"Ulzhan, you are the delight of my sight, you are the meaning of my life." "My soul can't be cured from the wounds of love..." "Are you alone, cowboy?" " Do I look like a lonely person?" " A Frenchman?" "Wanna have a drink?" "Do you speak Russian?" "A bit." "What is your name?" "I am Irina." "My name is Charles." " Good evening, Charles." " Good evening, Irina." " Where did your come from?" " Well, from Paris, as you say." "No, from Russia." "It's a long and mirthless story." "But there is oil, a border, plenty of opportunities..." "And I can even meet someone..." "like you." " What are you writing?" " My address." "To come to Paris," "I need to have French husband." "I will marry you." "But when?" "Aren't you married?" "Fare thee well, maverick." "It's not good when vodka gets into your eyes." "Be careful, there are plenty of thieves." "Too many..." "Want to have a drink?" "First time here?" "Working with oil?" "What do you do then?" "To free Kazakhstan!" "Look!" "What a banknote!" "500 euro!" "You may leave it." "And a passport as well." "I guess that's what you want?" "Once upon a time, there lived a small boat, which never sailed the sea..." "Documents?" "A passport?" "What's up with your passport?" "Is it stolen?" "Whom do you work for?" ""Halliburton"?" ""Gazprom"?" ""Agip"? "Total"?" "What are you looking for?" "Where are you going?" "We have to detain you, or, if you wish, we can pass you to the local police." "Your identity, your address, your birthday, your passport." "We have to figure out, if you do not espionaging for some company." "Let's go." "The French embassy proved your identity." "Take this." "There are dollars." "As a compensation." "We beg your pardons." "But we have to be careful." " So am I free?" "May I go?" " Whenever you wish." "I suggest you take a helicopter to Astana." "There you'll be able to get the new documents." " No, no, don't worry, thanks." " I have to insist." "Is it really what you do?" "So, you go?" "It's 2000 kilometers to Astana." "Once there was a sea, the Aral sea." "I am alone." "Enormous pain is burning my chest as if it's a fire." "Listen, I have to do something with it." "Oh god, when will my heart will calm down again?" "Look!" "That's Astana!" "It's our new capital." "It's like Brazil in a desert." "Two billion U. S. dollars." " You thought it would be different?" " I didn't think about it." "It's impressive, isn't it?" "It's said it was a country without towns and villages." "Yes." "They were bedouins, nomads." "They were made to enter these collective farms, kolkhoz." "Their cattle was killed." "As a result, 2 million of deaths." " I guess, starvation was the reason?" " Exactly, it was a dreadful hership." "Now they want to become nomads again." "But it's not that easy." " If something is over, then it's over forever." " That's true." "How much money did you have?" "I don't know." "Did you block your credit card?" "Then what are you waiting for?" "Identity check will take a couple of days." "Then you'll get a passport." "Don't worry." " I don't need a passport." " Are you sure?" "Thousands of people are ready to give their lives to get a passport and you don't need it?" "We booked a room in the hotel for you." " While you are waiting, you can go sightseeing." " Anything worthy of?" "Nothing special." "Astana was built in prairies within 5 years." "It looks like the Batman's city." "Are you okay?" " I guess, you'll like it." " What's that?" " A surprise." "But... is it your only clothes?" "That doesn't matter." "You are not confident?" " About what?" "About this evening?" " No, no, I don't know, actually." "You are so closed, you almost don't talk." "If you are worrying about KGB, things have changed a lot." "No, I don't worry about that." "I don't know what you think, but..." "I find a lot of concealed charm and loveliness about Asia." "What's up?" "You don't like it?" "No, everything is fine, but I have to go." "Thanks for everything." "What about your passport?" "Shit!" "A Frenchman?" "I didn't speak French for..." "six and a half years." "Are you an frequenter here?" " I'm here for the first time." " I'm a regular customer." "Each time I am in this country." "It's not that cozy, but the walls protect you from the wind." " What is this place?" " It's a camp of course, what did yo think?" "It looks like a farm." "Camouflage." "American spies noticed this camp from their airplanes." "So Stalin made it look like a farm." "with sheep, flocks and herds and poultry everywhere." "But there were only two-legged animals." "Let's go." "What are you looking for?" "I'm looking for the words." "But nothing interesting here." ""Help", of course." ""SOS"." "As simple as that." "Sooner or later everyone needs help." "It looks so ancient, as the Great Wall of China." "or ruins of Pompeii, but it was just yesterday." "The people who staid here were 30-40 years older then us." "The age of my dad." "When the