Original subtitles

Syria, 2010

- Stay strong, guys! - Quiet!

Sick, habibi!

Inspired by true events

move it!

Quiet! Hey, be quiet!

Come here.

Sit.

What's your name?

Giwar hajabi.

Giwar hajabi. Are you kurdish?

Come here. Come and sit with us.

- Hi. - Are you from diyarbakir? - Do you speak kurmanji? - Sorani.

Welcome.

Why are you here?

Where's the toilet?

We take a shit once a day in the yard.

My first memories

are memories of prison.

Giwar hajabi?

Come here!

Come here! Move it!

Come on.

Welcome.

Salam.

Fetch two teas.

Is your father still composing?

Don't be afraid, I'm a kurd, too.

We all admire him very much.

He's a great man.

Because we respect your father so much and we're both kurds, I'll offer you a deal:

We'll provide you and your friends

with new passports.

We'll destroy your German passports and give you Syrian diplomatic passports.

With new names. Interpol will never find you.

You just have to tell me one thing:

Where's the gold?

Gold?

What gold?

If you won't tell us where the gold is,

we'll assume you're using it to support al qaeda.

In that case, your German citizenship won't protect you.

This is the only gold I have.

Fetch walid.

More tea?

A coke?

My father was a well-known composer among the kurds,

a free spirit who spent his days and nights composing.

My mother came from a respected kurdish family in Tehran.

Her family objected to my father:

Musicians played at weddings and in brothels and took opium.

But my mother followed her own path.

This is a godless place! We do not tolerate shameless pleasure!

Go home! Read the qur'an!

You go home and pray!

Khomeini had declared a fatwa against us kurds.

But in the north, communist kurds had established an enclave.

For my parents there was no alternative: They became freedom fighters.

They just wanted to survive.

Let no one say the kurds are dead,

let no one say the kurds are dead, we 're still alive.

We 're alive and will never lower our flag.

We 're alive and will never lower our flag.

Look out!

Take cover!

Master eghbal! Master eghbal, come back!

Come back!

Take your kalashnikov!

Go, go, go!

Everybody out! Out! Out!

Out! Out!

Out!

I've got you!

Everything's ok!

My daughter! My daughter!

- Here, take her! She's alive! - Bless you!

Sister, where are you going?

Is anyone there?

Giwar shall be your name: "Born of suffering."

My parents saw a better future for me in Europe.

In the middle of the Iran-Iraq war, they set out for Baghdad.

They hoped to travel onward from there.

Papers!

You're Iranians.

We're on the run from khomeini.

What if you're khomeini's spies? Get out!

Come with me.

After a few weeks in samawah prison, they stopped torturing my father.

They found out he was a musician and he was put on a list of important prisoners.

Eghbal hajabi.

This list was passed on to the red cross in France.

And they then tried to get the prisoners out.

Master eghbal!

We revere you! You bring light to the darkness!

We're going to Baghdad, the red cross will take care of you there.

Will they take us to Europe?

They'll do everything they can.

But it might take a while.

It took them a few years to take us to Paris.

There, we were invited to the homes of rich kurds who moved in elite circles.

Mind the dog shit!

- Where is the place? - Ask someone the way.

Excuse me, where is the...?

No wonder: I look like Charlie chaplin.

Complain to the red cross.

- You're very welcome! - Hello. Are you well?

- Hello. - Hi. - Hi, there.

- Welcome, please come in. - Hi. - Hi.

I have a surprise for you.

My friend harun shikak, the Iraqi ambassador in Bonn,

has come to meet you.

- It's an honor to meet you. - The honor is all mine.

Pleased to meet you.

- Hi, my name's miran. - My name's giwar.

- Why aren't you eating, miran? - I'm not hungry.

Eat up or you'll never be a sheikh.

You sure can eat a lot.

I want to be a sheikh myself one day.

Good boy, miran! Well done!

Where are you living here?

In a refugee camp.

What's it like there?

Awful.

Noisy, dirty...

We've seen worse.

As soon as I'm working as a composer again,

we'll get out of there.

You'd have it easier as a composer in Germany.

How come?

Nowhere in the world

has so many concert halls, operas and theaters.

They need musicians.

How are the schools there?

Excellent.

And free of charge.

Is there an opera house in Bonn?

Of course. It's the capital.

Look, giwar.

There's the opera house.

They perform stories to music in there.

Shall we go in?

Come on, let's go upstairs.

It's "the rhinegold."

What's "the rhinegold"?

It's the gold that makes you immortal.

And once you have it, you never let it go again.

Where is the gold?

Nobody knows.

Only the three rhinemaidens who guard it.

Be careful not to break it! This is a gift from sheikh harun shikak!

Giwar, come away from there!

Slowly! We have a piano!

It's expensive, mind the corners!

Shirin!

Lunch is ready!

Again.

Dammit!

You good for nothing little shit!

Play it like I showed you!

You're a musician?

- Yes, I'm a composer. - Really?

What do you compose?

A mixture of traditional persian and western classical music.

Why don't you teach your son yourself?

My husband doesn't have the Patience.

I see.

Why say that?

I charge 40 marks an hour.

I'll carry on teaching him.

That's fine.

Would like to you show me what you can do?

Come on.

That's right, with your thumb.

Very good.

Left hand, a minor.

How will we afford it?

We'll find a way.

Very good.

Shall we play it again?

Three, four...

For the kurdish freedom fighters my mother was a heroine.

Shortly after my birth, she got an infection of the womb.

On her way to the nearest town with a hospital,

she was arrested.

My mother's hands were too soft for a villager.

