Haïfa (1996) - full transcript

[Film reel clicking]

[Jingly music]

[Singing, chanting and humming in foreign]

[Eastern music fades in]

[Muffled, panic]

What happened, son?

The army caught my friend.

- Get up, bring some water. Hurry!

- Finish your breakfast.

- Eat with us, my son.

- Thank you, uncle. I have to go.

Aren't you the son of

Abu Said, the policeman?

Used to be a policeman.

For us he is still a policeman.

Send him my regards.

This place frightens me.

One day they'll catch us

and you know what will happen to us then.

I keep my eyes open.

You have to be stronger.

Are you sure that nobody has seen us?

I didn't see anybody.

- You didn't finish your story last time.

- The story of the sport class?

Isn't there anything but sport

and football in your head?

OK, OK. Sit down.

- Hello. - Hello, Abu Hamdy.

- Peace be upon you. - And you.

Thank you.

- Give me "girl's hair".

- Welcome, Barhoom.

Just wait a little.

Come to me my darling I have "girl's hair"

[Chanting, singing, humming in foreign]

[Birds churping]

[Door knocking]

- May God give you health. - You too...

...my rose.

Today the dust and the heat

have killed me. What heat!

I don't care about the heat, but

the dust damages the "girl's hair".

- The postman sends you his greetings.

- Thank you.

He's a good man.

- Mother, when is the visit to Said?

- On Thursday, at ten in the morning.

I heard that they're releasing

many prisoners this time.

Anyway, he has only three

months to finish his sentence.

What God wants is good.

- Siad, eat with us.

- I had a sandwich on the way to school.

Keep eating sandwiches.

We'll see what good they do!

We haven't listened to the news today.

Don't bother, father. What do you expect?

Nothing is new under the sun.

But I think the peace

talks are serious this time.

Everybody wants to make a real peace.

You know what this peace means

for the people in the refugee camps?

Refugee camps.

This peace they are talking

about doesn't happen here

but in Washington and

Madrid, and who knows where.

But here? Nothing will change.

I'm going to Abbas' shop.

You listen to your news.

Ask him to prepare some

sugar and coloring for tomorrow.

[Arabic music in distance]

[General chatter - inaudible]

- Hello, master Abbas. - Hello, Siad.

- How's life today? - It will be OK.

Yaffa, Haifa, Acka...

Yaffa, Haifa, Acka...

- Haifa! - Good morning.

Haifa, Yaffa, Acka!

Come and drink something cold.

Go away! Go!

God give you health.

May God let this day pass without problems.

Come on! Four melons for ten?

My cousin, we don't sell

by unit. We sell by weight.

Why, brother? It's the same.

If you want it, take it. If not, leave it!

Yaffa, Haifa, Acka!

Red or not?

Red or not?

In Haifa, how did we know

whether the watermelon is red or not?

Enough. Whenever I talk

to you, you talk about Haifa.

Take it and go. I'll pay for it.

How will I know if it's red or white?

We've got a beggar with complaints?

Viva justice!

I'm confused. You're confusing me.

Yaffa, Haifa, Acka.

[Chanting]

Where are you from?

If you're from Yaffa,

I'll take you to Abbas.

From Haifa? I'm going to

Haifa. I'll take you with me.

Don't say you're from Acka.

Damn you, why don't you answer?

OK. Go by yourself.

[Hysterically laughing/screaming]

Acka's far away.

Who's there? My son Mostafa?

- No. - Youseff?

- No. - Then it's Adnan.

- It's Nabeel, aunt. - Welcome. Come in.

I've been coming to

see you for 40 years now

and every time you tell

me this son and that son.

Mostafa is in Jordan.

And Youseff is in Syria.

Let's say he's doing well there.

- But what made Adnan go to Canada?

- I don't know. Where is Canada?

- Far away? - Far away!

God will help us.

Thank you. You're the

only one who visits me.

- I'm going. - Where to? It's early.

I'm going, I'm going.

May God bless your way.

Everybody's going. Nobody stays with me.

