The Land (1969) - full transcript

A small peasant village's struggles against the careless inroads of the large local landowner, The Land shows why political oppression does not necessarily lead to a sense of solidarity among the disinherited.

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Good morning, Abu-Swelam

What a beauty

If you were good at work, you would not
been expelled from work in Cairo

Go and find work

Ask any property owner for a work

We will work in your father's field

You make a mock of me!
So where is your land?

You filth, get away or I will get you to
pull the carriage instead of the donkey

You talk as if you were a government official
We know you work like a donkey for the Englishmen

"The Egyptian Foundation for Cinema"

Get away, get down you filth



Who are they? What did they do?

They left their land to work in Cairo
However, they failed, now they beg for work here

Welcome back, welcome back

God bless you

You have grown up
What did you do in the exams?

He passed the primary.

I wish you the best in the secondary

Thank you Abu-Swelam
How is your daughter Wasifa?

She is all right, thanks god

I wish everything were alright

It is ok until we see about the cotton harvest

And after the cotton harvest!

How would we get the harvest!
You know the water problem

Why, the officials gave you
ten days for Irrigation



Ten days are not enough
for the whole village

Talk about that with the mayor

The mayor!

What about Mr. Mahmoud?

A peasant has no way
with a mayor or a property owner

You have been through a lot
However, you have always been a tough man

He will never understand
He digs his own grave

"Al-Ard" "The Land"
translated from scratch by:
Samir Omran

"If the land is thirsty we would irrigate it with our blood
It is our old vows and our responsibility to fill it with good"

"The land of our ancestors and the reason of our existence
We would sacrifice our lives to give the land a life"

You promised me a jacket with long trousers
If I passed the primary

We have to wait for the cotton harvest

The harvest!

There is a crisis this year my son

Here you are 10 piaster
Spend it all over the summer vacation

My greetings to the mayor

Welcome back, I can smell Cairo from the luggage

What are you looking at? Wasifa!
She fascinates even Cairo residents

Hey girl, you almost cause me to slip in the water

Get away

I want to have a look

Get away; if you got caught, they will beat you

I don't care

The wedding party is tonight

I wish it were your wedding Wasifa

Mohamed Effendi, a teacher, he got 4 Pounds a month
He will make a great husband

Who is the one with him?

Diab, his brother, an Effendi and a peasant
A son for money and a son for the hard work

You let the donkey in the heat of sun

Just like me, in the heat of sun the whole day

This is the word "Egypt" in English

Have you seen Englishmen in Cairo?

Yes, they even beat us in the demonstrations

Here is Wasifa

Welcome back

We missed you, I am sure you forgot about us
Did you bring me anything from Cairo?

What did she tell you?

Oh my, she was laughing with you

What a loss, only two more feet taller, and longer trousers
He would have been a perfect husband, and you would have lived in Cairo

Mohamed Effendi is still the best choice

My father wish that I got married a man from Cairo

Your father wishes for a person like Abdel-Hadi, because he is tough like him
However, what did your father got for being tough! He only got the worst

You talk bad about my father!

God forbid, but he still wishes you to marry a guy like Abdel-Hadi
And you know, Abdel-Hadi is not bad at all

Hit him Abdel-Hadi

Hey Abdel-Hadi, it is not war
It is just a game

I am sorry

I am sorry Diab

If you want to play, you have me

What a shame, you are a like a father for me

I will play with you

Come on don't get scared

Shame on you, get away

Hey boy, be careful
Sheik Youssef is the cleanest man in the village

Abdel-Ati, the mayor wants you

Shame on him, it is the guy's wedding night

Go on, dance and sing

I wish it were your wedding

I wish it was your wedding too Wasifa

When my father says so

Sheik Youssef, here is a machine made cigarette
Have it with your drink

Do you like our songs?
We don't know the town songs

Did you really bring me something from Cairo?

A bottle of perfume

Really! Where?

I will bring it to you at Abdel-Hadi's water wheel

Alright

Hey Abdel-Ati, the mayor wants you now

He would spell us if you don't come

Come on

Done sheriff, I have informed all peasants
That the irrigation days are just five

It must be Abu-Swelam

I did a list of the troublemakers
I will send it to you

He is so furious

Don't get nervous, it is bad for your health

Get inside

We missed you at the wedding Mr. Mayor

Why didn't you inform peasants that
Irrigation days will be only five

It has always been 10 days

It is not my decision

Why didn't you inform them?

It must be Abu-Swelam who told him to do so

I swear by God,
Abu-Swelam has nothing to do with it

I did write his name in the list of the troublemakers

Only 5 days of irrigation

You are the mayor, do as you wish

Oh yes, you only think about succeeding me
after my death?

God forbid

Long life to Mr. Mayor

Take this to the sheriff

What is this! It is Abu-Swelam!
I swear he has nothing to do with this

Shut up or I will include your name too

Best wishes for Wasifa

Have a look on the cow
I think there is something wrong

So, where is Wasifa?

I sent her to borrow flour

Is it necessary to sent her at night?

She is a tough girl like her father

We will have bad days
I want a better life for her

I wish Abdel-Hadi won you Wasifa
My house will be happier with your presence

Why was Wasifa here?

