"There..." "We'll move to a country where you'll be very happy." "But for that, you must keep our little secret." "It will be our secret." "José!" " What's with the T-shirt?" " Leave me alone!" " The bout is over, José." " But sir, he's not supposed to wear a T-shirt." "Alright, this course is over." "Thank you, children, and happy holidays to you all." "Except those of course, who'd like to sign up for our year-end show." "TOMBOY" "Go on now, happy holidays." "Not you, José." "I see you're still bursting with energy." "Give me some push-ups." "That should teach you to respect your opponent." "You're not going to do that moronic play are you?" "It's my dad." "He wants me to participate." "You realize you're gonna have to wear stupid tights, right?" "The girl over there, who is she?" "Carla Lopez." "She's with the drama club." "You'll also be a knight." " That's the kind of girl we need." " We?" "Next year means college." "We have to go out with a chick." "Being with a girl is so cool." "Even better than... flaunting a laptop." "Well, I'll take the laptop." "Try kissing a laptop on the mouth, then we can talk about it." "You mean on top of that, we have to kiss them on the mouth?" "There are times when I wonder what planet you're from." "Did you grow up in Algeria or Mars?" "Where's the little Berb?" "I'll put his head under the shower." "Open up!" "Right, why don't you ever take a shower?" "Are your folks living in the street?" "But I always take a shower!" "I'm gonna whip your ass!" "Hey, you talking to me?" "Come on, let's get some ice cream." "Hey mom." "Can I go swim with Matthias tomorrow?" "Why do you ask?" "You know that's not possible." "I'll take you this weekend to the river." "Do you want anyone to discover your little secret?" "Why can't I be like the others?" "I've told you before." "It's because of the spell." "I'm sick of this spell." "Your djinn is a joke!" "Don't say that." "Not everyone gets a chance to meet a djinn in their lives." "I'll say." "I can never do anything." "If the djinn were to hear you say that, he would punish you." "Then why have I never seen him?" "Because there are none in France." " Djinns are for Arabs only." " Yeah, there are lots of Arabs in France." "Djinns don't come to France, that's all." "(talking to dog in Arabic)" "Come here you mutt!" "Come here." "That's it." "Give me a rough time!" "You'll get flattened like a pancake." "Ah, perfect timing." "Ah, Mrs. Houssier's welcome mat has again... catch that little mongrel!" "You could have grabbed him yourself, it was like 6 feet away." "You crazy?" "Not my with outdoor sickness." "Remember what happened the last time I went beyond this lawn?" "I warn you." "You're daughter-in-law is turning your house upside-down." "Hey you, my patches!" "Aah!" "Your step-sister is getting on my nerves with her marriage." " Hey!" "You're short one Euro." " Errand boy's fee." "Errand boy." "Stealing from a cripple!" "You'll wind up in Guantanamo." "(speaking in Arabic)" "Bunch of crooks!" "Mafia thugs!" "You scared me." "I thought it was your husband." "My husband, who's also your father." "When he sees this, he'll throw a fit." "Hold this." "Fatima, I'm in deep shit." "Can we do our wedding here?" "No problem, as long as Mustapha agrees." "Farid's mother says it's out of the question." "Too small." "Hey, little Hobbit." "Give me a hand." "Hold this." "As I said before, you'll need to convince your father." "150 square feet." "It will never be large enough for Farid's mother." " Especially if we have to take down a wall." " She hates me, I know it." " Are you marrying Farid or his mother?" " Well, it's obvious you don't know her." "If Lady Di were still alive, she wouldn't be good enough for her son." "It's not because her husband sells lemonade that she must ignore the mole on her son's chin." "It's not a mole, it's a beauty spot." "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." " Do we really have to ask him?" " Well, no." "With a bit of luck, he won't recognize his house nor the furniture he made." "There he is." "Little Hobbit, give me hand." " Hi dad." " What are you guys up to?" "We're preparing for tomorrow's get-together." "Nadia's mother-in-law is coming for a visit." " Here?" " And why not?" "Well, go easy on the furniture, I've just re-upholstered them." " You won't even be here." " I've to go find wood to make Henry IV's horse." "So how was your training?" "I want you to be the best to play Henry IV." " But dad, they draw names from a hat." " Then I want you to be the best at the hat draw." "Say, will you be able to build a horse in time?" "Yes, I took time off." "Besides, it's the city's anniversary." "I want to participate." "Did Henry IV call you on the phone to ask?" "Well, when you hear a camel, you know the oasis isn't very far, hey?" " But you know Farid's mother wants to meet you." " And so am I!" " Say, did anyone lay anything on this table." " Great!" "You sound really excited." "What a joy!" "Time to go." "I was on my way out anyway." " Did I say something I shouldn't have?" " Don't worry, I'll have a talk with him." " Noureddine, want to walk your sister home?" " Sure." " I'm his daughter." "He seems to forget that." " Me, I don't believe in this marriage." " But you seemed happy when I told you." " I don't want you to go live elsewhere." "Look, Farid found a job in Strasbourg." "If I'm to live with him and keep teaching, we must be married." "You don't want me to leave Farid, do you?" " And you don't care if you leave me?" " I'm not going to abandon you, my little Hobbit." " You can visit me anytime." " It's too far." "How are you?" "I thought it was my awful neighbor with the earring in his nose." "He's always flirting with our little sisters." "I think they're careful, but like we say:" "A young girl's sigh can be heard further than the lion's roar." "So..." " Are you the new Henry IV?" " I don't know yet." "I hope this year it'll be you." "Last year dad was in one of his moods all summer." " I'm out of sugar." "I'm going to the Arab store at the corner." " Okay." "A girl without modesty is like a stew without salt, hmm?" " Yeah, yeah... so long." " So long." " Hey!" " Hi!" " Hi!" " Hi!" " Hi, Nounou!" "The