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The Rocket (2013)
Mali, push my dear, push!
Push push, Mali, push! The head, I can see the head. A boy, a boy, Mali. Mali, it's a boy! Its balls are so big! Let's give him a nickname. How about "Little Balls"? Let's take a bath first, "Little Balls." Must be... - What? - Another baby. Twins. You already know... what we have to do. We have to get rid of it! No. Get out! Get out! Wake up. It's dead. It's dead. Then I haven't had twins. Mali. Mali. Please don't kill him. Mother Taitok, don't kill him. Mali, under the mango tree. Better his father doesn't know. But... it's still a twin. One is blessed, one carries a curse. - Could be this one. - It's not. You don't know that. - If it starts to bring bad luck... - He won't. Ahlo, my sweet baby. Ahlo! Ahlo! Ahlo! Ahlo, what you got? Ahlo, selling the big fish? What you got there? Here, fish. A kilo. - That's a kilo? - It is. I doubt it! See, not a kilo. Nearly there. Mmmm... nearly there? Here, if you stuff it with spring onion, coriander, tiny eggplants, green eggplant... serve it on steamed rice. Then it's a kilo. Okay. Seeing you're so clever. - Thank you. - Come again. Air flow could be better. There you go, Dad. Toma, you ever going to finish those? Mother, I'm working on a whole lot of stuff. Well, how about working a whole lot faster. How about you stop inaling the stock, Mom? I've got more balls than all the men in this village... Here, read this, read this, read this. Here, read this, read this. We want indigo. Like deep water. Like deep water. The color is bad. So fussy. Here, do it yourself! A second dam, they're building another one. Those assholes are calling a meeting up there. What are they offering? Could be good. Right, son? Wanna see the dam? It's huge. Go find Dad. Ahlo, look. We're here. Can I walk around, Dad? Go ahead, but be careful. Nam Dee Dam and Austral-Laos Hydro-Electric are proud to announce an important milestone. The filling of the upper catchment of Nam Dee 1. Construction of Nam Dee 2 will begin immediately. The new catchment area... will be where your villages are now. Your valley will be flooded. You and your families will be relocated. Please prepare to leave. But don't worry, Nam Dee Relocation Village is there for you. A new house, good land, and a generous cash payout. And plenty of water and electricityl A new home could be a good thing. We'll have electricity, running water. - We'll have... - And leave our traditions behind? Ahlo, hurry up. Give me the basket. This tree was here when Taitok arrived. 400 years it can live. Grandma is 400 years old? Each mango has a seed that can grow a tree like this. Thousands of mangoes... Mali's mangoes! We'll plant them in our new home. Can't take too much. Then leave something else. - What about my boat? - Ahlo, we'll never get it up the hill. I want my boat! So stubborn! Just forget about the boat! Up to the trucks. Move along! Hurry up, people, keep moving. Only take what you need! We're taking the boat. Right, son? It's a giant mountain, Mali! Only God can get the boat up there. Over there! We pull it up the hill, put it on the truck... Simple. Ahlo, where are you going? Help me! Help me! One, two, three! Him! He should have died! In the womb, like his brother. He's a twin! A twin. Mali. For you, my love. Your journey is long. Mali's mangoes. We'll plant them, as your mother wanted. A place where they'll grow well. Okay? Okay? Come on, you're here. Out! Come, come, come this way. Over here, people. We've arrived, don't panic! Don't panic, don't worry. You've arrived at your new home... But, uh... it's not here. - Your houses are over there. - In the compound. But you have to wait until, uh... they've finished building them. Don't panic, don't worry. All right, everyone. For now, use the complimentary, uh... gift. Meantime, it's complimentary. It's complimentary. Okay? Any questions, uh... save till tomorrow. Better off shitting in the ground. Okay, people, settle down... Next point in the meeting... There will be many more building supplies arriving... before the end of the month, thanks to Austral-Laos and Nam Dee 2. Keep your building supplies! Our livestock are starving! That field wouldn't feed a family of snails! The land is terrible! That's right! Well, the building supplies will be arriving soon... The building materials... They'II... They'll be here at the end... end of the month. Thanks to... Okay, okay! Thank you very much, we'll be back again. Oh, that's right... Please refrain from using