"LIFE ON EARTH" ""Dear father..." "You will be surprised, perhaps even concerned... at receiving a letter from me." "Let me start by saying I'm well... and I hope you are too." "Despite the message I had Jiddou give you... a change in me makes me want to come home to Sokolo." "The desire to fiilm Sokolo." "The desire to leave, as Aime Cesaire said." "Especially because it is nearly the year 2000... which I'm sure will bring no improvements." "As you must well know." "Is what I learn far from you worth what I forget about us?" "Jiddou told me on the phone that the birds have gone." "This is good news."" "Leave." "My heart was bursting with fire and ardor." "Leave." "I'll arrive fresh and young in my country... and tell this country whose dust has penetrated my flesh.:" ""I wandered for a long time." "I now return to your hideous open wounds. "" "As I arrive, I'll say to myself:" ""Beware my body, beware my soul." "Do not fold your arms in the sterile stance of a spectator." "For life is not spectacle." "For a screaming man is not a dancing bear. "" ""I will try to fiilm that desire." "To be with you, to be at Sokolo." "Far away from my life here... and its mad rush." "Far away from 'that Europe', as the poet said:" "Europe convulsed in screams... the silent currents of despair... fearfully pulling itself together and proudly overestimating itself." "I sent some books to Maiga for Radio Sokolo." "I hope he still does his on-the-air library."" "This is Colonial Radio, voice of the rice fiields." "Thanks for tuning into the on-the-air library." "As you know, it's our last program this millennium." "Friends and brothers, I have chosen a book that a lot of you know... and others will discover." "You all know the author:" "our brother from Martinique, Aime Cesaire." "Here is a passage... from "Discourse on Colonialism. "" "" Africa's historic tragedy... was less its coming in contact with the rest of the world too late... than the way this contact occurred." "It was when Europe... fell into the hands of industrial leaders... entirely lacking in scruples... that it expanded." "Our misfortune meant it was that Europe we encountered... that Europe which is responsible for the highest pile of corpses... in history. "" "May Allah grant you long life." "Tell Ba that I got his New Year's greetings." "His message reached me." "Tell him we plowed half the fileid yesterday." "We plowed half of it." "Half of it." "A hectare." "I said a hectare!" "Are you deaf?" "Tell him Nana has arrived." "Nana!" "Tell Haida that Nana is here." "You nearly hit me." "You're not from here?" " Yes, I am." " You are not." " You're from here?" " No, from Kourouma." "I knew it." " Here for the New Year?" " Yes." "Why not celebrate at home?" "I prefer it here." "Welcome." " Is Kourouma nice?" " Very nice." " Where do you live?" " Next to the bridge." "Ask for Tahara's house." "She's my mother." " Staying a while?" " Yes." "Length: 132 cm." "Chest: 44 cm." "Waist: 42 cm." "Hips: 52 cm." "Arms: 60 cm." "Friends of Sokolo... it is a pleasure to be with you this morning." "Today is an exceptional day." "All over the world... people are celebrating the year 2000... and the party is in full swing." "We ask you to be with us in spirit during these celebrations." "Today's main message comes from our guest." "Before we listen to him, let's have some music." "Look, Koulou, isn't she beautiful?" "Not bad." "She's Japanese." "It's the latest model." "She's powerful." "It's a real powerhouse." " Hi!" " How are you?" " It's been a while." " Yes." " We've lost touch." " Yes." "I'm too busy." " Been to Kourouma?" " Not yet." " Still here?" " Yes." " Where do you live?" " I live at my aunt's place." " Where's that?" " I'll tell you later." "Sokolo post offiice." "I'm Bina, the postmaster." "Marie." "You want to speak to Dramane?" "Call back in 10 minutes." "How are you?" "Happy New Year." "Catch you later." "Don't forget to call back." "This is Colonial Radio." "I have to end our program now." "It's time for me to return to my duties.:" "chasing birds." "For all your radio repairs..." "Lassana Kone... remains at your disposal." "My French-speaking colleague, Maiga... will be taking over shortly." "The Diabaly camp, please." "Just a second." "It is 10.:00 in Paris." "9.:00 Greenwich mean time." "The news with Valerie Ohar." "Hello." "In 14 hours, France will change seconds... minutes, hours, months, years... and what we've all been waiting for.:" "the century and millennium." "Not all countries will change millenniums today... because not all countries have the same calendar." "But those who do will celebrate it