Original subtitles

A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES

-What's your name? -Amaneh

How old are you?

I'm younger than Madi

Who's Madi?

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

He's the one in the yellow jacket

Today we took him to the doctor at the hospital

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

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

Do you have a mother?

No, she died when she was having my baby sister

Rojine's our mother now

She's my sister...my elder sister

Is Rojine here?

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

That's Ayoub over there. My big brother

-How many? -Three sisters, two brothers

What are you up to?

We're wrapping up packets in newspaper to protect them

Me and Ayoub and the other village kids

We come here almost all the time

Where's your village?

It's far from here...

...on the border with Iraq

Can I wrap your glasses?

Madi, dear, are you tired?

Have your pills

I'm not going to take them for you

I need five or six workers now

Hurry up!

Amaneh, take over. Be back soon

Can I come? Can I?

Six of you!

No more than six

Hurry up, before we're spotted

Careful, it's fragile

Carry it in to the bazaar

Hurry up, you boys who are going home

I'm leaving in five minutes

Get in!

Hey, be quick. The truck's leaving

Hurry up! The truck's leaving!

Coming!

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

bringing me closer to death

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

Our village is on the border

That's how many villagers died

My dad's there at the moment

I'm worried about him

Last night I had a dream about him

Madi, time for your pills

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

Look. Swallow like that

Rahman, either pay 150 tomans per person...

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

...until we get past the border post

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

We'll wait for you on the other side

-Hello. What are you carrying? -Just passengers

-No Iraqis? -No

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

Out you get, kids!

Line them up, Sergeant

-What's this? -Exercise books

Where are you taking them?

They're theirs

What are you talking about?

Search them, Sergeant

Everybody, lift your shirts up

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

Impound this truck!

Wait, Amaneh

Let me give Madi his medicine

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

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

Swallow it

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

Eat some snow. It'll help it go down

We will never see my father again

My uncle said that Ayoub would take his place

Ayoub had to give up his studies

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

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

Ayoub said I should keep on studying

Hello, Doctor

Hi, Ayoub. Bring me Madi for his injection

It was this morning

Just bring him. I have to go to town

Hello. Help me up

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

I'm taking him to Dr Rahim

-He's not there -Where is he?

He went with Amaneh to the cemetery

-Can I leave this here? -Yes

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

Amaneh, who let you come here?

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

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

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

Mr Rahim! Doctor

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

I have to go to town for a few days

Madi, where does it hurt?

Here?

Where else? All over?

I'll give him his injection

His pills?

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

-What's your name? -Madi

How old are you?

Two... No, three

No, 15!

OK, lie down

Let's take your pants down

Come on

Big boys don't cry, do they?

Well done...

Ayoub come here a second

Last night, I told your uncle what I told you

We can't keep giving him injections all the time

He's getting worse

He must be operated on within four weeks...

...or else he'll die

Dr Rezai at the hospital has told you that already

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

He must be operated on very soon

Even if he's operated on...

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

His illness is incurable

-Amaneh, are you mad at me? -Yes

-Why? -You hit me

You went to the cemetery...

Madi was bored

-Why listen to him? -But he was bored

Friends?

-No -Why?

Because you hit me

I won't do it again. Friends?

-All right -Give me five

My exercise book's full

-Want the same kind? -Yes

I got top grades twice

I'll buy you one tomorrow

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

Are you OK?

Fine, thanks

All right?

Did you see Mr Yassin?

I couldn't find him

I heard what the doctor said

Madi's getting worse every day

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

Ayoub went to see Mr Yassin again

Maybe my uncle will manage to persuade Yassin...

...to find a job for him?

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

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

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

He's in great difficulty at the moment

Let's load that up!

Mr Yassin, you must find Ayoub a job

Could Ayoub take a load?

Why not?

Where's Ayoub? Get him over here

Hello there

-Can you take a load? -Sure

All right, come here every morning and take a load

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

It's not too cold today

Just give the mules one bottle

-Tired? -Yes, it's hard going

-I know -Where are you from?

Tchampara

You got no mule?

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

-Work for yourself? -Yes

What's your name?

Riboire

You got any land?

Yeah, plenty

So, why don't you farm it?

Landmines everywhere

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

The border's not far now

The border? Where is it?

You see over there? Over there is Iraq

Is there a fight? Let's go

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

No way. The owner of the load should pay

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

No, you've no rights!

-Hello -Hello there

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

You want paying?

We already told him...

...we couldn't give any money to the carriers

So, what am I supposed to do with these loads?

That's nothing to do with me

It's up to them to get paid

-What... -It's not my problem

It's up to them to get paid

So what should we do?

Leave it here or take it back to Iran

-Hello -Hello there

A cup of tea, please

Welcome

-Are those pictures on sale? -Yes

-How much are they? -2, 3, and 4 dinars

-The small one? -2 dinars

How much in tomans?

-100. Got no dinars? -No

Never mind. Pay me when you've got dinars

-Thanks -I'll get it

Thanks

Are you from Sardab?

Yes

Get paid for your load?

No

Why?

The owner said I should've been paid in Iran, not here

Are you new to this?

