A Time for Drunken Horses (Zamani barayé masti asbha)

A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES

-What's your name? -Amaneh

How old are you?

I'm younger than Madi

Who's Madi?

My brother. He's a cripple. He's always ill. That's him there

He's the one in the yellow jacket

Today we took him to the doctor at the hospital

-What does your Dad do? -He's a smuggler

He goes to Iraq on our mule with things to sell and he brings stuff back

Do you have a mother?

No, she died when she was having my baby sister

Rojine's our mother now

She's my sister...my elder sister

Is Rojine here?

No, she's at home, looking after my little sister

That's Ayoub over there. My big brother

-How many? -Three sisters, two brothers

What are you up to?

We're wrapping up packets in newspaper to protect them

Me and Ayoub and the other village kids

We come here almost all the time

Where's your village?

It's far from here...

...on the border with Iraq

Can I wrap your glasses?

Madi, dear, are you tired?

Have your pills

I'm not going to take them for you

I need five or six workers now

Hurry up!

Amaneh, take over. Be back soon

Can I come? Can I?

Six of you!

No more than six

Hurry up, before we're spotted

Careful, it's fragile

Carry it in to the bazaar

Hurry up, you boys who are going home

I'm leaving in five minutes

Get in!

Hey, be quick. The truck's leaving

Hurry up! The truck's leaving!

Coming!

Life is ageing me, making me wander over mountains and valleys,

bringing me closer to death

In the truck they said that several smugglers had been blown up by mines

Our village is on the border

That's how many villagers died

My dad's there at the moment

I'm worried about him

Last night I had a dream about him

Madi, time for your pills

There's no water, so use your spit to swallow them

Look. Swallow like that

Rahman, either pay 150 tomans per person...

...or hide exercise books on them...

...until we get past the border post

Jump out, you Iraqi kids! We're nearly at the border

We'll wait for you on the other side

-Hello. What are you carrying? -Just passengers

-No Iraqis? -No

-Where are they going? -To their village, Sardab

Out you get, kids!

Line them up, Sergeant

-What's this? -Exercise books

Where are you taking them?

They're theirs

What are you talking about?

Search them, Sergeant

Everybody, lift your shirts up

Sir, there's a whole pile of exercise books in the truck

Impound this truck!

Wait, Amaneh

Let me give Madi his medicine

Madi, we'll head for the other side of the hill

There's no snow over there. You won't be so cold

Swallow it

I can't, Dad. It's too bitter

Eat some snow. It'll help it go down

We will never see my father again

My uncle said that Ayoub would take his place

Ayoub had to give up his studies

But that was because my uncle has eight children...

...so he wasn't able to look after us any more

Ayoub said I should keep on studying

Hello, Doctor

Hi, Ayoub. Bring me Madi for his injection

It was this morning

Just bring him. I have to go to town

Hello. Help me up

-Where are you going, Ayoub? -I'm going home to get Madi

I'm taking him to Dr Rahim

-He's not there -Where is he?

He went with Amaneh to the cemetery

-Can I leave this here? -Yes

Oh God, help Madi. Oh God, make him better

Amaneh, who let you come here?

-Why did you bring him here? -Madi isn't well

You know he has to take his pills and have his injections!

-He was very sick! -Get up! Let's go

Mr Rahim! Doctor

Ayoub, is that you? I told you to take Madi

I have to go to town for a few days

Madi, where does it hurt?

Here?

Where else? All over?

I'll give him his injection

His pills?

I gave them to him, but he was in pain all night

-What's your name? -Madi

How old are you?

Two... No, three

No, 15!

OK, lie down

Let's take your pants down

Come on

Big boys don't cry, do they?

Well done...

Ayoub come here a second

Last night, I told your uncle what I told you

We can't keep giving him injections all the time

He's getting worse

He must be operated on within four weeks...

...or else he'll die

Dr Rezai at the hospital has told you that already

We can't afford it. It's up to you

He must be operated on very soon

Even if he's operated on...

...he'll only live for seven or eight months

His illness is incurable

-Amaneh, are you mad at me? -Yes

-Why? -You hit me

You went to the cemetery...

Madi was bored

-Why listen to him? -But he was bored

Friends?

-No -Why?

Because you hit me

I won't do it again. Friends?

-All right -Give me five

My exercise book's full

-Want the same kind? -Yes

I got top grades twice

I'll buy you one tomorrow

I'll have dinner, then test you on your maths

Are you OK?

Fine, thanks

All right?

Did you see Mr Yassin?

I couldn't find him

I heard what the doctor said

Madi's getting worse every day

Ayoub said he'd find the money needed for Madi's operation

Ayoub went to see Mr Yassin again

Maybe my uncle will manage to persuade Yassin...

...to find a job for him?

There's no work here if you haven't got a mule

At the bazaars, they load up with stuff for Iraq and bring other stuff back

Could you give Ayoub a job, my dear Mr Yassin?

He's in great difficulty at the moment

Let's load that up!

Mr Yassin, you must find Ayoub a job

Could Ayoub take a load?

Why not?

Where's Ayoub? Get him over here

Hello there

-Can you take a load? -Sure

All right, come here every morning and take a load

-Raouf, give Ayoub a load, all right? -OK

It's not too cold today

Just give the mules one bottle

-Tired? -Yes, it's hard going

-I know -Where are you from?

Tchampara

You got no mule?

No, my dad and his mule were blown up by a mine

-Work for yourself? -Yes

What's your name?

Riboire

You got any land?

Yeah, plenty

So, why don't you farm it?

Landmines everywhere

-Can't you clear them? -There are too many

The border's not far now

The border? Where is it?

You see over there? Over there is Iraq

Is there a fight? Let's go

Won't you pay me for my last two loads?

No way. The owner of the load should pay

You hired us. You've no right not to pay us

No, you've no rights!

-Hello -Hello there

Yassin says hello and told me to ask you to pay him for the load

You want paying?

We already told him...