"Who is it?" "Just nino, farzit and chouchou." "This isn't a hotel!" "Go back to sleep." "Everyone's napping... but i can't fall asleep." "Oh, my neighbor hamouda, tell me what to do with all this love." "Double hadj set off for mecca twice, but he never got there." "God protect us!" "Bless us 5 times!" "Why isn't he married?" "I know why." "In fact, double hadj is a magician." "An evil warlock who demands constant obedience." "He had 7 rebellious fiancées." "He cut their throats and buried them here." "La goulette - tunisia - north africa a white town on a deep blue sea where rich and poor... live together peacefully." "Even for tunisia, it's a sight to see!" "A summer in la goulette come arabs, jews, and christians too... the tgm's about to depart... we're off to the beach... the beach that won my heart!" "La goulette, la goulette, oh, how i love you!" "Your beauty has no price, thanks to youssef, nino, and lulu!" "La goulette, you'll always be my paradise!" "Our life's one endless party..." "thanks to you!" " Oh, rachel, where are you going?" " To the goulette." "Help me put my valise in the train." "Throw a 7." "Stop clowning around." "Rotten kids!" "They stole my aerial!" "Give it back!" "How can i work?" "Give it back to me!" "Why don't we go fishing?" "Hamouda, why don't you ever come?" "Who'll watch my café?" "My mother?" "I lost radio cairo!" "I lost radio cairo!" "Ass... pirin." "Relieves aches and pains!" "Go to hell!" "What have we here?" "Classy chassis!" "Take me for a ride!" "Are you going to pick up your sisters?" "Farzit, you never gave us back our comics." "And what about our harlequin romances?" "If you sold them to the book-sellers, we'll kill you!" "Meriem has them." "She hasn't read them yet." "If meriem has them, it's okay." "How are gigi and tina?" "Tell them we have more comics." "Loubia!" "Get down, you brats!" "What lovely specimens!" "I'm thunderstruck!" "I have to close up." "You're not finished?" "Almost." "Come on, it's my sister's wedding dress." "Go eat and come back after." "You're such pains!" "I can't stand it anymore, madame cavasino." "They're such slow-pokes!" "Calm down, zohra." "They don't like sloppy work." "They want to be the best." "They're almost as good as latifa." "May she rest in peace." "What?" "Suicide is a sin!" "You should take down her picture!" "It's a sin in our religion too." "But it wasn't her fault." "She hated the man the hadj chose for her." "Anyway, every girl who works here, dead or alive, has a place in my heart." "Let's go." "Close the door!" "I'll be back!" "What a fiancé!" "Such an ugly dwarf!" "Muslim girls have no dowry." "The man gives cash." "For us, men buy women." "For you, women buy men." "Love's great!" "Do your sister and her fiancé go on dates?" "The movies twice a week." "He tries feeling her up!" "How?" "He puts his cold, sweaty hand in her bra." "Disgusting!" "I have to choose the man who touches me." "Then i'll do everything." "I'll go all the way!" "If i don't get married a virgin, my father will kill me!" "How will he know?" "You hear that, meriem?" "Tina's backing off!" "Aren't we swearing to the madonna!" "So, gigi, have you given up on your cousin maxo?" "I made up my mind." "Promises are promises." "By august 15, it'll be over with." "Let's go." "Madonna of the fishermen, help us to become women." "Before you, we take this oath to lose it on august 15th." "Here they are!" "You weren't at sewing class." "La goulette's greatest ladies' man is back!" "Who?" "Maxo "delon" is back from italy!" "Maxo "delon" is back!" "You're my life, maxo!" "Italy tried stealing him, but my son came back!" "Hide your hens, i'm taking my rooster to the beach!" "Maxo delon, sexier than alain delon!" "Hurry up, kids!" "Gombos?" "Dad's favorite." "Hands off." "I'm going to the beach with tina and gigi." "Not today." "The hadj is coming for lunch." "I need your help." "The double hadj?" "Don't be rude!" "Two years in the orient doesn't make him a hadj." "You're all scared of him." "And nothing