coast is clear." "She's gone!" " Nounou... did you get my rolling tobacco?" " Yes..." "Catch!" "Great." " So, did you get Henry IV?" " The hat draw hasn't happened yet." "Cut out your music." "Let's put back my Electro CD." "Did you convince dad to host the marriage at his place?" " Almost." " Don't worry, we'll bring him around." " Mounia, please, don't make me get up." " You drive me crazy with that fucking music!" "Try to catch it if you're man enough." "I'll grab one... and bat the other." " Little darling, I'll squish you like a fly." " Let her go or I'll flatten your face!" "Keep it down, the neighbors will complain again." "Shit, burn some incense." "It smells like fags in here." "See you later." "Hey Nounou!" "Don't forget the rolling paper next time." "Now." "Tell mom that I'll come straight over with madame Belkacem." " Is something burning?" " Oh no!" "My hair!" "You must let the bubble rise to the top." " You need a djinn because of your diabetes?" " Yes, if you want." "How did you figure out it was a djinn when you met him?" "I've told you before." "You know that story backwards." "Tell me again." "It was when I was living in Algeria." "Your father was over here." "We were married, but I couldn't get pregnant." "As time went by, I started to worry." "Did you know Nana?" "I had never met her, but I knew your father had been married once." "At the time, I had a fig tree." "I would water it every day with water I brought back from the river." "Then one day, coming home with the water," "I encountered a very, very old man who asked me for a drink." " As old as Lela?" " Oh, much older than Lela." "I handed him my urn and before I could say a single word, he had drank all the water." "In fact... it was a djinn." "And in exchange for my generosity, he promised me I would bear a child." "An angel that would spread happiness all around him." "This child would bear a secret mark." "His sex would not appear until he became a man." "And if the secret was ever revealed, a curse would haunt us forever." "When I got home, and there..." "I saw a fig had grown on the fig tree." "I ate the fig... and a few months later you arrived." "My little starchild." " And how did you know it was the djinn's doing?" " Because you were bearing the mark." "And so, I kept the secret." "And that secret, you must keep it too." "Until you become a man." " Did the djinn say when I would become a man?" " You want to leave me already?" "...NO SWIMMING..." "(In Arabic)" "Please Allah, you who are great... help me be like the other boys and grow into a man some day." "Don't go too far." "I want to be able to see you." "Mama..." "My husband and I, we have many French friends." " I want them to feel at home on the wedding day." " We can work on the decorations together." " You must understand, we are modern people..." " Yeah, we're not camel jockeys." "Don't ever say that again or I'll wash your mouth with bleach." " Isn't this a bit small for all those guests?" " Mama!" "One must stretch one's legs to the length of one's rug." "Excuse me, my son is calling." "Serve some pastries to Mrs. Belkacem." " Are you sure you didn't hurt yourself anywhere?" " No." "But my stomach hurts a little." " What's wrong with me?" " Nothing." "There's nothing." "It's..." "It's the djinn." "He's punishing us." " But I didn't do anything." " I know." "It's me..." "My little chickadee." " Mommy... do you think I'm dying?" " No." "But from now on we must show a lot of courage." "Fatima, Golden Helmet is giving Nana a bit of a rough time." "What's going on?" "It's all over." "Leave it to me, I'll take care of this." " Hey, what's that for?" " It's the custom." " Now." "You'll put this on." " But isn't that for girls?" "It's either that or your little cousin's diapers." "Your choice." "And not a word to anyone." "That's my sister Fatima attending nursing school in Batna." "You're kidding!" "Did you know I was originally from Constantine?" " What is your maiden name?" " Andre." " Zeroual." " Zeroual, like the former president's family?" " It's a cousin." " You don't say." "My husband knows him quite well." "My niece will wear a traditional gown, embroidered by her aunt." "I prefer a more professional touch." "My negaffa..." " I made over 37 wedding dresses!" " My negaffa made over a hundred." " I master the styles of Oran." " That is so old school." " I even do trimmings." " Ma negaffa embroiders with gold thread." " I've worked under Christian Lacroix." " My negaffa made Isabelle Adjani's wedding gown." "(in Arabic)" "Let me finish this fag before we go." "Otherwise, it will stink." " Any chicks at those rehearsals of yours?" " Yeah." " How old?" " Well, my age." " Duh... your hair's always spiked like that?" " It's the morning bed effect." "When you reach my age, you'll have to teach yourself how to coddle a babe." " Coddle a babe?" " Go out with a girl." " Huh... at what age will this start to grow?" " Depends." "The more you shave the faster it grows." " Is it true you have 4 older sisters?" " Yeah." "They're my step- sisters." "Lucky dog." "At home, we're just 2 bros." "And... have you ever seen them naked?" "Come on, they're my sisters..." " Do you have pictures?" "Stuff they do in private?" " Of them rolling tobacco..." "It was a pleasure meeting you." "We can see you're a modern woman." " Just like me." "Goodbye." " Goodbye." "So you're related to the president's family?" "There must be a connection." "Else we wouldn't share the same name." "Right, it's not like half the country bears the name Zeroual." " You're impossible!" " The rope of lies is short, as we say back home." "You didn't expect me to play Golden Helmet's welcome mat, did you?" " It's not you getting married to Farid." " Heaven forbid." "Heaven's already granted your wish." "Nobody ever proposed to you." "(in Arabic)" "Who tried flushing pads down the toilet?" "It's clogged." "It's disgusting!" "I can't believe you're here." "If you don't put your name in the hat you'll never get picked." "That's the plan, you'll see." "What's your dad up to?" "So, you like it?" "It's a great looking turtle, but what does it have to do with Henry IV?" "Turtle?" "What