"In the name of God" "Hedayat Film  F. Yousefpour Present" "A Film by Bahman Farmanara" "The Smell of Camphor, The Fragrance of Jasmine" "Act one A Bad Day" "Hello." "Hello?" ""Hello, Dad, did I wake you up?"" "Nima, how are you?" "You know me." "I am an early riser." ""When are you going to mom's grave?"" "As usual, first thing in the morning." ""Are you having a ceremony this year too?"" "Not this year." "I want to be alone with her." ""But if you did, it would keep you busy all day and it wouldn't be so hard on you."" "Today will be difficult anyway." "But your call was a good start for a bad day." ""I wish I could go with you, but it is the worst time for my work." "Besides, Jasmine is due to give birth any day now."" "I understand, son." "You have to be with her now." "I'll tell Mom you thought of her." ""Not one day goes by that I don't think of Mother."" "Me, too." ""By the way, what about your film?"" "Well, the last script was rejected too so I dropped the whole thing." "I am now making a documentary for Japanese television about the burial rituals in Iran." ""What's that?"" ""I got it." "What a bad subject."" "Yes, but they pay well, and I have to work, you know." ""I hope this is not going to make you depressed again."" "No, don't you worry." "I am fine, thanks for calling and as soon as the baby arrives, please give me a call." ""Will do, Dad, take care."" "Bye." "In order to give peace to the dying person it is recommended to recite a number of verses from the Koran and also to read certain prayers." "Especially the last three verses from the chapter Al Baquara." "Jaleh." " Hello, Abdollah." " Hello, Sir." "How are you?" "Fine, thanks." "Not bad." " Won't you have breakfast?" " Not today." "I am in a hurry." "Good-bye, Abdollah." ""When Jaleh died, for a long time I thought I too would die soon." ""But the love of the kids caused me to hang on to life." ""When Mother got Alzheimer's and didn't recognize me anymore..." ""...another part of me died..." ""...but the way Father showered her with love, made the pain bearable." ""When friends like Bahram Reypur, Hajir Dariush..." ""..." "Jalal Moquaddam and Sohrab Shahid Saless..." ""...all died within a short period of time..." ""..." "I thought Death must be whirling very close..." ""...and will soon grab me too." ""But the thought of death did not bother me a bit." ""When a filmmaker doesn't make films or a writer doesn't write..." ""...that is death." "In fact, I am not afraid of dying." "I am afraid of living a futile life."" "I'm going straight ahead." "Fine with me, I'll accompany you as far as you go." "How old is the baby?" "One day old." "You gave birth only yesterday and now you are on the road all by yourself?" "You're born alone, and you die alone." "In the villages, women give birth on the farm then get up and continue working." "But we're not in the village." "Can I turn the music on?" "Won't it wake up the baby?" "No, he won't wake up." "He is dead." "Dead?" "!" "What are you doing on the road with a dead child?" "Where's your husband?" "My husband beat me up, so I left him and went to a friend's home." "My parents live in the provinces." "My baby was born yesterday, he was already dead." "I don't know whether it was caused by the beating or something else." "I'm now going home to give him the baby." "What animal would beat a pregnant woman?" "An unemployed, illiterate man." "It has nothing to do with education." "My son-in-law was a Berkeley graduate." "Yet he beat my daughter every day." "When I learned of it, I had two heart attacks within ten days." "It has to do with one's upbringing." "That good-for-nothing had to ask his mother's permission for whatever he did." "My mother-in-law is a good woman." "It is the unemployment that has driven my husband crazy." "You raise a daughter with all the difficulties then you hand her over to a jerk who beats her every day and says, "Forget about your bride price I'll divorce you only when your father pays me 5 million Tomans."" "What animals you come across in life!" "Sorry, I'll get off here." "I'll take you to your destination." "No, thank you, sir." "I don't need any more trouble." "It is not his fault." "Ever since he was laid off, he has had a nervous breakdown." "Now that the baby is dead, he'll really kill me." "Please drop me off right here." "Do you have any money?" "How much should I give you?" "This is too much." " Please take as much as you need." " Two is enough." "Are you in charge here?" "Yes, sir." "Five years ago, when I buried my wife here..." "May God rest her soul in peace." "...I bought the adjacent plot." "For myself." "May you live to become 120 years old, but what a good idea." "One has to think of one's afterlife." "Besides, it is more economical." "I didn't do it for economic reasons." "Spiritually, it is also more rewarding." "When the survivors come to pay their