"I was paddling." "The waves were high." "The sun was burning." "I was sweating." "I felt tired." "I couldn't move forward." "Then I saw a pretty woman waiting for me." "She looked at me, smiled." "I smiled back at her." "She climbed into the boat and I took her hand, be cause the boat was swaying." "Suddenly the wind rose." "I hoisted the sail." "And the boat took off..." "Then what?" "That's all." "I woke up." "How old are you?" "1 5." "During the day, what do you do?" "I watch over the city." "Ali, we agreed you'd be serious." "Your pals say you can pull cars with your teeth." "Is that true?" "Sure I can." "It's easy." "I tie the ends of a rope to each mirror." "I stand in front of the car." "I take the rope in the middle." "I bite down hard on it and I start to pull." "And then?" "That's all, the car follows me." "When I was little, the y called me "Ali Steel Jaws."" "Tell me, Ali, what do you want to be later on?" "A sailor." "Really?" "Why a sailor?" "Be cause I love the s ea." "Is that why?" "It's what I want to do." "How do you survive...?" "I work, I hustle..." "I don't depend on anyone but myself!" "Why did you run away from home?" "I didn't run away." "Why did you leave?" "My mother... she wanted to s ell my eyes." " She wanted what?" " To s ell my eyes." "Is that true?" "When I was little," "I remember this car." "A big, black car." "The owner spoke weird." "As if he came from another country." "My mother sent me on an errand." "But instead, I stay ed and listened at the door." "H e told her, " H e won't feel anything." "Then you won't need to work, you'll be rich."" "I really heard all that." "I said, "Why stay with a mother like that?"" "Where did you go?" "To the streets." "Your parents didn't look for you?" "You never saw them again?" "Where are the y now?" "They're dead." "Move in closer on him." "Fine." "Cut!" "Boubker..." "Kwita..." "I'm leaving." "Where to?" "You know very well." " To my island." " What about us?" "You'll be all right without me." "Hey, Kwita!" "Goal !" ""Go, Raja, go!" "Let your pride show! "" "Raja's a lousy team !" "I'll show you something." " Swear you won't tell anyone?" " I swear." "What is it?" "A compass." " A what?" " Wait." "Look." "What do you want?" "Go away!" "That's north." "The needle tells me that." "That way is west, where the sun sets." "If I go straight ahead, I'll reach my island." "What's that thing for?" "The sun sets in the west." "But with two suns, how will I manage?" " You're really leaving?" " Sure !" "Now that I have it, I can embark." "I've found a captain." "At first, I'll do all kinds of jobs, mop the de ck, sweep the floor." "That way, I'll learn." "And I'll be come a real sailor, with a uniform." "Kwita... don't be afraid, I won't forget you." "When I'm on my island I'll think of you." "At night, when you look at the stars, so will I." "We'll be like the twin towers." "They see the same thing." " Thos e towers are tall..." " So are we !" "Goal !" "Life" "Is a pile of shit!" ""Steel Jaws ! "" "Jaws, my ass !" "Are you coming back?" "No, we're not." "Dib, we're not coming back." ""My mother wanted to sell my eyes ! "" "So, you said your mother's dead?" "She died s crewing !" "Ali !" "Is he dead?" "He's not dead !" "H e shit in his pants !" "Can't you smell it?" "H e shit in his pants !" "Can't you smell it?" "Come, there's someone here !" "The security guards !" "The cave !" "Let go!" "Let go of him !" "Come, my dear son, come under my wings." "You'll find a home." "In it, there are green gardens, embedded with flowers and roses." "In it, my hand is reaching for yours." "In it, my heart is longing for you." "In it, your parents are waiting for you." "Your parents, so dear to you." "And the y are missing you too." "And the y can't wait to see you." "You don't die be cause of a stone..." "Like a dog." "Depends where it hits you." "Like a dog." "Is