scares you!" "What nerve!" "The rumor is that claudia cardinale may be returning to tunisia." "Can i go?" "Get back before papa does." "Thanks, mom." "Since she left la goulette at the age of 18, rumors of claudia cardinale's return have remained unfounded." "Now, back to the music... miro, watch my stuff." "Whatever you say." "Chouchou, if you drown, i'll kill you!" "When mery glass goes swimming, the ocean overflows!" "Here i am, boys of good family." "Young ladies, check out my merchandise." "You'll never find anyone like me." "I'm unique." "Maxo delon is back!" "Hey there!" "How are you?" "Here's some peanuts to celebrate your return." "Hey yes-yes, how about us?" "Here i come!" "With my nice hot wares!" "I made some bkaila." "This is gnaouia that wassila sent up." "Papa, pass the bkaila." "Be polite!" "We have a guest." "This melon is super-duper!" " Save me some for later." " Sure thing, honey." "Maurice, won't you have some?" "But it's not kosher." "Kosher or not, i always make an exception for wassila." "It's delicious." "She uses whole onions." "Give me some onions... she's so talented!" "Do my talents leave you cold now?" "Yours is wonderful too, but wassila has a secret." "You want to try some?" "No, i only eat kosher." "Really?" "Amen!" "Bravo!" "Lucette, may god be my witness, your fiancé is the best!" "Thank you, papa." "Hello there." "Hey, farzit!" "Some gnaouia from mom." "I love her gombos." "Wait!" "This is for your mamma." "Thanks." "So long." "I'm going to shower on the terrace." "Where are you going?" "Pasta has to be eaten hot!" "Sit down!" "Don't move!" "You eat too!" "My god!" "Why today?" "I don't have that much money!" "Stop hamming it up!" "Let me put it this way:" "Either you pay, or you leave!" "Ask your brother jojo." "Miro, i didn't ask you." "Butt out!" "I didn't buy these apartments just to give them away." " It's your problem!" " Where should i get it from?" "Here?" "Get lost!" "I may be young and beautiful, but who wants a bachelor with two children?" "Taita, come in." "You're always welcome." " Enjoy!" " Thanks." "Here's some bkaila and some figs." "It's from fritna." "She thanks you for the gombos." "Thanks." "Join us." "The guejs invited me." "I didn't know you'd invited the hadj." "Some other time." "How's business?" "Terrible!" "It couldn't be worse!" "If it keeps up, i'll go bankrupt." "I'm virtually unemployed." "I don't understand kids today." "They want to get married for free!" "No rings, no dowries, no wedding cakes, no contracts." "A life out of wedlock!" "Come for dinner tonight." "Okay." "Have some." "No, thank you." "I'm full." "And i don't eat jewish grub." "Where can i wash my hands?" "The bathroom hasn't moved." "I can't remember." "I have so many apartments!" "Do you expect me to remember where each toilet is?" "I didn't mean what i said." "May god increase your wealth." "It's over there." "He may be a distant relative, but show him respect!" "He doesn't like jews." "How could i know?" "He's affecting an oriental accent now." "To show he was in the orient." "He's a real sponge." "You're leaving?" "Won't you have tea?" "Or a turkish coffee?" "No, thank you." "I'm going home." "I'm tired." "Can i have a fig?" "What's wrong?" "He seems thunderstruck." "You angered him." "He's upset now." "I'd say he went to collect rent." "He evicted two families who couldn't pay." "But he lets you pay as late as you want." "You thank him by being an ingrate!" "Do you think this place is worth more?" " How is it?" " Delicious." "Someone's there!" "Hi, meriem." "Hi, uncle youssef." "Go in." "Tina's already here." "Papa... mom said she's going to the café vert with aunt fritna." "What else?" "We're going with her." "Then we're going to the rex." "To the movies?" "With who?" "With lucette." " Is that all?" " Yes." " Okay, then." " Thanks, papa." "Your father will be the most elegant man on the tgm." "But today's the day he changes his jacket!" "Meriem, bring me my bag." "Coming." "Can i try on your red shirt?" "Take your