wind is howling you can hear them crying." "They are carved in stone." "Do you have any food?" "I made a big way today but didn't find any food." "Great!" "I'll build a fire!" "I have tea." "Don't forget about it, it seems it will be cold at night." "We'll have to sleep closer to the fire." "If we continue adding some wood, it will be okay." " What do you do for living?" " Me?" "I'm a salesman." " On a motorbike?" " Yes." "It is as efficient and practical as a camel, but not that angry." " What do you sell?" " Whatever I can." "I need to sleep." "It's my time." "If you have a long way ahead, buy a horse." "Better an old one - it's cheaper, and if it dies... you won't be so sorry." " So I set forth." "Need a lift?" " No." " You're sure?" " Yes." "Beware of camels!" "Granddaughter..." "Ulzhan..." "Where are you from?" "My name is Charles." "I'm a frenchman." "And my name is Ulzhan." " What do you need?" " I need a horse." "I was told that..." "You can help me?" "If you need a horse - talk to my dad." "But he is away." "I can sell you a horse." "We have plenty of them today." "Can I buy an old horse?" " But why?" " They are cheaper, aren't they?" " Who told you?" " A person I met." " A local?" " I don't know." "That's a wrong belief." "The old horses are more expensive." " But they aren't that strong." " They know the land instead." " While the young horses often get lost." " Can I buy one of those?" "Sure." " Your dad won't be against it?" " I believe, he won't." " Or may be I'd better wait for him?" " Wait for him?" "Why not?" "My dad is in the hospital." "And I don't know when will he come back." "Wait here." "It's a bit... sluggish, ain't it?" "No, it's nice." "Look." " A very good horse." " What about that one?" "That one is not for sale." " When do you leave?" " Right now." "Now?" "It's impossible." "Tomorrow morning." "It's too late now." " I'll arrange a room for you." " No, no, I want to stay here." "You can't sleep here." "Horse meat." "It's very good." "The milk from the camel." "She-camel, better to say." "I studied French using books." "And now I teach French here." "But I've never been to France." " Would you like to see that country?" " Not necessary." "Children?" "Do you have a wife?" " Where are you heading to, exactly?" " To Khan-Tangri." " Have you been there before?" " No." "It's far away." "Yes, I know, but I have a map." "She says that in the past shamans used to go there to die." "Is that all?" "Think of it." "There will be no shops for a long time." "I know." "You need some warm clothes." "No, i don't need it." "And a shapka - it's a must." "Ulzhan, I can't tell you why, but I want to stay alone." "If you can't explain, then I'll stay." "No, I have some business, and I need to be alone." "I have... a mission." " Mission... a secret one?" " No..." "I mean yes, yes." " You don't trust me?" " No." " But you have to." "Come back, you can't do like that." "You have your school, your grandma." "Come back." "Leave me alone, okay?" " Hello, how do you do?" " I'm hungry." "Do you have food?" "Yes, you're just in time!" "You are welcome!" "Come in here." " What is this place?" " I have no idea." "They call it a "church"" "Come here, have a seat." "Sometimes, as you see, they pay me like that." "What did you sell them?" "Two hindi words and one bengal." " What?" " Yes, just three words." " You sell words?" " Shakuni, the word seller." "It's a real profession." "My dad was in this business." "But it's vanishing, sorry to say." " What's the concept?" " I collect words here and there, and offer these words to those who need them." " And you make enough money for living?" " Not that much nowadays." "But just some time ago, the time of my father, it was enough." "Especially in those countries where people can't read." "There are many of those countries." "What do you sell exactly?" "The words "OK", "Ciao"?" "No, you can't sell them anymore." "They are familiar for everyone." " Which words then?" " More rare words, more precious." "more expensive words, needless to say." " For instance, a Portuguese "soudade"." "Do you know it?" " Yes." "What will "soudade" sound like in some other language?" "It means nostalgia, a sorrow." "love, desire?" " No, it's complicated." " It's impossible." "Who was your father?" "I don't know." "My mom was from Germany." "That's what I know." "German people were deported here long ago." " By Stalin?" " Yes." "If they come to Russia long time ago." "During the regimen of Ekaterina the Great." "What about your dad?" "I have several." "The one I chose myself - I don't know who was he." "He doesn't know himself." " Where do you live?" " I belong to the nomads." "As my father." "I live everywhere." "So I never loose the key from my house" " It's an advantage." " Can we sleep there?" "Are you trying to run away from something?" "You are the second person who says so." "One woman called me " a "maverick"." "May be, she