Red Snow (2019) - full transcript

Movement, roof!

Contact!
Contact!

JoJo?

Asana?

I should have killed
you when I had the chance.

All the "should-have" s
can make a man old.

You must be ancient.

Yes, there is that.

When I get out of here,
you'll be fucking sorry.

No one really gets out.

I feel sorry for you.



You feel sorry for yourself.

I do when no one's looking.

You're not like them.

No...

but I am caught in the same web.

How long do I have?

It's not for me to say.

Just for you to do?

You don't understand.

What's to understand?

You're a traitor.

Easy for you, then.

A white man made that up.

Huh.



Are you afraid of the dark?

Maybe when I was a
child squatting in the dirt.

Now?

It was scared out of me.

You're an American.

Canadian.

You amaze me with the idea that
there is a difference here.

You are all the same.

Unwelcomed.

You're a spy.

A soldier.

A to-mah-to or to-may-to?

The law under your feet

proclaims you will
be tried as a spy.

Punishable by death.

Are you afraid now?

Something to think
about in the dark, yes?

You didn't ask my name?

My name is Ramiz.

Ramiz...?

You guys better watch your step.

Jesus, Sweetie, man.

Pay attention.

Watch where you're walking.

Ladies first, eh?

Jeez, ever creepy.

Horror movie freaky.

More like Residential
School creepy.

Fuck.

Say it again.

Say what again?

"Residential school," or "fuck"?

Fuck residential school.

Get that shit off your head, Sweetie.

Dylan! Dylan!

Stand down!

Down!

They took her.

My daughter, Khatira.

It's Aman, the translator
from camp.

Movement, roof!

Contact! Contact!

Gone. Sweetie, man.

It's going to be okay.

Please... not in
front of my children.

Boom!

Asana...

Asana...

You call yourself a soldier.

I'm a warrior.

A warrior?

I am protecting my country.

You are on my land
protecting your country?

Who's the crazy one now? Hmm?

Maybe you are the crazy one.

Maybe you're right.

You agree you're wrong?

I agree I'm fucked.
Let's agree on that.

Agreed.

See how easy it is to get along?

Hmm?

Give it back!

I don't take orders
from fucked warriors.

Nice.

What is written here?

These notes are
written in code...

..the language of spies.

I don't want to
hurt you, my friend.

I am not your friend.

It is a saying.

Not where I come from.

English, and the other language?

It is the Taliban who
are the teachers now.

Isn't that right, Tahir?

What do you think you
are teaching?

The word of Islam.

You're Christian, yes?

No.

No?

So what religion do
you believe in?

Hmm?

Let me guess.

No religion.

You are faithless, groundless,
you're lost.

Your country and
your will to believe

failed you.

I'm glad you find it amusing.

Unless your grieving
family and pitiful country

has the money to
bargain for your life.

That's what this show is about?

Life is a barter, my friend.

You became a commodity

when you set a
foot on my country.

You just didn't know it.

And you know
everything, I suppose?

I know...

...who you are.

Did you know, Dylan,

some people feels
translating itself

is an act of betrayal?

We know a traitor has many
tongues and many faces.

Don't we, Dylan?

Something we share...

however painful.

What country do you come from?

Your name?

English!

Your family?

In English.

I will ask you my
question again,

and you will answer
them in English!

First Nations Canadian.

Deep down, we always
wanted to be the Indian,

didn't we Aman?

I think everyone does.

So free.

So much spirit.

You're the Indian
here, aren't you?

Clever.

But we are not like you, Dylan.

Your Indians always
lose in Hollywood movies.

And your Indians don't?

Your Indians die.

And your people don't?

I'm getting tired of this.

You want to be the cowboy.

I want you to shut up.

So said the Indian who
acts like a cowboy

with a fuckin'
turban on his head!

Where were you captured?

I was taken in Panjawai,
in an ambush.

I am now being held
captive by the Taliban.

Do you know where you are now?

No.

How have you been treated?

Again, English,
with more conviction.

I have been treated like...

...like I was one of them.

It proves that you are not
just a warrior, as you said.