The mullahs made my mother the same offer every day:

"Tell us the freedom fighters' positions and we'll let you go."

But my mother remained silent.

Very good.

I'll see you next week.

- It's my father's premier next week. - Yes, I'll see you there.

Wait.

Get milk and bread.

And get some candy for yourself with the change.

Hey, you! Wait!

- You live here? - Yeah.

Take these cds, I'll pick them up next week.

Hey, you there! Seen a kanak with a bunch of cds?

- Show me. - There's no cds in there.

Cookies.

- You got a problem? - Hey!

Leave the kid alone!

Come on, let's go!

Are you master eghbal's son?

Yes.

- You're not at all nervous. - Why should I be?

This is the moment I've been working toward for ten years.

Come on, zanina, let's go in.

- Good luck, dad. - No, not luck.

Never rely on luck! It's ability that counts.

Good luck all the same.

- Giwar, are you coming? - I want a look backstage first.

Show them what we kurds are capable of.

Come here.

My fee.

20,000 marks.

Even the darkest night is followed by a bright dawn.

Oh, pardon me.

I'll be right along.

Let's go.

I'll pick up my video recorders and stereo some other time.

Make sure the children keep taking piano lessons.

Forget it!

- You'll play! - No!

Let me through.

Zanina, out of the way.

Let me through, my child.

Come on.

Come on, let go.

Come on, let go. Zanina!

- Did he leave us any money? - No.

Carry on playing. What's up, brother?

Can I give you the cds later? I've got them on repeat. - Look what those cds got me.

- Damn! - Keep the fucking things.

What happened? - I tried to sell them cds I'd stolen from them.

You gangsta!

What's your name?

- Samy. And you? - I'm giwar.

- Where you from? - I'm palestinian.

I'm kurdish.

Know anyone who needs a video recorder? I've got two.

I could use a second one for copying porn flicks.

Porn flicks? - Yeah, bro. I'll sell them on construction sites.

- How much will you get for them? - No clue, habibi... a ten spot.

- Know what? I'll keep the recorder. - So you can sell them?

- It was my idea. - No, listen...

You get the pornos,

I'll copy them, and we'll split the profit.

- Ok, habibi. Shall we smoke a joint on it? - Sure, let's go.

But not here. My big brothers are there. Come on.

That's dope, bro!

You got a sick voice. - Thanks. Allah willing, I'll be a singer someday.

We'll pray for it.

Where'd you get the hash?

From the Moroccans.

They made me an offer.

They give me 20 grams, I sell 15 for them and keep the rest.

- You gonna do it? - No, man. My brothers would fuck me up.

I ain't got no brothers.

Just a little sister.

Hi, I'm supposed to pick up zanina.

I'm shirin from opposite.

Didn't your mother tell you?

Yeah, sure.

- Is she ready? - Zanina, come here.

Hi, shirin.

- Where are you from? - I'm persian.

- I'm kurdish. - Yes, I know.

- Bye. - Bye.

Giwar, you gotta sell me one too!

- I asked first! - You gotta give me one!

- Dude, my balls are fit to bust! - Cool it, I only got three left.

- I'll give you 11 marks. - Ok, I'll give you 12. - 13! - 14! - 20!

Any more bids?

Here.

What about me?

Where did you get it?

Working for mehmet in his barber shop.

You're a barber now?

I just sweep the floor. So you won't have to go cleaning anymore.

One a, two c's, eight d's, six e's and one f.

You didn't exactly cover yourselves with glory, did you? With one exception.

Come in.

Giwar, come with us, please.

Bring your stuff with you.

Mahmud, cop some blow for your bro.

I'm coming with shamso, lemso, hempso, adamso.

Here, your money! Your money is haram.

Haram? You're an atheist!

I work myself to death so you can get an education

and you get kicked out of school for selling sex tapes!

You should be ashamed!

Yeah, mom, cuss and fuss, I don't give a damn.

I've switched to different stash, I'm dealing hash now: Hash, hash!

- Hey! - Hey, bro! - G.! - What you doing? - Singing to the girls.

- Hey, bro, what's up? - What's up? - What's up?

Hey, guys! What's up?

Hey, man, what's up?

- You guys need anything? - Yeah, sure.

- Got anything to smoke? - Sure, how much? - For 50.

Best price, dude.

- Cool. - Guys, you need anything? - No, bro. - You sure? - Hey, bro.

Hey, g.!

- Gimme something! - How much? - One gram.

20, bro. _ 20?

Hey, little man! Come here!

- Got any smoke? - Sure, how much?

What you got there, man?

Hey, my money!

- Hey, my money! - Fuck off!

- Who're you telling to fuck off? - I got a bag!

Sonofabitch!

Fuck him over, bro!

- Cut it out, that's enough! Just look at him! - Look at me, man!

Remember these faces!

I swear...

I'll fuck every one of them over.

Even if it takes years.

- What do you want, kid? - I want you to train me.

The trainer's over there.

- No boxing! I don't wanna get fucked up again. - Was it that gang?

Why do you box barefisted?

There's no gloves on the street.

Hey, kid! What are you doing? You'll wreck your hands!

He's with me.

Giwar, you grab his hand and slam it as hard as you can with these two fingers.

Right here, bam! While he's stunned by the pain, you take out his nose.

Then you pull his hand backwards like this and break his fingers.

Push!

Again!

Again!

One more!

Hit him on the move.

Lift!

Lift! Push it up!

If you smack him on the chin, it sends a message to your brain.

And the brain says: "I want to sleep." So always try to hit the chin.

- What if it's a gang? - Take out the strongest first and the others will fuck off.

Two.

Three.

Foun

if you hit him here, he'll be winded.

