Original subtitles

Are you okay, my darling? Do you have stage fright?

Remember, what we said:

You're still small and in your room.

Grandfather is with you. Everything is good.

Good evening and thank you very much, that you are here.

In any case we are here, to help you.

No, mom, that's embarrassing. Put them away!

Excuse me. Sun, it's your turn.

Now welcome the young winner

of this year's special jury prize for "The Book of the Desert".

Sun Del Renaque.

Good evening.

Sun, I'm pleased to meet you.

We are very happy to have you with us.

I know there are journalists here.

Do you have questions? Yes, the Lord.

Yes, Sun, you are just 15 years old

and you really have one won a prestigious award.

Your writing style is mature, lively and full of poetry.

Where comes from in your opinion your talent?

I don't think it's talent.

My grandfather told me this story told me when I was little.

He moved his arms as he spoke like butterfly wings.

The desert wind blew into my room.

He brought the characters to life, as if they were standing next to me.

I didn't want to be the only one who benefits from it.

I have the story just written down.

- As soon as I had the right. - The right?

I had to promise not to do it before his death.

Thank you.

Now we have the pleasure

Mademoiselle Del Renaque from her book to hear it read. Please.

Come on, my blue fairy, it's time for the story.

- Yes! - Which one should I tell you?

"Hadara, the desert child", grandfather!

Every superhero has a superpower.

Except one.

Hadara.

My little Hadara, my only son.

You are beautiful like the stars over the Sahara.

He was an ordinary little boy,

a desert child who lives led his nomadic family,

that of looking for water and food was intended for their animals.

Nobody suspected him a special fate lay ahead.

This story happened a long time ago in the Sahara.

A very long time ago.

Get down!

No!

No!

Stay here, understand?

There is a lost dromedary in the desert like a lost treasure.

It was her duty to capture it.

So Fatma left Hadara behind,

like her had done it a hundred times before.

Mama?

Mama.

Hello.

Like Fatma's dromedary The ostriches had also sensed danger

and wanted to protect their nest.

Her instincts had not deceived her. Seconds later a storm came.

Desert storms are merciless enemies, who take everything in their path with them.

Hadara!

Hadara!

Hadara!

Hadara felt that the ostriches would flee.

His instinct warned him not to stay alone.

So he did something that no other child would have dared.

Hadara!

Hadara!

Hadara!

Hadara!

Hadara!

He was two years old.

Hey!

No!

My only son.

You are beautiful like the stars over the Sahara.

Mama.

My only son. You are beautiful like...

Fatma!

Mom, I have...

-Fatma! - Said!

My only son.

Fatma, where is Hadara?

- I lost Hadara. - We'll find him.

- I lost our son. - No worries.

My baby.

Cherif, Hayeb, Hassan.

- I lost my son. - We're looking for Hadara.

We're going south.

Hadara tried like eating an ostrich. Without success.

But the next day, out of sheer hunger...

Come on!

After days of fruitless searching they accepted fate.

Everyone was convinced he was dead.

Everyone except her.

After the first ostriches had accepted him,

the whole herd accepted him.

He never had saw a desert fox,

but he immediately felt that he had found a friend.

This is a friend.

He is a friend.

The ostriches adopted him like him also the orphaned desert fox.

Without remembering that he had heard the word from his mother,

he decided to call him Sahara.

Those moments of joy were precious, because Hadara's life was hard.

The ostriches laid for long, strenuous periods ways back to find food,

but above all they didn't know

that the little person waters a lot needed to survive more urgently than she did.

There is no place for the weak in the desert.

Hogg, the black and white rooster,

Hadara was too slow.

He had become an unnecessary burden, that he wanted to get rid of.

Mako, the gray hen, was sure

that she is the little, had to save fragile creatures.

He almost died that day.

Mako had saved him against Hogg's wishes

and would him like protecting one of her chicks.

Even though Hogg never accepted him,

Hadara took on the desert, and the desert accepted him.

Little by little he became their king.

And he lived to be 160 years old.

Thanks to him, nature has continued trust in humanity.

- Congratulations! - Well done, little one!

So, this is what the rest of the program looks like:

You're giving an interview for the 1 p.m. news.

Immediately after that you have to go to a reading at the cultural center.

- Congratulations. - Thanks.

And I have another surprise.

What a?

- You both are invited to the Sahara. - I'm sorry, what?

Can you sign my book?

- Yes, for whom? -Tom.

There is a cultural NGO in the Sahara for all settlements.

She organizes every year an event.

And this year you were unanimously selected.

Sun, if you agree,

are you with your mother invited to the Sahara.

We're all for it.

And surely it's not a mistake?