- How are you? - Go away, crazy.

Your mother's crazy.

She pisses in the soup.

Go away!

Luckily you jumped

into the postman's house.

With somebody else, we'd have problems.

Would it be better if the

army had caught me, father?

No, it wouldn't. But leave

politics to the politicians.

And God will help.

Your brother will be out of jail.

And people will have no more problems.

And I'll be a policeman again

and clear up this whole mess.

Because it is necessary to do things.

The police may organize things,

father, but what's gone is gone.

[Kids playing]

Look, she's dead. She lost her turn.

Come on, it's your turn.

- Peace be upon you.

- Peace be upon you, too.

[Traffic, squeaky wheels]

[Clanging]

[Mosque in background, kids talking]

[General chatter, inaudible]

- Have you been waiting long?

- I just arrived.

My parents are in the

yard. I have to go there.

Wait, take the paint box.

I'll take it tomorrow on

our way back from school.

No, quickly! Take it!

- Sabah. - Go away!

I'll tell her father Abu Said!

- Hello, my son. - Hello. How are you?

Thank God, fine.

Father and Siad send you their greetings.

- Thank you.

- What did they do to you, my son?

Nothing.

Will it work like that, my son?

Will you behave like in the

old days after your release?

Mother, let's talk after my release.

You don't want to finish school

and we don't want you to go abroad.

You must have a job, a house and a wife.

Responsibility.

Please let me find you a bride.

Isn't that right, Sabah?

And your father says

the country will be better.

- Enough. Go away. - Wait a little, sir.

Think about my words.

Please let me find you a bride.

The Turks came to us,

built mosques and went.

The British came, built prisons and went.

The Jews came, swallowed

the country without much effort

and increased the number of jails.

Well, what about the Palestinians?

Will they build us gardens?

Hurry up. You're always

interested in nonsense.

Yaffa, Haifa, Acka!

- You want me to call the monster?

- Go call the monster.

Your mother's crazy.

- Come with me. - I'm not coming.

He's driving the camp crazy.

That's not possible. From Jerusalem

to Gaza cannot be 45 minutes.

You think it's like Jerusalem

to Jericho, 20 minutes?

If you said that Jerusalem

to Tel Aviv is 45 minutes, OK,

because that's 70 or 80 kilometers.

My nephew did Jerusalem

to Gaza in 45 minutes.

- In what car? - A Japanese car.

A Japanese car can make it?

- What engine? - I don't know.

If you give me a new car, I

can cross the whole of Palestine

in only one day. From

the south to the north...

...and back.

You think it's a plane, that you

go around the world in one day?

I didn't understand a word, Abu Said.

Every day you say something different.

I don't understand what you want.

I want something good

to happen for everybody.

Will it happen? I don't think so.

The problem is... I don't know.

Leave politics to the politicians.

Every one of them has a

brain as big as this barber shop.

They know what they're doing.

You just hope for the best, for God's sake!

You think I'm against hope or what's best?

But if there's going to be a solution,

I want it to be a real solution.

Just wait a couple of

months and you'll see.

I swear it on my moustache.

You'll come to tell me how right I was.

You'll sleep in peace at night.

No worries about curfews

or soldiers or anything.

May God hear you.

But I'm afraid you will come to me first.

The days will come.

We shall live and see. We will see.

- You look younger now. - Thank you.

[Inaudible chatter]

- Have a good day. - You too.

May God punish them. They jailed

20 young men, among them my son.

- Nobody knows why. - May God punish them.

My son is only interested in his studies.

He doesn't like trouble.

All his friends are good people.

Look at him.

Yes, he's handsome.

May God save him.

Look, Om Said.

We respect your family,

but our daughter wants to complete

her studies in the Gulf States.

You are welcome. You honored our house.

- It's our honor. - You're welcome.

Thank you very much.

One day of working, ten

days of strike. I don't like it.

If you hadn't gone to

the market, I'd have gone.

But I bought cloth to make

a mattress for the baby.

You know what? If we have a boy,

I will call him Arafat.