She borrowed flour

That is not her house direction

I have no idea

Be careful you hulk? Where are you going?
You should be praying now.

Nobody goes to the mosque
except for the Friday prayers

Get out of the way
or someone may see us

Why are you silent?

I am late

It is a talkative village

Where is the perfume you brought me?

Take that 10 piaster and buy it yourself

Oh my, a whole 10 piaster

I wish I found a bag full of money

What would you do then?

I would take a boat like that one
and go to Cairo

I bet they eat flour bread and sweats
everyday in Cairo

Moreover, they shower everyday
with a bottle of perfume

Why are you silent?

Hey

Do you remember when we were little kids?
We used to play the pride and groom game

We were here

Do you remember when sheikh Shennawi caught us?
He beats us, how many years passed?

Four years

Many years, do you remember?

Why sitting away?

So why did you brought me here?

You are still young

No, I am man; I am going to high school

Welcome Abdel-Hadi,
come and sit on the leaves

Shame on you, what is wrong with the ground
You talk as if you were grown in town

Where have you been? With a girl!

I wish I would spend the rest of
my life singing and dancing

Oh my

Can you lend me 20 piaster?

No one in the village have 20 piaster

Only the property owner you guard his land
And Mohamed Effendi too

Sheikh Youssef has a lot too

However, he wouldn't sell me sugar and tea
Unless I bay for what I already bought

Who operates the water wheel?

Welcome Effendi

No one operated the water wheel

I saw a girl beside the water wheel

A girl! Where?

Anyway, the irrigation is prohibited now
We informed the mayor that
you would have only five days

We always have 10 days

No, it will be just 5 days
Anyone operates his water wheel we will...

What are you saying?

Anyone operates his water wheel
will be caught by the police

Even the 10 days were barely enough

It is the government decisions

Who the government saving the water for?
Mahmoud Bey! He already has water pumps

I will operate my water wheel and you can do whatever you want to do

Please don't tell anyone about this

I have never been to the field by night

I will wait for you tomorrow

Go now

Who is there? Wait

What are you doing here?

Are you waiting for someone?

Your father will get mad and will lock
You for the rest of the your vacation

Hey girls, the wedding party is over

God damn you, you dance as if
Egypt got the independence

Soap

One more egg

Sugar and tea

Pay first

Abdel-Ati, buy more Halva
It is good for the newlyweds

Tell that to the mayor he needs to buy a lot
to fulfill his new wife he brought from the town

Here is the egg you greedy

Here is the soap

The mayor told me to inform peasants
That they only have 5 days of irrigation

I didn't, and I will not

Are you crazy, you should inform them?
So they get prepared, go and tell

The mayor already gave a list of the troublemakers
To the sheriff, and Abu-Swelam name is in it

Go now and tell Abu-Swelam
He will get in troubles

He never cared

You filthy bastard, go and tell him

Hey, don't hit me like that, I am still a groom

Hey, it is mine

No it is mine, I was after it the whole day

Only the poor ones get the worst treatment

Khadra is a poor one

She needs food; give her some Abdel-Ati

It is you Elwani

The government!

What are you talking about?!

Go and ask the mayor

She is hungry

Where are you going?

I am going to irrigate my master's land
The government shortened the irrigation days

Khadra, I will be in the field in the night

What will I get?

A cucumber

Make it 2

Alright
Deal

What are they up to this time?

They reduced the irrigation days to five

5! The land dies!

I will not obey

Take it easy, you will be punished

Let them do
whatever they want to do

Discuss it with rest of men first

Discussion! Men! Oh, yes

Go and call for them peasants

Alright, but what about the sugar and tea

How can't you read it?! Try again

You must be good in reciting poetry

I am thirsty

Say so

Diab, Diab

The donkey is for riding

Get away

You beat Khadra in your house

I am sorry Khadra, you are welcomed

Thank you; you are the best of men

Unfortunately...

What?

You admire Wasifa

But how can you get her?

I am counting on you

I will bring her here

What is this? It is dry

You behave like the government

We must have our 10 days of irrigation

Do you think the peasants
will dare to do that?

Of course, they need the 10 days

If they all agreed, no one will stop us

Not the mayor, not Mahmoud Bey
and not even the Englishmen

Will peace be upon you?

And you too

Hey girl, where have you been last night?

Girl!!

Where have you been?

You are neither my father
nor my husband to ask me

I will be your...

Mohamed Effendi has arrived

The sheikh also arrived,
why didn't you notice that too

All this time to drink!

We have big problem to solve

And are you the one who will solve it!

Hey you Abdel-Hadi

Let us listen to the old men

They are furious young men

We should pray for God to
avenge us from the government

Who prohibit us from
our 10 days of irrigation?

Pray in silence and shut up

And let us regain our rights

Your rights! You heretic!

We should go to the mayor

The mayor! He is the one behind all this

I am going to the mosque to pray

What to do you think my friend?

I think we need to calm down and think

Right, and to let the land dies

We should talk to the mayor
and Mahmoud Bey too

I think we should write a petition
to the government

Oh, yes

Mahmoud Bey knows
a lot of important persons

Yes, that is right

A petition!
That is nonsense, a waste of time

I will do what I think is the right thing

I will irrigate my land for the whole 10 days

You are right

Folks we must have one decision

No collision, we do both
The irrigation and the petition

What do you think?

