"Mohsen MAKHMALBAF" "What is your name?" "Nafas." "Who are you?" "The bride's cousin." "Miss Nafas, you have made up your mind to go to Afghanistan" "I will find you a family who can be trusted to go with you" "If anyone questions you, say that you are a member of the family, the wife, or the daughter, so that no one suspects you" "Pay attention, girls..." "Today is your last day at school" "In Afghanistan, you will not be going to school" "There are no schools there" "You will have to stay at home" "But you mustn't give up hope" "If walls are high, the sky is higher still" "One day, the world will see your troubles and come to your aid" "If it doesn't, you will have to stand together" "Close your eyes." "Imagine that you are an ant" "If you pretend to be an ant you can close your eyes and the house will appear much bigger" "Thank you!" "Let's try something" "I throw one of them, and I step on it" "If there's a noise, I'm dead" "I close my eyes and throw the others" "One, two, three..." "Bravo!" "Back a bit" "Watch my hand" "Don't move" "Don't move." "Watch my hand" "Look at me" "You see that black head over there?" "Yes" "For one hundred dollars, will you make sure she gets to Kandahar safe and sound?" "If anyone stops you on the way, you must say that she is your fourth wife" "Why should I say that?" "I have two Hazaras wives, and one Pachtoune My Ouzbeck wife is dead" "With a Tadjik wife, I will have married all Afghanistan!" "I'm going to take a photo" "Don't move." "Look at the camera" "Put this UNO flag on your car, it will protect you" "Take these dollars for the journey to Afghanistan" "Your photo is in the file" "Don't come back for more dollars" "Do you understand?" "Madam..." "The latest news of the eclipse:" "The final eclipse of the twentieth Century will take place in two days" "It will cross Western Iran, Afghanistan and finish in the Indian subcontinent" "It's getting late." "Why aren't we going?" "Don't you want to eat?" "What for?" "I'm late!" "Lower your burga first" "It is a matter of honour." "We are devout people" "No man must see my wife's face" "People will ridicule you if your burga is not worn properly" "A burga is not for show" "It is a veil, to cover you" "To cover you up!" "All right, I'll do it, but I am not really your wife" "That is true, you are not, but what will that matter to scandalmongers?" "They will say. "His wife is improperly dressed"" "The burga is not an ornament" "My honour is at stake." "Are we going?" "I'll call the driver." "He's eating" "We'll go when he's finished" "Tell the women to hurry up" "Quickly, it's time to go" "Why are you hurrying us, sister." "We'll be going to Kandahar soon enough" "I have to be there by tomorrow" "Let the girls do their nails" "What do you want?" "Let go!" "Let go!" "Don't cry!" "Praise be to God!" "Heavens, we thank you!" "God is generous." "He is great" "May he grant you good health!" "Thanks be to You for all things!" "We have nothing!" "God is great and merciful" "May he grant you good health!" "Thank you, my God!" "Silence!" "Silence!" "What is a sabre?" "A weapon which executes God's orders" "It severs the thiefs hand and the murderer's head" "Continue!" "Silence!" "What is a Kalashnikov?" "A semi-automatic weapon with gunpowder and repeat" "It kills the living and destroys those already dead" "You are wrong." "Start again" "A semi-automatic weapon with gunpowder and repeat action" "It kills the living, destroys their flesh, and mutilates the bodies of those already dead" "Continue!" "Silence!" " You are not moving?" " My back hurts" "Recite the Koran" "No." "You, go on" "Recite it like him" "You do not know it" "How can that be?" "Learn it." "You don't know it" "You are just copying the rhythm" "No, not like that" "Like that" "No, that's not right." "You haven't learnt it." "Why?" "Recite it properly, or I will expel you" "Your mind is elsewhere" "No, not like that." "Go and fetch your mother" "Continue!" " Mullah!" " Yes" "Greetings" " Are you well?" " Yes, thank you" "I am Khak's mother" "Why have you expelled him?" "If he'd learned his lessons, I wouldn't have expelled him" "Help him to learn, Mullah!" "Mullah!" "He works hard!" "Don't expel him!" "I have suspended him many times" "He learns nothing at school." "He will never be a Mullah" "Send him to work in Iran" "Finish eating and wash before praying" "Khak!" "You do not work hard enough to become a Mullah" "Go and change" "Eat properly, finish the meal correctly" "May God bless the Mullah!" "He has taken my son" "Why?" "He has expelled mine!" "My son has no father." "He was killed by a mine" "We are alone, we have nothing to eat." "My son has nothing to eat either" "He has to study." "He is too young" "He is not old enough to work" "You accepted two hundred