he really dead?" "You dumped him like a dog !" "So we wouldn't get caught!" "At least, he's in his cave." " Ali was a prince." " A prince?" "Come on, I know who his mother was." "We have to bury him." "We'll bury him today." "What?" "You've lost it or what?" "Kwita, are we really going to bury him?" "We're going to bury him !" "Right!" "My uncle says that when one dies" "Enough with your uncle !" "We shouldn't have split." "If we'd stay ed with Dib, we'd be better off." "You crazy?" "Know why Ali took us down to the port?" "You forgot why we live in the port?" "Be cause he was leaving." "Once he found his captain, all that was left to do was to embark!" "You want to go back to the bastards who killed him?" "I'll bury him !" "The whole world will cry!" "The whole city!" " E v en you !" " Yeah, e v en you'll cry!" "You can keep goofing off, but I'm burying him today." "What'll it cost?" "We don't goof off!" "What do you want?" "They're praying for the dead?" "Why?" "My friend just died." "H ere, it's only for the Pure." "Ali was a prince." "Only the Pure, I said !" "He needs prayers, too." "We're burying him today." "You don't pray." "I know a surate." "I can re cite it, I swear." "Don't swear." "I went to the mosque once." " Can you pay?" " Yes." "How much?" "You know... my friend Ali wanted to be come a sailor." "To go to his island, the one with two suns." "Now that he's dead," "I think his island's in the sky." "There are no islands in the sky." "There's either heaven or hell." "That's all." "Your friend's up there." "Playing with the angels." "The angels?" "God damn you, you dirty thieves !" "Sons of bitches !" "Murderers !" "Dib!" "Dib, let me out!" "I beg you !" "I swear I was going to give it to you !" "No point in shouting !" "He's deaf!" "Omar..." "We won't go back with them, right?" "Madame..." "I fear God, I never stole anything !" "Damn, sardines !" "I was saving them for you." "Kwita, you're a pal." "Did you bribe...?" "Who?" "The old hag?" "No..." "Are you nuts?" "We got nothing to eat." "We can't feed the rats." "Rosa !" "Come inside !" "Don't hang out with these glue-sniffers." "Can Aicha the witch get into the cave?" "No, she lives in the water." "And she's nine-feet tall." "If she lived in the cave, her head would stick out!" "Why haven't you gone down?" "She's probably strangling him right now." "We can't leave him in there !" "Are we still burying him?" "You should've seen what Omar did to them !" "It was wild !" "You destroy ed that guy, Omar!" "A stone... right in his balls !" "In the end, the y all ran away!" " Is it true?" " E v en Dib was s cared !" "You s crewed up, man !" "I forgot, so what?" "What is it?" "We're cooking in the bathroom !" "Where are you now?" "In the living room." "That's simple !" "When you want to rest, you go to the living room." "To piss, in the bathroom." "To eat, in the kitchen." "We must tell his mother." "She is still his mother..." "Omar, are you coming with me?" "Why?" "Ali was your friend." "H e was our friend !" "I'm coming, Kwita!" "We'll all go!" "H e y, kids !" "Where's the "mouss"?" "Where's the "mouss"?" "Where you going?" "Come back!" "Come back!" "Cigarettes by the unit!" "By the unit!" "Let go of me !" "Get out!" "Omar." "You, stay there." "Stay there !" "Will it last long?" "I don't know." "She spreads her legs." "Omar, what's a "mouss"?" "Beats me !" "Hi, Noureddine." "Leave me alone." "My name isn't Noureddine." "WI NZTO N" "You didn't learn anything in school." "You were dumb before and after." "My uncle can crush 1 0 with one foot!" "Then go back to him." "Remember the pot of glue Ali stole from me?" "No." "A full pot." "Brand new." "I said to him, "Give it back, you son of a whore."" "I just said it like that." " You knew about her?" " You told me." "And then?" "H e punched me." "And then?" "I was furious." "H e didn't let me explain." "Let me