Blanket.
I'm 10 years old.
I am a seabird who flies on Arvand river.
Above the water.
Above the canebrakes.
Where am I now?
How did I get to this river?
Where's Mahboubeh?
Mahboubeh.
Mahboubeh
I hold my breath hoping it will be enough to get out from my chest as voice.
I have no voice; my breath is blocked.
A white curtain slowly crawls itself on the river
On the boats.
Mahboubeh
Then, everything gets white
They've laid me on Arvand's coast
My father is with me, pressing his hands on my chest
Breathe
My brain slips back to an hour ago
I am Mahboubeh's life's champion
I promised I'd swim in Arvand
I'd swim under water till that island
Across there
I'll go to bring her a lot of pearls
White pearls
The water quietly crawls up my chest
And the world gets full of water
Mahboubeh's standing in front of me in the water, smiling.
Then, when I try to call her…
Quiet, quiet
Come here! Yeah, come on.
Your wife's here.
There's plates and spoon, and anything needed.
Simin's also made some Liteh pickles for you to eat.
- Let me know when you were leaving. - Thanks.
See you Haji.
I've made Dampokhtak that you like.
I couldn't have it alone.
Hasn't he come yet? Morteza.
Morteza.
No
Tell Leila that he'll be back soon.
How is Leila?
I told her you'll go to court with her.
Yes, I'll go.
Come on Let's have Dami, come.
How much do you wanna have?
Haji Mostafavi has promised to take me to the investigation
But your doctor said it's not good for you.
Just say that you're ok with that.
You look pretty.
Is it the same perfume?
Same perfume.
The one I had taken…
The one you had taken.
Here, have it.
Listen Mahboubeh. I am completely ok.
Thank God.
They said we'll send you home if your wife consents.
But your medication isn't over yet, the pills.
Maybe, God forbid, something would happen
A broken glass, vein, …
We miss you at home.
You won't consent
I found a cigarette in Amirabbas's stuff.
Will you talk to him if I bring him here?
He understands you better.
Haji, come on get ready.
Is it ok? Lukewarm?
Let me know when it gets cold.
Kazemi! Kazemi!
Kazemi, get him.
Careful, grab him, upside down.
You better?
Younes!
They said Mirfattah's son's working there.
And he has become the CEO of a financial institute.
Does it mean he's started a bank?
His son's an employee for now.
And no one has come instead of me yet.
I've only been retired for 1 week.
Did you want it?
Ms. Mahboubeh called and said you were restless.
You wanted it yourself?
That you've made a scene. Saying you want to go on an investigation.
I've got money Haji! I've got money in my pocket!
I told her it's impossible considering your situation.
Don't you wanna take care of yourself a bit so you get better?
Mr. Younes! Leila's going to the court in 2 weeks.
Don't you wanna be there for her as an elderly?
You wanna leave her alone with those people?
We've been informed from Turkey that her husband's
taken the child there to apply for asylum.
I'll be back by then. These people are leaving tomorrow.
Gholamrezaei told me everything.
You're leaving tomorrow, 6 am. From Khavaran.
Haji, don't tell me you're not going with them,
The doctor doesn't allow it Younes.
He says you'll take him, and bring him back on the way.
- What does the doctor know? - You're not ok.
I am all right and healthy.
I've been eating what they give me for 2 months.
And I do it willingly. Do you know why?
I just wanna explore in the soil to find my mates,
Hossein, Morteza. Do you get that?
My hands do work! See!
Is anyone's got the right to go around there, it's me.
Aren't I? I was there, with them.
Their stuff is there.
I know where they are.
You've been keeping their children worrying,
Saying they've been taken prisoners. For 20 years.
With no names in any of the lists.
Even after Sadam.
Younes, do you know how waiting feels?
Now you're asking to go on an investigation after two years?
Even you don't believe me anymore Haji.
But I see them, all of them.
I live with them.
Did you hurt my daddy?
Amirabbas, come here.
Come
Amirabbas
Listen, these are good people.
They want good for me, don't worry.
Ok. They're good people.
Are you ok yourself?
Yeah
Don't you need anything?
No.
Nothing?
Amirabbas. Do you smoke?