If it's a girl, I will call her Palestine.

And if it's twins?

Let's go.

Give me the lock, son.

Hassan, are we finished

for today? Are we striking?

They say you must close. I

close. I don't know where to go.

Come, I will shave you.

No, no. Your customers are prisoners.

I spent ten years in prison.

One haircut a day made me

the best hairdresser in town.

- Come. - No, I'm going to the TV shop.

I took in my TV a week ago and

every day he tells me "tomorrow".

- Leave it. You can do that later.

- I must have it today.

You go home. I'll go to the TV shop

before he closes for the strike.

- OK, but come soon.

- Now I will fetch my TV.

[Inaudible chatter]

[Drums rattling]

- Haifa. - Hello, Abu Said.

- Have you eaten? - Yes, I have.

- Come eat with me.

- I have eaten, thank you.

- Come on, eat with me. - Where's Siad?

At home. Come eat some

stuffed grape leaves. Delicious.

Make him marry.

Eat with me and we'll talk about weddings.

Make him marry.

God willing, we'll make

him marry and you too, Haifa.

You won't come with me?

Then go to the UN office.

They're distributing flour.

Go get your share. You deserve

it more than others. Get up and go.

[Laughs]

UN? UNESCO?

They came to us when we left Haifa in 1948.

They photographed us,

gave us cards and said,

"Have food and milk until

we bring you back to Haifa."

We take, we eat and eat.

They are good, UNESCO.

They're the best.

May God help you, Haifa.

Make Siad marry instead

of wandering the streets.

May God help you.

UNESCO.

[Tense music]

What's the matter with

Haifa? What brought him here?

Our story's going round the neighborhood

and Yaffa, Haifa, Acka.

Haifa will never give us away.

If I put it in my pocket

like the last time,

I'm afraid my mother

will find it in the washing.

When you grow up, will

you choose your bride?

Or will your mother choose

her, like mine does with Said?

I don't have to. I was born

the same month as my cousin.

- They said, "We'll wed her to Younis".

- So you want to marry her!

No. She's like my little sister.

We played together for ten years.

When we grew up, they told us their plan.

Since then we don't

even speak to each other.

What about you?

I want to complete my studies.

If someone asks me to

marry him and I like him, I will.

And if I don't, I won't.

What if your parents

like him and you don't?

Then they can marry him.

Yes. Bon appetit, Abu

Hamdy. Greetings to your father.

Yaffa, Haifa, Acka!

Welcome, Haifa. Seems

you had a lucky day, hunter!

I didn't hunt it.

They gave it to me at the chicken shop.

They told me to go to Haj Ibraheem

to slaughter it according to the laws.

- And he did, of course. - No, I did.

So it was not a legal slaughtering.

For you, for me, for Ibraheem,

legal or illegal makes a difference.

But not for the chicken.

Either way it's dead.

Am I right, my soul?

Yaffa, Haifa, Acka.

[Shouting]

- Samira. - Wait, Abbas, I'm coming.

How many times have I told you

that movement is bad for the baby?

If I leave the milk, will you do it?

No. Stand up and give me something to eat.

The food is warm.

Just put it on your plate.

Samira!

Hello!

I know. You're in a hurry.

You have to get to Haifa.

No, I'm busy.

Your husband Abbas sent you

this chicken to cook for lunch.

But Abbas is at home. He

brought meat and vegetables.

- Have lunch with us. - I don't eat meat.

What shall I do with this?

I went to Ahmad's wife

and told her, "Your husband

sends you this chicken."

She said, "My husband is asleep inside."

- What shall I do with it?

- OK. I'll take the chicken.

Wait.

Thank you.

[Chanting]

How are you, Mr. President? How's life?

[Laughs]

Here, take your crumbs.

Come down and eat them all.

Come down, you!

Tiger?

Tiger!

[Muttering]

Come.

You had dinner, wild cat.

You didn't wait for your lover.

Go. Now it's my turn to eat.

Go, go.

Do you want a fried egg?

"If things don't come

your way, go their way."