I agree

Alright

I will write it with a strong tone

Sheikh Youssef is the right person to write it
All his colleagues are schools headmasters

Shut up, all my colleagues are judges and inspectors
And the most failed one became mayor

Sheikh Youssef I meant no insult, the sugar and tea

I have to go now,
I will start writing tonight

Will peace be upon you?

And you too Mohamed Effendi

I want to propose to you for Wasifa now

That is not the right time Abdel-Hadi

Here we are, read it loudly Mohamed Effendi
I hope you wrote strong words like "especially" and "what happened was"

If the sheikh co-wrote it, God would bless it

Oh yes, he would mention "Judgment",
"Punishment" and "Angels"

Then the government would say
"let Angels get you water"

You heretic, are you making fun of god

Me?! I vow to God to make a banquet for
Poor ones if this petition makes any good

It will be a banquet of a goat
Let poor ones eats, and you too

Let it be a sheep, it is a banquet

So it be a sheep then

Swear by "The Holy Quran"
that you will fulfill your vow

"In the name of God the Merciful"

"Amen"

Read the petition loudly Mohamed Effendi

Let us just seal it

I wrote it in the style of eloquent Arabs

"Your Excellency the Minister, peasants are sleeping
On the dust and are covered by the sky"

Who is the Retarded who wrote this?

Yes, it may lack figurative language

It is not reasonably to take
all this time drawing the road

Hey boy, take care of the furniture

Hey Mayor, get a blank paper and get the peasants
Signatures on it and I will write the petition by myself

Alright Bey

You stay Mohamed Effendi

Be careful you stupid

No we must know what will be written
before we sign

Come on folks sign and seal
and don't care about Abdel-Hadi

Who loves God
and his profit may come and seal

Get away

Elwani, haven't you seen my father

Your father!

Come here

Take this Pumpkin Wasifa, sweet, like you

You take it

Mayor has no value;
I will accompany Mahmoud Bey to hand the petition
to the His Excellency the Prime Minister personally

The Prime Minister!!

God have mercy on your father Mohammed Effendi
You will meet the Prime Minister personally

What did you say?

What should I say!

Excuse me; I have to get prepared
to accompany Mahmoud Bey

Excuse me too; he will meet
the Prime Minister personally!

I want to propose to Wasifa

It is not the right time

Hey girl, why are you listening?
It is men talk

I am the daughter of Abu-Swelam

Mohamed Effendi will travel to Cairo, Prepare
A gift to send with him to his uncle sheikh Hassouna

I wish I can, but we have nothing

I only have this plate of rice with cream

He likes it a lot, it is the best gift

Good-bye Mohamed Effendi

Please give this to my son in Cairo

Hey you, I am going to meet the Prime Minister

Mohamed Effendi, please deliver this plate of
Rice with cream to sheikh Hassouna, he loves it

He must, as it was made by you

Good-bye

Beware of the girls of the town

He will meet the Prime Minister personally

I swear by no more sugar and tea on credit

Take it down;
it is a bad omen for Mohamed Effendi

Who is she?

She is the daughter of sheikh Youssef

A very polite girl, she took down
the empty water jar for me

The land of Mahmoud Bey is full of water

And the entire village gets only 5 days

But he is a great man;
he wants to serve the village

What a hot weather!

Take care of yourself;
you will get a wife after the harvest

Why the wait for harvest,
we have enough money

And who will be the pride?

The daughter of sheikh Youssef

No, I want to marry Wasifa

The sun sets a fire on the bridge

Diab, get back riding the donkey

Take a good care of your mother, and the land too

Come on, Mahmoud Bey is waiting

Here is my telephone number if you get lost in Cairo

Mohamed Effendi

What?

Please I want to taste this hot Falafel

Get a way for Effendi

I am not a passenger, I just want Falafel

How lucky is the town residents

Wasifa, oh my

Mahmoud Bey, I am Mohamed Effendi

Who? The Madam! A second please

Who? Oh no, he lefts a long time ago

Four days and still waiting for the phone call?!

I am in a hurry

Mahmoud Bey

Down with Colonialism!

See

The land is thirsty and
they think he is meeting the Prime Minister

Where is Mohamed Effendi!
Or Mahmoud Bey! Or the Prime Minister!

Finish your work

Any news from Mohamed Effendi?

Where is your brother?

Any letters?

Any news?

The mail carrier says no

Down with Colonialism

What is in this basket?

Get away

I know it is a little

But after the prime minister agrees we will pay the rest

I did a petition, not for irrigation, but a new project

A new project! And what about the water?!

Listen

This is the Nile road, this is the village,
and this is my palace

And what are those two lines?

That is the new project, a new road that will
Connect the village to the civilization

The village needs the water

This road will civilize the village, try to understand

Please Mahmoud Bey, this will be a disaster

The road will eats the land and divide it

Who said it would harm YOUR land

I have my ways

Go and convince the peasants and no harm will get to your land

What shall I tell them?!