Amirabbas
Alireza said anyone who doesn't smoke, is not a man. Smoke!
You'd feel better.
Who's Alireza?
The one who said you and your dad are crazy.
I went to his door, the brown one.
Did you smoke?
We don't lie, do we?
No.
Did you smoke?
I did.
Will you smoke again?
No.
Promise?
I have one more left.
Break that.
I will.
He promised not to do those bad things again.
I told Haji I'd agree if you wanna go.
I'll also get the doctor's permission myself.
Promise to come back safe this time.
Promise.
Promise?
Yeah.
Let's go take your things then.
Let's go, come in.
It was uncle Tatal. Uncle Tataloo.
Didn't you fix this?
There's a puddle up there, I wanted to get someone to fix it for now,
Our neighbor said it's be a waste of money.
She's been saying we should all agree with rebuilding for a week.
Just a minute.
She says if we rebuild and move back, we'll get 40 meters considering the expenses.
I said 40? She said you'll get as much as you pay.
It's a tiny land itself, half of it is for the government.
Is it beautiful?
It suits you.
I had the fabric for so long, I thought I'd get it done for when Mr. Younes comes home.
Should I also put the grey trousers?
Yes
This is Mr. Hossein
Yeah.
He was martyred.
Yes he was
Hello uncle
Hello dear
Sorry, Mr. Mahboube said I could come here.
I was going crazy at home.
I keep watching the door, hoping he'd bring the child back.
This is your own home, come in.
Come in.
Give it to me. Come in
I'm going to look for your dad tomorrow.
I'll bring him back this time.
We'll go to the court together.
My whole life has become waiting for him...
You've always been considerate. I swear the lawyer had said he'd give us discount.
It's cold dear, come in.
Mahboubeh
Younes
Dear Soldiers! Have some tangerines to feel cool.
Mr. Younes! You got a box of tangerine!
Shouldn't you share it with us?
You've had 40 tangerines! Are you saving them in a storage?
Oh that's what my dad also does at their wheat storage!
Mr. Mehdi knows. It's not a shame. Is it?
Is it a shame Mr. Morteza? it's not.
Keep talking and I'll tell your story!
I swore you to my ancestors!
What is it?
Please don't tell!
Nothing, let me see the photo
It's Leila
She's so pretty!
I hope she gets my daughter in law.
She's lucky she hasn't taken after you.
Do you even have a child?
I haven't died yet man!
How do you know your child won't be a girl?
It's a boy. A boy and a girl.
Girls are so sweet. I've seen her once, she was 2 months old.
I said Leila, and she laughed.
I was flattered.
Leila
Younes, won't you get inside?
I don't know, I will. Let me take the pill.
It was called the same back then. Vahdat e No
Yeah, Vahdat e No.
Who have we sat around this table with…
Where're they now?
It's kept its appearance. Same sign, same lights.
They got us one skewer of Koubideh with onion.
We didn't have money, but it was really good. Such a pity
I keep asking myself
If the walls and environment could talk, what would've happened?
We had enough money fro 1 Koubideh for each.
Go sit so you can get something
Salavat for the peace of every Islam's martyr's soul, especially Younes Hadi
I hadn't ever seen such a magnificent funeral with lots of people
Eat and say the prayers
Have onion too brothers!
Onion!
Where're you? Come on
Hello uncle
Hello
We'll go at 7:45, get up.
I'm coming.
Where's Ebrahim?
He's coming now. He's on the phone.
Ebrahim, come on.
Mahboubeh said they've tracked your husband in Turkey.
Yes,
- He's also taken the kid? - Yes.
- He's thinner than his photos. - Yeah.
Who?
You're talking about your dad.
- Uncle, does he know I'm here? - Yes.
- Does he see me? - Yes.
Will he go to the court with me?
- Will he? - He will.
I've waited for him all these years as you said.
Anyone who asked me about him at school I said he's a prisoner. He'll be back one day.
He never came back though uncle.
Did he?
Tell him to sit firm. The tire would blow out.
You remember Younes?
We had 20 km to Khoramshahr when the tier blew out.
Don't worry, it's ok.
The tier was new Haji. I don't know where they get these tiers from.