Ok?

Hit him here. Bam! Ok?

Take out his nose like this. Bam! Ok?

Awesome.

You wanna be street? Know where the street is? On the ground!

Get up!

And when he's on the ground,

you run over to him and keep smacking him till he's finished!

Now you're "xatar."

Xatar, kurdish: Danger, the dangerous one.

Hey, girl.

You wanna do your thing with me?

Hey, bitch, I'm talking to you.

Hey, look who's coming.

- Hakan, look who's coming, dude! - Who's coming, dude?

What does that bastard want?

- Shall we take this yogurt? - Not that yogurt! Take this one! - Alright!

Cut it out, you sonofabitch! Let him go!

Are you crazy?

Hey, you fuck!

Hey! Somebody help! Please!

What are you...?

Shirin?

I didn't know you worked here.

Hey, buddy...

- I even sold pornos to my teacher! - Samy, you're really funny.

- There's your pal. - G.!

Yo, g.!

G.! What you doing, bro?

Don't do anything dumb!

What d'ya want?

You still owe me money.

Did you forget?

Gimme my para!

Gimme my cheeze!

Come on!

Plus interest.

- That's all I got! - That's all you got?

This guy is xatar.

What was that, bro? You're a living legend now.

See how they're all staring.

Want a cig?

- Here you are. - Thanks, bro.

Gokhan, if anyone needs something, send them to me, ok? - Ok.

Ok, people, make some noise for my homie:

Kanakonda!

Ooh-e y!

Come on, show your Booty! Ooh-ey!

Come on, show your Booty!

Come on, show your Booty!

Show your Booty!

Come on, show your Booty!

Come on, show your Booty!

Everyone's stoked in the club, I bust out their brains. All the cunts wear skirts,

downing bottles in one go, big bar.

Fat buds, tobacco in papers, the bass shakes the floor.

This bass can lift an entire street.

And our gazes meet.

Kanakonda can make a girl moist with just one look.

Kanakonda from Bonn, prefers a period to a comma, he'll fuck ya stupid.

Hey, give the girls' asses a tweak,

my wad looks like a third ass cheek.

Come down to earth. All the kanaks are here and we 're gonna shake this party.

- Bro, who is that? - Some kanak from tannenbusch.

Come on, show your Booty!

Ooh-e y!

Come on, show your Booty! Come on, show your...

Are you maestro?

Yeah.

- You build beats for kanakonda, don't you? - Uh-huh.

I'm interested in that. Can you show me how to do it?

Who the hell are you?

I'm giwar.

What the fuck?

- What is all this stuff? - It's my life, bro.

You can play, bro.

A little, bro. It's been a while.

Show me how you do it.

That's awesome, bro!

- Did you write it? - Yep.

How d'ya do it?

Play something.

- What should I play? - Anything, it doesn't matter.

I need a pen. You got one, bro?

Blood in the kitchen... blood...

Mom and dad at each others throats, warfare at home ain't like the heat on the street.

I never saw dad breaking bread, fuck benz. Another room plus exterminator would help.

One of... ah! One of...

One of the neighbors said...

Yeah, man. It's baba. It's good, man.

We 're all under pressure, our lives are on the line.

Bunker banana clips, you rap about table dance.

We 're all under pressure, our lives are on the line, on the line...

Bunker banana clips, our lives are on the line...

Bro, can you make money doing this?

No, bro, no. It's just for fun.

Fame, chicks, stuff like that.

And kanakonda?

No record deal. Hardly anyone wants to hear his stuff.

Bro, that's not true. The guy's ahead of his time.

Yeah, man. Yeah.

See ya.

- Hey, g.! What's up? - Do I know you? - Yeah, gokhan sent me.

- What d'ya need? - For 200.

- Got the money? - Sure. Hurry up.

Here.

Police! Freeze!

Freeze! Stop! Stop! Stop! Get down on the ground!

- On the ground! - Got him?

- Why so tight? - Because you're struggling.

You're under arrest.

Cologne juvenile detention center.

This was my first time in prison since I was a kid.

I was in and out of jail for the next few years.

Arrest warrant

until I got in deep shit and had to flee to Holland.

My childhood friend sheikh miran

was well-connected with the Iraqi embassy there.

Miran was a businessman who exported goods from diisseldorf to the whole world.

White powder

Sheikh!

Are you still finishing off other people's plates, bro?

- What's up? What's up? - Allah, you've gotten big.

- You look like a bouncer, bro. - I was a bouncer. - Doesn't surprise me.

You hungry? - You bet. But let's see to the formalities first.

What's that, bro? A university?

It's my future, bro.

Amsterdam conservatory

Mom, your son is a student now.

- Bro, I need work. - You need work?

Yeah, but it's gotta be legal.

I can find you something at the Iraqi embassy.

I know the ambassador well.

- What kind of work? - Interpreting, bro.

Can't I work for you?

I'm a one-man operation.

But you can work at my watch shop in diisseldorf.

There's a warrant out for my arrest in Germany.

The cops got one of my couriers.

When they offered to reduce his sentence, he sang like a canary.

They got 25 of my people.

- And you're safe here? - No one knows me here.

- You got a girlfriend? - Nothing permanent.

I can't find the right one, bro.

I'm telling you,

village folks do it right.

They marry people they've known all their lives.

Absolutely, bro. But we don't need to get married now.

I'll fix you up with a suit first.

A real hoodlum's suit, bro.

Then we'll go find some chicks.

I know how I can get money.

I'll be a bouncer.

Bouncer?

Standing around in the cold for peanuts? It isn't worth it.

First I get a door, then I start a security firm, ok?

