Original subtitles

- Roses? - How much?

25 francs.

All right.

It's hot. Wanna take a walk?

The heat's a killer. Let's go.

Hello! It's a hot one!

How much?

How much for a quickie?

How much? 30? 35?

Okay.

Moron!

It's a hot one! Let's go.

Happy birthday, Moses.

Look...

You put the coin here... in the slot.

It can't come out.

Money's made to be saved, not spent.

- And when it's full? - When it's full, you're rich. You're happy.

Will mum come back soon?

I don't know.

- Need any change? - How much have you got?

35 francs.

It's a hot one!

How much?

Are you sixteen?

Don't you live over there?

Give me the money.

Get undressed.

- What's your name? - Moses.

You live around here?

What's your name?

Sylvie.

Not too hot?

It hasn't been around much.

Never?

Dry yourself.

Lie down.

Let's do this right, there's only one first time.

It fell out!

There, Mister Moses.

Was that nice?

Next time, remember my present.

Good evening.

- You got no wine? - Too expensive.

I gave you 5 francs earlier.

- Got the receipt? - No.

From now on, you'll note everything in here.

Momo, come out. I took my laxative!

Move it.

Come out right now! You're doing it on purpose?

We're out of paper. Go to the Arab's.

Get some quick!

I don't care, he's an Arab.

He's an Arab!

Even if he wasn't I wouldn't care.

I'm not an Arab, Momo. I'm from the Golden Crescent.

One franc 10.

Just a second.

Can people guess what you're thinking?

No.

Are you sure? I know someone who can.

You believe any crap. Who said that?

I swear it's true.

What's the cake for? It's not Sunday.

Try to guess.

It's my birthday.

It's the 8th already?

Happy birthday, son.

Why is there just one candle?

Excuse me.

One franc 50.

And two... three francs 50... Four francs 50

and one... five francs 50.

What's the Golden Crescent?

It is a region that runs from Anatolia to Persia.

- Thanks. Goodbye. - Goodbye, Momo.

- What's Persia? - What?

- Persia. What is it? - It's in the dictionary, under P.

- P for Papa, Paulie... - Prick.

- What? - Nothing.

Can't open a bloody dictionary! Your brother never put it down.

- He never did the shopping. - What?

Tough luck for you.

I hate Paulie!

My name's not Momo.

I know your name's Moses. That's why I call you Momo.

It's less impressive.

What do you care?

Moses is Jewish, not Arabic.

I'm not an Arab, Momo. I'm a Muslim.

- Five francs 80. - So why does Dad say, "Go to the Arab's"?

Arab means open from 8 am till midnight.

even on a Sunday in the grocery trade.

Quiet, please.

Come on, hurry it up.

Cedric, later! Starting positions... First line...

"Come for a drink".

- Like that? - Yes, fine.

Can you come here?

You speak to Paul who walks round the front too.

- Coming to see me soon? - I'm still saving up.

One last time.

Okay? To your positions, please.

Camera ready to start. Let's hurry it up.

Quiet!

Cedric, later!

She looks a bit common.

She sleeps around too. In the movies... you have to.

Well, Momo, want to be in the movies?

If I wasn't so old, I'd try it.

You?

I'm not made of stone.

Imagine me in a boat with her...

and my wife.

The boat sinks. What do I do?

I bet that my wife knows how to swim!

Do you have any water?

Of course, mademoiselle.

How much do I owe you?

- Five francs, mademoiselle. - I didn't know water was so rare here!

Water isn't rare mademoiselle,

true stars are.

Thank you.

You've got a nerve!

I have to make up for all the cans you pinch.

Come here, Momo.

- I'll pay you back. - Listen to me.

You owe me nothing.

If you have to steal, I prefer you do it in my shop.

Look at me.

You owe me nothing.

Picked tonight's menu? Come and see.

As a starter, this cat food will fit the bill.

Your father won't realize. Tell him it's farmhouse pate.

Don't eat any yourself.

No need to buy bread every day.

Warm it in the oven and it'll be fine.

You can add a little chicory to his coffee.

Dry the tea-bags and you can use them again.

As for the Beaujolais,

add a bit of this wine to the bottle each day.

For yourself, get what you like.

Good evening.

Bought more Beaujolais?

Yes, on special offer.

I got this pate.

What do you think?

Not bad.

It's a bit expensive though.

Try it. It's full of flavor.

No thanks, I'm not hungry.

Stop, thief!

Stop, thief! Stop him!

You're not hurt?

You sweetheart!

Thanks, angel!

When you grow up, come and see me sometime.

I'm 16, you know.

I've already done it.

All right!

He's got guts.

Moron!