Yes

Listen, until they've paid you for your load...

...you shouldn't start work. You can't trust them

Every day they're somewhere different

You won't find them

Ayoub, come on. The kids are coming back

Goodbye

-Hello, Rojine -Hi there

Did you get paid?

No, they're going to pay me tomorrow

Madi! Are you awake?

How are you? Look at what I brought you

"When the first aeroplane was ready...

..."they invited all of their friends...

..."to witness this event

"When the engine was started...

..."the two brothers were very nervous

"At last the plane took off and gained altitude

"And that is how man...

..."came to conquer the skies

"That first pioneering flight was over 90 years ago...

"Today, gigantic aeroplanes are capable of transporting people...

..."in just a matter of a few hours...

..."all the way from one side of the world...

..."across to the other side"

Come in

Hello

Can I talk to Amaneh?

Why?

I brought a book

Amaneh, off you go

I brought you your exercise book

Thank you, Ayoub

Goodbye

Ayoub worked hard for two months...

...but he wasn't able to earn enough money for Madi's operation

He had to spend everything on us

After the fight in which he broke his arm...

...our uncle offered Ayoub his mule so that they could work together

Stop! Silence! Don't move!

Bakhtiar! What's up? Is it an ambush?

Run!

It's an ambush!

Which hand is it?

Taher, listen...

...you are a brave man...

...and so is your son

If the boy and the girl are both in agreement...

...then I'm in agreement, too

I'd be very honoured...

...if you accepted my son...

...as your son-in-law

The sooner good deeds are done, the better

I give you my daughter

In which case, I think it would be much better...

...for all of us to get this done as quickly as possible

As for Madi, don't worry

This evening, we'll discuss...

...how to take him to Iraq to have him operated on

I'll let you know

Hello

Hello. Whose shoes are those?

Mr Taher's and his son's

Is my uncle here?

Yes, he is

Why are they here?

I don't know

Call him

Why don't you call him yourself?

Call him, I said

Uncle, come here

-Hello -Why don't you come in?

Why are they here?

To do a good deed

What?

To ask for Rojine's hand

What? Why didn't you tell me?

I'm your uncle. While I'm here, it's not up to you!

Did you hear me?

Hey, I am Rojine's brother

As long as I'm around, you don't decide. Shut up!

She's my sister. You didn't tell me. They must go

Go away! While I'm around, you have no rights at all!

Why did you behave like that?

Drop it! Why didn't you tell me?

What?

About Taher's son

I didn't know either

Why are you lying? Don't ever lie to me!

I'm your brother

I thought he'd told you

He said nothing to me

Why are you so angry?

Why shouldn't I be angry? Am I not the son of this family?

I did it for Madi. If I get married they'll have him operated on, over there

You couldn't get enough money for the operation

-Is it definite? -I don't know

Ayoub! Hey, Ayoub!

Hello, Mr Rahim

Don't move! You're a man now

Men don't cry

I'll come back on Thursday...

...to give him his last injection

Mrs Mahboubeh, please take care of the children, I beg you

What did you bring him for?

I don't need him

I sent for the bride. I don't want him. Take him back

Uncle!

Their mother says she won't let Madi come

You promised. Mr Taher was in agreement

Who's Taher?

I don't want him. I won't stand for this

I already have ten children myself

We didn't receive the dowry that is normally paid

The deal was that Madi would go with the bride

I'm not standing for that

She wants a divorce

We refuse a divorce

Instead of a dowry, we can give you a mule, OK?

A mule, but the boy has to go back home

When Madi got home, he was in a bad way

There was no one to give him his injections

The doctor didn't come to the village for a week

Without telling my uncle, Ayoub took Madi and the mule to the bazaar

He told me he would sell the mule in Iraq

Over there, mules sell for a better price

He said he'd have Madi operated on, then come back

He told me to stay home and that he'd be back very soon

-Hello -Hello there

What is it?

I want to go to Iraq

Why?

I want to sell my mule

Is that all?

He needs an operation

Children can't get through

The road's full of landmines and ambushes. It's not for kids

It's for grown-ups

-I'm not a child -What about him? He is

No, he's not. Let us come

What if something happens?

I'll take full responsibility

All right, if you insist

Come on, but you take full responsibility

You load up your mule, but we won't pay you

Are you sure?

OK, give this boy a load of tyres

It's very cold today, so give the mules four bottles of alcohol

Ayoub, hey, brother! Wait for me!

Why are you here?

I brought some bread for the journey

Thank you

Be careful and look after Kolsoum

Hey, brother!

What!

Will you get me another exercise book?

All right. I'll buy you one. Now go home

I love you so much, Madi

We're nearly at the border now

Turn back, it's an ambush!

There's an ambush this way, too! Turn back!

Everyone head for the valley!

They're too drunk to walk! They've had too much alcohol!

Take their loads off! Maybe they'll get up!

Get up! Please stand up!

They're getting nearer!

They're closing in on us!

Mr Rahim, please help me save my mule!

Rahim, please don't leave me by myself!

Rahim, I must get Madi to Iraq! Please help me!

Get up! Come on!