little brother with you tonight." "My briks are the tastiest in la goulette!" "What's up, youssef?" "Still waiting for a raise!" "From your mouth to god's ears!" "One pernod and one cinzano!" "I'll say it again." "Jews are incapable of being sincere." "They're like double-edged swords." "What would you know?" "When were you born?" "How dare you talk this way?" "You were 10 when tunisia became independent." "You're laughing too?" "What a world!" "He went to one political rally and now he's mr know-it-all." "I don't understand why they're still in tunisia." "Now they have their israel." "Scram!" "So you're a tunisian and jojo isn't?" "Isn't your last name tripolitan?" "Why don't you go back where you came from?" "But which tripoli is yours?" "The one in lebanon or the one in libya?" "Stop defending all the jews in tunisia!" "Don't forget." "After our independence, lots of jews ran off to paris to become french citizens." "And your arab brothers?" "Were they all freedom fighters?" "There were plenty of traitors." "There's good and bad everywhere." "I bet you don't know about all the tunisian jews who went to prison fighting for us." "Politics is about patriotism, not religion." " What about that, youssef?" " No comment." "Too much for my pea-brain." "So long... say hello to them." "They'll pick up the tab." " Pour the fuel." " To my friend jo!" "Pour it!" "Why is yours so small, youssef?" "You haven't seen jojo's?" "To your wife!" "Beware, mr fisherman!" "Hello, fishing, bye-bye love." "Try my sunflower seeds!" "Welcome to the café vert!" "Give us a table, frankenstein." " Mrs sarfati..." " what is it?" "Which woman is your husband's mistress?" "My husband's mistress?" "That one." "Do you see her dress?" "Her gorgeous jewels?" "Her hairdo?" " May you have one as lovely." " Thanks." "The other day, i told my husband his taste is the best." "Ours is the most beautiful." "Let me double-check." "Come, it's time to go." "And what are your husbands' mistresses like?" "I'll ask youssef!" " Where are you going?" " The movies." "Tina, gigi and meriem." "Tgm -just like the train!" "But theirs is an express!" "They're going alone?" "No, with lucette and her fiancé." "Oh, with the fiancé." "That's better." "Did you see farid's movie?" "No." "The one with samia gamal?" "Guys, here's miro." "You'll get what you came for." "Follow me." "Taita, how much will you lend us for this treasure?" "Look, it's worth a fortune!" "I'm not working tonight." "I'm off!" "As usual, your hadj never shows up." "If i were a building i'd have more of a chance!" "His glass is always full." ""Short on money, short on love"!" "On this grouper's head!" "Tonight, i'll show you everything." "Come on, you street urchins!" "Bichi, you're the best!" "She comes out once a year." "Tonight's the night!" "In the beginning, there was only la goulette." "You heard me." "Only la goulette!" "Everything started with la goulette." "It was the only city on the entire planet, and it was the center of the world." "I've never seen that lady before!" "But you know nothing about la goulette." "Stop it!" "Am i the only woman in this country?" "Shame on you, mr zoubeir!" "Hands off i said!" "What is this?" "Not you too, mr abdelaziz!" "Dirty old man!" "Stop this behavior!" "I told you, it's over between us." "Who's he?" "Braitou, the demented tailor." "He cuts out dress patterns..." "for no one!" "Now you can say you know la goulette." "Let's go!" "Here come the girls." "Lucette, we can walk you back home." "No thanks, we're with maurice, my fiancé." "The cold shoulder?" "As usual!" "My aerial!" "Those brats stole my aerial!" "How will i report the news now?" "End of the line!" "Where are you going?" "Always prowling about!" "They came to help with the marriage." "They're friends!" "Friends of lucette's." "They're just kids." "This colossus is a kid?" "If your cousin's son bothers my daughter, i'll break him in two!" "Mr authority!" "You're getting a station master's rump." "Did you get promoted?" "Like a rooster