respects, instead of reciting two prayers, they will recite only one." "But you have already buried someone else in that plot." "That is impossible." "We have computerized everything in order to prevent such incidents." "What is the deceased's name?" "Jaleh Sheibani-Farjami." "Lot 14, row 15 number 90, correct?" "Right, now look up number 91." " Haj Hosein Mosavat." " That's right, but I have the license." "Sir, please bring me your receipt." "I am sure you're mistaken." "Besides, they might have sold you a two-level grave." "Sir, I did not buy a two-level grave." "I bought the adjacent plot." " Haj Hosein Mosavat?" " Yes, but that's my land." "Sir, please bring me your receipt." "If you are right, we will do something for you." " Like what?" " We'll give you another plot." "I don't want another plot." "I bought two adjacent plots so I would be buried next to my wife." "Of course, we normally don't make mistakes." "But supposing we did I cannot exhume a corpse without proper authorization." "Besides, 99 percent of the people don't want to be with their wives when they are alive." "Yet, you won't leave her alone even after death?" " Is Dr. Arasteh in?" " Yes, wait a second!" "Where are you going?" "What's the matter, Bahman?" "Have they raided your house?" "Sorry to bother you so early." "Did I wake Parvaneh?" "She won't wake up until noon even if a tank passes by." " Tea, coffee?" " No, thanks." "Will you tell me what has happened?" "This morning, on my way from Lavasan I gave a ride to a woman with a baby." "I bet she asked for money to get off." "No, she was decent, she got off soon." "As she got off, were you arrested by the 'Committee'?" "Doc, let me finish." "After she got off, I went to the cemetery to visit Jaleh's grave." "May God rest her soul." "When I was going back to the car I noticed a black plastic bag on the rear seat." " It belonged to the woman." " It was full of money." "Right, and I came here 8 o'clock in the morning to share it with you." "In the bag, there was a dead baby with its placenta." "Now, where's the bag?" "Where it was left, on the rear seat of the car." "I was going to the police, then I thought they might ask me why I gave a ride to an unaccompanied woman." "You did the right thing." "Going through legal ways could cause a lot of trouble." "Interesting response from a doctor of law." "Now, what do you suggest?" "Recourse to law is for the poor and they do not have any money for me to live in such style." "In this country, you either have to have connections or know other ways." "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." "Hello, this is Dr. Arasteh." "Sorry to have bothered you so early in the morning." "Could I speak to Mr. Hosein Khamush?" "I will." "Hello, Hosein." "I need you right away." "No, I don't need any opium." "It's an emergency." "Come here right away." "I'll explain." "Be quick." "Good-bye." "Give me your car keys." "Where's your car?" "In front of the gate." "Who is this Hosein Khamush?" "He is a retired fireman." "But what business of yours is that?" "Come on, take my car and go home." "I'll send your car back later." "But something else has also happened." "It's hardly eight o'clock." "How many things have happened to you?" "In the cemetery, they've buried somebody else in my place." "Were you supposed to be buried today?" "No, as I was visiting Jaleh's grave I noticed the adjacent plot that I had bought for myself." "Somebody else has been buried there." "Well, perhaps you bought a two-level grave." "That's what the manager of the cemetery said." "Tell me, are two-level graves the new thing these days?" "Brother, with the populations of Tehran rising so fast soon we'll have ten-level graves." "But first let's take care of this corpse we have on our hands then I'll think about your burial." "Here, take my car and go." "I will send your car later." "Third floor of the parking, green Mercedes with an Arak plate." " Are you sure it'll be all right?" " Positive, I'll take care of it." " Will they bury it?" " They will bury it, for sure." "They will bury it for sure." "What are you doing with Dr. Arasteh's car?" "I am Bahman Farjami." "The doctor gave me the keys himself." "But he didn't tell me how to turn off the burglar alarm." "There are two ways to switch it off." "One way is like this and the other way you don't need to know." "Thanks." "Hello." "Barbad?" "Barbad, why are you crying?" "What's happened?" "Your father didn't come home last night?" "Where's your mother?" "Let me talk to her." "Why can't she?" "Barbad?" "Barbad?" " Have you had another fight?" " Oh, no." "If every time we had a fight he wouldn't come home he would never be home." "He called and said he'd visit Zia, and then come home." "Have you called everywhere?" "I've called everybody." "But nothing." "What can I do?" "Official Authorities, anybody you know." "Contact anywhere you