Act of Dishonour Page #2

on our walls were from here.

Every New Year my mother

made rice and spinach.

I should have grown up here.

And do you feel at home now?

No it's...

...this place is like something

from another age, so primitive.

It's not the primitiveness

- it's the ignorance.

What's the difference?

Whether you live in a tower or a cave...

...when you're living in ignorance...

...you're in the dark.

Yes but if you live in a tower...

...at least you're better informed.

How much?

A half dozen please.

It's not about being informed.

Knowledge comes from self-awareness.

One of my teachers used to say,

"to know oneself is to know God. "

I guess then by coming here

I'm trying to know myself.

Isn't there another reason?

For years when I watched the news about

this place, I wanted to come and help.

Especially the women.

I don't like the men's attitudes here.

It's about time I do something about it.

So you think you'll have that chance now?

You know what, it tastes the same.

My father insists Afghan apples taste

better than the ones in Canada.

It seems everything I've been told

about Afghanistan is wrong.

What's happening with your house?

I believe a house is

not worth fighting over.

But my family does,

so I have to support them.

But what about justice?

There is that.

But don't you think an

educated man like you...

...amongst a crowd of uneducated people...

...is wasting his time?

You can even operate a DVD player.

Indeed, in the land of the blind,

the one-eyed man is King.

Right.

These foreigners trouble me.

Out of hospitality we say it's ok to work

here, but they take advantage of us.

The foreigners are foreigners.

What do you expect?

What bothers me is these returnees,

the wannabe foreigners.

These Hazaras now think

they're better than us.

If I had the power, I'd cut their head off.

God help us.

I hear the wedding will be soon.

Yes, God willing, the next full moon.

Congratulations.

I smell a good dinner.

Daughters are only ours for a short time.

Yes. She is already past 15 springs.

God willing, you and your big

appetite will get your fill.

I was just calling my brothers,

I wasn't doing anything else.

It's ok, may your mother's soul rest in

peace. She'd be happy for you.

Bastards. Get lost with

all your machines...

You infidels. You dying pigs.

Let's go in.

What can I do? Anything happens

and it's "Najib, Najib, Najib".

Gulbar... Charakar...

Debori... Jabalsaraj...

How many more?

We need two more passengers.

Goldfish... Goldfish... 50 Afghani.

Salam Barmak, I'm glad to see you again.

Nabi?

I can't believe you're alive.

I never thought you would

survive that Taliban prison.

- Look at your white beard...

- It's this country, all that pain...

...my time in prison and all the suffering.

Please don't remind me of that prison.

It's wonderful to see you alive.

I don't have nightmares anymore.

Eight months in a Taliban prison

was like a lifetime of torment.

They beat me and then shot me in the leg

and it had to be amputated.

What about you?

I see my father's face lying in a ditch.

I killed the bastard that did it

with my father's own gun.

He died like a rat.

Do you remember his face?

I only hear his laughter.

I know my father's soul

rests in peace in paradise.

It seems like the Taliban are back in action.

What if you see the guy who hit you?

I have forgiven him. He was

misguided. They were ignorant.

But he's left you crippled...

Yes, they took my leg

but they couldn't take my dignity.

And thank God I still have

my honor and courage.

Welcome.

This is my mother's wedding dress.

It's so beautiful. Is it yours?

My mother kept her

wedding dress for me.

She kept it for you?

I've only seen pictures of

my mother's wedding dress.

We lost everything we had.

I have everything for

my wedding but a burqa.

A burqa for you?

Why do you want a burqa?

It is our custom to wear the

burqa on our wedding night.

My mother had one.

But when she was taken

to the doctor in the city...

...she wore it too many times.

When she died it was given away.

What happened to her?

She died of tuberculosis.

But it's not a fatal disease.

She could have been cured.

I don't know. The doctor gave

her all these strange bottles.

Now I use them to gather

rain water to wash my hair.

Believe me, brother.

Good things will come out

of this little shop.

You will see.

Can I bring my little sister to the cinema?

Of course. Come back tomorrow.

In the city, women are

forced to wear burqas.

Otherwise they get into trouble.

I don't care about city women.

My mother always said

they are not like us.

In the village, no-one wears the burqa

except on their wedding night.

Where's your husband?

I'm not married.

Ooh, you're so old and not married yet?

Really, do I seem old to you?

Here girls your age already

have six or seven children.

I want to do a few other

things before I have children.

Like what?

I want to meet new people

and get to know myself.

For example, when you say you

want a burqa for your wedding night...

...you know exactly what your tradition is.

I've grown up somewhere else.

I don't know which tradition to follow...

...what customs to pass on to my children.

Maybe that's why I've

come here, to find out.

Have you?

No, the more I discover things

and meet new people...

...instead of things becoming simpler,

they become more complicated.

I've lost my way.

Don't worry.

My mother used to say

that it all works out in the end.

You know, I think I may be

able to find you a burqa.

A burqa?

We're looking for a woman

your age to be in our film.

...you just play a role and

I can give you a burqa.

Can't you just give me one?

No, I can't, you have to come with me.

It's really simple, you just have

to wear a burqa and talk...

I just wear a burqa and talk?

The bastards have done it again.

What kind of people are these?

If it's not going to work

should I tell them to go home?

Wait.

I'm still trying.

It may work.

Ali, take this and drink lots of water.

You should drink lots of water or

you'll always have headaches.

- So?

- Thank you.

Are you trying to fix all of

Afghanistan's problems with aspirin?

No, I just wanted to help you.

It worked. My headache is gone already.

- Are you going home now?

- Yes.

- Bye.

- Goodbye.

Tell your father to come pay his tab.

We're on to a second stick,

he has to settle the first.

Hazara boy...

Get to the back of the line.

I'm waiting my turn, where should I go?

You piece of sh*t, you're contaminating

everything, go stand at the back.

I'm telling you...

...stand here.

What are you doing?

Pick on someone your own size.

Let go...

Haven't you seen enough fighting?

Aren't you ashamed, giving

the village a bad name?

What's the matter?

Commander...

He's not from this village.

He's come from America or

some place and is bossing us around.

It's none of your business

where I've come from.

He hasn't harmed you yet.

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