You are an educated man and you will convince them

Where is Sheikh Hassouna?

Who are you?

I am his nephew

He is praying in Sultan Hassan Mosque

It is a disaster; the road will eat the land

How did you give him signed blank papers?

We have no one but you uncle

I can do nothing alone, I must return to the village

"God is great"

"No God but Allah"

I will hurry, you can come later

All peasants want to irrigate today

No wonder, it is only 5 days

But there is a queue

A queue!

I am going to check why there is no water

5 days are not enough

Hey it is not your day

It is only 5 days, so there is no queue

Close the canal Diab

No

I said close it Diab

No

Alright, come on

Hey guys

As long as it is only 5 days there is no queue

So go and irrigate your land with what remains

You fool, you will kill each other
And still the land is thirsty

We better irrigate for 10 days

We have only 5 days

Even 10 days were not enough

I am the first

No I am the first by my own hands

Hurry and open our canals

HELP, the cow fell in the water wheel

HELP

I am just behind you Abdel-Hadi

Left her from its belly

Support me Diab

Catch

Hail hob

Oh God

Give me the rope

Support

Oh God

Oh God

God bless you Abdel-Hadi

Everyone go to his field

The best of words from the best of men

Now you laugh while minutes ago you were fighting

Thanks God

Take it easy Diab

You wouldn't fight me if Mohamed Effendi were here

Diab, sheikh Hassouna is on his way to the village

I just received the telegraph

Operate the wheels, all the wheels

Come on Diab

Operate the wheel

"If the land is thirsty we would irrigate it with our blood
It is our old vows and our responsibility to fill it with good"

"The land of our ancestors and the reason of our existence
We would sacrifice our lives to give the land a life"

We lost the land then

Peace be upon you

Peace be upon you

You have to eat

I can't

Everything will be fine

What do they want?

They want the road

No, they want the land

And the land needs water, and the water is in the hand of the government
And the government wants the road, and the road needs the land

Our land

That is the story, Mahmoud Bey and us
His ancestors and our ancestors

The same old story

Go Abdel-Hadi

The mayor wants you

Do you know why?

No, but he said he wants you urgently

Ok, I will come

Take those men and go

What is it mayor?

The officials report the police
That those men exceed the five days

And the police report me to catch them

Go on Abdel-Ati

I am sorry Abu-Swelam

I know it is the mayor

Where to mayor?

The police department Mohamed Effendi

Why taking you father,
It is Abdel-Hadi who operate the water wheels

We all irrigated my daughter

Leave me alone

Here come the demonstrations students

Sheikh Shaban, what brought you back after all those years?

My master called, and I obeyed

Where is Abu-Swelam?

Get him out of here

Abu-Swelam, stand up

Stand up, prisoner

Leave him

Abu-Swelam

Catch him

Hello

Mohamed Effendi

Are you alone Wasifa?

My mother is asleep

What did you do for the imprisoned men?

I am going to Mahmoud Bey to give
Him money to release the men

And they will be released today

Really!

Beware of your donkey Mohamed Effendi

Your uncle sheikh Hassouna came back

A real man, he knows the right thing to do
And protects the women whose men are absent

I searched the whole village and I only
Found those two Loafs of wheat flour

Mother, where is my uncle?

In the visitors room, with the mayor

What are you saying sheikh Hassouna

They didn't obey the government irrigation rules

Those rules can't be obeyed

Peace be upon you

Welcome sheikh Hassouna

I will visit Abu-Swelam soon

He will be here soon by gods well

God favors the patient ones

God bless you sheikh Hassouna

God bless you and Wasifa

Everything will be fine by god's will

I suspect there is someone stealing from my crop reservoirs

Mayor

What is it Abdel-Ati?

Your father is also imprisoned why asking for your husband only?

Shut up Abdel-Ati; don't speak in such subjects in front of me

Hey girl, stay where you are

Away with your hand or I will cut it

Who is that girl?

She is Wasifa daughter of Abu-Swelam
The guard commander

You filth, he is not the guards commander anymore

Yes I am the daughter of Abu-Swelam

Like mother like daughter

Don't speak about her mother

You old fool, don't talk about my mother

I will teach you a lesson

Hey guards, save the mayor

Say I am a woman

You bastards

Down with Colonialism

Freedom, Freedom

Long Live Egypt

You bastards

God is great

What are you thinking about?

Don't worry, it will be fine

Accept my proposal to Wasifa, now

Folks, folks

The imprisoned got released

Abu-Swelam is back

My father is back

Mabrouka, your husband got released

Diab is back

Abdel-Hadi my son

Your help god

The men are back, we should have a celebration

God bless sheikh Hassouna

Welcome back

Welcome ba..

Welcome back

Father, father

Welcome back father

Let us go home father

Diab, Diab

Drink this sheikh Shaban

I want to eat

Diab

Welcome back Diab

No more rebels

You taught them a lesson in the prison

Alright sheriff

I will be hard on them

I will do my best

I pity your health, this is too much compression

You only talk about my health; I have a very good health

You should be upset about the rebels, not me

Yes, be upset about sheikh Hassouna

No one can ever get over me

You didn't even got over the village women

Let alone their men

You too dare to speak!