in style." "In Paris, thousands are expected... to attend local dances and fireworks displays." "Huge crowds are expected at the Eiffel Tower." "For 1,000 days, it has been counting down to the year 2000." "No answer." "No wonder." "It's ringing in England and I'm calling Paris." " It's diffiicult." " It won't go through." "It's hard to reach people." "It's a question of luck." "Okay, I'm ready." "Like this?" " Can I laugh?" " Of course you can." "Don't move." "Ready." "I was sent here... by the people of Farabougou because of the birds." "They make our life hell." "We're not allowed to kill them." "The rice is almost ready." "We'll be harvesting soon." "Everyone knows only too well... that working in the fiields is hard." "It wears us down." "How can the authorities just stand by with their arms crossed... watching this disaster without doing anything?" "They promised to send someone." "Now they're saying afer the celebrations." "What can we do?" "I've heard what you have to say." "We'll work something out." "Karaniara store?" "Hold the line." "Hello, how are you?" "Hello, how are you?" "How's life, Samba?" "Is Bouye there?" "Tell me the truth!" "Tell me really." "He's not at Diadia's?" "He's not?" "So where is he?" "Where?" "ln Segou?" "Liar!" "Bastard!" "Idiot." "Call the Coulibaly station." " The Coulibaly station." " 35" "35-20, then what?" "20-26." "Our priority.:" "a phone for everyone" "Coulibaly station?" "Speak up!" "Cheikh Bouya wants to talk to you." "From Sokolo." "I'll put him on." "Hello." "I said hello!" "Listen to me!" "Can you put on one of the Moors from the store across the street?" "Any of them will do!" "I'm Cheikh Bouya." "Okay." "He's not answering." "It's very faint." "Who do you want?" "I'm trying to fiind Bai." "He's a shopkeeper." "Next to the cinema." "I don't have his number." "I don't know how to reach him." "I'll call someone." "Maybe he knows him." "Hello." "How are you?" "I have someone here..." "in Sokolo." "I have someone here... who wants to contact a person you may know." "Hold the line." "Hello." " Go ahead." " Uncover your ear." "Say your name." "Your name." "They can hear you." "It's Nana." "Tahara's daughter in Kourouma." " Tell him what you want." " I'm looking for Bai." " Say where he is." " He's next to the cinema." "He has a store there." "I'd like you to call him." "I need him." " Say you have fiive minutes." " I have fiive minutes." " Call back." " I'll call back." " Is Mami there?" " Ask him to come." "Tell Mami to get him for Nana." "Mami, the guy with three pockets." "Tell him to get Baifor me." "Five minutes." "I'll be waiting." "Dante." "You're still here?" " You haven't left?" " No." " When do you leave?" " After the fair." "Who's she?" "Tamini." "Coulibaly... whites have houses in Abidjan." "When you enter, the doors open by themselves." "Once you're inside, they close." " Keita, I don't believe you." " Trust me." "Lots of doors are like that." "It's true." "They're electric." "You walk up, and they open." "They close behind you." " I saw it with my own eyes." " Bullshit." "It's true." "Don't argue." "And here, at daybreak's end... is my manly prayer." "May I hear neither laughter nor shouts." "My eyes are fixed on this city whose beauty I foresee." "Give me the wild faith of a witch doctor." "Give my hands the strength to sculpt." "Make my soul a steely sword." "I will not slip away." "Make me a rebel to vanity... yet docile to its genius... like the fist of an outstretched arm." "Make of me the creator of high works." "The time has come to gird our loins, like valiant men." "But in doing so, my heart... keep me from hate." "Make not of me the spiteful man whom I despise." "If I confine myself to this unique race... you know the tyranny of my love." "You know it is not hatred of other races... that makes me the plowman of my own." "What I want... is for universal hungering... for universal thirsting." "My ear to the ground, I heard tomorrow pass." "Niono?" "Hold the line." "It's Sokolo." "It's Baba." "Like I was saying... about the bicycle I want... do everything you can to get it." "Sokolo is bigger." "The fiields are further away." "We go all the way to Farimana... and Faman-Bougou on foot." "Even the weather is celebrating." "The sun is shining again in France." "Despite an unprecedented cold spell... and heavy snowfall all over Europe... blocking roads and access to the cities... the sun is back for the new millennium." "Nana, sit down." "You spend too much time at the tailor's." "I'll do you waist up." "Make sure you can see my scarf." "It's time for the news." "Before we begin this January 1st