look." "Come on, let me look." "That's great!" "I see nothing." "Cigarettes?" "You dirty glue-sniffer!" "Auntie Zaoua?" "How did you know my name?" "I'm a friend of Ali's." "Come in." "Did you enjoy the show?" "What do you want?" "To say I'm sorry." "Is Ali sorry too?" "Why did he tell those lies on TV?" "Give me a cigarette." "What do you kids do all day?" "Does Ali work?" "H e still wants to be a sailor?" "Sailor, sure..." "H e wanted to go round the world." "He be came a glue-sniffer!" "H e was going off to his island with a captain..." "Come." "Look." "Isn't that a nice room?" "What more does he want?" "You know what that's for?" "To play music." "So he can fall asleep." "H e couldn't hear what went on next door." "Look." "I put them up." "Don't touch !" "I'd have ripped out my own eyes before I sold his !" "Tell me your name again?" "Omar." "Omar, do you sniff that shit?" "Ali, too?" " No, he never sniffed." " Liar!" "Does he smell as bad as you?" "Ali stinks like that?" "It's foul !" "H e smells of dead meat?" "Give me a cigarette." "Money's in the ashtray." "Yes, there." "Now get out!" "Fast!" "What's wrong?" "Wait for me !" "Boubker, you didn't miss anything." "If that's a mother, it's better not to have one." "Maybe with Ali she was sweet." "Sweet?" "My ass !" "Her thighs are always open !" "And when you told her Ali was dead?" "She doesn't give a damn." "My uncle would have buried me..." "Screw your uncle !" "Screw his mother, too!" "If she doesn't care about her son, we'll bury him." "Yeah, we'll bury him !" "H e had a shitty life..." "But he won't be buried like shit." "Right, Omar?" "Come, my dear son, come under my wings..." "Shut up, you sniffers!" "Stop it!" "We gotta find money." "Yes, money!" "Tons of money!" "You hear, Ali?" "Like a prince !" "Yes, like a prince !" "The whole town will talk of Ali Zaoua." "You think burying is easy?" "It takes balls !" "Rosa, go in !" "Hi." "Hello." "Get on board." "Yesterday you asked us, "Where's the mouss?"" "What's a "mouss"?" "A young sailor, like your pal Ali." " Ali?" " Where's he gone?" "Why?" "I haven't seen him in three days." "You know him?" "You gave him this?" "Why have you got it?" "Were you taking him to his island?" "Are you the captain?" "Where did you get that compass?" "Where is he?" "Why's he vanished?" "Louder!" "Louder!" "You call this working?" "At least we're trying !" "And you?" "Damn !" "Where'd you get that?" "Look, Omar!" "Let me have it!" "I swear, I won't lose it!" "Pleas e, Kwita!" "You'll help me bury him?" "Yes, I'll even read the prayer." "Like a real priest!" "You sold your ass again !" "A soccer game !" "Goal !" ""Go, Raja, go!" "Let your pride show! "" "Like a prince !" "She's my sweetheart." "She's sweet." "She saw me on TV." "We're going to get married." "And have a house all our own..." "Life..." "Is a pile of shit!" "Just forget it." "You guys killed him with that stone !" "Move on !" "Don't hang around here." "It's forbidden !" "Go play elsewhere." "I want a uniform like yours." "You want to enlist?" "You're too young." "I don't want to enlist." "I just want a small uniform." "Think you're at the flea market?" " I'll pay you." " Pay me?" "What's it for?" "For a friend." "Why didn't he come?" "H e can't." "He's handicapped?" "No." "Come back tomorrow." "Omar..." "Why did Dib do that to me?" "I did nothing to him." "Think it hurt me?" "I swear it didn't hurt." "I just wanted to puke." "You should've puked on him." "But I had Kwita's money in my mouth." "I didn't want him to know." "I was about to swallow it... so Kwita wouldn't say I don't know how to keep money." "What will he say now?" "What can he say?" "Guys, I've found a stretcher." "What are you doing?" "We're watching TV." "What?" "We can't starve to bury him." "It was my money!" "H ere." "Keep it!" "I'm an idiot to give my money to a baby." "You, beat it to your