dollars to take me and you're leaving me here?" "You saw yourself, they took everything" "We must return to Iran" "I have to get to my sister in Kandahar" "I have to go back to Iran." "In Afghanistan, nothing is safe." "Shall I recite the Koran for your dead?" "We are the dead." "Sing for us" "What am I going to do?" "Come back to Iran with us" "Have I come this far just to turn back?" "Afghanistan is our homeland." "We long to return there" "But there is nothing there but famine, suffering and massacre" "I must take my family back to Iran" "And me, what should I do?" "You could return with us to Iran" "If not, go to Kandahar by cart" "Shall I recite the Koran for your dead?" "Forgive us." "Your journey is more perilous than ours" "The UNO flag will protect you" "Take it, little one." "If you see any dolls, don't touch them" "Shall I recite the Koran?" "Will you take me to Kandahar?" "No." "It is too dangerous." "Walk half a day, then go on by cart" " Where are you going?" " To Kandahar" " How much for taking you there?" " Is it far?" " Three days' journey" " I only have two days" "Three days if you go slowly, two days if you hurry" "One day if you run" "I'll run" "How much will you pay me?" " How much do you want?" " Fifty thousand Afghani" "I don't have Afghan money How much in dollars?" "Fifty thousand dollars" "What are you talking about?" "Fifty thousand Afghani makes one dollar." "One dollar is nothing." "I want fifty thousand dollars" "I'll give you fifty dollars." "All right?" "Lift your burga, so I can see you" "Why do you want to see me?" "To make sure it's not a trick" "Look at me" " And you, can I trust you?" " It's OK" "Let's go" " What's your name?" " Khak" "How do you earn a living?" "And you, what do you do?" "I am a student." "I get paid to study" "I earn my living with my voice" "What do you mean?" "Give me a dollar and I'll show you" "I've given you fifty dollars!" "That's for being your guide" "Take it." "Another dollar to hear you sing" "OK, I'll sing" " Don't look at me" " Why?" "I'm shy." "I'll sing if you walk in front." "OK" "Don't look at me" " Why not?" " I'm shy" "There are two paths" "We have to take the long one" "I don't have time." "Let's go the short way" "Don't be afraid" "I'm going the long way" "I want to find things to sell so I can give my mother money" "Khak!" "Khak!" "Where are you?" "I've found a beautiful ring!" "A beautiful ring!" "I'll sell it for five dollars!" "Look how beautiful it is!" "You want to buy it?" "It matches your eyes!" "It matches your eyes!" "Only five dollars!" "It's beautiful!" "You want to buy it?" "What is your name?" "Nafasgul." "Who is sick?" "My mother" "What's wrong with her?" "Stomach ache" "Does she throw up her food?" "Do you throw up your food?" "No." " Does she go to the toilet a lot?" " Do you go to the toilet a lot?" "No." " What has she eaten this morning?" " What have you eaten this morning?" "She has a stomach ache" "Did she eat a heavy meal last night?" " Was your dinner heavy last night?" " I didn't eat anything" "She was sick, she didn't eat anything" "Was she sick yesterday afternoon?" " Were you sick yesterday?" " Yes" "Has she eaten any spoiled meat?" "Have you eaten any spoiled meat?" "I was sick yesterday." "I didn't eat anything" "She was sick, she didn't eat anything." "And yesterday morning?" "I was sick, I didn't eat a thing" "She was sick, she didn't eat a thing" "Tell her to move closer" "Open your mouth" "Tell her to say "ah"" "Cough" "Tell her to cough" "Tell her to put her eye to the hole" "Put your eye to the hole" "She is anaemic" " Do you have stomach ache too?" " Yes" "Since yesterday?" "For three days" "Here, take this bread" "Eat some three times a day." "Morning, midday and evening" "'Surgery'" " Who is sick?" " My sister" "What's wrong with her?" "It's her stomach" "She throws up everything she eats and keeps going to the toilet" " What has she eaten?" " Water and bread" "What water?" "From the wells" "Tell her to drink this" "She has a fever" "Tell her to move closer" "The doctor wants to examine you" "Move closer to the hole" "It's the dirty water, I'm certain" "Tell her to move her ear closer" "Tell her to move her mouth closer" "These are for you" "Nuts." "Eat them" "Tell her to breathe deeply" "Breathe..." "like that..." "She is very sick." "Tell her to move closer" "You are very sick." "Move your ear closer" "Tell her to breathe deeply" "Breathe... deeply" "Hello, doctor" " Will you buy my chickens?" " If they're healthy" "Khak, come here" "What do you want?" "I have given you fifty dollars" "Take another fifty and go home." "I'll go on alone" "You won't make it" "There are mines and bandits" "You're too slow." "I'm in a hurry" "It's you who's slow." "You're sick." "I'll go quicker" "I am