Alright, you are fired

Gather all the guards

You are all fired

God help us

Abdel-Ati, call Shaban for me

Abu-Swelam, Abu-Swelam

Welcome sheikh Hassouna

Where is Abu-Swelam?

He is in the field all day long since he got released

He don't eat, he don't talk

Elwani

Go tell sheikh Youssef to meet us in Abu-Swelam's field

Alright

Abu-Swelam

My uncle sheikh Hassouna is with me

Just as you are

You know how long I stayed in Cairo

But the love of fields never left me

Welcome to the village sheikh Hassouna

I don't like your sadness

Egypt's great leaders got imprisoned too

Saad Zaghloul, Mustapha Kamel, Ahmed Ourabi

I am not sad because I got imprisoned

I know, I feel

It is not that they are brave,
And it is not that you are weak

Get over it; we have all been there together

It was a revolution, it was for freedom

The same story, it was freedom,
Now it is for the land

And pride? What's left after the man looses his pride

Uncle, uncle

Here is a watermelon

Cut a piece for your uncle with a clean knife

Please have some

Thank you but I can't

I swear by God and his Prophet that you
will be the first to have a piece of it

Come on, you must eat something

You have always been a good man Diab

So you must eat from what I offer you

Come on Abu-Swelam, I cam here
to bring back the good old days

This village will always be my home

We will get over our problems

Do you think we can?

By God willing

Diab, go to Abu-Swelam's house and
Tell them we are coming for dinner

Huh, yes of course, it will be an honor

He believes the joke

It is you who are invited to dine with us

We have chicken and rice with cream

Chicken and rice! It is no the
proper time to talk about food

Instead of talking about what is proper and what is not,
You should get proper clothes for your brother

I just thought it is not the proper time

Abu-Swelam was always a patient man

A patient man!

When we were in prison he held a jailer
up high and throw him on the ground

Oh god, you are the man Abu-Swelam

Do you remember when we both got
beaten for the sake of sheikh Youssef?

That was during the 1919 revolution

The jailer found that sheikh Youssef
was hiding more than 30 cigarettes

And what did he do?

The jailer starts beating sheikh Youssef,
But Abu-Swelam stands up and protects him

You too helped both of us

And we all got beaten by jailers

Did sheikh Youssef beat the jailers?

No he pretended he was faint and lie on the ground

But the jailer didn't believe him

He opened sheikh Youssef's mouth and start putting
the 30 cigarettes while telling him to swallow

Swallow ?, swallow ?

Peace be upon you

What? Something wrong about me!

Father, father

Haven't you seen my father?

He went home

I brought him lunch

So wait for him

I wanted to see you
since the day I got released

My father was imprisoned too

And that broke my heart

Did you thought about me while I was in prison?

Shame on you Abdel-Ati when you hit a woman,
And she is Wasifa, Abu-Swelam's daughter

He was always like a father to you

Don't remind me Abdel-Hadi,
It was the mayor's orders

Yes, shame on me, I deserve your contempt

Beat me Abdel-Hadi, I deserve it,
Here you are, do whatever you want

Beat me more Abdel-Hadi,
Beat me stronger

More Abdel-Hadi, I did wrong

I am sorry; let me kiss your head

Sheikh Shaban

Gracious and most merciful, help us

Sheikh Shaban, charm Wasifa to accept
Mohammed effendi as a husband

Slow down

Wasifa for Mohamed effendi

I would make you a plate of meat

Slow down

Here are the two pennies I have

Slow down

Sheikh Shaban!

Slow down

The mayor!

Be cursed

Abu-Swelam!

The best of strong men

Sheikh Hassouna!

The best of knowledge men

Elwani!

Shame on him,
He made me steal the mayor

Wasifa!

Wasifa is for Mohamed effendi

And Mohamed is for Wasifa

We will have to obey the orders,
Only five days to arrogation

No way, the cotton would die

The water is always there Abdel-Hadi, in the Nile,
But if we lost the land it will never be there

The most important thing is that we save
the land before the railway destroys it

The problem is that the mayor is against us

The mayor is not the problem,
It is Mahmoud Bey

They are the same

Yes so is the government
and the British occupation

Mohamed effendi is every girl's dream

Don't ever get in my house again

This dirty girl should not
enter any respectable house

Who own no land, owns no honor

Oh, I own no land

I mean women not men

Alright, tell me when will you be back to your shop?

I want my share of sugar and tea tonight

Go away; you have nothing to do here,
only who owns land are interested

Interest, they only talk about interest,
nothing about friendship or neighborhood

Khadra

What do you want?

You are like me Khadra, no land,
no money and no interest

Elwani, why don't we get marry?

Marry you, how come? And where?

Oh I see, in my palace, and I would
get a highway road till my door

You are joking, so why not,
girls in Cairo lives in palaces

Wake up, I have no house and no land

Me too, I have nothing,
we would be a perfect couple

Low the lantern to her face

It is poor Khadra

"We are from God and to him we shall return"

She was poor and lonely and had no enemies,
I wonder who would kill her!

It is that bastard Elwani for sure

No it can't be him, he was
sitting with us all night long

Why not anyone of us who did it?