If I have 20 bouncers working eight-hour shifts, that soon adds up.

It's great that you've got a plan. And how are you gonna get your door?

- Thought about that? - I'll take the door.

Bro...

You're alone here.

You don't know anyone.

Forget your crazy schemes.

What? I'll take a door on my own. I could take this one here.

Can you stop the car, please?

- Hey, g.! - Pay for the taxi.

Bro!

Look how many there are. Don't underestimate dutchmen.

No matter how hard you hit them, they still get up again.

Plus, they're armed. You can't take this door alone.

I'll fuck with their heads and checkmate them.

Then everyone'll know they're losers and that they need new men.

Bro!

Whatever happens, stay out of it, ok?

- Come here! - Drop the bottle! - I'll fuck you up!

- Drop the bottle! - I'll fuck you up! - Drop the bottle!

You go home now, finish! Go home! Hurry, hurry!

Get the fuck outta here! Fuck off!

Fuck off! Stay back!

Pull the trigger if you're a man. Go ahead.

Shoofl

- go ahead. - Shoot! - No.

What the hell's going on here?

Who is this guy?

Do something.

Don't just stand there, do something!

Do something, for fuck's sake!

Bro!

How did you know he wouldn't shoot?

Did you see all the cameras? No way was he gonna shoot.

They could've hit you if they'd wanted to, bro.

Sure.

I just got the door.

I can't let someone take it.

Bro, you just got here from Germany.

You're a wanted man.

Wouldn't you rather be an interpreter?

Interpreter? Do I look like some cocksucker?

No, but I'm a little bit worried about you.

What's he staring at?

How did he know we're here?

Your little rampage has made you famous.

Listen, I'll call in some bad dudes from Germany and we'll fuck him up.

Badidea.

I got a better one.

Hello. Welcome.

- Salam alaykum. - Salam. - Salam.

Miran! Good to see you!

I don't know if you know my friend here.

His father is a good friend of mine.

This is sheikh shikak's son.

Sit yourselves down. Sit, sit.

Go ahead, sit down.

Sit down, please.

Eat, eat! Go ahead!

- You're brother's calling from prison. - Excuse me.

- Why did you tell him about my business? - I didn't.

So how come he knows?

He just does.

Uncle yero is from the mecit clan.

He's an old-school smuggler.

They license poppy fields: From Afghanistan to the whole world.

No shit!

And you're telling me this now?

You said you wanted a legal job.

It's alright. Sit, sit.

There's no need to stand when we're eating.

No, I already told you.

No, you don't have to sort that out.

No, Jay, I already told you: You've got to sort out the invoices, man.

Is he sick as well now?

No way!

We'd agreed there'd be two men on the door.

You can't tell me he's still sick. If he's still sick, he can fuck off.

Ok, sure.

That's one hell of a paycheck.

Is yero really your uncle?

No, bro.

After world war ii, a kurdish state existed for one year.

All the important tribes took positions in the ministries.

Our family and yero's too.

Hence the allegiance.

Right, if he doesn't show up again, he can fuck off. That's a no-no.

No. Will kufur be there?

Yeah, I don't know yet, I'll sort it out later.

That's what I've got you for, man.

I'm just picking up my kid.

Hi, dad!

Hi, honey. Hi.

- How was school? - Good. - Yeah?

We're going to my office. Hop in, quick.

What do you want?

You have a pretty daughter.

Uncle yero says you should keep a good eye on her.

Uncle's people are everywhere:

Chinese, Moroccans, Surinamese.

And everyone knows that when uncle reacts, he always takes things to the extreme.

Please, sit down.

Brother giwar.

())

How can I help you?

We're taking over his door.

Ozca n.

Why do you want to change horses in the middle of the race?

The horse is an old nag!

Because my business can't survive without Turkish women.

Look, little brother:

There are Dutch girls out there,

Jewish girls, Caribbean girls, what more do you want?

Throw a stone and you'll hit a girl.

But our girls are off limits.

Letting kurdish and Turkish girls in would just lead to trouble.

There'd be blood feuds, honor murders, all that stuff.

I can't handle that.

He decides who he lets in and who he doesn't.

We're taking over his door, end of story!

My club specializes in Turkish pop.

Without women the men won't come.

Play different music.

Stay out of it! Just stay out of it!

I have 1,000 men across Holland and five times as many in Germany.

We'll fuck you up till you give us the door!

What are you looking at, you prick? Do you see a cunt here?

Cut the pig to pieces!

Fucking pimp!

Giwar, give us a hand!

- Give us a hand, bro! - Help! Help!

He might still be alive! Whack him on the head!

I'll sell his kidneys.

He's in for a surprise.

What the fuck, dude?

Hello, son. How are your studies?

Shirin from next door is studying medicine now.

Uncle yero was always at war, but it wasn't my war.

I made a decision:

I would go back to Germany and start my own label.

And there was something else.

Hi, shirin.

Hey.

I'm going out for a cig.

Make it two.

I thought you were studying how to sell drugs in Holland.

I was studying how to sell.

How to sell music.

And now you're on vacation?

I dropped out.

Too much theory.

I have a different plan.

Listen...

You know who I am and I know who you are.

We're both refugees,

both from broken homes, from the same hood.

I've never had a girlfriend, you know that. Everyone does.

What I'm trying to say is: We belong together.

Are you out of your mind?

You're the devil! We'll never be together!

Yes, we will. You're gonna have my kids.

I swear it!

Scram, I'm working!

You'll see!

- Does he seriously work in a whorehouse? - Yeah. - For real?

Hey, what's up? What's up?

- What's up? - What's up?