Absolutely not. They want you.

you said, it is important that you come.

- Are you happy? - Yes, that was always my dream.

That's what I wanted to hear.

- That's crazy! - Thanks.

- This is Sun! - Sun is here!

She's here!

- Hello, Sun. - Hello.

Marhaba!

- Hello, Sun. - I'm so happy. I love your book.

I invited you. My name is Kharouba. Welcome.

Thanks for the invitation. I'm glad to be here.

- I'm Sun, and this is my mother. - Mandy.

Do you want me to read something to you?

No, I'm going to tell you something. You don't know the whole story.

I do not understand that.

You should write the sequel. Do you feel like?

My grandfather has the story was made up.

No, the story of Hadara is our story.

- But... - It's okay. Sit down.

I understand that you have many questions.

You get all the answers, but here it works our way.

Stories are told well or not at all, okay?

OK.

At the end of your book you're talking a lot of nonsense.

The king of the desert who dies at 160?

- Well, that was made up. - I advise you to take notes.

Around the age of six To reach it, Hadara had to fight.

Hogg had often tried to get rid of him.

But he had persevered and thought he was an ostrich.

Hogg understood, that it was thanks to Hadara,

that all chicks survived.

From that moment on, Hadara, the child without wings,

the extra child, that didn't belong, to the favorite son.

Nothing stood in the way of his happiness.

It was the happiest and most carefree time of his life. He had everything.

He enjoyed life and learned from it, such as this lesson:

Ostriches never leave one of their own back.

They adapt to the pace of the slowest. That is their law.

Only one thing distinguished him from his siblings:

He loved to draw.

The dunes told him the secrets,

that time had whispered to them.

They advised him

the shadows of his past to tame.

The little boy had grown up

and enjoyed every moment.

Because he understood

how life is like that.

He was in the wind

found his truth.

He was sole master

about his fate.

Because he had dared

just a small step to move forward,

a tiny giant step.

He had with Sahara discovered the sunsets.

And ever since then he had didn't miss a single one.

He took the time to do it.

He loved as one loves,

when you are a child.

Then they moved through their secret paradise.

He was sole master

about his fate.

They never missed a sunset

and never parted, as they grew up.

Like him, Sahara was twelve years old.

He was now an old desert fox.

Hadara felt it and wanted to savor every moment.

To protect his clan,

Hogg made sure that the cheetah was only chasing him.

Was the cheetah really dead?

Yes. Hogg's long claw, sharp like a knife blade, had defeated him.

Hadara had been a coward and felt a terrible feeling for the first time:

Shame.

He was so ashamed that he didn't dare to return to his clan.

The exile that now followed was to destroy him lead to shocking discoveries.

For us it is said, that fairy tales are not there for that,

to put children to sleep, but to wake up adults.

You tell stories almost as well as Grandfather. It sounds like a true story.

What is?

Nothing. Come with me.

I have to show you something.

Now she's dancing.

- Fascinating, you look like... - Ostriches?

- Yes, exactly, ostriches. - It's clear.

That's how they dance too.

- You can all dance like ostriches. - How come?

- That's what we were taught. - From whom?

From my grandfather.

Hadara.

- Wait, what did you say? - You heard right.

Hadara was my grandfather.

The whole story is true:

the lost child, the storm,

the ostriches, his survival in the desert, that is all true.

And Hadara was my grandfather.

That can't possibly be true.

Hadara doesn't exist. My grandfather invented it.

Omar? Come over here.

Tell me, how do you know this dance?

From Hadara, of course. You're asking really strange questions.

- Saoussene? - Yes?

Tell me, who was my grandfather?

- Hadara or the other one? - Hadara was correct.

- And was he related to you? - Yes.

He was with his sister married to my grandmother.

- Where did he grow up? - In the desert, with the ostriches.

- You know that. What's up? - Nothing. Go and have fun.

This is incredible! But how is that possible?

I want to know everything.

Tell me everything.

Hadara had been with his for days old friend traveling in the desert.

He had drunk from cacti, Ate scorpions, just the usual.

Then he saw something which he had completely forgotten.

His heart started racing, but he didn't know why.

He felt magnetically attracted to the place.

My little Hadara, my only son.

You are beautiful like the stars over the Sahara.

Afterwards he had the impression to have crossed a border

and need to investigate further.

"Don't leave me," he said to Sahara.

But it was time for the last dance, and Hadara understood.

They had been through a lot together.

But he didn't know whether he would survive this.

He felt the need to look for Mako,

the one, which could not be replaced by anyone.

And only now did he dare to ask her:

"Why don't I have wings? Why Am I not like the other chicks?"

Mako replied: "I raised you.