know." "Well, I don't know any officials." "But I can get in touch with my lawyer." "He knows everybody." "Please do whatever you can." "The longer his absence the stronger the possibility of his never coming back." "I don't even want to think about that." "I'll call my lawyer." "You have the number of my cell phone." "Please stay in touch." "Please visit the hospitals." "Maybe he was in an accident." "I will." "But I don't think he might have visited Mr. Najafi." "I don't know, no, the editorial board meeting was not today." "I don't know, maybe he's gone to Mr. Najafi's after all." "Barbad, hang up the telephone, your father might call." "I'll drop by Mr. Najafi's just in case then I'll call you." "Thanks." " Bye." " Bye, uncle." "Don't you worry." "I'll be in touch." "Here comes the lift." "The lift is for the residents, not a playground." "We were not playing, sir." "My friend pushed the wrong button." "Aren't you Bahman Farjami?" "Why, yes, and you are?" "I was supposed to act in your film, but you rejected me." "You must've been much younger." "I haven't made a film in 24 years." "You have these dreams, only when you are young." "Hello, Dr. Arasteh, this is Bahman." "Don't you worry." "I made the arrangements." "No, no, it's got nothing to do with that." "I was at Amir Esfahani's house, the writer." "He didn't come home last night." "Maybe he has had an accident or something." "You have to call all the hospitals along his way." "I am going to do that." "Will you please get in touch with everywhere you know?" "Call me as soon as you hear anything." "I'll do my best." "But you keep quiet and don't call anybody else until I call you." "I will, thanks a lot." "Thank you." " Hi." " Hello." "Have they brought any unidentified corpses here?" "Unidentified corpses are not brought to hospitals." "They are taken to the coroner." "Couldn't somebody have been brought here with no relatives and he might have died later?" "Even people with lots of relatives have difficulty to get admitted to the hospital." "Anyhow, we only have two corpses here." "One is an old man of the former Regime." "The other is a 15-year-old girl who killed herself." "A 15-year-old girl has killed herself?" "Only the young have the courage to take their lives." "Old people like us hold on to their lives with both hands." " Hello." " Hi, Bahman." ""Any news?"" "His name was not on any official list of detainees." "I contacted the coroner's office also." "They don't have anybody that matches Amir's description." ""I visited a few hospitals along his route."" "Fortunately, I couldn't find him there." "Now, no news could be good news." "Maybe he'll turn up himself." "Hope so, because in this country, no news is always bad news." "Anyway, thanks for your efforts." "You better go home and rest, it's been a bad day." "By the time you get home..." ""...your car will be there too."" "Thanks, bye." ""Pardon me, Mr. Kafka isn't the peace treaty they have signed final?"" ""Has racism been obliterated in America after Abraham Lincoln?"" ""Unless we have justice, nothing will be final."" " "And when shall we have justice?" - "Who knows?" ""Man is not God." "History is made of mistakes..." ""...and acts of heroism at insignificant moments." ""If a pebble is thrown into the water a series of circular waves are produced."" ""In the clashes between..." ""...the Sierra Leone army and the paramilitary rebels..." ""...who want to overthrow the elected President..." ""...more than half of the country has been reduced to ruins." ""Whenever the rebels capture..." ""...one of the supporters of the President..." ""...they immediately cut off..." ""...a hand or a foot of the unfortunate prisoner." ""Today, a UN representative..." ""...who visited some of the victims of these atrocities..." ""...said such medieval behavior..." ""...which disregards every existing law and convention was most unacceptable."" ""And I will tell you frankly, my brothers and sisters..." ""...my belief that the fate of the social aspect of religion..." ""...will always depend on our viewing of religion..." ""...in such a way that it is compatible with freedom." ""If you read the pages of history..." ""...you will notice that anything that has confronted freedom..." ""...has suffered in the process, even the human virtues." ""If religion has confronted freedom..." ""...it has been damaged." ""If justice has confronted..." ""If justice has confronted freedom..." ""...it has been damaged." ""And if development and construction..." ""...have confronted freedom..." ""...they have been damaged." ""I will mention two major cases..." ""...of such a confrontation." ""The first one is from the Middle Ages..." ""...when religion and freedom confronted one another..." ""...and religion suffered defeat." ""The second one is..." ""...from the world of Communism in our age..." ""...when economic justice