Dude, what's your job in there?

I'm the manager's right-hand man, so I can check out the hoes.

- For real? - Yeah, bro.

- Can you get me in there? - I can ask. - You do that, bro!

Let's go, my day's about to run.

We 7! Grab some blow and rolls and drive around the hood.

Cut out your fucking yapping, kanakonda will crush you lousy maggots.

I'm gonna ditch "kanakonda."

From now on I'm "ssio," it's Afghan for "black." - Better.

I been watching you for years.

You have the sickest flows and rhymes. To me, you're the best mc.

Thanks, bro.

But you don't have a label.

I'm starting a label, and I want you to sign with me.

Street music: By gangstas for gangstas.

I'm gonna go in big: Every artist will get the phattest videos,

Hollywood style, know what I mean? The phattest marketing.

We'll get the baddest kraut killer shark lawyers.

Got the para for that?

Sure, bro.

Let's do it. Let's just do it. No more yadda yadda yadda.

I kiss your heart, bro.

Here, bro.

- I'll read it, absolutely. - Take your time, bro. No stress.

- Who else you got? - Shams is my first artist.

- Do you rap, too, bro? - I sing r 'n' b.

- Sick! - Well... - There's a ho in there who raps.

- She's all "house-mouse" rhymes, but maybe if you pimp her up... - A ho who raps?

- That's disgraceful! - Hang on a sec. Is she in there now?

Yeah, bro. You can't miss her: She's got this sick tattoo down one side of her body.

- What's her name? - Ewa.

Hey, how about it?

Everyone's horny for the whore.

I know you're horny when I say "oh, " say "ah."

Check my ass and your account,

turn off your lo-cap and blow-rag, I got sex appeal and flows.

My body is a dream, lick me like an ice cream.

Move your ass, swine, I make men as hard as iron.

For the right amount of cheeze you can spend an hour with me.

Well?

It's bad.

Good bad or bad bad?

Bad bad.

But so what?

It's real.

Look, sis: If we do this right and you trust me

and don't stress me with your ho shit,

this could take off!

I'll make you the biggest female rapper ever, ewa.

- You get me? - What's gonna take off?

I'll be sucking cocks for the rest of my life.

I'll get you outta here. - Yeah? You'll have to pay off my pimp first.

- How much? - Twenty, bro.

Twenty large?

Fuck_.

Gentlemen, this isn't hot enough. More spice?

Stop it! You'll blow our asses off!

Go ahead, make it hotter!

Hey, giwar!

Go ahead, sit down.

Thank you.

Listen, brother giwar.

Emre, bring the flour.

Sit down.

That's enough.

Careful, bro, careful!

Cologne

- ok, guys, which number? - 21. - 21.

- I got 'em! - Where? - Here.

Hey, shithead! What did you stop for?

The light's red, motherfucker!

Please don't call the police. We can sort this out among ourselves.

- Hey, g., calm down! - No, please!

If you touch me, I'll call the police!

We gotta get outta here, bro!

All that beautiful yayo. Shit, bro!

- I think just one or two bottles are broke. - Looks like it.

Do something!

I'm fucked, dude!

I'm fucked! I'm fucked!

Dude, open the door!

Open the door, dude!

Open the door!

- Excuse me, I'm sorry. - Are you serious!

Open the fucking door, dude!

What is this, a fucking airport? I'm fucked, bro!

- Y'all got no manners? I have customers! - Customers? Throw the slopes out!

Guys, just cool it, will ya?

Five minutes, calm down.

What happened to y'all? Whiplash from licking pussy?

I'm in deep shit, bro. I owe uncle yero half a mil.

I lost his coke.

How did you manage that?

Dropped it. Bam!

That's not good, bro. Not good for me either.

Can you lend me some dough?

I'll pay it back bit by bit.

Dude, I've just invested a huge chunk of change in new stock.

When I've sold it, I can lend you some money.

In about three months.

That's too late, bro.

I'm dead!

I'm dead, dude! You know them, bro! You know them!

Know of any heists we could pull? Anything!

Sheikh, you know all these rich people, you do business with them.

Isn't there some sonofabitch out there who's dissed you?

Someone I can fuck over?

I know a sonofabitch who knows a few sons of bitches.

Upper franconia

this looks like count Dracula's place!

I've got the very thing for you.

There's a safe,

with half a million in diamonds sleeping soundly inside it.

- Half a million? - Yep.

- In diamonds? - You betcha!

The safe

is guarded 24/7

by two Albanians with machine guns.

Dude, what am I supposed to do? Shoot them?

Alright...

- So let's get to the actual... - Yeah, good idea.

In stuttgart there's an old-established gold dealer.

A company of great standing. They buy dental gold.

This gold dealer

has an arrangement with lots of funeral homes.

They sell him dental gold for two Euros per gram.

The funeral homes tell the bereaved families

that dental amalgam is difficult to dispose of because it's hazardous waste,

making it too expensive to recover.

As amalgam is hazardous waste, it would be too expensive.

In reality, amalgam evaporates in the refinery at 600° celsius.

The dealer then sells the recovered gold at market price.

How do you know all this?

From dumb-ass dieter.

Who's that?

A man who drinks a lot.

And when he drinks a lot, he talks a lot.

Transporting gold?

You don't have a clue about it!

I move the stuff by the hundredweight every week. - How does dieter know?

By the hundredweight!

He's friends with an employee of the gold dealer.

Every Monday, they take a load from stuttgart to the refinery in pforzheim.

How much gold?

A hundred kilos. Sometimes more.

A hundred kilos? Do so many people die every week?

Every moment of life is a step toward death.

Word, bro!