Right, Tiger?

[Door knocking]

Ok Ok!

- What happened to Abu Said?

- Don't worry, Om Said.

He'll be OK.

Slowly, slowly.

Take him inside. Turn him.

May God cure you, Abu Said.

Slowly, slowly...

There, enough.

We found him near his cart.

Many children were around him.

Haifa went to call the doctor. Don't worry.

Om Said, excuse me. I

have to go back to work.

I'll come back in the

evening to see Abu Said.

Om Said, I left the shop open.

If you need anything, call me.

- I wish him health. I'm going.

- Thank you.

Welcome, doctor. Come in.

The doctor.

- Where's Abu Said? - He's inside.

[Tapping]

Drink water.

Siad, I'll come back

tonight to see Abu Said, OK?

- How is he, doctor? - He'll be fine.

He needs a check-up at the hospital.

Nobody should move or bother him.

What do you think, doctor? How is he?

He can't move his body.

I hope he's not paralyzed.

We hope not.

- I'm going now. - Thank you.

- Is that Mostafa? - Not Mostafa, not hell.

Nabeel. Come in, please.

What's this?

Some wool I brought with

me from my old country.

- What will you do with it?

- Weave a waistcoat for Mostafa.

When I've finished it, he'll be back.

- Once there was a king. - Yes.

The king wanted his donkey to speak.

He announced,

"The person who teaches my donkey

to speak will receive ten kilos of gold,

but anyone who fails to

do so will be beheaded."

Nobody dared take the challenge but one.

He took the gold and the donkey

and asked the king for ten years' time.

When he left, everybody

said, "He will cut off your head."

But he answered,

"In ten years,

"either the donkey will be

dead, the king will be dead

or I'll be dead."

- Did the king die?

- This was a long time ago, aunt.

[Birds churping]

We've repaired the Peugeot. I can go now.

Very good. Tomorrow I might be late.

Fix the gears on the

yellow Fiat and repair it. Bye.

Goodbye.

[Kids singing]

It happened some day

The guards ran away

The foreigners came in

And drank all the milk

[Kids singing and chanting]

Let's go. I don't know

why you like this ruin.

I don't know why you're afraid.

Haifa allows us to be here, but

not to open the boxes. We didn't.

- Let's open a box to see what's in it.

- Never. These are Haifa's things.

We have no right to open them.

You want to come or not?

Siad. Siad!

Don't shout, Haifa. Tell me what you want.

French journalists are at the market.

Shall we speak English with them?

- You speak with them. I'm busy.

- I don't speak English.

All of you, learn Arabic first.

You know what? All those foreigners,

if they understand us

and we understand them,

they won't understand us

and we won't understand them.

[Screaming]

We ask for the West Bank and for Jerusalem

and all the prisoners.

- The prisoners are the most important.

- What are you saying?

Tell the journalist to look for another

job because nothing will happen here.

It's not nice to talk to

foreigners this way. Hello.

I have only one word. I am from El Majdal.

Today they call it Asjkelon.

Give me back this Asjkelon

and they can take what they want.

Peace should not be like that.

Those people aren't for

peace-making. What will the result be?

Every day they come with a different peace,

one with Jerusalem, one without,

one with settlements, one without.

You know what?

If they want real peace, they

should give us what belongs to us

and take what belongs to

them. Any other way will not work.

Let them go and we can manage by ourselves.

Take this chair. I'll buy rice

and lentils and follow you.

Welcome, Om Said.

When you dream, you'd

better dream of something big.

Because when you wake up,

you'll find nothing. Goodbye.

Goodbye.

I brought the medicine

that Dr. Kamal prescribed.

The Friends Of The Sick

Association will lend us a wheelchair.

We'll bring it back soon, when

you're feeling better, Abu Said.

Be strong, father. Don't worry.

It doesn't matter if you

can't walk for a while.

Look at us. We can walk.

But where can we go?

The most important thing

is attitude. Then you go fast.

Shall I bring you the radio?

[Chanting]

Welcome, Haifa. Come in, have a seat.