and freedom..." ""...confronted one another and justice lost." ""Even though the people might not have gained their freedom either."" ""Amir's come home."" "Thank God, where was he?" ""Don't know yet." "He's still too mixed up to talk." "I'll call you later."" "If you need anything, call me." "Give him my best." " "Fine."" " Bye." " Abdollah." " Yes, sir?" " Bring me the pills by the bed." " Yes, sir." "Here you are, sir." "This one doesn't need water." "Act Two The Funeral Arrangements" "Please come in." "Pull down the door." "Sorry, I asked you to do that so the sheep won't run away." "What a pasture for sheep!" "Well, she'll be our guest for a few days." "When my parents return from their pilgrimage to Mecca this animal will be going on a journey of no return." "In a 70 square meter apartment, we don't have enough room for our own kids, let alone a sheep." "Will you light up a memorial sign for her?" "No, sir." "It's the human beings for whom arrival and departure requires much ado." "Animals come and go just like that." "Are these all the memorial signs that you have?" "How many do you require?" "I meant do they all look the same?" "Well, the traditional Hejlehs look like these." "Could you light one of them for me?" "Of course, why not?" "I'll light up all of them." " What do you think?" " Very pretty." "Recently, one of my "fabrique" friends passed away and I lit up all the Hejlehs for him." "May God rest his soul, but what does "fabrique friend" mean?" "Fabrique means the real thing." "Okay, could we change these colored bulbs with simple white ones?" "If you like, why not?" "Who do you want the Hejleh for?" "For myself." "For yourself?" "Listen man, I have no time for loonies." "To think I took all the time to bring you here and show you the Hejlehs." "I do not dispute being nuts." "I'll send my production manager to talk to you about a few of these." "So you want them for filmmaking." "Why didn't you say so?" "I'll get you the best Hejleh in the world." " Best in the world?" " Yes." "Let me first cut off these lights." "How long to my expiration date?" "It seems it has already expired." "Joking aside, is it serious?" "Depends on how you look at it." "The night before last, you had a mild heart attack and the enzymes in your blood are much higher than normal." "What's normal about anything we have?" "What do you suggest?" "A strict diet, one hour of brisk walking a day and quit smoking immediately." "Then it's easier to die." "You don't need to embrace it." "It'll come soon enough." "We'll do an echography, a treadmill test and then if necessary, an angiogram." "Eventually you'll find out that I have a broken heart." "My dear friend." "Your condition could've been caused by depression." "But smoking for a heart patient is like pushing a lame person." "Well, as my father says, we've not rented the world when the time comes, we'll go." " So what are you doing here?" "Good question." "Perhaps because I don't like to leave anything unfinished." "Now, what about my diet?" "There's a general rule." "Anything tasty is bad for you." "Like pastries or rich foods." "And everything that tastes bad is good for you like saltless food, boiled vegetables, et cetera." "Abstinence is the best diet." "I'll do my best." "These are your tests." "And here are the pills you have to take." "Thanks, bye." "We have all kinds of Termeh, from ordinary kinds for the poor to gold embroidered ones for the rich." " I want a good, old one." " How much do you want to spend?" "I don't know, I just want a good one." " Sorry, can I ask you a question?" " Please do." "Do you want a Termeh for a wedding or a funeral?" "It's for a funeral." "Incidentally, this was brought to me yesterday." "Normally, people won't sell these kinds of Termehs because they've been used to cover the corpse of loved ones." "But these days, they bring us things to sell that have been in the family for generations." "What a world!" "This is beautiful." "How much is it?" "Well, the owner wants 400,000 Tomans." "I want 50,000 for myself." "450,000 Tomans total." " Isn't that expensive?" " Compared with what?" "If you compare it with the machine woven Termehs they sell in the cemetery these days this is worth 5 million Tomans." "If it didn't have this little flaw it would be over 700,000." "Couldn't you give me a discount?" "My taste always surpasses my pocket." "It is recommended to close the eyes and the mouth of the deceased and wrap his chin and and straighten his hands next to his body and cover him with a cloth." "And if he has died in the evening a light should be kept burning in the room." "I'll cut 25,000 Tomans from my own share but I cannot give a discount to the owner's 400,000." "Perhaps you could talk to the owner and ask him for a discount." "I'll leave you my name and address, and you let me know." "Okay, I don't think it's possible, but I'll