- What are you doing? - I'm cold.

Close it! The light ruins the bindings.

Why are you showering all the time now?

I'm cold.

At least your brother wasn't like you.

Why are you always thinking of him?

Got nothing to do?

Take a book. He loved books.

You forgot to clean the shower yesterday.

Think he'd have liked me?

What a question!

Why don't you ever smile?

I can't afford to.

You think I'm rich?

- Your till's full of money. - That pays for the stock and the rent.

Know how much I have left to live on? Not a lot.

Excuse me, mademoiselle.

When I say smiling's for the rich. I mean it's for happy people.

You're wrong. Smiling is what makes you happy.

- Like hell. - Try it.

Try it, you'll see.

Just a second. Take this.

"Sauerkrant and meant, top quality".

Thanks.

Well? Don't look at me, look there.

- It's obvious. - I'm sorry, I don't really understand.

All right. I'll start again.

How about it?

- It's 30 francs. - No problem.

You're already a reporter?

Still a student.

Reporter's a good job.

You travel, you learn things, you see people.

- You see people too. - And what's in them!

Can you do me up?

- You're beautiful when you smile. - I am?

A smile can work wonders.

Sorry, I don't have a present.

See, it works. You can get all you want.

Evening, Dad.

It's ready. I got pate and Beaujolais.

You've done something stupid.

Look at me.

Come here, let me see.

Closer.

Open wide.

You need braces. Your teeth are a mess.

Forgotten something?

It's my fault. If I like Paulie, Dad would love me.

How do you know? Paulie left. Maybe he hated your dad.

- You think so? - Why else would he leave?

I bet he knew how to smile.

Mum never had time to teach me.

- Did you know Paulie? - I prefer you a hundred times.

I prefer you a hundred times.

Help me. It soothes the nerves.

He says I need braces, that I have crooked teeth.

Let me see.

They're not that bad. Look at mine.

Smile less, that'll do.

Can you imagine your mouth full of metal?

The girls won't believe you're 16.

You know about that?

I just know what's in my Koran.

It's good to start off with professionals.

But afterwards, when you complicate things with feelings,

then you'll appreciate novices.

You go too. At your age...

Sorry...

Heaven is for all of us, not just for minors.

How about a walk Sunday afternoon?

You like walking? You're always on that stool.

Well?

A snapshot, gentlemen.

Don't move.

- Living in Paris must be fun. - But you live in Paris.

No, I live on Rue Bleue.

It's too beautiful here for me.

You can find beauty wherever you look.

That's what my Koran says.

Should I read your Koran?

If God wants to reveal life to you. He won't need a book.

- I thought Muslims didn't drink. - But I'm a Sufi.

It's not a disease, It's a way of thinking.

Although some ways of thinking are diseases too.

"Sufism: mystical form of Islam."

"Opposed to legalism, it stresses inner religion."

"Legalism: meticulous observance of the law."

He's against the law.

He isn't always honest.

If respecting the law means being like him, that's terrible.

I'd rather be against legalism.

"Inner religion..."

Dictionaries always use words you don't understand.

"Inner religion..."

I've been fired, Moses.

I need to find a job. Somewhere else.

We have to tighten our belts.

How do you manage to be happy?

I know what's in my Koran.

Maybe I should pinch it one day.

Although a Jew shouldn't.

What does being Jewish mean to you?

I don't know.

For my dad, it means being depressed all day.

For me, it's why I can't be different.

Your shoes are no good. We'll buy you some tomorrow.

- I don't have any money. - It'll be my treat.

You only have one pair of feet. Look after them.

If your shoes hurt you, you change them.

You can't change your feet.

"Son... Excuse me, I've left."

"I'm not cut out to be a father."

"Perhaps we'll meet again one day, when you're a man,"

"when I'm less ashamed and you forgive me."

"I've left my money on the table with a list of people to contact."

"They'll take care of you."

"Goodbye."

You like it?

You know it?

Look, it's easy. Try it.

Dad has indigestion. What can I give him?

Fernet Branca.

I won't buy any more pate.

What can I do for him tonight?

Ravioli? Great idea, ravioli.

A Koran?

No.

- Why? - Not here.

Why?

My mum would murder me.

Silly.

When I bought these trousers, she called me a slut.

They look good on you.

You think so?

Not just the trousers.

Even though I threw water at you, I still fancied you.

I know.

You knew?

What do you want most of all?

Nothing?

- I'd like to meet my brother. - You have a brother?

He lives with my mum.

- I hate him. - Why?

If he was here, you'd be with him. You wouldn't look at me.

You wouldn't.

It kills me, knowing you could be with another guy.

Is that true?

I think Myriam's in love with me.