sick, I'm worn out" "Go back home" "Give me a dollar for the ring" "No, you took it from the hand of a corpse" "It's clean!" "The body was clean!" "Buy it!" " I don't want it." " It's beautiful." "Only one dollar" "Put it away, I don't want it" "Only one dollar" "No." "Go home" "It matches your eyes" "Buy it, it's a bargain" "I don't want it" "Goodbye, then." "I'm going" "These chickens are diseased." "Don't sell them." "Don't eat them." "Here, go and buy some bread" " Will you buy the ring?" " I already told you, no" "It's beautiful, like your eyes." "I'll give it to you" "I don't want it" "Why?" "Because it came from a dead body" "The skeleton was clean." "Here, I'm giving it to you" "I don't want it." "You took it from a corpse" "It was clean." "Take it, I'm giving it to you" "No" "Take it" "If you don't want it, take it for your sister" " I don't want it" " Why not?" "For your sister!" "Give it to me and go home" "I beg you, take me to the Red Cross" "Take me to the Red Cross" "Get in, we can talk" " Where are you going?" " To the Red Cross" "My wife's legs were blown off by a mine" "They gave her a temporary set, for a year" "She can't walk with them" "Today, I have to change them for a new pair" "What misery!" " What's your name?" " Hamdallah" " You're a soldier?" " No, a farmer" "I stepped on a mine" " Does it hurt?" " Very badly" " Do you sleep well?" " No" "We'll give you drugs" "You'll have to wait" "I've lost my hand." "Give me a new hand" "Do you walk on your hands?" "No, I was going to Kandahar" "The ground was full of mines." "I wasn't thinking" "I touched a mine with my hand" "I have no family left." "I had four brothers" "All blown up by mines, except me" "I'm homeless and penniless" "I lost my leg." "Here, they've given me two boxes of penicillin, but no leg" "They lie to us Always promises" "They' don't have enough drugs or legs" "I can't get to sleep" "I've lost my hand." "Please, give me a new hand" "We only have legs here" "Then give me some legs" "What use would they be?" "You already have legs" "We are crossing the desert" "There are mines everywhere." "It would be good to have some" "What happened to you?" "I set off a mine on my way to work" "I'm in agony" " Your name?" " Ebrahim" " What do you do?" " I'm a labourer" " How old are you?" " Twenty" "You'll have to wait" "You're here every day" "No, only today." "Give me a leg" "Are you blind?" "They don't have any." "You have two." "We don't make hands here" "A mine took my leg, while I was working" "Don't touch it!" "It hurts" "I haven't shut my eyes in four months" "I haven't come for myself" "I can't come every day" "At least give me one for my friend." "He has no one" "His parents are martyrs of the war" "I pity him" "I lost my legs in my own field" "I'm not getting better." "No one cares for us here" "If you don't have drugs, you can't sleep" "My friend has no one" "I'll take the legs for him" "I swear to you" " I don't believe you" " I'm not lying!" "If you won't give me any for him give me some for my mother" "She lost both legs I was taking her to the hospital leading her by the arm" "She fell to the ground" "I stood on a mine, and lost my leg" "Try to walk with that" "It's agony, even with crutches" " And at night?" " Night and day" "You have to wait" "We have ordered them" "Doctor, give me some legs for my mother" "She'll have to come herself" "She has no legs, she can't come" "I don't believe you." "Every day it's a new story" "I don't come every day" "Today is my first time" "Give me some legs for her" "Follow me" "I'll give you a temporary pair on the condition you don't come back" "Do you promise?" "Take them" "These are no good!" "You can't walk on these!" "Give me a decent pair" "Those are the best I have." "I don't have any others" "No one could walk with those." "I want a proper pair" "They are for someone else" "He's been waiting a year" "Give me some proper legs," "I beg you" "No." "Go on." "Now" "No." "Go on, go!" "Does it hurt a lot?" "Yes, very badly" "Now, or mainly at night?" "Day and night" "Here, these are for your wife" "You must tell her, if they break, she will have to wait another year" "They are enormous!" "They're not right for her" "They are her size" "These are for a man" "They have to be sturdy" "Your wife has to be able to walk on them" "She has to be comfortable on them" "Was she comfortable with the temporary ones?" "Miss!" "They're to big." "They're not her size!" "My wife has slender legs" " They aren't meant to be elegant" " They're heavy" "They have to be sturdy so she can walk on them" "People have to wait a year to get them, and you don't want them?" "These are for a man, not a woman!" "They are to allow her to walk, not to make her look pretty" "Those legs are for a man, not a