was right." " What do I run from?" " It's not necessary to run from something." "Your name" " Shakuni - where does it come from?" "It's in sanskrit." "It's from an ancient indian poem." "It's a name of a professional rook." "Quite skilled, especially when it comes to dices." "He glorified the art of gamblers." " I can read you a part from it." " In sanskrit?" " Yes." " You parents gave you this name?" " No." "No, I took it myself." " Well, good night." "I have to wake early." " Good night." "You can sleep peacefully." "It's a sacred land." "A church, a temple, a mosque..." "Anyway, we always sleep close to the deadmen." ""The rain has stopped, we are leaving tomorrow, we look forward to seeing you"." "Wake up!" "Come on!" "Come here." "Kolkhoz." "It was long ago." "When I was a small girl." "There were plenty of people here." " You knew this place?" " No, not this one, but similar." "Animals, families, children – all of them lived here together." "With the school and hospital." "The people lived, gave birth to their children, worked, ate." "They were told what to do." "They had everything for life." "Not too much, but enough." "And now?" "Everything has changed." "Once it was a zoo, now it's jungles." "Jungles are better?" "No, not for those who was born in the zoo." "Do they feel sorry about that?" "Those who made a fortune prefer it to be jungles, it's obvious." "It's not easy to leave your cage." "It's from my room." "A shampoo?" "May be it's enough?" "You are so uncareful." "You are not afraid of death?" "And you?" "Sure I am." "My dad is ill." "I'm afraid he may die." "And you?" "Are you afraid to die?" "I don't know." "Nothing makes you frightened?" "Not you, definitely." "May be, I should be afraid of..." "You are very uncareful in your dids and in your speech." " My skin is aching." " It's because of salt." "Okay, lie down." "Never sleep in the prairie." "Otherwise you'll loose your mind." "Sure..." "Sometimes  I'm afraid." " Why are you so stubborn?" " Stubborn?" "You think, I have a secret?" "If I tell you this secret, will you calm down?" "May be." "I'm looking for the treasures." "Real treasures?" "In prairie?" " No." " Where then?" "There, in the mountains." "There are some golden stuff in the combs. ." "That's why they say "gold of prairie"." "Are you talking about the "golden man"?" "So that's the way you are searching for treasures?" "Golden treasures?" "Not quite so." "Look." " Have you ever heard of nestorians?" " No." "What's that?" "They are from Iran." "Iranian christians." "Some time after Jesus." "When the Arabs intruded Iran they escaped towards China, and took the most valuable things with them." "They were called 'the bearers of light'." " Did they head to China?" " Yes, cause the chinese were open to the new." "And what's most important, they did not know anything about Christ." "And it gave safety." "But their way to China was connected with dangers." "Many of them died after assaults in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan." "So they divided, the smaller group decided to go North, to this region, in prairie." "This small group of those who survived decided to stay at the mountain of Khan-Tengri." "And hid their treasures, their "light"." "And probably, these treasures are still here." " Is that true?" " Yes." " So, what sort of treasures is that?" " Things, apparels?" " Yes, sure, and some cultic accessories." "And many other." "You went traveling to find this treasures?" "Not only the treasures." "There are some texts." "Quite valuable, as those I found in Paris." "And if we find the rest, we can discover the whole world, their world." " Their "light"." " You are a teacher?" "I was a teacher." "Like you." "Thank you." "But why?" "May I join you?" "I feel so lonely." " On a bike?" " No, no, I sold it." "On foot." "Take it." "It's from far away." "And with bad temper." "As arrogant as a camel!" "I see, you are not alone now." "That's good." "I won't have stayed alone if I could take care of a woman." "What sort of life can I offer her?" " How are things going?" " Getting even worse." "Over the last two days I sold just one word." " The word "tarof". - "Tarof"?" " It's Arabian." "But the iranians grabbed it." " What is her name?" " Ulzhan." "It's very simple." "Look." "Shall I leave you alone?" "You see, that's what 'tarof' means:" "renouncing something you desire." " You talk too much." " That's because I live alone." "How came that she speaks French?" "You know, what I thought first?" " No." "I killed someone in France, and escaping here?" " Yes." " Now you trust me?" " A bit." " What else don't you believe in?" " The treasures." "Those treasures of nestorians - it's your invention?" " Partially." " What do you mean 'partially'?" "I am doing some research." "Real research." "Some long-term, serious research." "You understand?" " Yes, but I do not believe you." " But I tell you!" " Your dad