do you mean, turtle?" "It's a horse." " Here, look... this is the head." " Ah yes." "And here, see... the white mane." "Like: "Follow the white mane, it will lead you to victory"." "I'll trust you." "But you must finish it on time." "Gotta go." "It's time to choose the cast." "Can't I stick around?" "I'd like to know if Noureddine..." "Monsieur Amarni..." " Oh, alright..." " Thank you..." "Have you seen Henry IV's costume?" "Gather, children..." "It's time to draw names for the acting roles." "Okay..." "The hat, here we go." "So..." "Esther de Bois Lambert, King Henry IV's mistress, will be played this year by..." "Rat-tat-a-tat... thank you..." "Will be played by..." "Carla!" "Now, boys... as for Henry IV, I know some of you have cheated." "Not all names are in." " Ah, there we go." "Anyone else?" " Me, me!" "Good." "Very good." "Let's go over there..." "That's it." "I didn't want to do Henry IV with just anybody." "You won't even be here for the show." "You'll be at your father's." "I don't care about the show." "I just have to find something to keep him happy." " You'll need help from a djinn." " Now that's a good one." "You're delirious!" "I've told you before, a djinn is like a fairy, but for Arabs." "When are you ever going to grow up?" "Fairies and Santa Claus are not real!" " Djinns are different." " Oh yeah?" "Have you ever seen one?" "They mostly hang out where there're lots of Arabs." "They can't come here because of visa papers... like my uncle Kamel." "But they can hear everything you say." "And if you ask too many questions, they give you stomach aches and then you have to wear diapers." "You are truly completely delirious." "Oh yeah?" "Tell me then... if the djinns don't exist, how can women have children?" "Well they adopt them, you turd!" "Look out, here comes Miss Universe..." "Hey, congrats!" "I'm sure you'll make a real sexy Esther." " Not with this, I'm afraid." " Even in that you'll be a knockout!" "Come now, children." "Let's move on to the second draw." " Salome, the hat, please..." " Monsieur Didier..." "And now... this year's Henry IV will be played by..." "Rat-a-tat, ta-ra-ta-ta... by..." "Hop..." "Henry IV will be..." "Noureddine." " Lucky dog!" " Noureddine..." "Where did he go?" " Girls, have you seen him?" " No." "Noureddine?" " You got the part..." " You're so lucky..." " I wouldn't say no." "Did you hear?" "You're our hero." " Yeah, well..." " You're dad will be really proud." " You think so?" "What's wrong with you today?" "This is Carla." "She wants to ask you something." " Is it true your aunt can alter my dress?" " Hmm..." "I'm not sure that's a good idea..." "So you want me to make a dress for you?" " Did you talk to your mother?" " No, why?" " Because she wants to talk to you." " What about the dress?" "Why do you need a dress?" " Aren't you playing Henry IV?" " But it's not for me." "It's for her." "Ah... if it's for her..." "You know, with all the wedding gowns of your sisters, ha, ha!" "I have my share of volunteer work." "I'm not Mother Theresa, you know." " But ma'am..." " You, shut your face!" "Come here." " What is your name?" " Carla." " I didn't hear you." "Louder." " Carla." "Carla... not very French, is it." " What kind of costume are you looking for?" " A dress for a duchess." "For a duchess?" "Is that all!" "Yamama... ha, ha, ha!" "You'll need to work on your mannerisms, my little one." " A duchess never walks with her knees inward." " But..." "Listen... if you gussy up her dress, I'll do all your errands this summer." " Not an interesting proposition." " Until October, then...." " More..." " Alright, December." "Deal!" "But I'm warning you, you have to supply the golden thread." "Put the dress there." "Now out!" "(In Arabic)" "Little spermatozoids." " Thanks for nailing that with your aunt." " No sweat, but I had made a deal with Allah." " So, let's get some ice cream." " I can't go, my mother's waiting." " Just ask her if you can come with us." " Maybe next time." " So what do you want to do?" " Gee, I don't know, play buck-donkey?" " What's that?" " Hop on, I'll show you." " Now you must try make me lose you." " Ahh..." "You can pinch, tickle or grab." "That kinda thing." " I don't see the fun in that." " Noureddine and me just love it." " What do you plan on doing?" " Committing suicide." "By stuffing your face with salty foods?" "Too slow." "We can see it coming." " I want to talk to Noureddine." " No." "Now is not a good time." "Not a good time!" "For the last 10 years it's never been a good time!" "Just wait for your head to clear up." "What will you tell him?" "The truth about his birth." "He'll never hold on to that secret." "We'd be courting disaster." "Can you imagine all the questions he must be asking himself?" "What if he asks someone else?" "What if they find out I never had a son?" "Social services will take him away from me!" "Forget about social services!" "So, my Nounou, are you Henry IV?" "Who's going to take me away?" "No one will take you away." "Your mother's babbling." " Sweet Nounou, we have to talk." " There's no need." "I know everything." "Every what?" "First off, the djinns." "They're like Santa Claus, they're not real." " Who told you that?" " I figured it out." "And I want you to know it won't change a thing." "You'll always be my mother." "But, do you really know everything?" "Well, I know you couldn't get the child you wanted, so you did what you had to do." "I'm so relieved to hear that." " I was so afraid you'd be mad at me." " No, no." "You didn't have much choice." "You see..." " If my real parents ever come for me, I'll hide." " What is he talking about?" "I want to stay with you and dad, even if you adopted me." "But... what makes you believe I'm not your real mother?" "You just said so, you never had a son." "Well, you're wrong." "So what is your famous secret?" "The truth:" "when I was pregnant," "I really wanted a boy." "And so I prayed." "I prayed and I prayed." "And I got a little girl." " You swapped me?" " You see?" "He didn't understand a thing." "Might be best to leave it at that." "The story about the djinn... it's a legend... it's about symbols." "The djinn for example is your father." "The