The Swallows of Kabul (Les hirondelles de Kaboul)

Kabul - Afghanistan, under Taliban rule

THE SWALLOWS OF KABUL

My mother would use a burqa

My father does it too.

I have to wear a burqa

The burqa is blue

The burqa is blue

Turn your music down ! It's too loud !

- You'll get us into... - Sorry, Nastaran !

Thank you.

Coming, Atiq, or staying to rot in your dungeon ?

My leg hurts, Qassim. It's cool here.

- I'll go later. - As you like.

You'll shrivel up here.

No sleeves rolled above the elbow !

Quick, quick !

Wait for me !

Some people have chosen to splash in the mire like pigs.

And yet they knew the Message, learnt about temptation,

but didn't develop enough faith to resist it.

These miserable, blind

frivolous beings prefer one instant of debauchery,

fleeting and pathetic, to the eternal gardens.

What can we say, apart from our grief and indignation ?

This woman knew very well what she was doing.

Drunk on fornication, she strayed from the Lord's path.

Now He's the one to turn his back on her.

She deserves neither mercy, not pity from believers.

She's going to die in disgrace, as she lived.

Allāhu akbar !

They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieve

so you would be alike.

They turn away from Allah !

Seize them, kill them, wherever you find them !

Hey, Atiq ! Over here !

For you and Mussarat. It's nice and ripe.

- Pass ! - Go on, he's Zidane !

I'm not marked !

- Hi Mohsen ! - Hi Mohsen !

I'm not marked. Go on, shoot !

Kurosh gave us this.

Thank you, Atiq. Sit down, you must be tired.

Ask your sister over for lunch with the children.

- I'd like to see them. - We can't have guests here.

Worse than the jail.

Thank you.

You're tormented because of me.

Nonsense, woman ! You're unwell. You just have to rest.

I feel as though I'm failing in my duties as a wife.

My husband doesn't talk to me.

That's because I'm destroyed by this endless war,

the misery spreading around us.

How can I take care of other's misery when I can't even deal with mine ?

I don't get it.

If you have faith in God

you must see the misfortune I bring you as a test.

You aren't a misfortune ! I do have faith !

My silence isn't rejection, it's because I'm helpless.

I don't have to justify myself. As if I'd done wrong. I haven't !

Can't I have some peace in my own house ? Is it too much to ask ?

Forgive me.

But you're all I have.

When you blame me, the world turns its back.

I'd give everything I have for you.

Today, I forbade myself to upset you.

And yet I have.

- Why ? - I'm scared, Atiq.

This time I can tell this thing eating away at me

won't leave without me.

- What exactly did the doctor say ? - Again !

Mohsen Ramat. Where were you, you traitor ?

- I ate alone, with no chick peas. - The chick peas...

Sorry, I forgot.

I wasn't feeling too good.

I had a walk.

Boiling hot, and odd. Lie down, you look dead.

- Go on ! - Zunaira, look at me.

Have I changed ?

Let's have a look... not really.

Let's see.

- Now you say so, mind... - Stop it.

Am I different ?

Yes. Different from the others, my love.

And I've loved you for that since university.

And I'll love you for it far into the future,

when we're free.

When you'll teach history and me, drawing.

And we'll be immortal.

In that future, we'll have a real house.

We'll listen to loud music. We'll kiss in the street.

We'll laugh about the bad films we've seen.

We'll eat ice cream with little Mohsen and little Zunaira

and we'll fool around and dance because we're unique and different.

I believe it.

Hear me ? I do.

Are your feet clean ?

There. Now you're bearable.

He's ill ! He'll die ! Let me see the doctor, please !

Move it !

Out of the way !

Please !

Please ! He'll die !

I need a form.

Come with me.

Come back later. I'll examine her.

- Hello, Mohsen ! - Hello, Uncle.

- Come in ! - No, thanks.

I just wanted to ask after my nephew. Is Zahir Asghar back ?

He owes me money.

Mohsen, you know, he's gone. Really gone.

With the money. You'll get a postcard, if he's alive.

Come in and have tea. You look dead.

No, thanks. Take care.

Atiq ! Brother. Come here.

Here.

All right ?

You shut shop early. No more prisoners ?

The condemned wing is completely empty.

Last one was stoned yesterday.

The whore.

Barbarous, those ceremonies. And long.

They should shoot them.

Hey, warder, you've got a face on you !

Lots of worries.

You know,

when it was the Russians I was much less anxious.

You knew who the enemy was.

Now, I don't know.

I was a good leader !

Come more often for a chat, like we used to.

Does that lost look cover a coup you're brewing ?

Don't say things like that, Mirza !

- The walls have ears. - Atiq, it's me.

- Your childhood friend, right ? - That was before.

So what's changed, really ?

Same weapons,

same faces.

Same dogs, same caravans.

Wisdom is taking things as they come.

Get that.

You just don't know what you want.

Come on, if we're still friends, tell me what's up.

My wife is very ill and the doctor says there's no cure.

That's it.

That's God's will.

She's my wife !

She gave me everything.

Only I can help her now. But I...

All on my own, I can't cope.

- Repudiate her. - She saved my life !

Nonsense, only God has that power.

God wanted her to care for you.

You've done much more.

You married her, a worn-out spinster.

Without you, she's nothing much.

No man owes anything to a woman.

The problem is that misunderstanding.

Throw her out.

Find a nice, healthy virgin and have kids.

Your life could be so much better.

You know my tricks. Just carrying weapons and drugs for the Taliban.

It's good, easy money. You're your own worst enemy, Atiq.

So stop complaining.

Because of a female !

Offending God and His Prophet.

More...

A virgin, with this leg ? A lame husband ?

If it's not your leg, it's your wife ! You need to go towards the light, now.

Mohsen Ramat, is that you ?

Professor Arash Bayazid, hello.

I'm sorry if I scared you. I've never seen you here.

- Have you been away ? - You're joking.

No one can leave this country. I rarely come here. Much sadness.

But I find papers and books.

- I still teach. - At the Koranic school ?

Yes.

Among others.

I'd love to teach, but... not at the Koranic school.

The history is false. I can't indoctrinate young children...

Mohsen !

- There's another school. - Really ?

A secret one, where we teach children literature, art,

and history: the truth. We need brave, cultured people like you.

The Koranic school pays, but you serve the school of life.

I don't know. I...

We'd like to leave.

Ask her to come and teach too ! I understand you desire freedom,

but is it not better to stay here and fight for our true values,

for this battered country, by saving its children ?

Does she still paint ?

Less... Less.

Of course.

Less...

- Sit down. - No. Thank you.

I saw your wife.

It won't be long. The cancer's spread fast.

All we can do is give her morphine. A strong dose, to relieve her pain.

She can't move much. She should stay here.

Or take some morphine patches, like last month.

No, I'd rather she stay here.