taught you?" " Yes, he is 'baaksy'." "You know what it means?" "He sings, he prays, he heals." " You mean he is a sort of a... shaman?" " If you like it." "He is always on his way." "You never know where you meet him." "He brings news, letters..." " Does he sell words?" " When he can, but his memory is getting worse." " What did you sell them?" " A word 'dharma'." "Do you know its meaning?" " Is it sanskrit?" " Yes, by origin, but now it's used everywhere." "What does it mean?" "It's something in between... the duty and the law." "It's close to Chinese 'dao', but not exactly the same." "For Indians it's connected with space." "If you don't respect your dharma..." "the stars can get mixed up." "you see?" "They can lose their way in the sky." "It's a dangerous land." "Because of the test." "Here is the training area." "500 nuclear explosions." "The peasants didn't want to leave this land, as the grass was growing better..." "Come back!" "You're crazy!" "There's exposure!" "Come back!" "I know why you came here!" "To die." "I felt it immediately." "Grandma told me, death is on your face." " Who is on this photograph?" " You went through my stuff?" " Yes!" ""Marvelous ending of the vacations!"" "Stop it!" "Give it back to me!" " "The rain stopped... "" " Stop it!" ""... we are leaving tomorrow"." " Give it to me." " No!" " Give it to me!" "Car accident?" " Did they die?" " Give it to me..." " Tell me!" " I can't." "Why are you following me?" "Why don't you leave me alone?" "Because you came to me." "I was there." "And I couldn't do other than I did." "I'd like to see the manuscripts, and the map as well, the one you have in your bag." " How did you learn?" " You were talking in sleep." "Don't go through my stuff." "Take a horse, I'll go on foot." "The manuscripts do exist." "They're written in an unknown language, which can't be deciphered." " I know so many languages!" " Even those, which are not spoken anymore?" "All the languages are still spoken." "They are not forgotten." "Even the languages of the tower of Babel are still spoken." "One person I knew was passing the time doing nothing." "Once he was asked:" ""What are you doing from morning till night?" "What are you busy with?"" ""I'm looking for the way to avoid death"." ""Any success?"" ""So far, so good"." "Okay, the races have started!" "You don't have to wish to die." "Anyway, we'll die." "Better take care of her." "She leaved with a man, she followed you and got lost." "Whether you like it, or not." "I didn't ask her about anything!" "I didn't ask you as well!" "I am fed up with your advice and stories." "I want to be alone, can't you see?" "Alone!" "Shit!" "It's made by Buddhists." "The rocks have stopped them, and they did not move further." " Buddhists?" "Can't believe." " Buddhists or someone else..." "Someone is here." "Gods never travel without us." "Buddhist drawings in Kazakhstan - unbelievable!" "Who told you we are still in Kazakhstan?" "You think I'm asking myself where am I?" "I've got a lot to do without that." "May be, we are in China already?" "Or in Mongolia?" "Who knows?" "I haven't seen a border drawn by the God..." "From the sky." "If you see just one - tell me." "Dad!" "There, there." "Breath..." "Is everything okay?" "We have to hurry up." " It's my dad." " What's with him?" "He feels worse." "Follow me." "Don't leave me." "Don't worry." "Tell me please, does your father still sells words?" "No, he quit." "Now he leaves on that hill with a woman who takes care of him." "He always preferred women to the words." "And he was right, may be." " What does he say?" " There are words inside that bring grief." "He says those papers are buried not to inflict misery." "You don't need to worry that much." "It's just the words." "The words don't worth fighting." "Sometimes you fight because of much more ridiculous matters." "While the words can be of great help." "That's true." "Someone fights for nothing." " What is this?" " I don't know." "The letters." "War death notices." "You see?" "Kabul..." "Here's more." "From the second world war." "My dad never delivered such letters." "He stored them." "He used to say, that... death is not worthy of reporting it." "We have to split." "This lady says that one man among us is epactal." "And it's not you, I can tell you for sure." " What shall you do?" " Don't worry about me." "Look:" "Asia is really big." "I will follow my father." "I will go to the celebrations, weddings..." "I will sing songs and tell stories." "The stories are always demanded." "I always knew it was your horse." "Thank you for everything, Ulzhan." "You are staying here?" "Without water and food?" "Will you find the way back?" ""We'll come even earlier, than the postcard, but children insisted." "The last walk in the port." "Marvelous ending of the vacations!" "Rain has stopped, we are leaving tomorrow, we look forward to see you." "Love you"." "Subtitles by:" "PLEŠA"