water is me." "And the fig?" "The fig... it's you." "The girl is you." " But there are no girls in the legend." " Forget about the legend!" "We're dealing with reality." "And the reality is, you are a girl." "And your mother knew, if she didn't have a son, your father would never allow her to come to France." "So she decided." " You decided." " The choice was yours." "Noureddine..." "Say it's not true, mama." "Say I'm going to be a man some day, just like in the story." "No!" "For starters, you'll soon grow some breasts." "Your bosom with flourish." "And then, your hair will grow, and grow, and grow, down to your buns." "And we will be in the shit right up to our necks." " You happy now?" " And the sickness I had this morning?" "You are not sick!" "Hamad..." "You had your first period!" " I thought periods was for girls." " That's it, I quit." "I can't take this anymore!" "Tell me it's not true, mama." "That means I'll never be a man." "But it's impossible." "Besides, I'm the fastest runner in my class." "But it's the truth, my love." "What am I going to do, now?" "The hard part will be to tell your father." " No, don't tell papa!" " No!" "Never!" "Out of the question!" "Telling the kid is fine, but telling father is out of the question!" "Anyway, it's what I'm going to do." "Give the poor kid at least some time to get used to it." "I'll never get used to it, you hear!" "I'll never be a girl!" " Come here." " Let go!" "Moustapha, when he finds out you lied to him?" " What is he going to do?" " I'll see." " He'll send you back, you and Noureddine." " So be it." " Or even worse!" " What?" "He'll throw me out too." "Me, an old woman, out in the street." "And with my outdoor sickness, I won't last 24 hours." " You want me dead, is that it?" " Aren't you laying it a bit thick?" "Ah!" "And what if he decides to keep Noureddine?" " He won't take my son from me." " You think Moustapha will take this lying down?" "I think I'm getting hypoglycemic." "Hang on, I'll get your shot." " Woah... what in hell?" " I'm training." " I don't want the wall crashing down." "What's up?" " Nothing." "Look at me ... oh... there is a sorrow that appears to be taking a lot of room." "Tell papa what happened." "Did your mother scold you?" "No, no." "It has something to do with the play?" "You didn't get the part, is that it?" "Look, I can understand you're sad you didn't get Henry IV, but it's no reason to cry." " I was afraid you'd be disappointed." " What in the world are you talking about?" "But if you let yourself be defeated, I'll be disappointed?" "Take it like a man, and learn your lesson in order to do better the next time." "You're not going to cry like a little girl, are you?" "Look at me." "You're the worthy son of your father." "And you will show him." " Yes, papa." " Can you keep a secret?" "Come on..." "Here, look." "I present to you..." "Aunt Beth of the Desert." "But it doesn't really look like a horse." "You remember... when I made you this elephant?" "Remember when you asked how I knew there was an elephant hiding in the wood?" "You see, it's the same thing." "There is a horse's head in this stump." "With a little time and hard work I'll find it." "Can you see through people as easily as through wood?" "People... that's a lot harder." "As for you, I can see what you're hiding." "You'll see, I'll work like crazy to make the most beautiful horse." "You know, there's one thing you must absolutely..." " Nounou, listen to me." " Go away." "You must understand, I did what I did to give you a better life." "I did it for you." "I knew that if you were a boy, your father would be proud of you and bring me to France." "You understand, my chickadee?" "Go away!" " You won't turn into Henry IV by shaving, right?" " I don't find that funny." " I don't want you touching your dad's razor." " It's okay." "Let him live... oh." "Papa." "Can I go swimming with Nadia tomorrow?" " Certainly not!" " And why not?" "Because I said no." "It's no." "It's okay, son, you can go." "You have my authorization." " I'm done, may I leave the table?" " Yes." "Good night." "Good night." "Let it go." "He's disappointed he didn't get the part, he needs to clear his mind a little." "He'll never grow up if you keep him under your skirt all the time, come on..." "Since when do you contradict me in front of Noureddine?" "Fatima, I know what's good for him, hm?" "Wake up, my darling." "Now your dad allows you to swim in the river..." "I made you some trunks that will make eyes turn to fire." "Here, put it on now." "(Telling a joke)" " Go on like that and you'll look like a snowman." " Give me a break..." " Ever seen a Mangaka with a tan?" " Perhaps if you were a little more modest..." "Modest you say... is it you don't want us to see your stretch marks?" " Anything else?" " What are stretch marks?" "Let me explain..." "When you go to the supermarket and you stuff your bag with goodies..." " Well, Samia's thighs are a bit like that." " Oh you bitch, you're dead meat!" "Come and get it!" "No splashing!" "Go play somewhere else." " What's wrong, Noureddine, tell me." " Tell you what?" " It's a secret." " What do you mean, a secret?" "Between mom and the djinns." "If you tell anyone, an evil spell will haunt us forever." " What are you babbling about?" " I beg you, don't tell anyone." " Tell anyone what?" " Nothing." "You have secrets, now..." "Say... that boyfriend of hers is a bit of a wanker, no?" " He's not a wanker, he's supercool." " Hey guys." "Holy shit!" "Some have to wank to get to paradise, and it's right here." "Check it out!" "Check the boobs on that babe." "Apparently, they grow overnight!" "You can lower your arm." "Even if your breasts wanted to grow, they wouldn't be able to." " What are you doing?" " Shht... come see." "I'm an undercover djinn." "If you don't surrender, here, right now... you die!" " You sleeping?" " Mmm..." "Are you in love with Clara?" " I don't know." " Then why do you want to go out with her?" "Because to be cool, you gotta have a girlfriend." "You think it's the same thing for girls?" "That they do it to be cool?" "I don't know, leave me alone!" "Would you like to be a girl?" "How do I look?" "Like this... (barking