Ooh the next full moon...
Congratulations.
There isn't much time but
one should hurry good things.
Salam, Mother.
Thank God you're home.
That storm...
God knows which poor household
is burning with grief.
I told Nabi the date of the wedding.
He was happy and promised to help.
Where are they from?
They're from Canada.
They want to make a film here.
Well... If they have anything to distribute...
...we'll help them.
Flour, candies, cooking oil...
Listen they're not an aid organization,
they want to make a film here.
But if we can help people we'll try.
You said they are from Canada?
Yeah, she's come from
Canada but she's an Afghan.
Can you tell the sister
to go to my house...
...to be with other sisters? Once
we finish the meeting we will get her.
No, she must stay, she's the only
one who speaks English and Dari.
Forgive me. It's prayer time.
Sorry, this meeting took too long...
...the Mullah must lead the prayers.
Tell them to come back tomorrow...
...when we have more time to talk.
Ok.
You understand that women
don't come to the mosque.
We made an exception this time.
We can't do that again.
I'll make sure to tell them.
Goodbye.
Dear Commander, I sent for you
yesterday but you were away.
I was across the border in Tajikistan.
What's going on?
Some foreigners want
our help with something.
Are they building a road?
No... I have no idea what
they are talking about.
Dear Commander, you need some rest,
we'll talk about this later.
Salam Father.
I'm glad you're home safe.
The weather wasn't good. I was worried.
It's God's will.
Where are your brothers?
They're playing outside.
Bring me some water.
Right away.
The tea is ready.
Take it to them before it gets cold.
Poor Mother, may your soul rest in peace.
You kept everything so nicely.
Oil and wheat prices have gone up.
It's because of the returnees.
Why can't they wait?
Like sheep - when one walks
the other follows.
Oh my...
...this place has changed so much.
Here we are.
Look...
It's still here. This knocker has been
here since my grandfather's time.
Even the color hasn't changed.
I'm Hassan, son of Moussa.
Is there an elder in the house?
I'm Hassan, son of Moussa.
This is our house.
Go back where you came from.
This is my house.
I was born in this house and
I know where our well is...
...where our almond tree is.
Listen to me.
Listen to me.
Hey, come back I want to talk to you.
Go away. You Hazaras
don't belong here anymore.
We'll wait forever
to get our home back.
Hey wait...
Aren't you ashamed to take
someone else's house?
There's no time for this nonsense.
Let's go pray.
I swear to God I'll get my house back.
Go and pray, you hypocrite.
Your head's hurting again?
Try to sleep. You're tired.
Once your bride is home...
...and you have children...
...you will forget all of this.
God willing.
Pomegranates... Sweet Kandahari
pomegranates. Two for one Afghani.
Pomegranates... Sweet Kandahari
pomegranates. Two for one Afghani.
How much longer to Ishqabad?
Half a day.
Are you from that village?
Yes I am.
My older brother is already there.
Someone has taken our home
and claims it as his own.
Where is the justice in that?
We used to live in ghettos.
The war set the devil free and
now we are fighting our own demons.
But don't despair, God is kind.
Salam Brother, you made it.
Salam Mother.
Salam Little Brother.
Have you got everything?
It's not far... just outside the village.
How are you?
Good - and you?
Please join us for tea.
I don't want to disturb you...
No please, please.
I don't mean to intrude...
Salam Mother.
He's our boss. He's usually a very nice
person but lately he's insisting on things.
It's kind of embarrassing.
I hope you weren't offended.
This is our gift to you,
something you've never seen before.
My family said you were
looking for someone to work here.
This is going to be a cinema.
Do you know how to work a DVD player?
I can't promise but I can try.
He's a high tech engineer...
...with a degree from Iran.
Oh sorry!
I'm sorry for earlier.
I didn't mean to underestimate you.
People here don't seem to know
about films.
So I hope you don't hold it against me.
Don't worry. I understand you.
Thank you.
Pardon me.
Sorry I didn't mean to startle you...
I wonder if I could use your washroom...
I don't know anyone here.
Come this way to the door.
Thank you. Sorry to disturb you. Is
there water so I could wash my hands?