It must be Elwani, he is
filthy just like her

She lived in mud and died in mud too

She never liked her life

No one is accused, she is just a slut

Were where we will burry her?

Where?! In sheikh Shennawi's graveyard for sure

Shut up heretic, I wouldn't burry
this dirty slut with respected people

Why? You are the most related
one to her in the village

I know you were always a heretic, I will
never allow her to be buried in my graveyard

She was poor in her life and in her death too

Mayor, we should report the police

Felony of premeditated and surveillance

No, she was trying to drink and she felled

It is better than getting people in trouble

Poor Khadra they didn't even
respect her after she died

Why! Because she was lonely and homeless!

She was the village's servant

No they want to throw her dead body away

Take it easy Wasifa

Poor girl, she has no mercy
even after she died

That's life my daughter

No mother, I will got to live
with my sister in the town

Hey girl, we have enough troubles

I want to get rid of the village and the
Land and the everyday disastrous life

Take it easy my girl

Please mayor

Please have a mercy

I swear by god I was
Going to marry Khadra

You can say so to the commissioner,
or in the criminal court

This village has a mayor,
it is not chaos

We brought all the billets,
and we store it on the bridge

Talking, talking, and no work

All I care about is to see the highway
road passing in front of my palace

So visitors can drive
their cars to my door

Hurry up, you are so late

Mayor, please send me the dog

Mayor, the dog of the Bey

And the most important men in the village
will be in your place till we find who did it

A village of no shyness

Mayor, the dog of the Bey

The dog of the Bey, mayor

Your legs are alright

Take a cigarette and go away

No let me be with you

We have to have a talk with the mayor

A talk! We still have to talk!

The mayor starts with Elwani to threat all
of us, and all we think about is to talk

I have a feeling that sheikh
Shaban is behind it

Shaban became a sheikh, very well

Very well done mayor

A day or two he could arrest anyone
of us for murdering Khadra

No way

He can

The murder of Khadra was a threat to all
men because the billets have arrived

So they expect us to fear and shut up

We lost the land

No Abu-Swelam, have some patience

Only who lives here can feel what I feel

I left my children in Cairo and here I am with you

It is too late sheikh Hassouna

When I have to come I came

I left the village for my job

But I have never failed you

I fought the occupation with you

Yes, fought the British occupation together

We fought in Syria in winter

We faced death, many of us has
been buried under the snow

We weren't afraid,
we didn't walk away

Why? Because we were real men and we've endured as real men

And during 1919 revolution
we fought with Saad Pasha

We cut the railroad against the British forces

They strike back and many of us were killed

But we were real men and we've endured as real men

And the last election

Regardless of the results

But we supported you sheikh Hassouna

What did we get?

We have been beaten, we have been insulted
but we were real men and we've endured as real men

When there were a few steps between us and death,

We weren't afraid; we fought with bare hands,
because we were real men and we've endured as real men

And then

Then what

Each went on his way

Each thought about oneself

And forgot about the others

You sheikh Hassouna, you left
the village to live in the town

And enjoyed the government salary

And sheikh Youssef

He opened a shop to sell goods
to the penniless peasants

And me

What became of me!

I kept working in my land

I kept living on the memory of good old days

Hoping that one day we would
be the men we used to be

But those days were gone,
And it don't seem to be back

We used to have courage and dignity

We used to be the shield of the village

And now, here we are

We talk and weep like women

Here we are sheikh Hassouna,
And here are the village's young men

Watching us weeping like women

Watching us saying patience is good

Watching us talking and talking

Our life is talking

Our sleep is talking

Our silence is talking

Talking and talking and talking

You old man

You are still that young rebel

You remind me of the young Hassouna

You are the best of us Abu-Swelam

Life drifts me, but what shall I do

I wonder what we shall do!

I was thinking

But I didn't find a way

When we were young we weren't thinking,
We acted

We are still the same

Abu-Swelam, I will stay

I will stay till we bring back all our rights

My hand in your hand,
Whatever happens

We should throw the billets in the canal

Good idea

We can do it

Good idea Abdel-Hadi

That is best solution

Yes, yes

Come on folks

Come on

Come on Abdel-Ati

Abdel-Hadi you are know to the police

I don't care

You shouldn't be involved

Your acre is so far from the road

When I operated the wheels I was alone

But the police arrested you too,
We are all the same for them

You are good person Abdel-Hadi

You are my teacher Abu-Swelam

Go

Abdel-Ati

Abdel-Ati

Can you hear the whispers?

It is ghosts

Give me the gun Abdel-Ati

Throw the billets

Come on Sheikh Shaban,
You asked for it

Abdel-Hadi, Abu-Swelam

The mayor died

As soon as he heard about the
billets thrown in the canal

Very well, we get rid off the billets
and the mayor in the same night

I will bring a dozen of candles
If my wish come true

To protect my father and
save our land

Why are you following me Abdel-Hadi?

I came here every night

To see you

So what were you wishing for?

To protect my father
and save our land

Just your father and your land?

Tea and sugar! Now! Are you out of your mind?

Freeze, who are you?