sounds)" "You remind me of Laïka, the space dog." " Where the heck is Nadia?" " Euh... she had an appointment." " Appointment where?" " With her negaffa." "I don't give a shit about negaffas." "You, show me your dress." " It's not a dress, it's a straightjacket." " Come out and show me." " I'd rather die." " Come out I'm telling you!" "When the bone says to the dog: "I'm hard", the dog replies: "I have all the time"." " (in Arabic)" " I asked you to make it black." "To make it black... it's not a funeral, my darling, it's a wedding." " I don't see the difference." " I would have preferred turquoise." " And me, a larger bow." "Look, it's all mangled." " Hey, hey..." "This is the house of Amrani, not Armani." "I don't know how I'll be able to walk with this thing on my back." "Look at your posture." "You're like this:" "...like a cowboy..." "John Wayne!" " Nana, show her how to walk." " I'm going to tell you the secret." "You must move around gently, like you were stuck in a tiny bubble." " Okay." "Want to try?" " Go on, try it." "God, she walks like a duck." "Oh la..." "You'll never walk a runway." "You're doomed." "This isn't working out..." " You just need to work a little on the kiss." " Oh yeah?" "And how do I do that?" " Well... pretend you're a duchess." " I have yet to meet one, if you want to know!" "Pretend you're in a bubble that's too small for you." "I'll show you..." "Tell Mr. Didier the toilets are unclogged." "But he must restrict the girls from using the boys' bathroom." "Now, let's start over." "Think of the bubble." "It's true what you said." "It's brilliant." "You're brilliant." "You're brilliant." "So, what do you think?" "I think you're doing a fine job at trying to impress my girl." " I thought you didn't love her." " That's not a reason." " You nuts or what." "I don't care about Carla." " Then that makes two of us." "Hey guys!" " Hi." " Let's go..." " Go where?" " Do you mind if Matthias joins us?" " That wasn't the plan, hey?" " Never mind, I've got things to do." "I'll be waiting if I'm still your friend." " Here we are." "Pretty classy, right?" " Wow." "Manou stole some car seats." "We use them for trash." "A bit of a work in progress." "Look, there's José." "Well, now..." " I didn't know you ran a daycare." " When you're around, it's more like a zoo." "Hey, hey... chill out." "He's my bud." "Okay, bud." "Try that again and I spin your head around." "Ah, the baboon is getting nervous." " What's your prob?" " Get out of my face!" "So girly, you gonna cry for mommy, now?" " Explaining this is rather complicated." " Well I assume it's not simple." " Since when are you into sweets?" " Let her be, she's courting suicide." " Perhaps you can explain to me..." " Explain what?" " There is nothing to explain." " There's no point lying about it, she saw her!" "What did you see?" "When I pull off my little brother's swim trunks, why don't I see anything." "You see, she didn't see anything." " I must tell you something..." " Fatima!" "What's wrong with him?" "Is it a disease, an abnormality, what is it?" "Nothing of the sort." "Your brother is perfect." " She means: your sister is perfect." " Fatima!" "Enough!" "I won't keep quiet, Noureddine is a girl." " What!" "?" " You heard me." "But... but why?" "I knew Must'pha left your mother because she only had girls." "And if I was to follow him to France, the only solution was to lie about it." "But it's..." "Yes, I know." "But it was my only child and with my diabetes, I wouldn't get another." "I swear I wanted to tell the truth when I got here." "But I got scared." " Whatever happened to you?" " I got in a fight." " This simply can't go on." " Why not?" "What'll happen when your breasts start to grow, hey?" " Are you going to bash every mouth in town?" " Shut up." " Nana..." " Don't get upset." "Can't you see he's not himself?" "If I understood right, he's never been himself." "Why did you tell her!" " Look, Noureddine... no big deal, it's not your fault." " My darling..." "You must give me a chance." "Just one chance." "I know you're upset with me." "But let me help you." "Come on." "Give me that hat." "Look in the mirror." "My God... you'd think it was me at her age." "We must tell papa." "No, we must not." "Not until Nounou accepts it." " How can he accept it when he has to hide it?" " Are you forgetting your wedding?" "If this story breaks out now, you can forget about it." "I don't care." "Anyway, I'll lie about it." " You see?" " Stop." "We tell everyone the day after my wedding." " No... we wait..." " The day after!" " I won't wait a day longer." " Noureddine..." "You... go wash your face." "And you, help me stall him." "Everyone has their way, but when somebody wants my help..." "I'm warning you, this is the last time!" " Hello papa." " Hi." "You knew Noureddine will be Henry IV?" " Papa, I need to talk to you." "It's very important." " It can wait." " No, no, no..." "Sit down." " Alright, be quick." "I want to congratulate him." "Papa, you know Farid and I get married soon." "If it's to host the wedding here, I've thought it over... it's okay." " You're good with that?" " Yes." "Are you sure?" "Yes." "We just need to protect the furniture." "Where is he?" "But dad, you know there's bound to be a huge mess..." "Just imagine... tons of people spilling their drinks... crushing their ciggy butts over your coffee table... and bombing spitballs on the rugs." "Can you imagine?" " Does your sister always see this clearly?" " Noureddine is in his room." " He's tired and wants to rest." " Noureddine." " What the heck are you doing?" " Looking for something." " Get up here, right now." " Just a minute." " Moust'pha, it's not his fault, he's..." " I said right now." "Come on!" "And what's all this?" "It's war paint." "I was playing Indians with Matthias." " Here, I got this for you..." " Thanks, papa." " Thanks, papa." " But be careful when using it." "And clean yourself up before dinner..." "Henry IV." "Don't you think you're going too far with Noureddine?" "I don't want you spoiling him and neglecting his sisters." "What are you saying?" "Don't you think Nadia would like to be treated the same way as her brother?" "You want me to give