the new washroom... the toilets are overtlowing. Mom wanted us to plant them, not waste them. Want to say something? We'll find land for the mangoes, Dad. I will. Do you see? He's just a boy, Mother. Quickly! Quickly, it's coming down. Quickly! Quickly! Coming down, coming down! That's it. That's it. Three, four, five... We'll get good money for these. Over there, over there! Please help us and buy some flowers. No, I've got too many. Buy some please! Help us and you'll sell everything! A guy bought from me, now he's filthy rich. Or even that looks nice too. Thank you! Let's go! Stop, wait, wait! Hey, put it down! Sorry, sorry! You know where to grow mangoes? Mangoes? Mangoes. Hey! Don't be stupid. Ahlo, c'mon. Didrt your mother teach you anything? Let's go, too many mosquitoes. Let's go! Come on! Stop it! You're all mad around here! You're stupid! Mosquitoes will bite you to death! Stupid! Idiot! Ahlo, careful with the water. It's full, take it out. That little girl lost her whole family. Malaria. Good mood today? Here, let me help. I'm sorry. About your family... about your mother. Good morning, James Brown. We had a payout too, once upon a time. Has your uncle ever changed his clothes? Never. Not since I can remember. A present from the American embassy. America dropped bombs here, didn't they? Quick, come here, Ahlo. Come here. - Ahlo! - Uncle Purple! Ahlo, come back! These people are in grief. Uncle Purple! Damn endless ceremonies. Reminding you what you'd rather forget. Hey, fish! Sleeping Tiger. Enough explosives to send you to the moon. Tick... tick... Boom! Sleeping Tiger sleeps no more. Were you a soldier? Did you kill Americans? Good time with my uncle? Eat that if you want to keep up with me. Got something for you... This mango is from a 400 year old tree. If you plant it, it will make thousands of mangoes. Got something to show you. Today I found land for Mom's mangoes. Ahlo. I don't want you seeing that man and girl anymore. They're outsiders. They'll make our family look bad. Ah! The little soldier. Entrez. Can't see you and Kia anymore. Oh... Your father thinks I'm a bum? Unconventional. Correct! Bing! That's me - unconventional. You any good at catching rats? I'm good at cooking Rat Pad Thai. Sound good? Stick around. Wort get a peep out of that. No fairy-lights in this abode. Our house has no electricity. So who are the people with lights? Uhh, the Hydro bosses. Selling electricity to all bloody Asia... with nothing left for us. We're the little people. I'm not... I'm not cursed. What idiot killed the lights? - Where's my power? - What's that racket? Finally! Somebody's going to pay for this! Get him! Sorry! Sorry, Aunty! Goat testicle wine is not for wasting. That purple scum put you up to this? One more stunt like that and you're history. The last one in the forest. Good start for the day. Did you steal them from the shrines? These flowers... are for a burial ceremony. - It's part of our tradition... - In my tribe... there's a tradition. I'm a twin. What's he doing? He's stealing food! That's sacred! What's he up to? Put it out! It's too far gone! - This is where he lives! - Burn it all, serve them right! He's their kid! Toma! Don't give them the satisfaction! These lowland rabble! You see, big mama? Karma! Your kid is bad! Here! Burn it all! Let's burn it! Make them pay! As of today, I'm the second most hated person in this village. But first prize is yours. Come here, little soldier. What's wrong with this place, they're all crazy. My hometown was paradise. Food, water, lots of land. Nothing like this... squabbling. Doctor Whiskey, our true friend. Father. Maybe we should all move in here. Those outlaw bastards. They're accusing me... of using your son to steal electricity for my home. They want someone to hurt as much as they do. Your son is the pertect scapegoat. Pardon the expression. Here. They'll search every vehicle that leaves the village. Every vehicle... except one. This is the last time. No more live bombs. Boom! Not a good place to be with a bad luck twin like me. Where do we plant them now? The mangoes... here? Ahlo? They won't last forever. Uncle Purple's old home. Paradise. Fertile soil. Can grow anything. Mangoes too, Dad. At Uncle's old home. Paradise sounds good. Here's your road. We go straight on. What's there? Chomsavan town. Big rocket competition. We're going to compete. - Rocket festival? - No! Not on a bomb can't to some rocket festival. We'll go to Purple's village. Plant the mangoes. C'mon... give me money. C'mon. Let's go. Lucky