try." "Bye, sir." " Hello, ma'am." " Hello, Abdollah." "Here, come and put these flowers in that big vase." "Where is my brother?" "In the corner of that room, among his books." " Hello, Bahman." " Hello, sister, how are you?" " Fine, and you?" " Not too bad." "Look, everything is covered with dust." "What does Abdollah do then?" "Please, don't start all over again, sister." "I need him." "Besides, he's been in the family for ages, and he can't be changed." "Abdollah, this place is a mess." "I can't clean this house single-handed." "At least clean this corner, where my brother sits." "Yes, ma'am." "Brother, what did the doctor say?" "He said I'm fine, just a slight cold." "I talked with Dr. Shah-Hossein myself, and he told me everything." "You are still smoking?" "My problem is getting old." "My friend says if after 50 you wake up in the morning and have no aches or pains be sure that you're dead." "Brother, heart is a serious business." "You have to be careful, and quit smoking." "Tell me, did Amir-Hossein take his university entrance exams?" "Yes, I'd gone with him to Kazerun for his exams." "That's why I couldn't participate in the anniversary of Jaleh's death." "Abdollah, empty these ashtrays, and dust this table and the books." "I've asked him not to touch my books and papers." "Abdollah, this teacup is not clean." "It has lipstick on it." "Well, neither the master nor I use lipstick." "It's the cup itself." "God forbid." "I told you not to pick on him." "Listen, the day before yesterday, when I went to the cemetery I noticed that they had buried somebody else in the plot next to Jaleh." "That's impossible." "You have the deed." "Here, everything is possible." "Anyway, the incident made me realize for the first time that Jaleh is dead." "Today I went to her walk-in closet and noticed I had not let anybody touch her clothes for five years just like Mrs. Haversham." " Mrs. Haversham?" " "Great Expectations."" "Oh, I remember." "I had been hanging onto Jaleh's belongings whereas I had so many good memories of her and that's enough." "Anyway, since Sara is not here will you please take care of her clothes and give them to somebody needy?" "I'll do that." "Does your decision have anything to do with your health?" "No, this incident made me come to my senses." "Amir-Hossein said he had read in a film magazine that you are making a film about your own funeral." "No, I am making a film on funeral rites in Iran for Japanese television but the papers are turning it into my own funeral." "What a terrible subject!" "Incidentally, Nima said the same thing the other day." "Well, as long as it keeps you busy." "Actually, I am worried about your loneliness." "Sister, I have my work, and I work a lot." "So much so that I don't have time to think about my loneliness." "You know I loved Jaleh very much." "And she was my only sister-in-law with whom I associated with." "But don't you think it is about time you thought about a new life?" "Once was enough." "I had such a wonderful time with Jaleh that even thinking about starting a new relationship hurts me." "Besides, what happens to love and loyalty?" "Should you forget your spouse the moment she's gone?" "Dear brother, when a loved one passes away you have the 3rd, the 7th, and the 40th day to mourn and the anniversary if you want." "But five years mourning is as unusual as if a loved one dies and you remain indifferent." "Life goes on." "Besides, who said you should compare your new life with your old memories?" "Who wants to compare?" "It's the mind that does the comparison." "I remember one night just as we'd gotten into bed." "I noticed there was the smell of death in the bed." "I said, "Jaleh, I smell death," and she, the poor thing who was always sick and feared death said "Bahman, what are you talking about?" "Do you want to scare me?"" "I said, "No, something really smells like death." "Have you put on a new cold cream or perfume?"" "Then, we found out that her new night cream had camphor in it." "She threw it out the next day." "I know forgetting 30 years of memories is difficult." "But I am worried about your loneliness." "Your kids are all abroad." "At least go to them." "You are wasting your life here watching over your friend's house fearing them confiscating it." "First of all, I've made a promise to Mahmud." "Besides, Jaleh and I have had a lovely time in this house." "Furthermore, I am not in the mood for traveling." "In fact, I don't like living abroad anymore." "The kids all have good lives." "When my grandchild is born, God willing, I'll go and visit." " Oh, hasn't she given birth yet?" " She is due any day now." "Well, brother, I'll have to go and fetch Leila from her painting class." "You take care of yourself." "Thank you." " Bye." " Bye." "Survived another storm, sir?" "Do you want me to throw away these flowers?" "I know you hate gladiolas, sir." " Please