her a razor too?" "(Praying in Arabic)" "Allah, I beg you." "I don't want to be a girl." "Come on, don't be afraid." "Welcome to our projection room." " Hey." " Hey." " Let's do it?" " Let's do it." "Sit down and make yourself comfortable." "Anyway, my parents won't be back until this evening." "That gives us time." "Sit down, sit down." "We're gonna treat ourselves to a real movie, guys." "Right on..." "It's one of Rocco Siffredi's best flicks." "Holy Shit, get a load of that pussy!" "Euh..." "I think I've already seen it." "Me too." "But it's like Scarface, I can watch it 100 times." "Oh man, gotta do it!" "Can't we put it on pause and wait for him?" "You kidding!" "The moaning makes it 10 times better." "Of course..." "Your turn, bud." "Go on..." " You manning a fire hose or what?" " We're gonna find out right now." " What?" " It's how it works, here." "You showed us you were a wanker, now let's see if you're a kisser." " We're not watching the flick anymore?" " Where do you think you're going?" " Come on, unleash your 5th element." " What?" "Your Teletubbies!" "Want me to draw you a picture?" "Ah..." "I get it." "He wants to see ours first." " It's only normal." " Copy that." "Here come the fireworks." "Copy that!" "Looks like he's never seen one before." "Your turn now." "Sorry guys, but I think you'll get jealous." "I'd rather go home." " Hang on, we'll give you hand." " Cut it out!" "I can do it myself." " You swear?" " I swear." "Tell him to let me go." "Listen guys... you might be in for a shock." "Sure, sure... come on, out with it!" "(in Arabic)" "What's going on, here?" "It's not me, I swear it, it's not me!" "No mother, please!" "And this is to disinfect your eyes!" "(In Arabic)" "Boys will be boys." "Their vices are warping their minds." " Modern thinkers like us, we know that males..." " Of course..." "Nevertheless, the President's little cousin..." "You can tell Aïchec the skin flick was José's." "You did well to come and see me." "I'll be discreet." "Well, it's only normal." "We're part of the same family, now." " Good." "We'll see each other tomorrow at dinner?" " Yes, of course..." "It will be an opportunity to verify the certificate of virginity." "Just to get it out of the way." " The certificate of virgi..." " Yes..." "I rather discuss it with you, because Nadia's poor mother seems to me a bit..." " Can I help?" " I thought you were rehearsing with Matthias." " Ah, you know, Matthias..." " Ah... you had a quarrel." " I don't know." " Fighting over the girl playing Esther, right?" "You must know: women are the source of many men's problems." "Remember: never stop relating to other men, son." "Tell me, why do you like Henry IV so much?" "Ah... you know when I came to France, it was really hard." "I couldn't find a job, no place to stay." "Then a gentleman rented me a room at his place." "And every Sunday he would bring me some roasted chicken... and when I told him I could never pay him back, he would say:" "Monsieur, 4 centuries ago, a king who's name I bear, decreed that every Sunday, even the poorest of Frenchmen should have his chicken." "So you see, I participate every time we commemorate Henry IV." "It's absolutely illegal." "Without a certificate of virginity the marriage will be cancelled." "No, you can't ask this of me." "Other doctors have done it." "I know." "And the last time a colleague delivered a false certificate of virginity, the girl was 8 months pregnant on her wedding day and he lost his job." "Do it for me." "I know you're the only one who supported me when I had problems at the Bled..." "But I think I've paid you back adequately, right?" "I falsified certificates for your son." " If you don't help me, my life will be ruined!" " There has to be a solution." "Listen, young lady." "You must firmly explain your father that your body belongs to you." "That's just great." "It's obvious you don't know my father." "What's this?" "Meds for your dad." "It's an anti- depressant." "Kiss my hand." "Then, you must hold me in your arms before taking leave." "Like this?" "You must do it better than that." "As if you were never to see me again." "Carla..." " What's with her?" " Nothing." "Shouldn't you be at your father's?" " No, he's too busy." "Wanna go to the Randori?" " Okay." "Shit!" "What are you doing?" "Matthias, wait." "Leave me alone." "You're disgusting." "You little faggot." "I wonder where Noureddine is." "He should have been back by now." "Not a single doctor would write a certificate, not even for me." "Bunch of charlatans." "Apparently they can perform an operation and rebuild the hymen." "Great." "That takes the cake." "We were 2 in this game, remember?" "I don't see why I should bear the burden." "As you know, I don't care what anybody thinks, we can get married without them." "And regret it forever?" "No way!" "I want all the family on board." "If not, the wedding is off." "Excellent idea." "What's going on?" "I think I'm gay..." "Wait, mother, I must tell you..." "You know what happens if you open your mouth?" " I hope we're not too late." " No, no, no." "Come in." " Good evening." " Good evening." "What branch of the Zeroual tree are you part of?" "The branch on which one shouldn't sit." " Ah... perhaps a great uncle, I would think." " No, no..." "More like: the cousin of his brother's grand-father married the mother of my mother's second husband." "Ah... here he comes." "Mr. and Mrs Belkacem are here." " Did you forget about our evening?" " Of course not." "What are you saying?" " Good evening." " Good evening, papa." " Come, please sit down." " Thank you." "Now then, just a little formality... you know, the certificate..." "Rest assured, it's not for us, but..." "Nadia, did you show the document to Mrs Belkacem?" "I..." "I am a very modern woman, but I think we should respect certain traditions." " Well, I don't have... it's impossible to..." " To get an appointment at the doctor's right now." " But, it's summer." " Exactly." "They're away on vacation." "All of them?" "No, but her practitioner is." "You wouldn't want her to be examined in that area by a stranger!" "I must say..." "It's a little awkward to discuss this matter in such detail." " When