Is the spare tier in the back or under?
No, it's right here.
Hello Ms Mahboubeh. Yeah.
No, he's taking his pills. He's good.
We got a tier blowout near Khoramshahr.
No, he's here. He's fine, he's here. Yes.
Hold on
Younes
Hello
Don't go far Younes.
No I'm ok, I'm good.
The tire blew out.
How's Amirabbas?
Jack it up.
Oh this one's also flat.
I swear it's new Haji.
They're both new, I don't know why this happened.
That was new too, what if this blows out too?
Do you smoke Haji?
No, I've quit smoking!
Here, change it.
It'll be done now.
Haji, where's Mr. Younes. He'd get lost in the dark.
Younes! Call my phone!
What happened?
I said call my phone.
- It's out of reach. - Call again.
Doesn't ring Haji.
Younes
Hello Haj Ayaz!
I don't understand what you say.
Leave this poor thing alone Ayaz!
I don't understand Turkish man! I don't!
Don't bring him in, it's unclean.
Hello brother!
Hi! Pain, kidney problems, clinic, infection! Imagine you
die of infection while you're right next to the enemy!
I'm all right!
Oh dear! Where were you?
- Why don't these grow Ebrahim? - You've only been gone for two weeks!
- Where's Maleki? - I'll go now.
You ran away from the clinic?
There was an ambulance and the driver was alone.
I didn't want him to be alone.
Morteza! If there's and operation and you're there two, I'll even go with no kidney.
What a great perfume smell! Is it yours?
It's martyr perfume!
His mind was all here again when he was prisoned.
How come you get back here like Morteza Ali's cat all the time?
Mr. Hossein!
Hasan Mirfattah quickly came after you when you left
Said his stomach was bleeding.
It was his intestine! He had taken medicine from the storage.
He thought he wouldn't be labelled as a fugitive if he goes with you.
Did he take his photos?
No, Rasoul did, with his camera.
Rasoul
I wanna take a photo of you, calm down.
All right go there.
Sit down
I'm taking it people! Sit down!
Quiet! I'm taking a photo! Get closer to them.
How many films does it have?
Got some. go there Haji.
It'll be black, I'll flash some light.
Take your photo.
I, martyr Hossein Garmchi…
Man, shouldn't there be any one form the TV?
These are the last moments of these people…
This film would be valuable!
Haji Mostafavi, these people…
Move on brothers…
Wait a moment, if you want your photo to be sent to your address, give us the address
Rasoul!
Here, these are the addresses.
They wanted you to give these photos to their families.
Just leave Mamadnejad's one at our home, his mom's gone to Mashad. No ones home.
You've got a lot to eat!
What is it? Don't you wanna go tonight?
Do you want me to talk to Haj Morteza so you could go with us to the operation?
Rasoul! Do you want me to talk to Haj Morteza …
Is it empty?
Haj Mostafavi said I should take them. He said it'll motivate them.
He couldn't find a film to get from Abbas.
Hello? What? Hold on. It's Sattar! Your son!
Who?
Satar! Talk to him!
Younes
What?
Wear this
This is ok.
I won't let you wear nothing. I'll wear a windbreaker. Take that off.
There will be clothes soon.
Then I'll wear the new ones!
That's it! You want the new ones!
Take that off. Your kidney will go disabled again.
I left the clothes here at the window.
It's my responsibility that you came in from the barb wires!
What are you? A thief?
I was here before…
What does before have to do with now? A lot people were here in the past!
Now this place has got a watchman and it's me!
There they came! I'll take you to them and they'll know what to do!
Hello.
Me?
Ghayen.
Yeah.
I'm waiting for you.
Have you taken your pills Haji?
Yes, I have
You really look like Ayaz!
Yeah, everyone says so!
- Do you know Turkish? - No! I don't.
You were so close to my dad, right?
Yeah, so close.
I felt like he called me when passing Arvand.
It's so strange to stand beside a river, knowing that your dad's sleeping there.
But you don't know where… A dad who's been at the bottom of the river for so long.
When you went to school, when your classmates beat you,
when you went to military services, …
When you fell in love, proposed, and got married.
All this time, your dad was in a river, on the map.