bastard goat! Even you get a ride. Mother, you don't have to do this. I'm 68 years old, Toma. I want a home. Looks like our home village. Hurry up! Where is everyone? People around here passed through, don't worry. Our village welcomes everyone. There. But where is everyone? Moved on, you know. Pick a house. Have two if you like! So much land. Soon it'll rain, Dad. Then plant Mom's mangoes. Go, go, you two! Find me something to eat. - I'll have this one! - I'll have that one! That one's like my old home! This one! Ahlo, where are you? What gifts do you bring? Place them there. Poo... Something smells rotten. Come on! Show me what you got! Smash it to pieces! Come on, give me all you got! Can't lose. Come on! Bigger one! Give me a big one! Come, come on! Uncle, we're just playing! Why'd you stop us? - Let go of Kia! - It hurts, let go! - Come here! - Let go of Kia! Down! Get off! - What just happened? Huh? - Oh... The bombie. See... looks edible, doesn't it? But inside... crammed with hundreds of bullets. Then... Boom! So, picked a house yet? Which one you like? This place stinks of death. Tomorrow... we go to Chomsavan. Ahlo! From one soldier... to another. For you. Wake up, Uncle, wake up. Go away... That bomb crater suits him. Come on, leave him there. Drunken fool. I can't. I promised my father... I would look after my uncle. I can't leave him. Two days to go, ladies and gentlemenl Biggest rocket competition yet. Big cash prizes for the winner. Yes, it's the Rocket Competitionl Ahlo! Come quick. Big cash prizes, ladies and gentlemenl - Hello. - Hello. I'm very sorry. Many people want to live here, but no one is allowed. You better leave. Enjoy our rocket competition day after tomorrow, but after that... Uncle, is there a prize for the winner? Ahlo, he's the village chief. We really need rain this year. We fire rockets to the sky, to ask for rain... Bat shit... If you make explosives from it... BOOM! Shit-hot explosives... from bat shit. No matter what, you can't live here. - Two days, then leave. - Crazy man. I want to build a rocket. If we win, we can buy some land. Here, go buy a big bag of rice. Go, go. - I want to build a rocket! - You're such a boy! - I want to build a rocket! - You're such a boy! Is it hard? Not really. Lots of explosives though. The body, the tail. - And then? - The fuse. Ready? He was making a huge rocket, that young monk. What's he doing with the hair? Why are the sky gods so angry? No rain for so long now. Ah, excellent clipping! Check this out. Oh yes, that's great, very good. Now stick it on, nice and hairy, like this. Then point it up like this, and just shoot! Right up into the gods' ass! Ahlo, your rocket better be big. Dick committee. I'll eat you before you get my rice! That's it? Where's the change? I want to build a rocket. Looks delicious. Careful! Explosives. You want to blow our heads off? I want to build a rocket. If we win, we'll get big cash prizes, Dad. We can buy land, a house. Even somewhere for mangoes. No! Forget the mangoes, they're going rotten. Tomorrow... we go on to the city. Many factories there. Jobs for all of us. No, a rocket, Dad! Big bunch of money, Dad. Better than a factory. Please Dad, let me build it. No way, you'll kill us all! Toma. If you can build a bong, you can build a rocket. You must build the rocket. Dad, tell Grandma I can help. - Dad you chicken shit! - You... You desecrate people's shrines! You nearly got us killed by those bombies. And your mother... Your mother... you... You're no help at all! I'll build my own! I hate you! I'll build my own rocket! Too green, too heavy... Too crooked, not straight. All useless! How about this one? It's all right to cry. What if I make people die? You think I'm a ghost? Right. Not a ghost. Keep it. Look, Ahlo, lychee tree. Mom... It's just a funeral ceremony, Ahlo... Our mothers aren't coming back. Enough, Ahlo! Sleeping Tiger. You fought for the Americans. How do I make explosives from bat shit? Take two buckets of bat splat. Some sulfur and charcoal, mix it up. After that, your bamboo pole will be flying to the moon. So what you say? Wanna break that curse bad, hey? Come on, take me to the bat cave, already. Pay attention, little dick. For a rocket to win... it must be spectacular! The most important bit... salt! Sodium makes it yellow, see. This was for your Papa and Nanna dear... Here. Copper. Mix in copper filings. Copper makes it blue. All over the sky, most spectacular! Nothing can compare. Hey, no way! Keep the hospitality going... and every color is