protecting his hens!" "Strutting around, all cocksure!" "Look at your rumps!" "They're elephantine!" "Enough to sink your boat!" "You're lucky." "Go on." "The devil be off with you!" "What are you eyeing?" "These are old pictures... youssef and wassila." "And their daughter meriem." "She was still a baby." "Time goes by... look, hadj." "Is that all she gave you?" "The poor woman has no money." "She's totally broke." "Please, lend her twice the amount." "Take the deed as collateral until she pays you back." "Usury?" "Out of the question." "It's a sin." "I'd rather buy her place." "If she'll sell it, i'll rent it back to her." "In that case, wait until after jojo's daughter's wedding." "Mind your own business!" "This doesn't concern you!" "Busybody!" "Go dish the dirt in the maids' quarters!" "Shut up, nanny goat!" "Always stealing from kitchens and pantries!" "Are you finished?" "I'm sick of your bickering!" "Just like cats and dogs!" "When is the wedding?" "I want to find a wife for you, someone to take care of you." "You're going to pot." "You want to die alone?" "You deserve a true pearl." "A real lady." "The best in the world." "Someone my age." "Stable and tender, pretty and sensible." "Just like me!" "How about it?" "I agree." "There's no other solution." "I'm better off evicting everyone and selling the apartments at a higher price." "Taita, i want to know all their plans." "Don't ask her." "I'll get you the information you need." "Her daddy makes briks, her face is cherubic!" "She's miss lucette, and lives in la goulette!" "She's going to the ball with maurice attal!" "The wedding's on the way, watch what you say!" " Come to the movies." " Gone with the wind." " It's great." " We saw it." "Then let's take a walk by the port." "What do you think we are?" "Prostitutes?" "Not at all!" "Meriem, where's my cousin gigi?" "It's none of your business." "Bug off!" "Gigi, is it true that you love me?" "Why, is it a crime?" "No, but i'm going back to italy." "I have someone there." "What do i care?" "Leave me alone." "Your father's outside." "What's wrong?" "They owe me money!" "Sergeant yes-yes, attention!" "Yes, colonel!" "Cut it out!" "What a bunch of brats!" "Do you know what time it is?" "Go pick up your sisters." "Let us work." "And you better not be late!" "Sergeant yes-yes, at ease!" "Youssef, you're one of a kind!" "I sell peanuts on the most beautiful beach." "A bouquet of jasmine is enough to make me happy." "I think we'll need shoulder pads." "Thank you, my love." "Congratulations, fritna." "Thank you so much." "The hem is perfect now." "Disappointed?" "Sure, i am." "We have to make up our minds." "I have." "We'll go out with the first three boys we meet." "Hello... we wanted to invite you to a party." "At lucette's wedding, we'll have a private room." "We don't have dates, so we thought we'd ask you." "A party?" "Why not?" "War!" "There's going to be a war!" "War in the middle east!" "It's about to break out!" "War in the middle east!" ""Great tension in the middle east"!" "Hamouda, there's going to be a war soon!" "It's always the same old song." "Tension in the middle east." "Try something new." "But listen." "It's serious." "We must not have the same radio." "It's going to blow!" "It's war in the middle east!" ""Tension in the middle east"." "I heard it myself!" "Mr ahmed, it's war!" "Claudia is back on her native soil!" "She's come back home!" "Claudia cardinale is here in flesh and blood!" "Viva claudia!" "Viva tunisia!" "Mr scaglia... and mrs scaglia." "Aunt fortunée!" "Mrs scaglia, how are you?" "Kiss her." "Mrs lumbroso, come through." "My aunt fortunée!" "Come let me kiss you!" "God keep you, auntie." "Victor!" "Hamouda, does your mother know you're with us?" "No, i came in secret." "She's going to punish you." "I'll say i was with youssef." "Quiet, please." "I have a few things to say." "Quiet... quiet, please." "I'm proud to welcome you to the marriage of my daughter, lucette, and the delightful maurice attal, also known as zizo." "I'd