Dental gold is valued at 25 Euros per gram.

So go figure what a hundred kilos are worth.

You wouldn't believe how carelessly those fucktards transport it.

How?

For that information, Roland would like a cut.

A finder's fee of 250,000.

Do we have a deal?

Habibi?

Esslingen near stuttgart

this must be it.

I'd say so.

Look, a parking space.

- It's a disabled parking space. - Cut out the politics. - Ok, bro.

Shams!

That must be dumb-ass dieter.

Check out the box.

It's full of gold.

- Why don't they have any security guards? - It's less conspicuous. And cheaper.

Come on, let's get him!

Here. We'll wait till he stops at a red light.

Then I'll pull him out of the Van and punch his lights out.

Yeah, that's better.

- What the fuck? - What's going on?

The guy has a guardian angel!

A hood can't steal from a hood.

Gangsta, stay one step in front.

A hood mustn't steal from a hood,

think twice or end up getting fucked.

A hood can't steal from a hood.

Gangsta, stay one step in front.

A hood mustn't steal from a hood,

think twice or end up getting fucked.

No! What's the sonofabitch doing?

- Bro... - Fuck off! - Are you serious?

- What? - You're not close enough. - He'll spot us. - But so far back, dude?

Hold your horses, man, we'll get him.

- Change lanes, bro. - Wait, there's a car coming.

- Shit, we lost him! - You lost him, bro!

We'll do it next Monday, dude.

Have two solid guys from the hood ready.

Sidar.

Murat "kraut" alioglu

- and murat. - Why? - Cause he looks like a kraut.

But what if one of them talks?

Get a camera.

If one of them talks, he won't be able to say he wasn't in on it.

Yo, what's up?

I'm here with our no. 1 kanak sidar coskun from chonneiler.

And this is our token kraut...

Murat alioglu...

Who's a kanak from tannenbusch.

Look: G. On TV.

Let's see what shams is doing.

Are you sleeping, or what?

What d'ya want?

Wait a sec.

Here we go.

Keep your distance but don't let anyone get between us.

We don't want him to spot us.

There's some Herman the German behind us.

Shams, dude, where are you?

The little prick won't let me through, man.

Hey, shams, don't run any reds. I'll tell you where we are.

There goes the gold. - He's heading for pforzheim. We'll catch him on the freeway.

Ok, bro.

Guys, if you're behind this tailback, we 're fucked.

Let's try again next week, bro.

Put your vests on.

Shit!

Go! Go! Go!

Get outta the way! Dude, I'm going crazy!

This is absolutely fucking awesome!

- It's mardi gras! - Look at these fuckers here!

- Bro, we're going as cops! - This is fucking awesome!

- Slow down, bro! Slow down! - Oh, shit! - Drive slower. - Oh, shit!

Where is the sonofabitch? I swear...

- Come on, bro! - Bro!

Cops! Damn it!

There he is, the sonofabitch.

Guys, I'll stay behind him.

There's someone else in the Van.

He must've picked someone up on the way.

- Let's abort, g. - G., let's abort.

Have we got balls or have we got balls?

Have we got balls or have we got balls?

Have we got balls or have we got balls?

Balls!

- Balls! Have we got them or not? - Balls!

- Have we got balls or have we got balls? - Balls! - Balls!

Police: Follow

switch on the turn signal.

- It's working! - It's working, bro! - He's following us!

Dude, it's working!

You can do this. You can do this, ok?

You can do this! You're my lions!

- Good morning. Your license and registration, please. - Your ID, please.

I'll just check this, ok?

Check this out, bro.

- What is it? - He's a cop.

A retired cop, look.

Move. - You said you'd never pass for a cop. - Move.

Ok, you know what this is about! Get out of the vehicle, you too!

Get out. - You're under arrest for tax fraud. - Get out.

Move it. Place your hands on the vehicle

place your hands on the vehicle.

Do you have anything in your pockets that could harm me? - No.

Unbelievable!

Are you seriously suggesting you mistook this man for a police officer?

They did everything by the book.

Besides, there's a turk at our precinct who looks just like him.

Whabit are thebiy dobing?

Thebiy're blob/cking the roabid off fobir us.

You were speaking in a foreign language. Which language?

- Bjanguage. - Silence in court!

- What's that? - B-language.

- You add a "b" after a vowel. - After every vowel?

No. If you do that, you're not from Bonn.

- Bba rules! - Silence in court!

- Come with me, you're in custody. - Not yet I'm not, I'm only under arrest.

That's what I mean.

- Empty the Van and call me on the radio, ok? - Ok, bro.

- What about the cellphones? - Throw them away, bro.

Get out, this is the end of the line for y'all.

Don't worry, our colleagues will pick you up soon.

That was brilliant!

We totally bamboozled 'em!

They fell for the whole spiel!

What do we have here, bro?

Stop, police!

Hey! Do not Google the heist, bro. Ok?

Even if the whole world is reporting it: Don't Google it!

Stop! I won't Google anything, bro. Police, nada.

On the news, they said we 'd taken 150 kilos of gold.

It was actually 250 kilos.

The guys filled the Van with gold

but still had to leave some behind.

They took the gold to miran,

who was going to melt it down and store it for us.

A few days later, I received a pretty large sum of money:

An advance from miran until the gold had been sold.

I was on a roll.

Hey, ladies.

What's up?

- Should I go for one or two cigs? - One'll do.

You stay here.

- Things look bad for you. - She's the best.

She's persian. They invented the game.

Ain't you gonna open it?

Be seein' ya!

What's this?

What the fuck is this?

Why didn't you say anything?

You're not some random crook.

You're a student!