edition... on behalf of the entire station..." "I wish you a happy New Year and a happy new millennium." "Army headquarters?" "Wrong number." "This number is BDM-AT... not army headquarters." "It's the number he gave me." "The symbol of our arrival in the 21st century is the Eiffel Tower." "For the last 1,000 days, the Eiffel Tower has displayed numbers... counting the days lef until the new millennium." "Last night, at midnight... a zero appeared before thousands of people gathered... around the Eiffel Tower." "Sokolo post offiice." "Marie, how are you?" "Fine, thanks." "We couldn't get through to you this morning." "He was here, but he's left." "Yes, it's sunny." "You think it's good for us." "In fact it's our worst enemy." "Hello, G-Point?" "It's because you don't care." "Hello, G-Point?" "As you know, reaching people... is a question of luck." "Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't." "If you want, I can go get him... but you'll have to wait a while." "Asia was the first to celebrate the new millennium." "In part one of our world New Year's tour... here's Ryako Suketomo in Tokyo." "It's probably a good thing... that life goes on even if the centuries change." "Be Zen." "Happy New Year." "Ryako Suketomo in Tokyo." " Is Nana's photo ready?" " There it is." "I didn't know she was so sad." "I want a copy." "Wait till she comes back." "It's been hard to get in touch with him... so we'll try something else." "What I'm about to tell you... is a kind of secret among staff." "I tell you what we'll do." "We'll try cross-transferring." "What is cross-transferring?" "It's the repetition... of part, or all of the message." "There are three kinds:" "total compulsory cross-transferring... partial compulsory cross-transferring... and optional cross-transferring." "There's also what's called... excessive or systematic cross-transferring... which is to be avoided." "Which one do you want?" "I'll take the optional." ""Dear brother, I received your letter... along with your gifts." "They made us very happy." "Dramane's return... is a good opportunity... for me to write back to you." "This year has seen problems on the land and on the fiields." "The price of water... and upkeep has almost doubled." "It has been hard to bear." "If you send nothing, I don't know what will become of us." "Life in the bush is only possible with assistance."" "From Sokolo." "Sokolo, behind Niono." "Tell him your name." "It's Private Lamine Sow." "Sorry?" "Lamine Sow, the Major's guard." "The Major's guard in Sokolo." "Sorry?" ""There's also the problem of medicine." "Life is not without its illnesses." "As head of the family, it's my responsibility." "We send our gratitude." "Thanks again." "There's nothing like being able to lend a hand." "If we don't help each other... the family cannot prosper."" "And so I came." "Once again, this life hobbies before me." "No, not this life." "This death." "This senseless, merciless death... this death in which grandeur comes to naught." "The devastating pettiness of this death... hobbling from one pettiness to the next." "Sokolo post offiice." "I can hardly hear you." "It's not for you." ""Just do what you can." "It would lighten our load." "These days, you are the only one... who can help us." "Thanks again." "Thank you for helping your family." "We know it's not easy." "Just a little help." "Believe me... we know how hard it is for you." "I know that living in exile is diffiicult in itself... but the diffiiculties are not the same." "May this New Year... bring less hardship than the last." "May God ensure... that it brings much less hardship... much less pain than last year." "If only for the children."" "We are standing now, my country and me... our hair in the wind... my tiny hand now in its enormous fist... and strength is not in us... but above us... in a voice piercing the night... like the sting of an apocalyptic wasp." "The voice proclaims... that for centuries, Europe has fed us lies... and sent us plagues." "For it is not true that man's work is done... that we have no place in this world... that we teach this world... that we have to walk in step with the world." "Man's work... has only just begun." "Man has to conquer... the forbidden stilled in the recesses of his fervor." "No race has a monopoly on beauty... on intelligence or on strength." "Everyone must find his place when the conquest comes." "Now we know... that the sun revolves around our Earth... illuminating the area our will alone has chosen... and that every star shoots from heaven to Earth... at our command, without limits." "Subtitles By Captions, lnc." "Los Angeles"