also like to thank our national treasure, claudia cardinale, who has honored us the world over, for being with us tonight." "I wrote to her." "She answered my letter and agreed to come tonight." "Thanks a million, claudia, from the bottom of my heart." "For the first time in la goulette, in honor of claudia, who's come from europe," "the classical orchestra is going to play a gorgeous little ditty:" "The wedding march." "Classical music?" "What a yawn!" "Who can dance to it?" "Quiet!" "You're hopeless... it's modern!" "Since i haven't been back in a while, your friend roger carioca, beloved by everyone, asked me what song i wanted to hear." " Save the classical music for later." " Whatever you say." "I asked for "so what?"." "People say my beauty kills!" "So what?" "Men can never have their fill!" "So what?" "I know love inside and out, i know what love's all about!" "Welcome to the party for the younger crowd." "You're the first guests to arrive." "Don't worry." "The others will be here soon." "Have a seat." "Do you want a drink?" "Is there wine in it?" "Wine?" "No!" "Wine is for sangria." "This is punch." "What's punch?" "We'll show them who chooses who." "Shall we dance?" "This time, it's ladies' choice." "Salvatore... this is to thank you for your patience." "Lucette, may you always be happy!" "Long life to your beloved mother!" "Here's to lucette!" "There's no one!" "That's enough!" "Stop it!" "It's that little jew, jojo's cousin!" "Jojo acts all innocent!" "What a liar!" "That daughter of his always was a bad apple!" "She's turning my daughter into a whore!" "Stop shouting!" "Everyone can hear!" "I don't care!" "Will you stop that racket?" "She couldn't find anything better than a sicilian?" "A wop!" "A christian!" "A greaseball!" "So what?" "He can convert." "Our religion will welcome him." "Make an imam of him while you're at it!" "A muslim!" "Couldn't you find anything better?" "There'll always be idiots who say:" ""Never trust an arab."" "I never listened to them." "But do you have to marry one?" "Who mentioned marriage?" "She's not getting married." "She was dancing." "Dancing?" "If you do that dance again, i'll kill you!" "You ruined your sister's wedding!" "Couldn't you be like lucette and marry within your religion?" "You want to know if we're virgins?" "We're not!" "It's been ages!" "It's all your fault." "You raised her all wrong." "You're the one to blame!" "Can't you let us sleep?" "Enough already!" "Look what i'm doing to your dress!" "Try dolling yourself up now!" "No whores in my house!" "And worse, with a jew!" "We'll examine her." "If you've lost your father's honor, i'll kill you with my bare hands!" "Never!" "No more sewing classes!" "What's wrong with a jewish boy?" "Jews aren't men?" "It's all meriem's fault!" "It's your gigi's!" "What's wrong with the wop?" "Screw you!" "Jojo, it's your nephew's fault!" "My daughter won't see yours again!" "She'll stay home now!" "Mine too, mine too!" "And i don't want to hear from either of you again!" "Fine with me!" "Me too!" "Good riddance!" "What a bore!" "It's awful here now!" " I'm going back to italy." " Why?" "It's no fun here anymore." "They're too backwards in your goulette." "I told you to take it easy." "Careful, i said." "Be gentle!" "But you strut around with your flies wide open!" "This time, your goose is cooked." "Why?" "It's war." "The fathers have sworn to kill you." "Your father, yours and his." "And the girls?" "The girls... they say they're no longer virgins since... not virgins?" "Not at all." "So their fathers locked them up until they name the guilty party:" "Other boys or you, the brutes of la goulette." "Miro, we didn't do a thing!" "I swear!" "What do they want?" "You're chicken." "They'll never find us here." "You're acting tough?" "I know." "We'll write the girls a letter." "Miro can take it to them." "Start writing!" "Israel is employing its pre-1948 terrorist tactics, but our victory is near... if things get worse over there in the middle east," "the jews here