Your dad's not in Arvand.
If I say I was with him today, would you believe?
What if I say he heard you when you said hello, before he hung up.
Would you believe?
Sattar, they need your ID, take it inside.
My mom's been waiting for my dad to return, because of what you've said.
What should I say now?
We'll leave in an hour with a boat.
They'll give us an Iraqi boat later.
Don't get lost again please! That won't be our land anymore.
There're other investigation teams, don' t make answer to others again!
Whatever you say Haji! I'm your soldier.
Hello
- Where're your new clothes? - I'll have them.
Weirdly going towards getting martyred while flashing the lights.
I'm getting martyred today, don't leave my Amirabbas alone.
His mom's left him alone with my parents.
And you know how ill they both are.
Don't leave him alone.
It's a tangerine from the north, I stole it from the warehouse.
Forgive me for everything.
Ebrahim!
I didn't tell anyone, I would never do. Promise.
I swore you to my ancestors.
I told you were like my brother, you agreed.
But you turned your back on me and didn't answer when I called you.
What's up with you bro? Is about the same story? Love story?
I'm ashamed.
Of what?
I'm afraid to be martyred. I'm afraid.
Everyone's wired since last night.
Everyone's wish is to be martyred.
But I don't want to be martyred Mr. Younes.
I promised Maryam that I'd propose to her when I get 18.
She's waiting, you know that, right?
You called her at the restaurant on the way, What did she say?
I couldn't hear her. I couldn't.
I called twice; his dad picked up both of the times. I hung up.
I've thought of going back for a few times.
But it's not fair to go back.
They'll make her marry her cousin.
Mr. Reza, help me.
- Hello. - Hello, welcome.
- Welcome. - Hello, thanks.
- Hello, this is Rashed. - I'm Hossein.
Welcome, I'm at your service.
Come on.
Listen. Rashed will be with our guys for a few months.
There's a huge land over there, they've put barb wires around it.
It's a minefield, not cleansed yet. It's dangerous from 100 meters away.
And there's a command there, we're staying there tonight.
We'll start tomorrow morning hopefully.
Haji! Morteza's here!
Ayaz, Ebrahim, Hossein!
I begged god to bring me back here for 30 years.
Hurry up! We're losing time to say prayers.
Younes!
Who thought back then in 1987,
that one day, there'd be a bed in this place?
A room, with you and I being its guests.
Weren't we supposed to go to Karbala?
You went!
But you didn't take me. No one did.
Excitement wasn't good for you, it's still not good.
Excitement…
Once, I got out of the sanatorium to go to Karbala.
Haj Yousef's Peykan ran out of gas near Isfahan.
- Do you remember his car? - Yeah, I do.
I had no money, nothing. I got out to walk.
I walked on the road with the sanatorium clothes.
They arrested me an hour later, asking a lot of questions.
Where do you come from? Where're you going? What's your name?
I could remember nothing! For real!
I didn't know my name, where do I come from, where I was going.
They put me in a sanatorium near Isfahan for a week. With the psychopaths.
Then I remembered, I told them I did, and they said ok, tell us.
I said I was going to Karbala.
They said ok, take your pills, you'll be ok.
And they through me back to the sanatorium.
My head is broken and your leg is, there are some other holes around too.
We wouldn't be a complete human if they'd add us both together.
I've got a question Haji.
If back then, you had the maturity of now,
like you knew about finances, you'd seen the fate of Mir Fattah,
You'd heard of the bank and you'd seen our own fate,
What would you have done? Would you still go to the front line?
Right now, if there comes a war, would you fight again?
What about you? Would you?
I'm 70% harmed, 30 is left.
Hello Mr. Younes, Rashed has finished his cigarettes, would you give him one?
Cigarette?
You got cigarette Haji?
Take it from my coat's pocket and give him.
- Hello Haji. - Hello.
It's the first time I'm giving a cigarette to an Iraqi.
It happens. Thanks.
What are these fireworks?
They're the trade free zone's guys. They're sometimes for advertisement,
sometimes for ceremonies, and sometimes they've just got extra budget.
Ebrahim, guys.
Go straight.
Get out everyone.
Ebrahim.
Younes stay behind me.