uncle's !" "You're going to beat it!" "I saw you run away when Dib came !" "If I'd been s cared like you, they'd have raped him one by one." "What?" "Don't worry, it happened to us all !" "Then they leave you alone." "Kwita can tell you." "The y fucked his ass so much he could've gotten pregnant!" "Ali too?" "No, Ali wasn't peeing in his pants like Kwita." "That's why he would follow him like a dog." "I'll bury him alone." "I don't need a snotty kid and a bum." "Don't fight!" "Don't fight!" "God damn you, motherfucker!" "You faggot!" "Why do you always come back?" "Where are you?" "You have the same smile as Ali." "You know, when I us ed to walk by Ali, kids insulted us." "We pretended not to hear." "Ali couldn't take it." "Now I understand." "I could have answered them." "What could I tell them?" "Why their fathers came to see me?" "You can't tell kids that." "You kids are so cruel !" "Omar..." "You're his friend, right?" "Tell him to stop hanging around." "I had his tape-player fixed, now it's e v en louder." "Tell him, Omar." "Tell him." "Shall we go to the fair?" "I sold everything and paid him back." "Right, Kwita?" "Guys, don't you smell anything?" " Soap." " No, it stinks." "I smell nothing." " Where were you?" " At the bathhouse." "My uncle would have washed me with hot water." "What?" "Is it true Ali could pull cars with his teeth?" "I don't know." "H e told me that." "Then it's true." "You ever see him do it?" "No." "But don't question it..." "Then it's true?" "How would I know?" "But you think it's true?" "I don't know, I told you." "If you had to choose, you'd say it was true or not?" "I'd say it's true." "Me too!" "What are you doing?" "Come on." "We're twins." "Like the two towers." "I'm looking for those stars, like you said." "But I can't find them." "What shall I do now?" "Where is he?" "Where is he?" "We were going to bury him." "We weren't going to leave him there." "Tell him !" "We just need to find a cemetery." "I've already got the stretcher." "Let's go." "Turn it down !" "I'm fed up with you !" "Leave me alone !" "You dogs !" "What did you break?" "Look at Kwita !" "So I'm a bum?" "He'll see what this bum can do!" "Where are you going?" "I've got things to do." "That's Kwita's watch!" "It's Ali's !" "E v en the sweater he wears is Ali's." "Go tell him !" "You'll pay me for it!" "Noureddine, you okay?" "My name isn't Noureddine." "Don't start whining !" "You don't like my sretcher?" "Yes, but it's not finished." "Shitty nails !" "They're like thumb tacks !" "Try again." "Why do you do all that?" "If you hadn't put those ideas in his head, we wouldn't have come to live in the port." "Ali wouldn't be dead." "He must have told you of me." "What did you talk about?" "The s ea, and the fish that live in it." " And his island." " With two suns?" "As if one sun wasn't hot enough !" "Is it true, there are no islands in the sky?" "What can I do?" "I want to do something." "Go get nails, we'll need more." "He'll spend everything !" "Liar!" "We paid you back your money!" "My money?" "Not e v en half of it!" "Get big nails !" "A burial is a matter for men." "First, it wasn't our fault." "He wanted out of Dib's gang." "Auntie Zaoua!" "Omar." "What is this?" "This is for you." "It was Ali's." "H e tried to defend you." "They'd insulted you." "He's dead." "But we're going to bury him." "Like a prince." "What are you saying?" "It's not true !" "Like a prince." "It's not true !" "Let go!" "Let go of me !" "Go away!" "Why?" "I don't need her!" "She's not worth it, and neither are you !" "Get the fuck out of here !" "Better y et, I'm leaving !" "What are you doing there?" "That's where the glue is !" "I need nails." "Not those, big ones !" "1 2 dirhams." "No money, no nails !" "But I need them !" "Beat it, or I'll belt you !" "Get your ass over here !" "Where you going?" "I need nails." "You won't find any