will get worried and flee the country, leaving their houses behind," "like after the war in bizerte." "Keep an eye out and tell me who's leaving" "and who's staying." "Your coffee... taita, tell me... i've heard rumors about meriem," "youssef's daughter." "Is it true that she's no longer... i don't know, hadj." "No one knows the truth of the matter." "It's a mystery." "Hold your horses." "We have to wait till the end of the month." " I'm going out." " Okay." "Cover your thighs when your father is here." "How shameful!" "Papa left?" "He went off to see one of his mistresses." "I'm sure of it." "Children your age mustn't mention things like that!" "Is there a right age to tell the truth?" "You prefer to stay blind." "Even when i gave you the letters and pictures he received, you closed your eyes." "Why notice those things, let alone mention them?" "Men will be men." "They're all the same." "If they're all like that, i'm leaving." "For where?" "Far away." "I'm sick of la goulette!" "I can't live here anymore." "This is your country." "You were born here." "You'll miss this paradise where you were lucky enough to live." "La goulette?" "A paradise?" "With all its poverty?" "Lts dirty houses and smelly streets?" "Who ever said paradise doesn't smell bad?" "What do you know?" "What is it?" "Let me sleep." "Enough, now." "You're always lolling in bed like your two friends." "Wake up." "We have to talk." "Hurry!" "I want to teach you how to wear the veil." "Why?" "I've never worn it before!" "Why not?" "You're not young anymore." "Everyone says it's time." " Even the hadj..." "...blamed you." "This doesn't concern him." "He's not my father or my uncle." "He's not a stranger." "He may not be very close, but he's almost family." "Give it a try." "You won't wear it all the time." "Just once or twice, to make him happy." "Him?" "Or you - so he won't raise the rent?" "Don't be such an upstart." "Come on, get up." "Stop acting like a baby." "Come here." "This is how you wear it." "What a creep!" "Remember what he did to latifa, our sewing teacher?" "May she rest in peace." "He couldn't even spare his own sister!" "Why do you say that?" "Both of latifa's parents were dead." "So what did the hadj do?" "He found her a husband." "Killing herself was wrong." "On her wedding night too." "She was crazy!" "You're different." "You have both your parents." "You can say that again!" "You're so overprotective, i'm suffocating!" "Don't say such nonsense!" "Look how good you look!" "You're beautiful." "So delicate, so elegant!" "I like the veil." "It's easy to wear." "Sometimes i wear it over my slip when i run errands." "And i'm incognito!" "Over your slip?" "So can i wear it naked?" "Over something light, you mean." "Totally naked." "You mean, nude underneath?" "Why not?" "It would have to be really hot outside." "What an idea!" "You're crazy, gigi." "You want to marry a muslim?" "You know what'll happen?" "You'll go into his family." "And after that?" "We'll all stop talking to you." "Hello." "You told me to come." "I brought my best matches." "Gigi!" "Oh, cookies!" "They must be for me." "How are you, gigi?" "So, my child... tell me exactly what you want." "You want educated?" "I have educated." "You want diplomas?" "I have diplomas." "You want educated with diplomas?" "I have plenty!" "Taita, i'm not looking to get married." "The best match for you, darling." "You want good upbringing?" "I have good upbringing." "You want good looks?" "Look, i have good looks!" "You want wealth?" "I have wealth." "I don't want any of this." "When i get married, i want it to be with someone i love." "Is that all?" "Someone you love?" "You should have told me earlier." "You want love?" "You little rascal!" "I have love!" "Love?" "Love?" "I'm bursting with love!" "Love... wassila?" "Meriem... where's your father?" "No one's here." "They all went out." "You're busy cleaning?" "Very good, my child." "I like cleanliness." "Since i'm not allowed out now, i might as well clean the house." "I don't