You are a spy.

It proves nothing.

You will translate
this for me now

so your family and
your government

can see that we are righteous
in our prosecution of you.

What does it mean?

I said, what does it mean?

"Snow that brings a
new beginning."

Why so sad at such
beautiful words?

I should have said...

I asked you why
you're really here.

I asked you why you
speak this crazy language.

You are not just a
simple Canadian soldier.

You are here on a
secret mission.

You say you're worth nothing to
your family and your country.

I didn't say that.

I said my family has no money.

We live like you,
except more snow.

You say your
country wouldn't care

if I were to kill you here.

I don't think they
would care enough

to bargain for me.

That's what we're
talking about, right?

You are a realistic man.

Being Indian makes
you clear-sighted.

What do you know of Islam?

Nothing.

As much as I want to
know of Christianity.

You're going to ask me
if I want to convert.

I will spare you.

The Christians would
say, "I will save you."

Then they'll fuck you.

Sometimes literally.

Comparing me to those savages?

I'm saying extreme beliefs can
change the true face of a god.

We are not at the United
Nations holding hands

in a mud hut.

Worthless.

You are worthless to
your own country,

makes you worthless to me.

We will start with your kidneys.

Tahir...

It's going to be okay.

"Never say die"?

Ironic, isn't it?

Beg for your life.

My grandmother taught
me to bow to no man.

Yet you are below me.

My spirit isn't.

You fucking traitor!
I trusted you!

Let him go!
Now!

Every fucking time...

There's been enough
killing for today!

Who's the fucked warrior now?

Today you win.

It's time to leave.

What makes you think
I'm coming with you?

We're your only hope.

That's comforting.

I'll take my chances.

They will be
returning before dark.

There is nowhere to hide

unless you already
know where to go.

Do what you want.
I don't care.

Do you know how to ride a bike?

We'll rest here until
late afternoon.

We have enough gas to
get close to half way.

We will walk from there.

I should find my
way back to my camp.

There is no going back.

By now, every road, every rock

between Spin Bolduc and our
house has been turned.

You are not a soldier now.

You are a trophy.

And you?

I am a dead man.

My family, the same.

The enemy you don't know is
sometimes a safer bet.

You are an optimistic man.

If we make it to the hills

without being caught by the
Taliban we're running from,

if we make it through the
pass without being killed

by the Taliban patrols we
are running into,

the Pakistani Taliban,
the snipers and thieves...

and that is just what
we can see coming.

There are many ways to
die before the day is out,

and it will take us three
days to get to Pakistan.

You do the math.

No, everything is great.

Leave.

You've done enough
damage to our family.

What are you talking about?

My unit is dead because
of your father.

You think you're the only
one who has lost everything?

He was getting night letters.

Letters threatening
him, and then us.

Your government
promised safety, a visa.

Nothing.

It was only a matter of
time before they came for us.

Why do you think I
was kidnapped?

Because my father was
working for you.

Because he was translating
for you, the Canadian Army.

What would you have done?

Answer me!

Khatira.

Canadian. Fuck!

I'm crazy?

There you have it.
Just a matter of time, eh?

Let him go, Dylan.

He is just a boy.

Let him go.

Please!

He's gonna run and talk.

Yes.

Being a human being costs...

but I am tired of death.

There will be no rest.

We should go if we want to live.

You know, when you are a child,

a stick is a stick, or a gun.

When you're a man,
your choices narrow.

I'll do the watch tonight.

Sit. Eat.

Where is Tahir's mother?

Your mother?

She is dead.

Executed for teaching girls.

They met in university when such
things were possible...

and then teaching at a
local school in Kabul.

When the Taliban took control,

she took their
school underground.

My father decided to translate.

To help make things better.

You?

I became a teacher
like her, underground.

Inside a square box you
put secret things into.

He did not want to betray you.

They came that
morning and took me.

They were going to kill me.

Bartering death and betrayal

are sometimes the only
things left here.

Why did you rescue
me in the cabin?

Once you were dead,
they would kill us.

And dressing like a man?

If I'm going to die,

I want to know what it
is like to be free.