take them away." " Okay." "Sir, how lovely to see you!" "Long time no see!" "How did you find me?" "First of all, I never lose anybody." "Besides, you are as famous as the devil." "Ask anybody in the film business and they'll provide your whereabouts." "What are you doing here?" "Well, sir, as you know it is not easy to earn a decent living in the movie business." "I might work for a film once every two years and with the cost of living rising so high I can't make ends meet." "How did you manage the money?" "Well, one of my relatives who works in the Bazaar is very well off." "He started a traditional teahouse and offered me a share of the place to run." "It is not too bad." "In the old times, we sold dreams." "Now I am selling happiness." "So you are not in the film business anymore?" "If a director like yourself, whom I respect greatly, asks me I will definitely work." "I want to make a new film." "I've never worked with you." "Have they given you a work permit?" "So, so." "I want to make a documentary for television." "Since when are you making documentaries?" "Well, you may not remember it, but I started with documentaries." "I made a few films with Mahmud Nasiri." "Fine with me, at your service." " Hello." " "Hello."" "Mahmud, is that you?" ""Hi, how are you, dear friend?"" "Well, so-so." "I manage." ""I hope you will always be fine." "Good friends like you are a rarity." "One has to appreciate them."" "How are the kids and Farideh?" ""Well, the kids have grown up and are on their own." ""Now it's only me and Farideh." "That's why we have decided to come back."" "Really?" "That's fine." "When are you coming back?" "Let me know so I'll vacate the house." ""It'll be a few months." "Besides, there's room for all of us in that house."" "I know, but I'm also planning a trip." "Our plans seem to be perfectly matched." ""Oh?" "Where are you going?"" "Not too far." "But it's a trip I must take." ""Anyhow, we owe you a lot." "Without you, we would have lost the house." "We'll love to have you with us."" "Well, when you do things for your friends, you don't do it for a reward." "Plus, Jaleh and I had a lovely time here during her last years." "I couldn't have provided her with such a house on my own." "Anyway, you tell me when you're coming, and I'll arrange everything." ""You don't have to leave." "We'll be happy to have you with us."" "I know, my dear friend, I know." "Your telephone bill is going to be a burden." "Only let me know, and I'll take care of everything." ""Thanks a lot." "Do you need anything from here?"" "No, nothing from over there." "In fact, I don't need anything from here either." " Bye, dear." " "Good-bye."" "It is recommended to wash the corpse three times." "First, with water mixed with powdered lotus leaves." "Second, with water mixed with camphor." "And third, with pure water." ""I wonder why Mother has set her alarm clock at such an hour?" ""Perhaps to get up and say her nightly prayer." ""Maybe to take one of her many pills..." ""...or maybe to wake her son from one of his nightmares..." ""...and to tell him that she still remembers him." " Mr. Kani?" " Yes, sir." "Mr. Kani, I had asked you to bring me a film on the funeral arrangements of the artists." "You're right, sir, I had asked my son to take care of this." "He is inexperienced, but foreigners won't know the difference." "Let's insert a shot of these mourners in the act of self-flagellation." "But we know that self-flagellation is used when mourning the saints and not the artists." "I've gone rotten inside." "In fact, my heart has gone rotten." "Anything left useless will rot." "Water, too, left still too long will become a swamp." "But you find life in a swamp." "I'll never forget the beauty of the water lilies in Anzali Lagoon." "But what about me?" "I am forbidden everywhere to use my name, to show my face." "I am even forbidden to live." "But why?" "Because I sang and danced in my old films?" "Because I played the part of rednecks?" "That was because the script wanted me to." "Believe me, Bahman, we are buried alive." "Look at these pictures." "This is what's left of us." "My friend, pictures and memories are all that is left of everyone." "Don't think the others will be better remembered." "The important thing is for us to preserve our dignity." "But today I've come with good news." "I want to ask you to act in my new film." "What?" "You got a permit to work?" "It's a documentary about funeral rites in Iran." "Well, the lead suits me fine." "It suits everyone of our generation." "That's why I have rounded up all my friends." "You come too." "Somebody has to come and take me there." " Is that you, sir?" " Yes." " You were young then." " Things happen." "Yes, and you carried much less of a burden." " Burden?" " I meant you were slimmer." "Yes, I was slimmer, I had more hair, and fewer wrinkles." "My father, God rest his