I am the vice mayor,
I am a government official

Run folks, officials hit officials

My uncle, the camel rider guards arrived

Everyone to his house,
No one is allowed to get out

No one is allowed to be out afternoon

I am going to call for ASR prayer

No one is allowed to be out afternoon

And what about the two prayers in the night!

Go home

"Help us god, help us"

Freeze, where are you going?

I am going to borrow some corn flour
From Abdel-Hadi's mother

Hey girl, get inside

We have no food

I said get inside you fool

Let her go

Soldier, go with her and be back with her
and take a good care of her

Have a cigarette please

Have a seat please

Want some tea?

Do you think this whip can shut us up

No, but in some cases one has to shut up or die

So we die then

No man, every problem has a solution

We also lost our houses

Aswan Dam flooded it

We had to die or to surrender,
So we surrendered

The dam flooded your land

But been a new life for the rest of the valley

It was a good thing for many people

But to steal the land of the poor peasants

And for what? For a road to
Mahmoud Bey Palace!

This is injustice

This is orders

And you obey orders without
understanding what you are doing

It is the regime's orders

What regime? The British,
The king, or Mahmoud Bey

Go away, get lost, you are
just a whip, nothing more

Shut up, you are a rude peasant,
I am your guest, you should be more polite

A guest!

If you came in peace you
would be my guest

You are not a guest

No Abdel-Hadi

Come

What did you do?

He was protecting me

Abdel-Hadi, how did you get out?

Don't you fear the whips

Whips! Not even swords

You are tough person then

Wasifa, bring us
Two sets of wood

I came to you to discuss
About what is happening

We shouldn't hide in our
houses like rabbits

We are losing the land

Here you are

Come

What should I do?

Show me how tough you are

God bless you Abdel-Hadi

I am afraid you hurt your hand

You see, I am still tough Abdel-Hadi

Please serve us two cup of tea

Nothing better than two cups of tea
in the night, in the field

And the cotton looks like
thousands of lanterns

So you are not afraid of the whips

No

Listen, I will gather the men and
attack the camel rider guards

Sheikh Youssef has a gun

And you too father

I will go now to sheikh Hassouna
And sheikh Youssef

I will gather all the men

And attack the camel rider guards

And women will attack too

Hey, hey

You talk as if you were planning together

Or is it that you plan this together

I think we should have dinner first

Dinner! We only have some
corn flour for tomorrow

The corn flour we just borrowed

I don't care, make us a pie

You will love it Abdel-Hadi

And bring cream and cheese

Abu-Swelam!

Hey woman

I am the man here

Do as I say

Go on

Alright

Never let your wife have the
last word Abdel-Hadi

What brought you here?

Good morning, I was ?,
Mahmoud Bey told me that ?

What?

He will tell you

I am sorry I have to go

You mean that there is no mayor

It is done, sheikh Youssef will be the new mayor

Anything else?

Look how the artist can do so beautiful things

I wish some day those artists would be Egyptians

We have people that are starving

Starving! I don't think so,
Maybe poor but not starving

You exaggerate

Mahmoud Bey you must listen

People will starve after you
turn their land into a road

And the camel rider guards
make things worse

They are only fifteen guards

And we will bring thirty police soldiers

And the road will not make people starve

On the contrary, it will make their life better

The road will bring electricity and freshwater

Civilization, you are an educated man
and you should understand what I say

You take poor peasant's lands

That's life, there is a price for every move

And why them who must pay the price

Why not you and people like you

Oh, you are a revolutionist then

It is not good for you,
And you can do nothing

Don't listen to those ignorant

Those are my people

I will personally consider not to harm your land

Peace be upon you

Boy , get sheikh Youssef a paper

Elwani , take care of sergeant Abdullah

Don't worry I offered him the best tobacco

This can't be a poor village with a shop like this in it

There is meat too

Let me pass

Give me flour and sugar in
exchange for these two corncobs

Go away , let people by with money

You don't have money ,
So let people with money pass

Shame on you , have mercy

Give her what she wants

Go away or I will hit you

Listen, never raise a hand on me again

So pay for her then

You became a money-starved beast

I am thinking of leaving my job to
get rid of the government dirty money

I am still the same old peasant

Abdel-Ati you are a guard not a peasant

And you are the new mayor

And I will not serve under you

You throw away your uniform!

Take this and give her what she wants

Save your money sergeant Abdullah

Go to my home and take what you want

Shame on you

Alright Bey, alright, alright

Here is the road, it was straight

Have your coffee sheikh Hassouna

But the straight road became snaky

To avoid the lands of powerful people

May god help helpless people

So could you avoid the land of someone like Abu-Swelam?

No, I can only do that for you

Abdel-Hadi, Abdel-Hadi

They are putting the billets in my father's land

Calm down Wasifa

Don't worry , we are all here

Sheikh Hassouna has to be here by now

Wait for me here

Alright

Diab, gather men and wait for me in Abu-Swelam's land

Come on guys

I want to join you Abdel-Hadi

Alright, gather men till sheikh Hassouna arrive

Wait for me Diab, I am with you

Peace be upon you

And you too

Have a seat please

Excuse me, I am busy working

It is ok, do what you are doing

Alright

Haven't you seen Mohamed effendi?