You are my son, but not an ostrich."

Hadara was shocked.

"I'm not an ostrich.

I'm not an ostrich."

She kept repeating the words: "Your mom."

She was his mother after all.

Do you know what stars are?

The laughter of the sun's rays.

For us they are ostriches, who look for their watering hole in the sky.

My watering hole is my land.

I was born here and don't know anything else.

But I'll do anything to get out of here.

I will work, to finance my studies.

I'll manage it and help my family and my country.

And what is your watering hole?

I don't know it.

Hadara didn't know either. He didn't even know exactly who he was.

Hogg wanted Hadara from these things keep away those he distrusted.

But to him they were treasures.

So he defied him for the first time, and they argued.

Come on, move forward! Will it be soon? Forward!

Are you finally obeying? You stupid dromedary, move! bastard!

I'll warn you if you don't start running, I'll lock you up.

Come on, move!

Come on, what are you waiting for? You obey now! Come on, you bastard!

He wasn't proud of it to resemble this creature.

Come on now, hurry up!

And at that moment he came.

Who?

The man who changed Hadara's fate.

- Where did you put the green box? - Thanks.

- Here, take the film roll. - Yes.

- Here, catch! - Ernie?

- Yes? - This is the projector.

I need the accessories. Give it to me.

Okay, John, I'll bring it to you.

- Where does that go? - Give it here.

You can give this to the chef.

A vegetable soup!

Does anyone have a turban?

Do you know where I can find a cloth like that?

Be careful, don't put it here. Better over there.

Exactly, there is still room for a tent.

Over there.

Let's drive the cars away or do we leave them here?

-Christian? - Yes?

- Can you come for a moment? - Yes.

These are not cameras, but toys.

Show me here.

That works.

Do you know where I can find a turban?

Nice and slow.

Slow? Just look at me.

I'm sweating but you're dry, under the same sun.

That's crazy.

- What are you doing? - Shooting can begin tomorrow.

Seven gazelles. Two males, five females.

One has a broken horn and darker fur.

You don't believe me, do you?

Yes, because I'm already here I've seen so many crazy things.

Besides, they call you but the desert detective.

At your service.

- What is that? - Yes, what is that?

A small ostrich got caught.

Come on, let's get him out of there.

No, we're reaching here not into nature.

Ibrahim, please. Take my water bottle.

We're just getting him out of there.

- He would die alone. - Maybe, but that's nature.

All right, I'll save him. You can do whatever you want.

- Well, come on. -Christian. You don't do that here.

- So what? Come on. -Christian.

Look at this.

May I introduce? The desert detective.

- But we'll let him go. - Yeah, we'll just get him up there.

- We're not taking him with us. - No, we won't do that.

- He has a family. - I know. I'll release him.

- Leave him here. - I'll take him to the hill and it'll be fine.

It's nothing.

What's up?

Wait.

Just wait.

Wait!

Come back!

Why don't you say anything? I don't understand.

I'm not crazy. He was there.

He was like an animal.

It was clear that he was different.

- He didn't speak, just whistled. - Like an ostrich?

So you saw him after all! I'm not crazy.

He wanted to get his relative.

He lives with the animals, that's for sure.

This is crazy, unique and special, do you understand? A wild child.

If I report about it, it will be the report of the century.

I can take such a chance not to be missed.

Nothing happens by chance.

You're annoying with your truisms.

"Nothing happens by chance." "The truth lies at the end of the river."

He left a diary.

Here, read it with me.

- Take it. - Go ahead.

"I told them about it

and convinced her to search for him with me and bring him back."

But after several days of searching there was still no trace of the child.

There are traces.

There are traces everywhere.

They're still here.

I have the proof. Ibrahim, look at this!

Just look. Read the tracks there.

Tell me where they went.

I don't see anything.

What, you don't see anything? You don't even look.

You're supposed to be the desert detective.

You are lost, Ibrahim.

No, you're lost.

Come on, let's go.

I could be a Hollywood producer get excited about it.

So far he had us financed remotely.

But he really wanted to see more and came to us.

When we are in New York. Hey, Chris! Nice to see you.

- Thanks. - For the benefit.

I have good news.

We have traces found by the child and ostrich.

That means we'll definitely find him soon.

Great, Chris. I also did a good job.

I believe we can make two films out of it.

The first film is about us and looking for the boy, okay?

And for the second film let's take him to New York.

And there he discovers all the wonders of modern civilization.

OK?

And in the third part he becomes a normal person.

- We'll dress him. - Yes.

We teach him good manners and sophisticated language.

- And how to give interviews. - An excellent idea.

-Chris? - Yes, good idea.

Very good.