soul, used to say "Youth is like the sun before sundown." "It's gone in a wink." "But old age is like the longest night of the year."" " He sure was right." " Yes, sir." "How is this one?" "You had a mustache?" "And a beard and lots of hair." "When you're young, you take care of yourself." "You do, sir." " I don't think any of these will do." " What for?" "For my obituary notices." "I didn't want them to print an ugly picture of me." "God forbid, sir, but what difference does it make once one is dead?" "I know, I know." "But it's better if it is a nice picture." "This city has become like an ocean." "If you don't make a fixed appointment two people might live in it for 20 years and never see each other." "These days, we only see our friends in memorial services and funerals." "Right, the last time I saw you was in Sohrab Shahid Saless' funeral." "But how come you thought of me?" "Well, I am making a documentary on funeral rites in Iran." "So again, we are meeting for a funeral." "Almost?" "I just want you to talk about one of your departed friends for the film." " Are you ill?" " The same old madness." "Nothing new, but you, too, seem not much better than me." "Are these your new friends?" "Well, animals appreciate affection better than human beings." "Once you give them love, they never forget." "I once fed one of these cats." "The next day, he came back and brought another one with him." "Then the day after that, two more came and gradually, their number increased." "How long have you been doing this?" "Well, Bahman, these days you cannot earn a living being an artist but painting on ladies' manteaus is a never ending job and you don't need a permit to make them or another one to show them." "But it is a strange thing to talk about a living friend as if he were dead." "The film is not about me." "It is a documentary." "Besides, this is nothing new." "My grandmother had bought her burial shroud 30 years before her death." "Well, if it is a documentary who will be the person I am going to talk about?" "It has always amused me to know what people say about you when you're gone." "It is up to you." "You can talk about me or another friend." "It makes no difference." "I'll do it, but it seems very odd to me." " Hi." " Hello, ma'am." " May God give you strength." " Thanks." " How's mother?" " As usual." "Ever since your son sent these pills the progress of the illness has slowed a bit." "Every time I come into this house and look at these pictures, at this jasmine my childhood memories rush back to me." "But for me, dusting all this memorabilia is too much." "You take care of Mother." "I'll send somebody to clean the house." "May God reward you." "Your sister does nothing but nag." "I know." "We can't change her." "And in my house, she constantly nags at Abdollah." "Fortunately, she only visits every two or three months." "I hope she won't hear that." "Hello, Mother." "Why is Mother's room so dark?" "She always likes a bright room." "I have just given her lunch and then put on her favorite music." "I thought while I go and have my lunch, she might take a nap." "She even liked a light on during the night when she slept." "If you'll stay a while, I'll go and have my lunch." "Please bring me a glass of water after you have finished lunch." "I've come to read to my mother." "Mother, here, I've put my picture among your favorite artists." "Maybe when you look at them, you'll remember me." "Some mornings when I wake up I smell a strong odor of camphor everywhere and feel as if they have added camphor to our spiritual food and everything has lost its taste and color." "Then I remember your jasmine flowers... and the fragrance of your jasmine perfume, and I run to you your perfume drives away the smell of camphor and revives all my childhood memories." "When we were children you'd go to Istanbul Street once a week to shop." "And you would take one of us along." "When it was my turn I was so happy I could hardly contain myself." "Sometimes I would test my courage and let go of your hand and would walk behind you a little just to see how far away I could still smell your perfume." "Mother, I should not say this but even cancer would have been better than this disease you've got." "This is death before dying and it is not fair to lose one's loved one twice and suffer the consequences." "But today I have come to read you a story." "Today's story is called "The Fable of Silence" by Edgar Allen Poe." "Once upon a time, there was a city filled with silence." "No wind, no thunderstorms, no singing birds no waterfalls cascading over the rocks." "People of this city did not speak and would not say anything about what happened to them." "One day, a traveler passed through the city and asked a person," ""Where does this road lead to?"" "His voice sounded like a thunder-clap in the silent man's head, who had only known silence." "Sir, why