woman" "What are you doing?" "I'll take these, they're her size." "What are you doing?" "They are for someone else!" "A woman is coming for them" "She has waited a year, just like your wife" "My wife can't walk with a man's legs" "What's important is that she can walk at all" "Look, miss." "These are her size" "The others won't do." "They're too big" "Look, these are the shoes she got married in" "They fit these feet, they're the right size" "Magda!" "Yes" "Excuse me, are you going to Kandahar?" "No, I've no reason to go there" "Look at these shoes." "They fit on the feet." "I'll take these" "I won't take the others" "My wife wouldn't have them." "She cries all the time..." "Will you buy these legs?" "Get in, we'll talk" "You want to buy them?" "I still have my own, thank God" "It's good to have replacements" "They belonged to my mother" "She has never used them." "They're like new" "These fields are full of mines, you should have a spare pair" "You have to wait a year for them with the Red Cross" "I'll let you have them for next-to-nothing" " Are you going to Kandahar?" " No" "The legs, whose are they?" "My mother's." "God bless her soul" "She was old, bedridden" "She never used them" "The pennies you give me will help me bury her" "Will you take me to Kandahar?" "No, I can't" "Why not?" "There's a problem." "Go with this gentleman" "I am a woman on her own" "I can't hurt you" "Take me to Kandahar" "If I go there, people will ask where I lost my hand" "If I tell them "At work" they won't believe me" "They'll turn me in to the Moudjahedin" "They will say:" ""What about your head?"" "Why won't you help her?" "And you?" "I'll give you four laks to take this woman to Kandahar" "I can't go there" "Buy them for the journey" "There's a problem." "He can't go with me" "You're a coward!" "I'm not." "Why don't you go?" "What if I give you a hundred dollars?" "A hundred dollars isn't enough to go there" " You're a coward!" " I'm not" " A hundred dollars is nothing." " A hundred and fifty?" "I won't go there, even for a hundred and fifty" "I'll give you two hundred" " How much?" " Two hundred" "Two hundred dollars?" "I have to think." "I'm going to get my things" "I'll be right back to take you" "Give me four laks for the legs, then I'll come back and take you to Kandahar" "If I don't pay you, you'll come back quicker" "Give me the money." "You're trying to trick me" "Pay me" "I'll make sure the road is safe, then I'll take you" " Give me four laks." " When you get back" "Give me four laks" "Wait here for me" "I'm waiting." "Hurry up" "Don't be scared, it's me" "Where have you been?" "They're going to a wedding in Kandahar" "Hurry up, time's running out" "Come on, we'll go with them" "Take the four laks." "Let's go!" "I'm keeping the legs" "Something to remember my mother by" "Goodbye" "If I speak, they will know that I'm a man" "Go and tell them we are cousins of the groom" "Ask the bride's name, in case we meet a patrol" "I'll find out" "I am the groom's cousin." "What is the bride's name?" "I am his cousin." "Who are you?" "There's some mistake." "I am the bride's cousin" "What is the groom's name?" "His name is Mossafer" "The groom's name is Mossafer" "We are the bride's cousins" "First, she pretends to be the groom's cousin, then the bride's..." "If they question us, we'll say we're married" "What's your name?" " Nafas." " I'm Hâyat" "We'll say we have two children, a boy and a girl" "Why are they going that way?" "Is that the way to Kandahar?" "They're going the wrong way" "Ask someone else" "I'm taking my sons to Iran" "If you're going to Iran, come with us" "No, I'm going to Kandahar" "Tell them you're the groom's cousin" "Stop!" "Sit!" "If they ask us say that we're married" " What is your name?" " Nafas" "I'm Hâyat" "Be quiet!" "Don't speak!" "Put your baggage on the ground" "Stand up!" "Search them thoroughly" "Get rid of your tape recorder" "Search them as well." "Look under their burgas" " What is your name?" " Burga" " What?" " Burga" "Go and sit over there" " What is your name?" " Zaer" "Go and sit over there" "What is your name?" "Hâyat" " What?" " Hâyat" "Go and sit over there" "Go and sit over there" "Get rid of your tape recorder" "You." "You can go" "Congratulations on the wedding" "The others can go" "You, wait here." "Search her thoroughly" "What is your name?" "Nafas" "Who are you?" "The bride's cousin" "With:" "Nelofer PAZIRA" "Sadou TEYMOURI" "Safdar SHODJAI" "Mollazaher TEYMOURI" "Monica HANKIEVICH" "Zahra SHAFAHI" "Assistant directors Mojtaba MIRTAHMASEB" "Kaveh MOYINFAR Hassan SARAJIAN" "Director of photography:" "Ebrahim GHAFOURI" "Music:" "Mohamad-Reza DARVISHI" "A MAKHMALBAF FILM HOUSE (Iran) and BAC FILMS (France) production" "Scripted, edited and directed by:" "Mohsen MAKHMALBAF"