Yes, right here.
Could you pour some for me?
What are you doing out there?
We're making a film.
What's that?
Haven't you been to our cinema?
Lots of kids have been there.
Women don't go out,
especially unmarried girls.
But don't you like to
go out and see things?
It's not our custom.
What are you doing with those burqas?
It's for a scene in the film.
You're not selling them?
Oh no, they're not for sale.
Thank you and sorry for bothering you.
I'm running late and
I have work to do out there.
Would it be ok if I came back
another day to chat?
Yes, why not.
Thank you again for
letting me in your home.
I tried my best but Gulagha
doesn't want to talk to you.
He's met us and knows who we are...
...but he's not willing to
discuss our house.
Brother, he is an elder in our community.
You must respect him.
No one means disrespect.
You tell us what to do.
When you and your family escaped...
...when the war started, and the rain of
bullets began, we ran into the mountains.
When we came back, there was
nothing but ashes and smoke.
He's fixed the house and lives there.
In my opinion, no one else
has the right to claim it.
I agree.
You should have let me talk.
There's no use being polite.
When someone doesn't listen...
...there's no use arguing.
That's your philosophy.
What do you know about these people?
Nothing.
But that's enough to know
not to fight uselessly.
That's our house...
What's useless about that?
I think we should go back...
Kabul...
...or somewhere else.
If you want to run... Go.
I'll stay here until I get what's ours.
Name please?
Khak... Can you register my gun, please.
Thank you... May I go?
Please.
How is the market?
The prices have gone up a little.
A little? I heard the price
of metal has gone way up.
Is this the turret?
It doesn't matter.
It's some part of the monster.
I'm looking for a pair of earrings.
That's all we have.
Welcome to Plato's cave.
So is this the start of a revolution?
The first chink in the wall before it falls?
The wall will fall but are you
ready to see what's behind it?
I can't see.
Sit still or I'll stop the film.
I was ten when we went to Iran.
I grew up there and studied.
I never thought of coming back.
So why did you?
Loyalty to my family... and they
were kicking Afghans out.
As painful as it was, I wasn't humiliated.
It wasn't my country.
I was only three when my family left.
I always wanted to come back.
We spoke Dari. The pictures
on our walls were from here.
Every New Year my mother
made rice and spinach.
I should have grown up here.
And do you feel at home now?
No it's...
...this place is like something
from another age, so primitive.
It's not the primitiveness
- it's the ignorance.
What's the difference?
Whether you live in a tower or a cave...
...when you're living in ignorance...
...you're in the dark.
Yes but if you live in a tower...
...at least you're better informed.
How much?
A half dozen please.
It's not about being informed.
Knowledge comes from self-awareness.
One of my teachers used to say,
"to know oneself is to know God. "
I guess then by coming here
I'm trying to know myself.
Isn't there another reason?
For years when I watched the news about
this place, I wanted to come and help.
Especially the women.
I don't like the men's attitudes here.
It's about time I do something about it.
So you think you'll have that chance now?
You know what, it tastes the same.
My father insists Afghan apples taste
better than the ones in Canada.
It seems everything I've been told
about Afghanistan is wrong.
What's happening with your house?
I believe a house is
not worth fighting over.
But my family does,
so I have to support them.
But what about justice?
There is that.
But don't you think an
educated man like you...
...amongst a crowd of uneducated people...
...is wasting his time?
You can even operate a DVD player.
Indeed, in the land of the blind,
the one-eyed man is King.
Right.
These foreigners trouble me.
Out of hospitality we say it's ok to work
here, but they take advantage of us.
The foreigners are foreigners.
What do you expect?
What bothers me is these returnees,
the wannabe foreigners.
These Hazaras now think
they're better than us.
If I had the power, I'd cut their head off.
God help us.
I hear the wedding will be soon.
Yes, God willing, the next full moon.
Congratulations.
I smell a good dinner.
Daughters are only ours for a short time.
Yes. She is already past 15 springs.
God willing, you and your big
appetite will get your fill.
I was just calling my brothers,
I wasn't doing anything else.