yours. Deal? Toma! Make it quick. We haven't got all year, come on! Make it good! It's just a rocket, how hard can it be? - Anything else, Uncle? - Yeah. Ammonia! Piss on your gunpowder and it'll really go off. Old army trick. There it is, Uncle! Uncle Purple! This is as far as I go. Can't take it anymore. Hurry up, Uncle! No, no... That cave had the shit bombed out of it. - Hurry up! - Can't. In that cave... too many... ghosts. I hate ghosts, I really hate them. If there are any, they'll get me first. Bad luck. Little soldier. Look after Kia, won't you? Are you a ghost? One of the burnt ones? Are you a good spirit? My daughter, is here... So little. So much blood. Why don't you bleed? Why don't you bleed? You're a bad one! Why don't you bleed? Purple. Today, it's the Rocket Festival. This is it. Good morning, folksl This year's Rocket Festival... is the biggest ever organized by our committee. So once again, ladies and gentlemen. Left hand on your waist, right hand in your pocket. Grab your cash, place your bets. Dig it out people, dig it outl This year, there's the biggest rocket ever, "The Million." This rocket is last year's champ. Last year they won 5 million kip... but this year's fest is even bigger. Cash prize 10 million kipl Ahlo, where are you? Oh no... ladies and gentlemen. First failure of the day! Oh no! - That's crap. - It's from Huay Sa Ngao village. Their rocket blows up every year. Gonna be a long day. I've got to test it. Toma. You don't have to compete with them. There are lots of jobs for us in the city. Wait and see the next rocket, people. What's the next one going to be like, ladies and gentlemen? Oh. Next we have a rocket... It's... rather big, ladies and gentlemen. Being brought to the tower. Okay, hey hey... Does your rocket have a name, Uncle? No name? Lucky! Ladies and gentlemen, what's the name of this rocket? Lucky! Will it live up to its name? Lucky, Lucky, Lucky! Lucky, Lucky, Lucky! Toma! Told you not to let go too soon! We're screwed! I told you! You asshole! And now..."The Million"rocket, ladies and gentlemen. The Million rocketl How big is that? This year it's extraordinary. They're going to defend their championship. Can it take off or not? It's really up to the cheering. Can this rocket bring some rain? Our village has been dry for so long. How beautiful will it be? Let's all seel Is it safe? Not sure, looks scary though. Let's have some good cheeringl Easy there, soldiers. Careful! That's right, gently. This rocket is extraordinaryl The rocket is up on the tower. Will they take the big prize? Wow... That'd hit a B-52, that onel Outstandingl Look at that! It went to the cloud. Who's next? Anyone think you can beat that? Who's next? Anyone? Who thinks they can beat it? Excuse me, excuse me! Go on, take it to the launching tower. If you think your rocket is better, take it to the towerl Hey, hey little dickl What do you want? To launch my rocket. Does your rocket have a name? The Bat. Ladies and gentlemen, this rocket is called "The Bat"I Hey hey heyl What are you doing? Launching my rocket! Kids aren't allowed up here. Get that little kid down! Don't let him up! The rocket tower is dangerous! Get him down! You heard the Elder. Get downl Man... this little kidl Go far away, far away. Dad, help me launch my rocket. Stop it! Toma! No way on earth you're launching that! It will blow your brains out, blow everyone up! And you too, boy. Don't you dare! I forbid you! You'll bring tragic death to everyone. You evil kid! Anyone? Launch my rocket? Can anyone help me please? Help me please. My rocket will definitely take off... I beg you. I beg you. What's this kid doing here again? Get him awayl Give me my rocket! I'll launch it myself! Go go go, out of herel You're just a kid, stop bothering usl Gol Don't! That's my sors rocket! I'll launch it myself. Help me please! The Bat! It's about to fly! Your father is launching it. Sleeping Tiger rocket. It will kill him for sure. Light it up! Let's go! You want to die? Get that kid down, it's dangerous! Ahlo. Daddy! I'm sorry! Let go! It's up, it's up. Pretty good. Give 'em 6? Let's do 6.5, okay, guys? The pawpaw salad is getting wet! Ahlo, I think your mom just sent you a message. Wow... This rocket went up really high. Poked the sky gods' ass! Made them pee some rain on us. Your son is very determined. His rocket went so high! Stubborn! Bull-headed! Gets it from me..."Little Balls"! You can stay here, farm what you like. Luck is in your family. Mali's mangoes. |
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