Didn't I say stay behind?
Stay here, if help didn't arrive in 30 minutes, go back. ok?
I wanna go too.
Morteza! Come back man, come back.
Mahboubeh, dear Mahboubeh.
You here Mr. Younes? Call Haji and tell we found him here.
Where're you going? What do you want here at night?
It's the border! They'd shoot you God forbid!
Where do you wanna go man? That's the minefield there!
Come help!
Where're you? Haji's worried for you.
They were there. Those canebrakes.
Hello Haji, we found him, he's here.
I'd been in this canal before.
Morteza! You here?
Haji! Haji!
Would you like canned aubergine or fish for lunch?
I don't eat lunch.
You have to take one, or I'll eat more.
- They're both yours. - Ok.
Can I be alone if possible?
They asked me to stay… same story of being extra.
Haji! Have you got a phone?
2 minutes! I'll go out of the canal to call.
Ebrahim.
Ebrahim Mirzayi.
- It's not mine though. - Don't worry at all.
It'll only take 2 minutes, don't go anywhere.
Morteza!
Morteza.
Haji, my charger is not for this.
I've said I'd call before night, if I don't, she'd be worried.
Are you engaged?
Not really, who'd let their daughter marry me. It's just a love story.
- That's weird. - The love story?
I knew another Ebrahim, with a story similar to yours.
Did it end well?
Haji?
Yeah, it did.
I won't go with you Haji. I'm staying here. Anything left from those cans?
Both aubergine and fish. If you wanna go to the toilet, my ewer's clean.
I'm staying here with this soldier,
Here?
Give me the charger. I've got both a phone and a watchman.
Give him the stuff.
Take your pills at 9 pm. I'll pick you up early in the morning.
- Listen boy! Take care of him. - Sure.
Let's go.
- Call her, she shouldn't worry. - Thank you. Let me take gas.
Have you ever called and his dad answers?
Yeah.
Did you hang up?
I did Haji! Wouldn't you do the same yourself? You would!
But with your phone, I won't just hang up I promise.
I'll tell a name like I've called the wrong number.
I thought you were asleep Mr. Younes!
I wanted to leave quietly! Humans sleep early in winter nights.
Ebrahim!
She married her cousin.
My photo went to the chamber, but he went himself.
She's got three children, and she's named one of them Ebrahim.
One name was my share from this world.
Here, I brought you a tangerine instead!
I promise you haven't had a sweet one like this before.
Come here little one.
Here.
Morteza.
Where're you?
I was getting disappointed at you.
Why don't you get out of the dark?
It's not darkness. It's just waiting.
We've been waiting for 30 years.
We've all been waiting,
we're still waiting.
Each year of it has been a lifetime for us all.
For me, Leila, Ms. Marziyeh.
I know you're upset for Leila.
But I never left her alone.
She insisted on this marriage herself.
I was there, I saw it.
You were a brother to me, a father to him.
But it's not good when a brother comes to your home but doesn't knock on the door.
You came, you didn't knock.
You've got something with me. I
had put it in a plastic bag for you.
You didn't see it.
Where are you Morteza? Tell me.
With Ayaz, next to Jalil,
Ehsan, Delavari,
Hasan Fatehi, Moradi, we're all together.
Our hands are tied,
otherwise, I would've opened the door for you myself.
Close your eyes. Close them.
Oh God, help them all, please. Please.
Mahboubeh. Can you hear me?
Under the water, close to that island.
There was no pearl Mahboubeh.
The pearls were my friends,
My brothers, Mahboubeh.
The young ones, the teenagers.
Hosseins, Mortezas, Ayazs, Ebrahims.
My homeland was the pearl Mahboubeh.
Arvand was the pearl.
Mahboubeh…
Get up, get up.
Give me the blanket.
Put it over him.
Younes. You ok?
Couldn't you hear Sattar?
Sattar's found something.
Next to the burnt palm tree you said.
In a windbreaker's pocket.
A plastic bag full of names and addresses
Some of them are legible.
They're Habib squadron's people.
It's got the perfume smell.
Call Leila.
Tell her I'm taking her dad with me.
Tell her not to worry.
Won't you go with us Younes?