There he is, Mohamed effendi

Hey you, get lost

I hope everything is fine

God knows what is best

God helps whose in need

I am sorry about what is happening

But it was orders

You are right, order must take place

We have all been through this

Whose the first land to be taken?

The poor Abu-Swelam

Would they take your land too sheikh Hassouna?

Sergeant Abdullah

What is it?

The sheriff wants you,
And he is very angry

Excuse me, I have to see what does he wants?

Where are you going to?

They need men to build the road

Come on guys we already late

And you get lost

Shut up, don't you know who you are talking to?

He is sheikh Hassouna

We need work, we have children to feed

And they are taking the land

So we are not peasants anymore

Come on guys

Why don't you take her on a stroll,
Stand up

Where is that bloody sergeant

He was just drinking tea
with me a few minutes ago

Very nice, drinking tea with peasants!

Camel rider guards befriend peasants

That is chaos

Mr. Sheriff, the village has no mayor yet

Sergeant Abdullah is coming

Why the sheriff is here?

Not now

Who is this girl?

Why not working as a servant for me

She is ? , here is sergeant Abdullah

Where have you been? You have
made a fool out of yourself

And me too I will make a fool out of you

You are all fired, I will get
police soldiers instead of you

Come on Abu-Swelam

We have to talk to sheikh
Hassouna to decide what to do

God bless you my dear brother

Sheikh Hassouna

Where is your uncle?

I think he is at sheikh Youssef's shop

Attention

Father, the camel rider guards are leaving the village

Good-bye

Good-bye sergeant Abdullah

Please accept my gift,
Some tea and sugar

We will miss you

Hey boys , get lost

It will be chaos

The camel riders will leave
before the police soldiers came

Let me pass

Elwani, get those kids away

Sergeant Abdullah gives us some time

To collect cotton from the taken lands

We are still waiting sheikh Hassouna

Where is he?

Where is he? We need to act quickly

I am putting every pound in a paper

Alright but get out now

You are selling meat!

So what Abdel-Hadi?

Why I shouldn't

There are many workers that needs to eat

So you are taking advantage of our crisis

You are helping them building the road

For their filthy money

Money is better than exchanging with corncobs

And I don't care what the workers are doing
in the village as long as they have money

That is my work, you should go work in your field

You sell yourself for money

Selling myself, are you out of your mind

You want me to quit my job

Alright, here is my money

Take it Abdel-Hadi, take my family's money

Collect your money sheikh Youssef

I am an old man,
I have no son to work in my land

I don't have your strength

Nor your courage

And I have a daughter

I must leave her some money to spend when I die

Abu-Swelam too has no son and has a daughter,
He even don't have a shop like you do

But he is still fighting

We are talking while the land is being taken

We have to go to sheikh Hassouna

No, no, we have to go to collect
Abu-Swelam's cotton

We have to collect the cotton
before the police soldiers arrive

Yes Mohamed effendi,
everyone is after his interest

What do you mean?

Stop your devious talk

Listen all of you

Let Mohamed effendi tell you the truth

Tell them why there are no workers in you land

Go on see for yourselves

Let Mohamed effendi tell you how the road
moved away from his land and his uncle's land

Sheikh Hassouna ask the road planners
to avoid his land

Shut up

No I will not

Listen, listen all of you

Do you know where sheikh Hassouna is

He left the village

He has escaped

Come on guys

Come on Wasifa

Elwani, make us two cups of tea

It was a lousy morning

The tea is in the small box

You don't want to drink tea with me!

So take those sacks and go to
collect Abu-Swelam's cotton

"If the land is thirsty..."

"If the land is thirsty..."

What do you want sweet girl

I acme to collect our cotton

Oh I see, you do whatever you want

But have some rest with me first

Abdel-Hadi

You beat your guest!

That is enough

You beat a woman!

Get lost or I will kill you

Shame on you

They are strangers, they don't care about us

Go and collect Abu-Swelam's cotton

Before the police soldiers came

Come on guys

Come on

We too have to help

"Nothing is better"

"Than the Nile cotton"

"When collected by the Nile girls"

"It is blessed by god"

Take care

I think Abu-Swelam may need those

They can be exchanged with some corn flour

Take this

The price of the cotton

Please take it

And take your time weighing the cotton crop

God help you

I am sorry for you

Really sorry

Faster guys, tea is coming

Everyone will have tea

Drink Abdel-Hadi

Take care or you would burn me with the hot tea

What a girl

This will be an everlasting relation

Right Wasifa?

Hey you

I swear that will be the first
to dance in your wedding

And the last who stop

Shame on sheikh Youssef

God damn him

He didn't give me machine made cigarettes

Tell me Abdel-Hadi

How could the respectable sheikh
Hassouna do such a shameful thing?

He escaped

You can't understand him Elwani

You don't have land

Why don't you sell your land and buy sheep,
I would take care of them for you

And we became partners

And no need to worry about the land

I am naked without my land

We all been born naked

No one born with his clothes on

Beware Abdel-Hadi

Run people

Run Mohamed effendi

Run folks

Beware Abdel-Hadi

Abdel-Hadi

You bastards

"If the land is thirsty we would
irrigate it with our blood"

Tie this man

By his feet

The End