are you bothering?" "She won't understand a word of what you are reading to her." "You're right." "I know these stories won't cure her but I'm hoping maybe one of these stories one of the sentences one of the words might make a spark in her mind and she would remember me or more important, remember herself." "It is recommended to dig the grave to the depth of a medium-sized person and and the body should be buried in the nearest cemetery." "It is better to put the body down on the ground near the grave and each time move it a little closer put it down again until the fourth time when the corpse should be lowered into the grave head first." "Then the shroud should be untied." "And the face of the corpse should be laid on the soil sideways." "Then the grave digger should shake the corpse's head and say the corpse's name three times." "You gave birth yesterday and you are on the road alone today?" "We are born alone, and we die alone." "In the village, women give birth and go back to work immediately." "You are wanted on the telephone." " Hello." " "Hello."" "Farzaneh." "What's happened?" "Why are you crying?" " "Amir died."" " What?" "Give him a shot of adrenaline." "You know, before this incident I wanted to make this film." "In fact, it was, intellectually speaking like making a wry face at all those people who had prevented me from making films." "But now I am not so sure." "Sir, do you think anything has changed?" "Everything is as before." "I know, I know but I am not." "We have become so bitter we have forgotten the meaning of life." "I used to think when you're dying you'd remember your wife, your kids your friends, your memories." "But when I was given an electroshock to my heart it seemed as if they revived my mind." "Beautiful scenes of nature came to my mind." "And then I came to the conclusion that while dying I was yearning for nature." "You know what?" "I wish a sunrise would once again have a special meaning for me like when I was young." "But, sir, we've signed all the contracts." "Everything is ready." "Tomorrow, a bunch of people will come here to shoot that big scene." "What am I to tell them?" "I know." "Look, people in the film business of our country have toiled their entire life without making a decent living." "Let them for once get something without having to work for it." "Good for them." "Do you know what rumors would be spread behind your back?" "They will say you cannot make films anymore." "My old colleagues know I can." "The rest of the people will think I am dead." "Act Three Throw a Stone in the Water" "You said, we do not dare to ask why." "Now your death has given you courage to ask." ""Hey, Haji, it is time."" "Time for what?" ""The time for the same thing you wanted to make a film about."" "Abdollah, Abdollah." "Sir, Sir." "I wish I would die." "I wish I would have gone instead of you." "My dear brother!" " Dear, sir." " I wish to have died." "What's this blanket you've thrown over me?" "I've paid 400,000 Tomans for a Termeh." "Sister, there wasn't supposed to be any crying." "Why have you brought the Hejleh inside?" "It's supposed to be placed at the entrance." "Is this the best Hejleh in the world?" "What is this picture you have printed with the obituary notice?" "Didn't I emphasize that there should be no fancy stuff?" "This is not a party." "I asked you not to wear black." "You knew I hate glads, and yet you have brought me a wreath of glads." "Everything is so ugly, everything is wrong." "This mourning should have happened during the years that I was forbidden to make films." "When are our lives to be appreciated?" "After death?" "That's too late." "Who said you should shoot from this angle?" "Everything is wrong, everything is wrong." "Oh, God, the script has been changed." "Cut!" "Hello." ""Congratulations, Daddy." "You've become a grandfather."" "I am so happy to hear your voice, Nima." ""Daddy, you're crying?" "Anything the matter?"" "Oh, no, no." "I'm only too happy." "Is the baby all right?" ""Just fine, a beautiful girl."" "What's her name?" ""Jaleh." "Mother's name."" "That's great." "I know she would be happy." "Thanks for calling." "I have to go now." "There's a big crowd here." ""Bye, Daddy."" "I'll call you myself, bye." "Abdollah." "Yes, sir, need anything?" "No, no, no, nothing." "Dedicated to my wife" "Written and Directed by Bahman Farmanara" "Produced by Mortezeza Shayesteh" "Director of Photography Mahmood Kalara" "Editor:" "Abbas Ganjavi" "Music:" "Ahmad Pejman" "Art Director:" "Zilla Mehrjouli" "Sound:" "Parviz Abnar" "Production Manager:" "Mohammad Neshat" "Make-up:" "Mehrdad Shekarab Atefeh Razavi" "Executive Producers:" "F. Yousefpour and Hedayat Film" "CAST:" "Ebrahim Abadi" "Daryush Assadzadeh" "Firouz Behjat Mohammadi" "Vali Shirandami" "Hossein Kasbian" "Reza Kianian" "Mahtaj Nojoomi" "Parivash Nazarieh" "Roya Nonahali" "Bahman Farmanara"