It's ok, may your mother's soul rest in
peace. She'd be happy for you.
Bastards. Get lost with
all your machines...
You infidels. You dying pigs.
Let's go in.
What can I do? Anything happens
and it's "Najib, Najib, Najib".
Gulbar... Charakar...
Debori... Jabalsaraj...
How many more?
We need two more passengers.
Goldfish... Goldfish... 50 Afghani.
Salam Barmak, I'm glad to see you again.
Nabi?
I can't believe you're alive.
I never thought you would
survive that Taliban prison.
- Look at your white beard...
- It's this country, all that pain...
...my time in prison and all the suffering.
Please don't remind me of that prison.
It's wonderful to see you alive.
I don't have nightmares anymore.
Eight months in a Taliban prison
was like a lifetime of torment.
They beat me and then shot me in the leg
and it had to be amputated.
What about you?
I see my father's face lying in a ditch.
I killed the bastard that did it
with my father's own gun.
He died like a rat.
Do you remember his face?
I only hear his laughter.
I know my father's soul
rests in peace in paradise.
It seems like the Taliban are back in action.
What if you see the guy who hit you?
I have forgiven him. He was
misguided. They were ignorant.
But he's left you crippled...
Yes, they took my leg
but they couldn't take my dignity.
And thank God I still have
my honor and courage.
Welcome.
This is my mother's wedding dress.
It's so beautiful. Is it yours?
My mother kept her
wedding dress for me.
She kept it for you?
I've only seen pictures of
my mother's wedding dress.
We lost everything we had.
I have everything for
my wedding but a burqa.
A burqa for you?
Why do you want a burqa?
It is our custom to wear the
burqa on our wedding night.
My mother had one.
But when she was taken
to the doctor in the city...
...she wore it too many times.
When she died it was given away.
What happened to her?
She died of tuberculosis.
But it's not a fatal disease.
She could have been cured.
I don't know. The doctor gave
her all these strange bottles.
Now I use them to gather
rain water to wash my hair.
Believe me, brother.
Good things will come out
of this little shop.
You will see.
Can I bring my little sister to the cinema?
Of course. Come back tomorrow.
In the city, women are
forced to wear burqas.
Otherwise they get into trouble.
I don't care about city women.
My mother always said
they are not like us.
In the village, no-one wears the burqa
except on their wedding night.
Where's your husband?
I'm not married.
Ooh, you're so old and not married yet?
Really, do I seem old to you?
Here girls your age already
have six or seven children.
I want to do a few other
things before I have children.
Like what?
I want to meet new people
and get to know myself.
For example, when you say you
want a burqa for your wedding night...
...you know exactly what your tradition is.
I've grown up somewhere else.
I don't know which tradition to follow...
...what customs to pass on to my children.
Maybe that's why I've
come here, to find out.
Have you?
No, the more I discover things
and meet new people...
...instead of things becoming simpler,
they become more complicated.
I've lost my way.
Don't worry.
My mother used to say
that it all works out in the end.
You know, I think I may be
able to find you a burqa.
A burqa?
We're looking for a woman
your age to be in our film.
...you just play a role and
I can give you a burqa.
Can't you just give me one?
No, I can't, you have to come with me.
It's really simple, you just have
to wear a burqa and talk...
I just wear a burqa and talk?
The bastards have done it again.
What kind of people are these?
If it's not going to work
should I tell them to go home?
Wait.
I'm still trying.
It may work.
Ali, take this and drink lots of water.
You should drink lots of water or
you'll always have headaches.
- So?
- Thank you.
Are you trying to fix all of
Afghanistan's problems with aspirin?
No, I just wanted to help you.
It worked. My headache is gone already.
- Are you going home now?
- Yes.
- Bye.
- Goodbye.
Tell your father to come pay his tab.
We're on to a second stick,
he has to settle the first.
Hazara boy...
Get to the back of the line.
I'm waiting my turn, where should I go?
You piece of shit, you're contaminating
everything, go stand at the back.
I'm telling you...
...stand here.
What are you doing?
Pick on someone your own size.
Let go...
Haven't you seen enough fighting?