Good luck, gentlemen.

Okay, I'll take a spin. See you later.

See you later. Cheers.

The project developed differently than I thought.

- A third film... - And a fourth.

I felt uncomfortable.

We'll show him how to pay taxes, walking a dog...

Or plays golf.

He could return to the desert and see his ostrich family again.

We could his whole story film as a musical.

He could get married here.

It's so simple.

Where are we going?

I've never had saw something so beautiful.

For the first time I saw a free being, an untamed person.

When he ran away, I was left confused.

What should I do?

For weeks I wasn't sure whether you can catch him and study him

or should leave it alone.

Wait.

At that moment I understood it.

I didn't have the right to destroy this harmony,

and such an extraordinary creature to turn into a circus monkey.

Christian?

- Hey, Christian! - Yes?

- Yes? - What did the trip reveal?

Well...

We found nothing, no trace.

- We should give up the search. - I'm sorry, what?

Sorry, that's out of the question.

Listen, Christian, we're stewing for three weeks in this desert.

The budget for the film has been used up. Where is this boy?

We definitely have to take him with us, understood?

He never existed.

- I'm sorry, what? - What?

The night I thought I would have seen him if I was drunk.

Since then, Ibrahim and I have searched for him everywhere in vain.

And the footprints and all the stories, that you told?

Can you explain that to me?

- I lied. - Lie?

- What? - I lied.

Damn it, Christian! I trusted you.

You know what? I regret meeting you.

You're a liar, a pathetic guy! You will pay for this!

You'll never work again!

You're dead! You're at the end!

I had ruined my career.

But I knew that I wouldn't regret it.

- Thank you my friend. - I'll never forget it.

I will never talk about this child.

Do some research after his family.

If he still has one, leave it his mother know that her son is alive.

And that he is something special.

- Promise me that. - Promise, brother.

One last thing:

If you are the desert child one day, give him this from me.

See you soon, Ibrahim.

Here you see, why you know the story too.

This is a photo of Ibrahim and...

Christian on the day they say goodbye.

This is dad.

Christian was my grandfather?

- Grandfather ... - Do you understand it now?

"I had a dream and wanted to achieve fame.

I wanted to be a journalist tell stories."

But I decided to remain silent, to protect a child.

I have my career and sacrificed my good reputation.

I lied, to save an innocent man.

I would rather be considered a fraud than to lose my honor.

Because a little boy without principles and norms

had shown me what it was really means being human.

Why are you stopping?

Because I don't know what to do

and whether I have the right to tell this story.

On the contrary, you have to tell them.

Grandfather kept it a secret. Why should I tell them?

You don't understand that. The story was never kept secret.

It was passed down orally.

At least that way you knew who heard them.

This is how we protected Hadara.

But now Hadara is dead.

For a long time now.

Little by little the witnesses die, and with them his legend.

So keep my grandfather's legend please live as best you can.

Write them down.

OK.

Tell me more.

So...

From that day on, Ibrahim held on to his promise

and let the voices of the desert speak.

Over time, nomads spread, Shepherds and camel drivers the news.

Hey, come back! Stand still!

I don't want them to catch Hadara.

- You should be in bed by now. - I can't sleep.

- Me neither. - Me neither.

Please finish the story.

- Me neither. - But you know them by heart.

- But you've never told it like that before. - You tell it so well. Please!

They followed him for two days.

Then they let him go.

Mohammed!

Come on, stay here.

There, just a few meters away from him,

stood the woman, that appeared in all his dreams.

Hadara? My son?

A word echoed louder and louder reflected in his head.

- "Mom?" - It's him! This is Hadara.

- "Mom." - Hadara?

"Mama."

- It's him! - Hadara.

He was in an unknown environment,

confused and scared.

But he took action no more attempts to escape.

Thanks. Thank you.

He had been an ostrich

and now had to become a human.

- Did he make it? - It was difficult.

He couldn't for a long time between his found mother

and the lost freedom.

But suddenly everything changed.

As he his heart felt the throbbing stronger than ever before.

As soon as he saw my grandmother,

the girl, whose eyes sparkled like stars,

he knew he would stay.

They married and had five children.

This is the only photo of Hadara.

Come on.

Look at how beautiful it is here.

Will it stay that way? Are you writing the sequel?

My grandfather always said, this story could change lives.

I thought he meant my life, but I was wrong.

You have to write them down, because it is your story.

No, I don't know how.

Yes, you just did it, Kharouba.

This is how you reach your watering hole.

After seeing his parents had found again,

visited Hadara often his ostrich family in the desert.

The ostriches never forgot him. He never stopped loving her.

It's a true story. His name was Hadara.