I'm in love with her anyhow.

I've even gone off Sylvie.

How's your dad? I haven't seen him lately.

He's working a lot.

He leaves early for his new job.

Isn't he angry about the Koran?

I hide to read it. I don't understand much.

When you want to learn, you don't pick up a book. You talk to someone.

Thank you, madame.

- But you always say you know... - What's in my Koran.

Do you wash in the morning?

Of course I wash.

I even change my socks every day.

30 francs. Next time, bring a note from your father.

She has a new boyfriend since yesterday.

Maybe she knew him before.

I knew it.

There's always a Paulie eating me up inside.

She rejects it but she can't destroy it.

She's just missing out on it.

What you give, Momo, is yours for good.

What you keep is lost forever.

- Do you have a wife? - Yes.

- How come we never see her? - Let's cool off.

Come on.

You didn't answer me.

Momo, no answer is an answer.

- You're circumcised too? - Muslims are like Jews.

- So you could be Jewish? - This is my hand, this is my mouth...

I don't understand.

You can't understand everything with your mind.

- Where are you going? - Leave me be.

- Where are you going? - Can't you tell?

It's Shabbat.

- I saw you with Richard. - I know.

So what?

I don't want to see you again.

Why?

- Why? - You're crazy! Stop it!

It's over, okay!

Coming to see me?

Something wrong?

Come on, I'll make it better.

Come on!

- Who is it? - Police.

We have some bad news, son.

Your father's been found dead under a train near Marseilles.

It looks as if he took his own life.

Now... you'll need to identify the body.

I don't want to see him.

Who's he?

A friend of my father's.

A friend? How good a friend?

My wife looked after Momo.

Have you been here long? In France?

Very long. Momo grew up here.

You know his father?

We ought to talk in private.

Excuse me, Momo.

- Is he sick? - He's burying my father.

I'm sorry...

Suicide is worse than abandoning your kid.

Excuse me, the door was open.

I'm looking for Moses.

I'm his mother.

Who are you?

They call me Momo.

Short for Mohammed.

- You're not Moses? - I'm Mohammed.

There's no Moses here?

Moses has gone, ma'am.

He has?

Can I look around?

He was sick of being here. He had bad memories.

- Is this his room? - I think so.

He likes music?

Is he coming back?

He went to find his brother.

- His brother? - Paulie.

- Paulie? - Yes, an older brother.

Moses was my first child.

- Will you adopt me? - Tomorrow, if you want.

- Honest? - Honest.

Won't your wife mind?

My wife went back home a long time ago.

We'll go to see her if you want.

It's quarter to five! We're closed. Come back tomorrow at nine.

Is Ibrahim your first name or your surname?

- Ibrahim Demirdji. - Spell the surname.

If you were French, it would be tough enough.

But in this case...

In your situation, it would need more than a miracle.

Come to office 206 at nine on Monday.

It's an excellent vehicle.

Four shock absorbers. Tax category seven. You can get her up to 90 mph.

It was voted car of the year at the last Motor Show.

Perhaps this one would be more suitable. A V8 engine for flexibility...

Don't give me your spiel, I'm buying this one.

Do you have a license?

- A license? - Of course.

Here you are.

- Is this a driving license? - Of course. Can't you tell?

If I have to read Arabic now...

Follow me. You can pay monthly installment.s

When I buy, I have the money. Here and now.

- In that case, write a cheque for... - No, I pay you now. With money.

Here, real money.

You see?

No one pays in cash. That's not possible.

Why? This isn't money?

I accepted it, why won't you?

We've come to the wrong place.

All right...

That's what we'll do. We can deliver it in two weeks. Will that do?

Two weeks? I'll be dead in two weeks!

No, I want it tomorrow. Tomorrow, outside the store.

It's beautiful.

- I forget, Momo. - What? You've driven before!

Long ago, with my friend Abdullah but...

- But what? - The cars weren't like this.

- They weren't drawn by horses. - No, my boy, donkeys.

- But your license? - That was a letter from Abdullah.

We're in the shit, then.

Gently!

Both feet like this. You easy one off and press the other down. Gently.

- A car's like a woman. - Why didn't you say so?

She has ticklish feet. Okay Momo.

Let's go.

Gently.

That's a bend to the right. You slow down.

- This one? - Stop. You slow down.

But I never go very fast.

Obligatory halt. You have to stop at 150 yards.

That's a yellow line.

You have those on all the roads.

- An unbroken line! - Yes, unbroken.

Country roads are beautiful.

Hold on. An unbroken line and...

An unbroken line...

- There are dotted lines too. - No overtaking!

I'm learning, Momo. But it makes my brain shrink.

