the picture? - Tomorrow.
- Where? - Here, at the school gate.
Want a picture? How much do you have?
Let's have it.
Stand over there.
Further back.
Hands on your hips.
Both of them.
Got it.
Want your picture taken too?
Come on.
Where is your money?
Two rials? That's not enough.
Stand back there.
Smile.
Good. Hands on your hips.
Got it.
Stand over there. Hands on your hips, and smile.
Got it.
Bag in your other hand, and put your arm around his shoulder.
Good.
Smile.
Smile. Show us those beautiful teeth.
Got it.
Give me a smile, sweetie. You are the cutest of them all.
Smile, both of you.
Let's see a smile. Here we go.
Take his picture too.
Okay, but it's five rials.
Fine.
Come on then.
What a cutie. My, you are a chubby one.
Let's have a little smile.
He is so chubby that his eyes droop.
Got it.
Don't take it.
Just 45 rials.
I expected it to be a lot more.
Don't feel bad that you can't go on the trip.
Let's study for our vocabulary test.
Okay.
"Outlaw."
It means a "rebel".
"Discipline." - "Obedience."
"Ambition."
"The desire to make progress."
"Ambulance."
What is it?
"A vehicle used to carry the sick and wounded."
"Expedition."
Akbar, the soccer gear.
- What about it? - We will sell it.
- To who? - Taqi's team.
No, our team pooled all our money to buy it.
And I carry it around everywhere like a mule!
You are the captain. You wanted it at your house.
'Cause everyone acts like they are the captain.
Let's go sell it before it's too late.
- Is this Mr. Taqi's shop? - Yes.
Hello.
Mr. Taqi, didn't you want to buy a ball and net?
Yeah, how come?
Buy mine. Our team split up.
I will have to see what the captain and the others say.
We would have to raise the money. Then I will buy yours.
I already talked to your captain.
He said whatever you decide is fine.
You can pay me out of the safe now and get the money later.
No, not without my brother here.
Forget it then. Akbar, let's go sell it to Golmorad.
How much are you asking?
How much?
Look. The base is solid steel.
We paid 70 tomans.
But just for you, half price. What can you pay?
The net is full of holes.
Akbar, tell him. We just bought the net.
I will give you 25 tomans.
- What do you think? - Yeah.
Okay.
- Name? - Qassem Julayi.
One ticket? Ten tomans.
Be at the station by 10:45.
- I gotta go! - You don't leave till 11:00!
- Where are you taking that? - I'm getting up early to study.
What do you want?
- You going to Tehran? - Yeah.
Don't fall asleep and miss your bus.
I won't. Now go. My mother is gonna wake up.
- You will tell me about the game? - Yeah. Now go!
Qassem.
What?
- You are lucky. - My mother is gonna wake up.
Now go.
Qassem.
Wait!
Mister!
Wait for me!
- Where you going? - Tehran.
- Pay your fare. - I have a ticket.
All right. Then go sit down.
FIVE TOMANS
Back of the line.
- Three. - Take your change.
- How many? - One.
- How many? - Three.
Move up.
Why are you pushing? He has to move up first.
Three.
I have been in this line all morning.
- You are driving us all nuts. - All these people and it's my fault?
- Stop pushing. - You are the one pushing.
- One, please. - Five tomans.
That's it. No more tickets.
I stood in line all morning!
All these people are still waiting!
We have waited five hours.
Mister, you got a ticket?
You have tickets? Where are they?
Not those.
For the game.
- How many? - One.
- Twenty tomans. - For a five-toman ticket?
They are 25 at the booth.
They are five at the booth.
All right, 20.
Make it 10. The game is starting.
You have wasted an hour of my time.
Here is 10.
Twenty or nothing.
Gimme the ticket, you crook.
Mister, you got a ticket for me?
- How many? - One.
- Twenty tomans. - Why so much?
- What do you want it for? - To see the game.
For 20 you can see it.
You are selling them to everyone else for…
- Mister - How many?
- One. - Twenty tomans.
Hurry up.
Let go. I will take these two tens.
Now beat it.
Is Ghelichkhani playing today?
In Malayer they showed him playing on TV.
He kicked the ball all the way to the other end.
Ice cream here.
Mister.
- Have some. - Thanks, kid. You eat it.
Yeah, we will see how today's game goes.
Let's wait till it's over. - We will sigh in relief.
It will start soon, if they are on time.
We will see how they play today.
What do you do?
I'm a weaver. It's not a bad living.
- You work by the hour? - Yes. I work independently,
so I have time to come to these games.
The boss can't tell us not to go, or to go later,
or ask us why we are going, because we are independent.
Not like in my work. I have been unemployed for a while.
- What do you do? - I'm an ironsmith.
Who would want to be by a hot fire in this heat anyway.
Mister, help yourself.
Thanks, kid. You eat it. Haven't you had lunch yet?
No.
Why didn't you eat earlier?
Is it that late? How long until the game?
About three hours.
Another three hours of sitting here?
Well, you have to get your seat and settle in first.
- You a Persepolis fan? - Yes.
You came here just for the game?
Where are you from? - Malayer.
- You been to Tehran before? - No.
Just once, to Sarasiyab, when my sister had her baby.
That's all you know of Tehran? Nothing else?
Oh, and this stadium too.
- Just those two places? - Yeah.
What do people go to see here anyway?
What can I tell you?
There are museums.
There's Shahyad Square, the zoo… Have you been to the zoo?
Just once, to the one in Mashad,
the year before last.
How far is it to the zoo?
How far?
You can't go alone. Don't you have any friends here?
No. You think Tehran kids would be my friends?
Sure they would be your friends.
A couple of years ago a kid came to MaIayer.
I knocked on his door to ask if he would play, and he said no.
I told the little snob to suit himself.
They don't want to be friends.
Mister...
will you save my place while I look around?
Sure thing, son.
- Save it for me, okay? - Sure.
- Mister, what's this place for? - Boxing.
You know what boxing is?
Sure, I'm a boxer myself.
In Malayer we hit the pillow so hard it passes out.
With those muscles?
What about you, with your big muscles?
You just make a racket with that machine!
How deep is it?
How deep?
Kanoon - Institute for the Intellectual Development