Aren't you ashamed, giving
the village a bad name?
What's the matter?
Commander...
He's not from this village.
He's come from America or
some place and is bossing us around.
It's none of your business
where I've come from.
He hasn't harmed you yet.
If you fight in this village again,
I'll put a bullet in your head.
Get lost.
Go back to your work.
It's embarrassing.
- It's my car.
- It's my car.
That's enough.
Where were you boys at prayer time?
- Home.
- I'll get dinner.
I told you to come to the mosque with me.
You don't listen. My sons, see how
people like and respect your father...
I want you to come with me to the mosque
so people recognize you as my sons.
I want to come with you too, Father.
Good for you.
That's my boy.
What's your name?
- What's your name?
- Majeed.
I'll write it for you to take home.
Hey... What are you doing here?
Go home foreigners.
Listen, they're not here to fight.
You have no right to be here.
I'm not a foreigner, I'm an Afghan.
I have as much right to be here as you do.
They way you talk, the way you dress...
...your behavior. It's all foreign.
You are a foreigner.
Let's go.
Women shouldn't talk back in public.
Look... Like this.
Take the thread like this...
You twist it and pull the other thread.
I'll take the thread... Let me try.
No, no, not that one.
Here watch me.
I don't think I'll ever learn. It's hard.
It's very simple just watch.
It's easy for you because you know how.
It's difficult for me.
Look how beautiful it is,
except for the parts that I have done.
Your mother-in-law will be pleased.
"Oh groom, why are you late?
It's your wedding day... "
Let me teach you a song.
It will be easier than learning to weave.
"I'm going to the market
to buy you a watch...
...I'm going to the market
to buy you some lipstick. "
You don't know how to cook...
You don't know how to sew and
you're afraid of spiders.
I'm afraid of mice...
I'm also afraid of cockroaches.
But I like wolves. I'm not afraid of them.
I like to read.
You know reading books.
And I like mountain climbing.
And do you like it here?
It's not what I was expecting.
But I like coming to talk to you.
So can you get me a burqa?
Tomorrow morning, I'll come early.
Be ready, and we'll go get you a burqa.
Don't come too early -
I have to feed my brothers.
Ok, but not too late,
we have a lot of work to do.
What color is the burqa?
What color would you like?
The purple one.
Ok, I'll get you the purple one.
If I learn how to weave and you
get a burqa, everything will be good.
Don't worry, I'll teach you.
Good morning Commander...
Hitting the road again?
Yes.
I hope you don't run into bad weather.
Don't worry, I'm used to it.
The sky will clear and
the sun will appear soon.
Well, safe journey.
You look so pretty Mena.
These earrings are so beautiful.
My father brought them from
Tajikistan as an engagement gift.
I only wear them when he's away.
I don't understand?
It's not becoming for a bride to
show excitement about her wedding.
It's not proper.
Yes.
Here, have an apple and then we'll go.
No, let's go it's getting late.
Why are you always in a hurry?
Because I have a lot of work.
I'll have it when I come back.
Let's eat first and then we'll go.
I have a lot of work. Let's go now.
Don't rush. I'm almost done peeling.
Eat first and then we'll go.
Why don't you let me help you?
No, you have a cup of tea...
Let me help you so we can finish quickly.
I have already had tea, we'll have
some later. Let's finish this now.
While you finish your tea,
I'll finish the clothes.
Give this one to me,
you fold the other one.
It's getting late, they're all waiting for us.
God forgive them.
Where's the burqa?
It's there. Come, you will see it.
Wait a second, I want to make sure
there's enough water for the hens.
Do that later. Let's go. We're really late.
If you don't come now, I won't
come back. This is the last time.
Women don't go out by themselves.
I'm with you, that must be fine.
I don't know.
What are you afraid of?
There's no one around.
And there's something else.
We must overcome our fears.
When I came to Afghanistan,
I was scared. I'm a woman too.
But then I realized I wasn't alone.
Please.
I just have to lock the door.
Come on... I'm with you, let's go.
Here we are.
See the burqas?
There's the purple one.
I said you'd have the color you want.
I'd love to go to school.