I thought you had a brain.

This bag will fuck you up for the rest of your life.

It'll fuck you up.

Shirin?

What have you done this time?

What?

There's a SWAT team at your mom's.

What are you doing to her, you piece of shit?

You just go around breaking people's hearts.

- What's wrong, dude? - We're fucked, bro.

What?

- They're looking for us everywhere. - What? - Warrants for our arrest, bro!

We gotta go straight to the airport.

- I gotta go to Bonn. - What?

Are you crazy?

- If we go there, we'll be fucked! - I have to.

Then tell your guy in there to give us different plates.

- Gimme your cell, we gotta get rid of 'em. - Not here.

Shirin!

Our lives are written in advance and the ink is dry: That's qadar.

I told the guys not to Google the heist.

Sidar's wife got suspicious because she thought he was chatting...

With another woman.

I thought he was chatting with another woman.

His all-night computer sessions made me suspicious.

I checked, but he wasn't chatting with another woman,

just googling.

- Thank god for that. - Thanks, sis.

What was he googling? - That gold heist in stuttgart. You hear about it?

Everyone heard.

The cops, too.

The German authorities hunted us fanatically, as if we were lslamist terrorists.

Everywhere had extradition treaties with Germany.

We weren't safe anywhere.

We called miran and asked for help.

He suggested we go to Syria and then cross the border from there into Kurdistan.

He told us to wait for him,

as he could make best use of his diplomatic connections there.

Syria, 2010

- I think I'll take the one with curly hair. - She's mine, bro.

- Take the one with the ass. - No, you.

I take curly, you take ass, and then we swap.

Sure, dude!

It's him!

- Miran? Sheikh! - Dude!

You ok, bro?

- What's up, bro? - What's up?

- How d'ya like this hiding place? - Perfect. - We were about to hit on the ladies.

- Those Dubai kahbas? There's only two of 'em. - We'll take turns.

I'll fix us up with some sick Russians: Three each.

- Can you get us some yayo too? - I'll try, but the service here is bad.

- What d'ya wanna drink, bro? - Russian babes!

They must've followed me from the airport.

Where y'all goin'? This is the desert!

I'm sheikh miran, don't touch!

Hajabi.

My dear compatriot,

don't force me to do this.

You're not a political prisoner.

Won't you finally tell me where the gold is?

What gold?

You sons of bitches! I'll fuck your mothers!

- Sheikh, is that you? - Hey, g.!

- Guys, I'm here, too! - G.!

Guys, I've landed you all in some bad shit.

Whatever they do to us...

I'm sorry.

It's ok, g.

Your problems are our problems, bro.

- Hey! - Yeah?

Did either of you talk?

What about, habibi?

- Guys, do you hear that? - Yeah.

- I think we're going home. - I think so, too, bro.

Pre-trial detention, stuttgart

Your visit is for 30 minutes.

You're not permitted to touch your mother or sister.

You can only talk to them. Understood?

Alright.

Please keep your distance.

No hugging.

Break it up, no hugging! The visit's over!

- We're just saying hello. - Please leave the visiting area.

Break it up, I said no hugging!

Break it up! Break it up!

Please leave the visiting area.

- What's going on? - Calm down!

You have mothers yourselves, you sons of bitches!

In the name of the people, the following verdict has been reached:

The defendants have been found guilty of holding up a vehicle, grand larceny,

assault and battery, two counts of false imprisonment,

using fake license plates, impersonating police officers

and using fake police ID.

The court hereby issues the following sentences:

The defendant sami abdel hadi

will serve seven and a half years in prison.

The defendant murat alioglu

will serve seven and a half years in prison.

The defendant sidar coskun will serve nine years in prison.

The defendant giwar hajabi will serve eight years in prison.

The defendant miran shikak

- will serve seven years in prison. - Sons of bitches!

The defendants will pay the trial costs, including the joint plaintiff's expenses.

You may sit.

If the defendants had revealed the whereabouts of the stolen gold,

the court would have considered issuing shorter sentences.

Substantial mitigating factors

which have been taken into account for the other defendants

do not apply to sidar coskun.

The mitigating effect of a confession does not apply in his case.

For the defendants samy abdel hadi, miran shikak and giwar hajabi,

the seven months they spent in prison in Syria in connection with this case

will be deducted from their prison sentences at a ratio of 1:4.

Rheinbach penitentiary

Do they have a piano here?

I wouldn't look at it with my ass if they did!

So what do you do all day?

Stare at the walls.

I'd use my time here, if I were you.

I'd be able to compose in peace at long last.

What symphonies I'd write here!

It's easy: You just have to pull a heist.

Maybe I'll have to.

No one will employ me anymore.

Why not?

Because of your cowboy film.

"Even the darkest night is followed by a bright dawn."

Tell that to your sister.

She graduated top of her class and can't get a job because she's your sister.

I didn't mean to drag her into this.

My kismet sucks.

You believe in that nonsense?

- Our lives are written in advance. - Nonsense.

You write your life yourself.

I have to get my train.

How are you?

The weather here doesn't suit me.

A kurd needs sun.

Pass the ball, dude!

Pass the ball, dude!

- Dude! - Unbelievable! - He's so shit, dude.

What d'ya know about growing up in war zones?

All tremble as fighter jets fly over and over...

Fighter jets... all tremble as fighter jets fly over and over...

Paris refugee home...

That's our odyssey.

Papa said don't forget you come from where sun smiles endlessly.

It's one of my dad's old tunes.

How will we do it?

What do you mean?

Record an album in the joint?

No idea, you tell me.

Maestro.

Me haz. Majestrix.

So how, then?