there." " Then, where?" " I'll show you." "Khalid, are you sure?" "I swear." "Big ones, huh?" "You pick them." "Your nails are a long way away!" "We're almost there." "Did that stone really kill Ali?" "You don't die be cause of a stone." "We're burying him." "Didn't I tell you?" "What?" "You're crazy!" "Why not?" "H e has a right to be buried like anyone." "You're burying him?" "Like a prince !" "You said we were going to get nails !" "Dib's got lots !" "You'll see..." "Liar!" "I don't want to go back to Dib's !" "Don't be afraid." "If anyone touches you, I'll kill him." "You'll remain beside me." "Look!" "It's Omar!" "He's having fun." "You coming?" "Look who's here !" "My friend Boubker!" "Our friend !" "Welcome among the great!" "You, you're a bum !" "You stink!" " Sit down." " Know who I am?" "A prince, like Ali." "My friend Ali tells me secrets !" "And gives me gifts, like a chick." "You bum !" "Don't touch my watch !" "Leave him alone !" "Omar, you know how it works?" "You never know nothing, you bum !" "Look." "You take it and stick it way up your ass, and when you walk, it goes tick-tock!" "Good, you learn fast." "You know his mother?" "No." "Do you?" "Yes, she's a whore." "Why didn't you tell anyone?" "I'll go get those nails." " Remember me?" " You came yesterday." "You got the uniform?" "Impossible !" "There are rules." "You promised !" "I didn't promise." "I said I'd see !" "I've got the money." "You said to come back." "I tried to find your uniform, but I couldn't." "You want me to go to jail?" "You gave your word !" "I didn't give you a thing." "Yes, you promised !" "You really did !" "Liar!" "You son of a bitch !" "You fucker!" "You know him?" "He's a pal." "Your pal's a fucker?" "You still here?" "Not going to run away like last time?" "Let go of me !" "Boubker and Omar say you want to bury Ali." "Didn't you know?" "They're back with us." " It's not true !" " Hey, Kwita." "We saw Ali's watch !" "It's fabulous !" "Dib can't read the time." "He said, "Go get Kwita." "He'll know how."" "Stop being an idiot, come back!" "Dib's waiting for you." "I've got things to do." ""I've got things to do! "" "You like them?" ""A lot."" " Where will you put them?" " "In a v as e."" "Okay, but where?" ""In my bedroom, to perfume it."" ""Where do you live?"" "And you?" ""A long way, that way."" ""And you?"" "A long way too." "The other way." " "You have a house?"" " Of course." "I don't depend on anyone !" "And I'll find a job, like Ali." "H e wanted to be a sailor." "I need to find my calling." "Wait!" "You still have my necklace?" ""Yes, I wear it at night, when I go out with my girlfriends."" "Wait!" "I'm no coward, huh?" "I'll bury him." "Then I'll come back!" "Eat, so you grow big and strong." "Like Dib." "You see, Boubker..." "Dib said, " No one wanted to kill Ali."" "We liked him a lot, e v en if he was boss y." "Why did you leave?" "You should've stay ed in the gang." "Look!" "H e threw the stone !" "You saw how Dib dealt with him?" "Coming back into the fold?" "You call yours elf a man?" "Through with your belly-dance?" "Hi, sweetheart!" "We're not coming back!" "We're not, Dib!" "We're going to bury him." "Tell him, we're going to bury him !" "Don't play cute !" "That's where we'll bury him !" "Bring the body tomorrow!" "Life..." "Is a pile of shit!" "They're there !" "They're there !" "The cave !" "Where did the y go?" "The y bother me day and night!" "This is too much !" "Get rid of them !" "Ali disappeared !" "Hamid !" "Did you hide him?" "I thought I could count on you." "I'm crazy to listen to kids." "It's not our fault." "It's be cause of Dib's gang." "You put him on ice?" "Hamid... we want to bury him." "We really want to!" "Look." "We've got the shroud." "We've even found the hole." "The hole?" "To dump the mouss in?" "You have the compass?" "Put it down." "The stars... are swimming in the s ea." "It's