- To sit? - Yes.

You know what, Haifa?

You should be happy by now.

The Israelis will withdraw

and you'll be the only

soldier to govern the area.

Withdraw?

Once Joha wanted his neighbor's house.

He began to frighten him at nights.

He imitated a hyena, an owl,

he hung a slaughtered cat on his door.

Finally he made him leave the

house. And now he wants to sell it.

The man stuck a nail in the wall

and said, "The house is for sale",

"but not the nail, because it

reminds me of my late father."

He came to the house every day.

Once to hang his trousers on the nail,

once to hang his underwear.

In the end he's using the house

more than the owner. Understand?

Men cannot be judged.

You have a very nice son.

Take a look, Abu Youssef.

- He seems a good man.

- That's right. May God protect him.

- You will not find a better man.

- When will he be released?

- In two or three days. - God willing.

Come, my daughter.

- Here you are, Om Said. - Thank you.

[Inaudible]

Come, my dear. Sit near me.

You are so tall and beautiful.

Look at us.

I asked Siad to forget about the matter,

but you know how stubborn he is.

Do you accept that he leaves

school and works in a garage?

When Said gets out of prison, he can work.

Then one will work and one

will study. It can't be different.

And Sabah? She doesn't

have to continue her studies.

Anyway, we don't send our girls to work.

We'll find her a husband and hide her.

Look how nice she is.

She's from a good family.

Religious people. They

treat their children well.

This is our opportunity.

You must get better.

They want to train a

large number of policemen.

We have priority because of our experience.

If they finish discussing peace

and we have a Palestinian state,

it will be nice to be back

in the police together.

It's not the same without you.

I've good news for you.

They say that the Israeli

authorities will withdraw step by step

and Palestinian authorities

will govern step by step.

So make an effort and get strong.

Then we can go back in

the police force together.

[Chanting]

Welcome.

You are welcome.

Yes, I'm going to get married.

Latifeh, on Mount Carmel in Haifa.

She's coming from Beirut to

Haifa. We'll meet there, in Haifa.

[Muttering]

It will be the most beautiful wedding.

Latifeh is waiting for

me. She promised to wait.

Abu Nasir.

Will you come to my wedding in Haifa?

It's unbelievable.

I can't stand it any

longer. I want my TV now!

Calm down. You must

understand. I'm not a magician.

I'm only a TV technician.

I want my TV today, not tomorrow.

Your TV needs one part.

The part is at the company.

The company is in Israel.

Israel closed the border.

When they open the border,

you can watch television.

The world turns upside

down seven times a day.

Everybody knows what happens except me.

Because of this part, I have

to hear the news from people.

I have a solution.

I'll give you a TV for the time being.

- When it gets hot, it turns off.

- Whatever!

Today Arafat is in Washington.

Do you know what Arafat means?

What does Washington mean?

[Music/Radio in background]

"You Can Go Up To The

Moon" is a song by Elin Chalaff.

We can always meet live on air.

With Radio Voice of Israel

nice moments pass too quickly.

But we can always meet again.

Damn you.

- Who is it? - Open the door, Samira.

That isn't our TV. They tricked you, fool!

Bring the small table.

Bring the small table.

Bring the fan. It's on the cupboard.

Samira, this is not our TV.

This TV turns off when it gets hot.

God, don't make it hot.

- God, don't make it hot. - Shut up, woman!

[Screaming]

And Yaffa, Haifa, Acka!

[Hysterically screaming and chanting]

Put this flag aside.

JERUSALEM IS ARABIC

[Door knocking]

Sabah, see who is at the door.

[Dogs barking]

Is your mother at home?

God give you health, Om Said.

- How do you feel? - Thank God.

- How is he today? - Thank God.

May God help him. I have good news for him.

- What is it?

- A letter from the national authority.

- They want him to work as a policeman.

- Thank you!

- Goodbye. - Goodbye.

The postman brought a letter.

You're back in police service.

The bread got burned!

Haifa?

I'm not here. I'm busy. I'm going to Haifa.