have much to do either." "My mother's out and papa won't be back till late." "My feet hurt." "I need a moment's rest." "Sorry." "I splashed you." "I spoke to your mother about the veil." "She told me." "Get used to wearing it, my child." "It will protect you from others' eyes." "No one will ever harass you." "Thank you." "I'll think it over." "Would you like something to drink?" "A glass of milk." "Here." "Can i ask you a favor?" "Whatever you want." "Talk to my father." "Tell him to let me go back to sewing school until i get my diploma." "Please... okay, i will." "I'll do it for you." "But promise you'll wear the veil outside the house, to ward off evil and satan." "Satan never comes inside?" "It's different inside the house." "No one can see you here." "Besides your family, or close friends... like me." "That's acceptable." "When it's hot outside, like today, i don't know what to wear." "I have nothing on underneath." "Fortunately, i splash about all day." "Do you promise you'll wear the veil?" "I even promise i'll come see you with it on, to show you how i keep my promises." "Is my brother busy?" "Good." "Quiet." "Everyone's still up." "Fritna, they're still virgins." "Nothing happened." "Nothing at all." "They're just bragging." "Make up with your neighbors." "This is ridiculous." "Are you talking to yourself now?" "Get back into the house!" "Since when do you talk to thin air?" "An offering for saint saiha." "Welcome... god, appease their hearts." "For jojo, youssef and giuseppe." "For gigi, tina, and meriem." "I dream of being everyone's friend and of never hating anyone." "As for my hatred... i'm saving it for war." "No table for you, youssef?" "Give me a shot." "Here you go." "Quite a crowd today." "What are you looking at?" "Hand that to me." "Remember our old soccer days?" "There's jojo." "There's giuseppe." "And here you are." "And you!" "All skin and bones." "A real bean pole!" "You remember our team song?" "Do i ever!" "It brings back memories." "Youssef, go sit with jojo." "I'll get giuseppe to join you." "I need his table." "Look, people are standing." "Do me a favor." "The double hadj is calling you." "What could he want?" "Take my word for it." "What i'm suggesting is for her own good." "I want to protect her honor and put an end to the rumors i keep hearing." "All this gossip must cease." "I'll know how to take care of her." "I'll teach her about life." "I'll educate her." "I'll be her husband and a second father to her." "I can't promise anything." "She's happy in her first father's house." "Her father's house is in fact mine." "Speaking of houses, i was offered a very good price" "to tear down your building and sell the land." "I haven't sold it yet for your sake." "And especially... for meriem's." "If god wishes us to unite in matrimony we'll never mention rent again, of course." "The house will be yours." "The real problem is not the rent." "Excuse me." "I'm busy." "I have a message." "I swear, they wrote it with their blood." "They're brave." "Do you think they love us?" "It has to be with them." "Remember, we have to do it august 15th." "They're the ones who'll turn us into women." "I agree, but where will we do it?" "I know." "In the ruins at carthage." "They'll be empty on the 15th." "Good idea." "We'll be far from our religions there." "The tass news agency has announced that the soviet minister of foreign affairs is in the middle east trying to keep war at bay after the escalation of violence in the area." "This is radio beirut... is that you?" "Come in." "You're just in time." "Sit down." "Talk to me." "Why did you bring hamouda the café-owner into this?" "If you have something to say, say it to me." "I'm old enough." "Why get hamouda involved?" "What are you talking about?" "My wife and her sister went to tunis." "I'm all out of potato briks." "I need hard-boiled eggs too." "Can you help?" "How?" "You know today's saturday." "I can't light the stove, or even touch it, until sunset." "As if you didn't know!" " What do i