Before parking, what do you do?

Before parking? You slow down.

The indicator! You forget everything!

I can't think of two things at once.

I know, you'll cough. When you cough, I'll put the indicator on.

Pull up there, behind the blue car.

Stop the engine.

If there'd been a yellow line, what would you have done?

- An unbroken one? - Yes, unbroken.

But I used the indicator!

- Straight on. - Straight on what?

Unbroken yellow, straight on.

No overtaking.

Okay, you get your license but only just.

I wanted to say goodbye.

- We're going to Turkey. - Are you going away?

Goodbye.

Rick people live here. Look at the rubbish bins.

- What about them? - To find out if a country is rich or poor...

... look at the bins.

If there are bins and no rubbish, it's rich.

If there's rubbish by the bins, it's neither rich nor poor, it's touristic.

And if there's rubbish but no bins, then it's poor.

- So this place is rich? - You bet, this is Switzerland!

- Is this place poor? - Yes, this is Albania.

- And here? - Smell that? The scent of happiness.

This is Greece. People don't move.

They take the time to watch us pass.

I've worked hard all my life.

but I've always taken my time about it.

I've never tried for record sales or a crowd of customers.

Slowness, that's the key to happiness.

- What do you want to do later? - I don't know.

Import-export.

Import-export! That's good.

Import-export!

Meet my son Momo who'll work one day in Import-export.

Were you born by this sea?

What's the matter?

Nothing.

Why aren't you speaking?

Listen.

Smell.

I smell incense. Orthodox.

I smell candles.

Catholic.

It stinks of feet!

And your feet don't stink? You're not better than others.

That odor reassures me. I smell myself, I smell you...

Where's your sea?

We're getting there.

I'm happy, Momo.

You're here and I know what's in my Koran.

Don't be upset but I keep thinking of Rue Bleue.

- You're bored? - But I think about it.

It's all I can think of.

- I'll make you dance. - You?

Yes, you must. Absolutely.

A man's heart is like a caged bird.

When you dance, your heart sings,

and then rises to heaven.

They spin around their hearts. God is there, in their hearts.

It's like a prayer.

They lose all their bearings, that burden we call balance.

They become like torches.

They burn in a blazing fire.

My head's clear. All my hatred.

Is that praying?

Let's have some tea.

Do you feel hatred too?

Good evening.

Good evening. It's a hot one!

I'm French.

I don't speak Turkish.

- Do you think I'm good-looking? - You're very good-looking.

Will I be good-looking enough to attract girls? Without paying.

In a few years, they'll pay for you.

- It's not great for now. - Of course not.

You stare as if to say, "See how good-looking I am."

And so they laugh. You have to look at them as if to say,

"I've never seen such beauty before."

For men like you and me, not Alain Delon or Marlon Brando,

you're beautiful, through women.

Man was mineral, then vegetable, then animal.

Then he became man.

Can you imagine the distance between dust and what we are now?

Later, you'll become an angel, after you finish with the earth.

When you dance, it's like that.

Wait here. I won't be long. It's over the mountain.

Go on, get out.

- Get out. - Why?

I left so long ago, I don't know what I'll find.

- What'll I do here? - Speak with your smile.

I'll be back very soon. See you, my son.

Go back to your village. I don't know where I'm going.

What about Ibrahim?

Where's Ibrahim?

The journey ends here.

No.

It does.

I've arrived. I didn't know.

What about the sea?

All rivers flow into the same sea.

No, Momo.

I'm not pleased.

I'm scared.

I'm not scared. I know...

what's in my Koran.

I've had a good life.

I'm old.

I've had a wife.

She died a long time ago...

but I still love her.

I've returned home.

The store was doing well.

The Rue Bleue is pretty,

even if it isn't blue.

And then there's you.

I don't' want this.

I'm not dying.

I'm going to join...

the immensity.

I'll read the will now.

"This is my will and testament."

"I, Ibrahim Demirdji, hereby leave all my goods to Moses Schmitt, my..."

Mother, I'm in a meeting!

Excuse me.

"...my son Momo because he chose me as his father."

"and because I've given him everything I've learned in..."

Excuse me.

Mother, listen to me, I'll call you later...

Not now.

"I Ibrahim Demirdji, hereby leave all my goods to Moses Schmitt..."

"...my son Momo, because he chose me as his father."

"And because I've given him everything I've learned in this life."

"Now you too will know what's in my Koran, Momo."

"It's all there is to know."

Now, I'm Momo. The whole street knows me.

I'm the corner Arab, open from 8 am to midnight

even on Sundays, in the grocery trade.

Eight francs 40.

Just a second!

You know, I'm not an Arab, Momo.