I have many things to tell you, man. Open.

- Get away from here!

- There are things I have to tell you.

Go away.

What's wrong with you?

Don't make it hard. Listen.

There's news from Lebanon.

Mostafa, your cousin, has died.

You go tell her. I'm not a crow.

- You go tell her. - You're right.

She's so weak. You know what?

There's good news you have to tell her.

Latifeh has got married

and she's very happy.

Tell her this.

[Clanging]

Mostafa's mother, wake

up. Mostafa's mother.

What is it, my nephew? You're

different. What happened?

Nothing.

You seem different. You

used to come here happy.

- What bothers you? - Nothing.

I'm your aunt and like your mother.

Don't hide things from me.

If my daughter Latifeh was

here, she would be your wife.

Don't mention Latifeh!

[Dogs barking]

Well, Latifeh. Well, Latifeh.

[Door knocking]

I was sure you were

sleeping, but I decided to try.

I can't sleep or wake up

or draw. I can't do anything.

- Why? What happened?

- I don't know why I feel so strange.

Why didn't you wait for me yesterday?

My mother took me to visit my brother Said.

And after the visit?

We came home and everybody... I don't know.

- Well, see you tomorrow at school. - OK.

- Goodnight. - Goodnight.

Take this.

YES TO OUR RIGHT TO RETURN

AND CONTROL OUR DESTINY

NO PEACE WITHOUT RELEASING ALL PRISONERS

This makes good sense.

We deserve to see a good day

after the humiliation and

suffering we've experienced.

Isn't that right, Mr. Siad?

Listen. Whether you like it

or not, this is what you've got.

Take my advice. Be happy.

Or do you like curfews and

running away from the Israeli soldiers

and arrests and death?

Look, Mr. Abbas Affandy.

Nobody likes death.

But there are people

who care about dignity.

Tell me. Where are you from originally?

From Yaffa. From Yaffa!

- What is it you want? - Nothing. Goodbye.

Give me the shirt up there, please.

- The grey one? - Yes, please.

Look what you've done.

You've damaged the photo!

- I'm sorry. - Sorry?

You have to buy it.

You want to sell it to me by force?

Where are you going?

You must pay for the photo.

Each of you should pay half.

Like that you can solve the problem.

I don't agree with what they do.

It's an honor to carry this photo.

[Arabic music playing]

Do you hear, father?

Everybody is in the street.

Abbas told me there's a

celebration in the square.

People are happy. They all carry

flags and photos of Abu Ammar.

They're singing and dancing.

What do you think of joining them?

I'll bring you back home.

Nothing will happen to you.

Come on, father.

We share with you

the values of freedom,

justice and human rights

which my people is so ambitious to enjoy.

[Clapping]

- Where do you want to go?

- I don't know where I'm going, son.

- I'm wandering.

- You don't want to get in?

- Where should I go?

- You don't know where you're going?

God will help.

[Tapping]

Said?

Welcome, welcome, Said.

When did you come out?

- I haven't been home yet.

- Let's drink a cup of tea.

No. My family still doesn't know.

- Go up and take the flag.

- You make me crazy.

"Take the flag up, take the flag down."

It's your turn to take it down.

When I tell you to

bring down the flag, do it!

- OK. See you later. - Goodbye, Said.

Greetings to your father.

Come inside.

[People talking]

Siad! Stop, son.

It's Said, father.

Keep strong, father. May

your health be like before.

Are you staying or coming

with me? I have to go back home.

Sabah is waiting there alone.

We'll go and see the bride.

- I'm coming back with you. - Come on.

Come on, dear. Here are your clothes.

After your dinner, we'll

go and see the bride.

I wonder where Sabah is.

I told her not to leave

because we're going to see Said's bride.

He must see her in person.

Have dinner, my son.

Said, where are you going?

Said! For God's sake!

What about the bride?

We believe in the only God.

[Chanting - shouting]

With soul and blood we

will free you, Palestine!

[Continued chanting]

Haifa's aunt is dead.

[Calm arabic music]