do?" " The usual." "Light the stove and boil these eggs for me." "You'll never change." " Thanks." " Sure... what else?" "Should i turn on the light?" "Not yet." "There's enough light." "What does fritna think?" "That i'll give up working?" "Come on, talk to me... what did gigi tell her mother?" "Was it those three boys or others?" "Get the boukha and two glasses." "I can't talk." "My throat's dry." "He'd rather have a drink than talk to me." "Here's your boukha." "Three glasses?" "You haven't forgotten how to cheat!" "Just play!" "Card sharks!" "Call in a referee." "Long live the madonna of trapani!" "May she always protect our fishermen!" "Ruins of carthage temple of love you're counting on us?" "And we have to hurry?" "How much time do you have?" "We have to finish in 15 minutes." "15 minutes?" "There's no time to lose!" "Do it fast, but masterfully." "We've been dreaming about this since..." " you better be up to par!" " Relax, we're real men." "Your daughter ran away!" "I found this in your house." ""Ruins of carthage temple of love."" "You were snooping?" "You went to attack your prey, you brute!" "Why are you stalking meriem?" "Let me go!" "You're mistaken." "Meriem's a daughter to me." "The others have disappeared too." "Vanished!" "Shame on you, dirty old man!" "Let me go!" "You asked for her hand and we said no." "What now?" "You want to buy us?" "Lmpostor!" "Let go of me!" "Stop!" "You're all blind!" "I heard them with my own ears." "They made a promise to the madonna." "They said:" ""We'll lose it on august 15th."" "Today's the 15th, isn't it?" "I don't believe it!" "They're still virgins!" "Gigi was lying!" ""The ruins of carthage, the temple of love"?" "It's a rendezvous!" "On the day of the madonna!" "What did i do?" "Enough!" "We have no time to waste!" "Let's go to carthage!" "I know where to find them!" "That daughter of mine!" "The day of the madonna!" "What did i do to deserve this?" "Carthage, and don't stop!" "Faster!" "Faster!" "He skipped my stop!" "Look." "It's impossible to undo." "I sewed together my top and bottom." "Why make things easy for them?" "Let's try again." "I miss our friend fatty." "He lightened things up last time." "I'm wearing my mother's girdle." "I'm unassailable!" "Everyone scram!" "The fathers are coming!" "Scram!" "Beat it!" "Where are they?" "There's no one here." "We have to find them." "Hurry, loubia!" " I know where they are." " Where?" " The saint's tomb." " Where's that?" " Over there." " Show us!" "Here." " They're here." " Clear off!" "I'm willing to pardon them." "Yourjealousy made us go on a wild goose chase." "I missed the procession of the madonna!" "I'm begging you!" "Who repaired the windows?" "Who?" "Mery glass did!" "Who repainted the house?" "The owner?" "Double hadj?" "Who shared the jasmine the kids stole instead of selling it to pay her rent?" "God help me!" "What's going on?" "What is it?" "It's the hadj." "He came screaming!" "He's furious." "He's making her leave." "We begged him." "She has nowhere to go." "We offered to pay for her, but nothing doing!" "It's only just begun." "You'll all be evicted." "You're next on his list." "He's putting up two modern buildings." "With garbage chutes, tv's and elevators." "He'll kick everyone out." "I know him." "There's no stopping him." "You came." "You're wearing the veil, as i asked." "Why did you come?" "You're so beautiful." "Like a dove." "A few months later... it's over." "Finally, some good news!" "Tension is down in the middle east!" "There won't be a war!" "It's great!" "There won't be war!" "We've been waiting for 15 minutes." " What is it?" " We're going fishing." "Hamouda finally agreed to come." " Who's watching his café?" " His mother!" "She'll attract a real crowd!" "It's june 4, 1967, the day before the 2nd arab-israeli war." "After the christians, the last tunisian jews left the country of their birth." "They'll never forget la goulette." "La goulette, you're a siren like a sailor, i'll come back to inhale your dizzying breeze..."