Good morning.

Say... "uncle"!

Why?

I can't explain it,
really, but...

say,"Dylan is the most
handsome man in Afghanistan."

Never!

You think that's funny, eh?

I think you're funny-looking!

I'm the most
handsome Gwich'in man

you ever laid eyes on, eh?

You are the only Gwi... Gwa...

Gwich'in.

...man I have ever seen.

Fair enough, JoJo.

My name is not JoJo.

You sure?

We need to leave now.

There will be patrols everywhere
on the main road.

We will have to walk the
rest of the way.

Khatira!

They never let me give
her a proper burial.

They just...

put her in a hole in
the ground somewhere.

Sometimes I
imagine she is alive,

living in another world.

Look.

The little black
book you carry...

It was my cousin's.

What was her name?

Asana. She was Inuit.

Did you find love again?

No.

Well, you're young, and life is
too short to hold back.

Me, it's like I'm still married.

Hmm.

These are her words?

We were young...

15... 14.

In history class, we read
that there was an explorer

that came to the North

and wrote that the Inuit have
10,000 words for snow.

No, not really. But, um...

that's what everyone
thought after he said it.

She wanted to, uh,
document it in her own way.

In her own words.

Sometimes proving someone
wrong makes other things right.

What's the translation?

"Frozen water vapor

that falls to the ground in
soft white flakes."

Now we're both spies, eh?

Spies on our own land.

What does "Gwich'in"
stand for?

"The people."

"Pashtun"?

"The mountain people."

We're headed
in the right direction.

Just over that mountain range.

Pakistan.

I'm tired.

Mornin'.

We have to take a different
path than originally planned.

There are Taliban
insurgents coming through...

have been for three days.

We've just been lucky.

We have to move.

She keeps following me!

Love is like that.

This will work.

We can rest here for the night.

No one will be able to see us.

Come.

What if there are bears
in the back sleeping?

No bears.

Maybe a snow leopard.

Really?

All sorts of animals
come out in the night.

We need to leave tomorrow
at daybreak.

We should get some sleep.

JoJo was afraid of wild dogs, too.

That JoJo of yours...

how old is he now?

He... he's dead, isn't he?

What did he die of?

He, um...

he left himself.

I don't know what you mean.

He killed himself.

My cousin Faris...

Uncle Ramiz's son,
was a suicide bomber.

He died when he was nine.

I'm sorry.

Why did your cousin do it?

I think...

I think he thought he
had nothing to live for.

Do you think Faris and
JoJo are in paradise,

or in hell?

We don't believe in hell.

JoJo is in the spirit
world with our ancestors.

They're here now,
looking after us.

Why do you call me "JoJo"?

Because you remind me of him.

JoJo and Tahir.

Where I come from,

if a name is passed down from
one person to another...

you share more than a name.

You share the
bones of that person.

Will it make me stronger?

Yes, Tahir.

I'm still scared of the dogs.

I know, Tahir.

We're all scared of the dogs.

We just can't let them know it.

I can make out
"Afghanistan" and "Pakistan."

What's the third one say?

What?

It says "Hell"...

a joke, if it was funny.

The path winds up
and around, meeting

the trail to Pakistan, mostly
used by herders and tribesmen.

That's reassuring.

I thought you were some
big tribesman.

Not a fuckin'
mountain goat, though.

Not a lot of hills where
I come from.

We're almost there.

Pakistan.

Aman, stop!

Don't move.

Don't move.

You already said that.

I know.

Dylan...

I want you to take them now.

You need to promise me you
will look after my family.

Promise me.

You have my word.

Stay still.

Don't move!

I'll be back for you.

Khatira?

Where are you?

I think we are
to your right.

Khatira?

Is Tahir with you?

I don't know
where he is!

Dylan!

Tahir!

Tahir!

I'm over here!

Tahir!

Tahir!

Where are you?

Khatira?

I can't see you!

Tahir!

I can't see you!

Watch yourself!

Watch it, it's my turn.

- Get him!
- No, no, no! Whoa!

Get him, Tahir!