his boat!" "Do the two suns s et at the same time?" "You can sleep in the cabin." "All three of you." "Boubker, come up!" "There's no more Boubker!" "Go away!" "What are you doing?" "I'm going to drown myself." "H ere I go!" "Don't be an idiot!" "I want to die !" "What for?" "So you won't forget me !" "Like in the bus, with Dib." "You didn't e v en ask what he did to me." "Today, I didn't forget you." "I went to Dib's." "You went for Ali." "Ali is all that matters." "I'm going to die too!" "So people care about me." "Stop dreaming." "Why can't I be a prince, like Ali?" "You're too little." "We'll see whenever you stop acting like a child." "Come up, now." "Why should I?" "I have no family, nobody." "And your uncle?" "Aicha, the witch !" "She's squatting there !" "She wants to strangle me." "My uncle wouldn't have left me here !" "Your uncle would have beaten you !" "See, you make fun of me !" "You never let me sleep next to you !" "You always said, "Only faggots sleep together! "" "I was just kidding !" "But I'm not!" "Enough of your bullshit." "It's freezing, here." "Can I sleep with you?" "Yeah..." "Gently." "Gently, guys." "Come on, Boubker." "Watch out, he'll get you at night!" "I'm sure he's watching us now..." "He's happy." "Maybe he had a shitty life..." "But he won't be buried like a piece of shit!" "Yeah !" "Maybe he's suffering, s creaming, and we can't hear him." "You stupid?" "Why would he s cream?" "Dunno... with all the dumb things he did." "You've done even more..." "I didn't eat during Ramadan." "You us ed to fuck cats." "One day I'll make up for it..." "Maybe he has a wife." "Sure !" "In heaven, you get anything you want!" "When I'm dead, I'll be filthy rich !" "At least three cars !" "I bet he's on a yacht, sailing the ocean." "He's caught in a storm and can't sail on !" "The waves are as high as walls !" "Know what Ali Zaoua does?" "Tell me..." "H e dives... he takes the rope between his teeth and swims like crazy." "And Aicha the witch comes out of the water, she wants to strangle him !" "Yes." "Know what Ali Zaoua does?" "What?" "H e opens his jaws and fights her." "Ali Zaoua..." ""Steel Jaws ! "" "He's hurt, but he still wipes her out!" "In the morning, he takes his boat back to the island." "It's hot, on the island." "Sure, there are two suns !" "A pretty woman is waiting for him and they have a great wedding." "The y eat a ton of candies !" "Then he plants in her stomach a little Ali !" "Her hair's in pigtails and she's sweet." "Ali Zaoua... the prince of the island." "The rain will wash away our kitchen." "Don't worry." "An angel can't really die." "Hamid !" "The wind started to blow." "The boat was carried off by the waves." "The child looked up and saw an island sticking out of the ocean." "Above him, the sun was shining." "From behind a cloud another sun came out shining as well, and lit up the whole island." "Now he would finally know if the two suns s et at the same time." "Hello, Noureddine." "Don't worry, we won't trash your junk." "Did you see the woman..." "Who made a scene last time?" "Where is she, "Mr. Winston"?" "Then you'll beat it?" " Swear!" " I swear." "She has gone to the fair." "She's nuts !" "You fuckers !" "Stop!" "I've got it, Omar!" "Give me a quarter, please !" "Life..." "Is a pile of shit..." "H e wanted to know... if the two suns... s et at the same time." "Come, my dear son, come under my wings." "You'll find a home." "In it, there are green gardens, embedded with flowers and roses." "In it, my hand is reaching for yours." "In it, my heart is longing for you." "In it, your parents are waiting for you." "Your parents, so dear to you." "And the y are missing you too." "And the y can't wait to see you." "Come, my dear son, come under my wings." "You'll find a home." "In it, there are green gardens, embedded with flowers and roses..." "I have a girlfriend now!"