Can you listen to music on headphones?

I got an iPod.

You need a dictaphone, a pcm-m10. Would they let you have one here?

Get me this pcm thingummy and I'll connect you with one of my crew, ok?

G., your device is here.

Guys.

When ziilkiif gives the signal, you have to be quiet, ok?

What if we gotta fart? Look at all that garlic!

Ah! Testing 1, 2, 3. What's up? What's up?

Hey, giwar. The coast's clear.

No more guards for the next two hours.

Ok, this is the first verse.

I don't have a name for the track.

I'm recording it to "in da club" by 50.

It's 90 bpm, maybe we'll speed it up later.

And it's gonna be a 12-bar rap.

What d'ya know about growing up in war zones?

All tremble as fighter jets fly over and over,

uncle mansur and jemil they done gone to Allah.

Even if you're street, we ain't one another.

Paris refugee home, that's our odyssey,

papa said don't forget you come from where sun smiles endlessly.

Daya cooked us, a pot with two bones,

so despite our friendship I take your hash and whatnot home.

Mama became man of the house,

later naser taught me how coke becomes crack.

Smoke! I rode in in a benz 500 for the first time.

Smoke! First time I feel cusses instead of blessings

here comes the hook. This is the hook.

I ain't got it yet, but here comes the hook.

This is the second verse now,

with maestro's beat from October 24.

Er... yeah...

I went from dealer to one-man start-up.

Organized, shamseddin, my new partner.

Making dough on the basketball court listening to snoop, first cash for mom slick with blood.

Six pairs of Nike air soles stomping from above,

swore I'd fuck up every one of them pitiful dogs.

Guess you gotta know how to kick ass,

surviving leaves no time for class.

Is it hate if I shoot for a bruv?

I almost left my crew for dead 'cause of your pussy

but it still wanted more.

- You hoes still got a lot to learn. - Hey!

Did I teach you

to say such filthy things? Are you so vulgar?

Do your mother and sister and shirin mean nothing to you?

Is it hate if I shoot for a bruv?

I almost left my crew for dead because of your love.

I was in love, but you said it could never be,

baby, disparate tones make the best Harmony.

Mama was the man of the house.

Papa wasn't there, the street was my role model.

Back then it was packs, now they're looking for gold.

I saw too much and couldn't resist.

- No... - Like that, at a modest tempo.

Bro, can you cut the prayer beads? I'm recording.

Ok, bro. No problem.

- What's with the blanket, bro? - What? - What's with the blanket?

Because of the acoustics and background noise.

- Ah, ok! - Yeah. - Gotcha.

Mama was the man of the house.

Papa wasn't there, the street was my role model.

Back then it was packs, now they're looking for gold.

I saw too much and couldn't resist.

No, no...

Brother, that's gonna be dope!

- You can really sing, dude. - Thanks. - Awesome. Carry on, let's hear it.

Go for it, bro! It's gonna be sick!

10 Euros uncut, La Paz, yayo, made us major.

And the name xatar was given me by the foe.

At that price, big cheeze, five mil at least, but in my case big minus:

God went apeshit, six-figure debt to the mafia in Amsterdam.

I had to try or pay with my head.

The price sure was high, but, thank god, lsurvived,

'cause silence is golden.

Raising Cain for the heist and balling the Jack, SWAT crash-raided mamma,

which I guess is payback.

Aleppo flashback: Escape ends where it all began.

When I get out, I guess I'll be a new man.

- G.! - G.! - What's up?

Yo, g.! We're trying to sleep!

- Why, what time is it? - 3:30 am. - No way!

Let us get some sleep!

Sorry, bro.

Xatar. 415.

- What's 415? - My prison number, bro.

415 is my name in here.

We'll make a super sick video and wipe the floor with everyone else.

Mama was the man of the house.

Papa wasn't there, the street was my role model.

Back then it was packs, now they're looking for gold.

I saw too much and couldn't resist,

no, no...

Hajabi.

Everything, ok?

Can you sign this for my son?

Where did you get this?

My son bought it with his pocket money.

- Where can you buy it? - Everywhere.

- Look. - Lemme see.

That's sick, dude. Is my fart on it?

- Probably, I don't know. - It looks awesome, bro.

Is that you, dude? What you recorded here?

- What's your son's name? - He's called manos.

Manos.

I thank god and those he acts through for everything!

For manos, xatar

- thanks. - No problem. - Thanks.

Listen, that's my first cd.

Do you think we could get a cd player so we can listen to it? - Please!

Let him listen to it, he's dope.

- I'll see what I can do, ok? - Thanks.

Could I get another look at it?

Rhinegold

The present day

Hi, habibi.

Don't I get a hi?

What's wrong?

Nothing.

What's up? - Gi, this is harro. - You know about the meeting with Warner at 2 pm?

- That's today? - Yes.

Listen up, tell them if they want to become partners,

they'll have to dig real deep.

- How was school? - Good.

- Why don't you take off your shoes? - I'll do it in my room.

Hello.

Bro, set him up with his own mic.

He won't record othennise. You know how he is in the studio...

You daughter has something to tell you.

What is it, habibi?

The other kids teased me today.

- Who teased you? - The kids from my class.

How did they tease you?

They said you were a criminal.

I said it wasn't true

and then they showed me these YouTube videos.

Are you a criminal?

Yes, but it was a long time ago.

Their parents don't want me to play with them anymore.

Why did you do it?

What are your very first memories?

Disneyland.

My very first memories

are of prison.

Is it true that you stole gold?

Yes, but that's a long time ago, too.

And where's the gold now?

In memory of my father, Mustafa enver akin 1943-2021