is your doctor back from his vacation?" " In September." " Yes, but the ceremony is scheduled for August." " We could postpone the marriage." "No, it's fine." "Just hear me out!" "Go ahead." "We're listening, my daughter." "Well, huh..." "listen..." "If I don't have a certificate of virginity, well... it's because I'm not a virgin." "Oh my God..." "Now, let's put an end to this masquerade." "Farid and I have been steady for 3 years... so you think we play cards all the time?" "Besides, he's a sex bomb." "He does things with his tongue you can't possibly imagine." "I beg you darling, when you're shooting off the arrow of truth, make sure you first dip the head in honey." " Well say something." " Well, the first time..." " STOP!" "I am a modern woman." "Cool, relax, everything!" "I can't deal with this." "It's beyond me." "I can't." "I just can't." " We're leaving..." "Farid!" " Coming..." " You betrayed me." " Papa..." " You dishonored me." " Can't you see your honor is messing things up?" "Shut up." "No, I won't shut up." "I'm sick of all the secrets, all the lies." "You're forcing us to lie." "Every day we lie to you!" "You don't even want to know if your daughters are happy." "What do you want?" "To lose them all, one by one?" " I'll still have my son." " What?" "You don't deserve to have a son." "That's your punishment for being such a tyrant." "Even Noureddine is a girl." "So now what are you going to say, huh?" "Who will carry the name of your ancestors?" "Nadia, you should never have told him..." " She's crazy." "Tell me she's crazy." " Yes!" "Tell him she's crazy!" " Why is she saying that?" " Because it's true." "Don't move." "Papa..." "It'll be fine." "I'll talk to him." "I just need a bit of time." "What kind of wine you got?" " Côtes du Rhone or Bordeaux." " I'll have both." "Come on..." "Go to your rehearsal." "You know how important that is for your father." "Hello chouchou..." "Wanna go shopping with me?" "Moustapha..." "Listen to me." "At least say something to Noureddine." " He won't eat." " I'll take care of it." "Alright my boy, go buy some thread for your aunt." "What?" "You want me to speak to you as if you were sick?" "You're not sick." "There's nothing wrong with you!" "So, do me the pleasure of coming out of this room." " I'll never come out." "It's too hard." " Oh... now you're being difficult." "You can't live here all of your life without ever coming out." "Why not... you do it." "Really..." "It's no use." "He has the outdoor sickness like his aunt." "I don't know where to go." "I'm all confused." "You understand what happened?" " Your Nadia, in any event..." " Don't mention her name ever again, understood?" " Well, hm, Fa..." " Not that one either." "How convenient." "Anyway, how could I possibly never have noticed?" "The eyes are useless when the mind is blind." "I'm being punished." "You see, we should never have gotten divorced." "If you only knew how long I've been waiting for this moment." "I know if I had given you a son, we'd still be together." "Instead, you..." "You're the one who told everybody I left you because you couldn't give me a son." " Isn't that the truth?" " No." "And you know it." "We never loved each other." "We didn't choose each other." "Our parents chose for us." "And since we needed a reason to divorce, we agreed to say it was on account of the girls." "So that the family would buy it." "Haven't you forgotten that?" "Perhaps if I had given you a son, you might have loved me." "Who knows." "Listen carefully." "I'm going out of my mind." "If there's one person on Earth who knows I didn't leave because of the girls, it's you." "Say it!" "A lie told often enough becomes the truth." "Coming here was a big mistake." "As you wish, Amrani." "But as we say back home:" "He who eats alone, chokes alone." " I thought I heard daddy's voice." " Come here girls, I have something to tell you." "Oh no, mom, it's way too late for another lecture." "No more lectures." "I'm done with lectures." "Cow dung is more useful than dogmas." "One can make fertilizer out of it." " Is that quote one of ours?" " No, Mao Tse-Tung..." "But not a bad one." "Can I get you something?" "Sir, your drinks." "Ah, monsieur Didier." "What a nice surprise." " How are you?" " Fine, thanks." "And the white horse?" "Going well too." "Are you sure you're alright?" "Yes, I'm sure." "I heard about your son's misfortune." "You know, you shouldn't hold it against him." "It's not an aberration." "I'm more pissed off at his mother." "You can't blame anyone." "It's not anyone's fault." "She drove him mad." "We've known for quite a while now it's neither a mental illness nor a perversion, right?" "For the last 10 years she's been putting thoughts into his head." "Maybe you should talk it over with someone." "Might do you some good." "If you like, I could suggest a few support groups." "You could share your feelings with other parents who are going through the same experience." "This is common?" " More than you think." " Oh yeah?" "I'd never have guessed." "Besides..." "Noureddine is only 11." "He must be given the freedom to change." "I doubt that very much." "You know, it's not easy getting a sex change." " I'll have the same..." " Monsieur Amarni, you can be attracted to boys without being a girl, you know." "Noureddine is a girl." "What?" "Noureddine is a girl." "MY BOY IS A GIRL!" "Farid and I realized that it was impossible to please everyone." "So we decided to get PACSed and live the lives we want for ourselves." " And you, you should do the same." " Get PACSed?" "Well no, live the life you want for yourself." "Take me." "Take me with you." "Away from here." "I don't want to stay anymore." "But, your still a hobbit, you can't leave." "Listen to me." "Stop conforming to your parents' or anyone else's expectations of what you should be." "You must be who you are." "You have a visitor." "Hello." " What are you doing here?" " Your mom told me everything." "You could have said something sooner." " Sorry." " The play is about to be cancelled." "Didier is desperate." "He has no Henry IV." "You know what?" "You should go." "That would shut up those idiots." " No, no." "I couldn't do that." " But