Why can't you talk to my father?
Your father is a stubborn man.
Once he's made up his mind...
...he won't listen to anyone.
Is going to school a sin?
Doesn't God want us to be educated?
I know, but who is going to convince him?
I'm so happy for them to see that a
woman in Afghanistan can act.
I said it wasn't hard.
Thanks, you made me very proud.
Get out of this place.
What are you doing here?
I'm looking for my sister.
There she is, there's my sister.
- I have to go, my brothers...
- Wait, can't you go later?
No I can't, they will tell my father.
Ok, I'll go with you.
No, no, you can't,
I'll take the burqa myself.
No, you can't take the burqa.
But I came for the burqa.
I'll bring it to you later.
- We still need the burqa here.
- But I came for the burqa.
I'll bring it.
I'll bring it to your home.
Let me go with you.
No, no, you can't they will tell my father.
I'll come with you.
It's unfair to take the
cinema away from them.
It's not me, it's the Canadians.
They don't want any more trouble.
She is 15 years old and not married yet.
God doesn't like it.
He didn't fear God, now he's brought
dishonor upon himself and the rest of us.
If she was my daughter...
...I would have buried her alive.
I'd never want to see her again.
She was alone with a foreign man...
This is adultery.
It's not just his, it's our
entire village's honor.
If the father doesn't have enough
courage, we must punish her.
She should be stoned to death.
Mullah, what's going on?
It's my turn.
No, it's mine.
Shut up, you're driving me crazy.
I hope Reza is feeling better.
Ben said he was really sorry.
Mother...
What do you think if Ali and
Reza go back to Kabul?
I think Ali should go and find
us a house, then we will follow.
If we run each time we face hardship,
there'll be no place for us.
In times of trouble one must be strong.
Son, you'll worry yourself sick.
Tea?
No thank you.
Try to see beyond the surface.
Don't let anger guide your actions.
Son...
...come in please.
What?
I thought you were
coming with us to Kabul?
I can't leave.
It would be like running away again.
I made this when I was in prison in Iran.
My Iranian business partner
put me behind bars...
...so he could take all my money.
It's the image of the poet Rumi.
It took me four years to finish it.
I promised myself that when I got out,
I would teach my mother how to read.
And I did it, she can read now.
And now you want to
imprison yourself here?
Mejgan...
...you have a home to return to.
I have to stay and make mine.
I can't leave, I'm done searching.
Maybe you'll come back...
...make your own films.
Give people the ability to imagine.
The first thing that war destroys
is people's ability to dream.
You could help restore that.
You know I won't come back.
Maybe you will.
I won't.
Never.
Take this.
A souvenir from me.
"Death sets the brave free...
...in your imagination then...
...remember me. "
I need rat poison.
Could it kill our hens?
It's enough to kill a cow.
- How much?
-50 Afghani.
Give me one more.
One more?
Take this.
This is for vermin.
Do what you will...
But promise me...
...she won't suffer...
...or feel the pain.
I leave her to God and to you.
Go now, my son.
I had all these clothes made for her.
It's your destiny.
You're a man.
You have honor, you have dignity.
It's your family's honor.
You lose that and you will lose everything.
Maybe it was God's will...
If the sinful are sacrificed,
the rest can live in peace.
This is all my savings.
Take her and go away from here.
Just go from this place.
Go from here.
Take her and go.
Can I come inside?
No, if my father sees you he will
be angry, he is already very upset.
Please?
No, no, you can't...
I'm really sorry, but I
can't bring you the burqa...
I brought you money instead.
Forgive me, please.
Whore...
Go away.
You have no shame.
God will punish you.
Go away.
Wait a second... Please take this.
Take this money.
It's not necessary.
I beg of you.
Thank you.
My dear mother...
I wish you were alive.
I remember this place.
My father brought me here
when I was a little girl.
God forgive her.
My father sent this food.
Thank you.
Oh, how lovely.
I haven't committed a sin.
I had a wedding dress.
I didn't have a burqa.
It was all for you.
My mother used to say we're just humans,
we don't know what God wants.
We should do good things.
I believe God knows what's in our hearts.