of course!" "It's a great idea!" " I can't." "I'm too ashamed." " Would you prefer to hear rumors about you?" "Don't forget that without me, you wouldn't have found the courage to come to France." "It's true I lacked courage." "If I had more I wouldn't be in this mess." "I might have been very happy without you." " I sacrificed my life to be close to you!" " You didn't sacrifice a thing!" "You have no life!" "It's so much easier for you to meddle in mine!" "Have you any notion of what you just said?" "You sister, get out." "For the first time in 10 years you find the courage to address me." "Well, say something." "Get out." "(in Arabic)" " Why did you do it?" " Moust'pha, calm down." " Why did you do it?" "!" " You don't want to hear it!" " Try me..." " You were living 3,000 km away." "The doctors told me I couldn't have any more children because of my diabetes." "But more important," " I loved you." " You decided for me?" "I had no choice, no input." "You call that love?" "!" "You decided on your own that our child would be called Noureddine, even before our wedding night." "And when I got pregnant, you called me every day to ask how your son was." "You want to know the truth?" "When they put that baby in my arms for the first time," "I hated it." "I hated that little girl who was about to deprive me of my happiness." "And then she grew." "And I began to love her so deeply, that I swore to myself..." "I would do everything to make her the most cherished baby in the world." "But how did we ever come to this?" "Today, I would never be able to do the same thing." "Have you any idea what you did to our child?" " Forgive me." " Even if I were to forgive your lies," "I could never forgive the pain you've put Noureddine through." " Where is he?" " At the performance." "Since this is the way you want it, I've packed my suitcases." "Goulma, Goulma, you'll never see me again!" "My God..." "Fatima...!" "What's the matter, Fatima?" "!" "You must tell Noureddine that his father will be at the performance." "Out of the question." "For once in your life, do what your little sister is asking." "But it's impossible." "I can't." "You know I can't!" " This is my limit!" " Ma'am, we must go..." "I can't do it." "You want me to die?" " This is my limit." " Let's go." "I can't do it!" "It's impossible, I tell you!" "If anyone is up there, know that this step... erases all of my wrongdoings since the day I was born." "Taxi!" "One day this outdoor sickness will kill me." "You're not going to faint in my car I hope!" "Look at that." "They're clogging up the whole city with their stupid Henry IV." "Damn!" "How am I supposed to do my job!" "Hey!" "You're in France, either love it or leave it." "Hey..." "Thank God, I'm not too late." "Your father's in the audience." "You have a choice, you hear?" "You have a choice." "You make a better duchess than I do." " Can you help me put it on without wrecking it?" " Did you hear what I just said?" "I did." "Now help me." "I warn you." "I might vomit all over you." "Go on." "What are you waiting for?" "Go, get out." " Outside." "We need to change." " Okay children, let's leave this dressing room." "Thank you." "When I was young these were the moments I loved the best: putting on the gandoura." "A long gown provides a pleasure... that no other garment can give you." "You feel free and at the same time protected." "I don't know what you are." "But what's important is to be loved, my child." "She's so beautiful..." "I never thought you'd be so handsome." "I mean, pretty." "Children, take your places." "Come on, let's go." "Thomas, you'll be Henry IV, so get changed." "Bravo!" "You're magnificent." "It will be the best performance we've ever had." "Now, I think I'm going to vomit." "Hey, it's just a comedy." "Come on, let's go." "Can you hear me?" "What is your name?" "What's your name?" "You're okay, you're doing fine." "Let's give a triumphant round of applause to our actors, and especially to our diva, Nour Amrani." "Papa... you can't just leave like that." "What do you want?" "Hurt me even more?" "I want to leave tomorrow, papa." "I want to live." "I just want to live." " And so does Noureddine." " Have I ever stopped you from living?" "Have you ever been deprived of anything?" "Have I ever denied you anything?" "You didn't need to deny us anything." "We just knew we didn't have the right to ask." "It's true we were hardly ever in need of anything." " Except your presence." " You have no right to say that." "Not you, Nadia." "When you were little, I was so proud of you, I took you with me on job sites." "It would infuriate your mother." "Then you grew up and didn't want to come anymore." "I couldn't understand you." "It's funny, but ever since you became women, I have a feeling we don't know each other." " But why have you never told us?" " But why did you lie to me?" "You know what I felt when I realized I was living a lie?" "A sense of great loneliness." "I thought: for years, I felt well surrounded." "All the while..." "I was the loneliest man alive." "We'll need to talk to Farida." " We'll need to wait a bit." " Papa..." "Only 10 years or so." "That's all." " You were so cool!" " And now we go to the torchlight procession?" " You're coming with us?" " Is he out there?" " No." "He's gone." "Come on, come on." "Come on, let's go..." "Just forget it." "He's stupid." "I am sure some day, you'll find someone who'll love you just the way you are." "But who am I?" "I'm a lie." "And nobody likes lies." " Stop it..." " No, that's not true." " Besides, we love you." " I don't even know my name." " Your name is Nour." " Noureddine." "Say it." " What do you want me to say?" " That I'm your daughter." " Girl or boy, does it matter?" " Well then say it." "You're my girl." "My girl... come on!" "Come on, get up." "I want the whole world to see I'm proud of you." "Hey, kids!" "Wait for me...!" "Come children, move on!" "What are you doing, here?" "You don't belong here." " What are you doing?" " I'm lost." "Come on, let's go." " I won!" " My turn, now." "You gonna start wearing dresses from now on?" "That's the way I love you." "English subtitles by VitaminSea Timings  editing by Subransu"