Desert Dancer Page #3

There's nowhere. We can't.

Why not?

It's too dangerous.

What about

somewhere out of the city?

Where?

When I first left my family

and came to Tehran,

I drove through the desert.

Look.

See? We can dance in the desert.

Where there's no regime.

Where no one can find us.

Yes.

You're absolutely right.

You okay?

Yeah. I'm fine.

Don't worry about your technique.

You don't have to think about it.

Of course I do. I mean, you taught me that.

Afshin,

you can spend your whole life

trying to perfect your technique,

but you only make a difference

when you find your own secret language.

That's when you start communicating.

Connecting.

Dance can be anything.

Just waving goodbye

or kneeling down to pray.

Or raising your fist in the air

because you believe in something.

You taught me that.

I'm coming up only to hold you under

I'm coming up only to show you wrong

Uh, come in.

- And to know you is hard we wonder

- Hmm.

You made this?

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

They closed the Ballet after the revolution.

Dance was my mother's life.

You know, she was part of

the company for 10 years.

This was her oxygen.

She couldn't breathe without it.

And just like that, she had to stop.

The only way she could keep going

was to teach me.

At home.

Behind closed curtains.

Oh, she was very hard.

Very hard. She pushed me all the way.

But it wasn't enough for her.

I mean, I wasn't enough for her.

So she got high.

I just thought she was tired.

I thought she was disappointed.

But I didn't want that.

I wanted to be like her.

So I carried on and I...

And I taught myself

on the days she wouldn't.

Do you know, she...

She always told me that it was her dream

to see me dance on a stage.

Again and again.

Even when she could hardly speak.

Then, when I was 13...

She took too much.

After her funeral, I went through her things

and I found her wraps.

It stopped the pain.

It still stops the pain.

I don't want to be awake.

We'll do this together.

Elaheh.

Afshin Ghaffarian, back from the dead.

How's things?

So, Cyrus, he told us about her.

Yeah, well, she's clean now, so...

I don't care.

Ardi, don't lose sight

of why we're doing this.

Don't you dare tell me that.

We haven't seen you for weeks.

Have you been to see Naser?

Afshin, you've forgotten

who your friends are.

The last time we saw you,

you had this great idea,

and we believed in you.

Don't make this about her.

I am here today to talk to you

about something very important

for our country.

Thirty years ago,

this country was in chaos.

A corrupt leader.

A government oblivious

to the needs of its people.

Then the revolution came.

The whole country rose up.

And we were one.

And we changed history.

You were right what you said.

But the fight goes on.

I'm sorry.

And now our enemy comes from within.

- In these elections...

- Let's get out of here, shall we?

...there are people who want to divide us...

Hey, come on.

...weaken us.

This is what we fight against.

Okay, so we only ask people

that we trust.

Who do we trust?

That's up to us.

Wow, this is where things get really

dangerous, isn't it?

Do you realize what will happen

if we get caught doing this?

Of course we do, Mona.

Really?

Because if you did, you'd be scared.

And I don't hear any fear in your voice.

We're all scared.

Now, come on, Mona, we...

We talked about this.

Yes, but doing this in here is one thing,

putting on a performance

- out there is...

- She's backing out.

Shut up.

You're too high to have any idea

what's going on.

No, you don't know anything about me.

This isn't about you!

Don't talk to me like that.

Look, do you...

Do you have any idea what she's

been through the last three weeks?

Ardi. Ardi.

Do you have any idea

what it means for her to be in this room...

Guys, can we just...

Look, let's just start the rehearsal.

No!

Look what they did to Naser.

It's going to be worse for us.

We can't do this.

I can't.

- I'm sorry. I have to go.

- Please, Mona.

Mona. Mona, please.

Please, don't.

This is a big deal for her.

Ardi, enough. Enough.

- Enough.

What did I say?

What's wrong with you?

- I was just being honest.

You did say something.

I was just being honest.

Come on, let's start.

- What?

- Let's start the rehearsal.

We started this because

we wanted to take control,

you know, feel free.

Now look at us.

The regime, you know, the Basij,

they're strangling us.

And we're suffocating.

You know, we can go out to the desert.

We can feel what it's like to breathe.

You know, just for a few hours.

Just for a moment even.

That's all I want.

And that's what the story is about.

Those people,

they are your friends?

Yes.

They look like trouble.

I thought I'd come and help you

with your coursework.

Now, I'm no engineer, but, uh...

But I'm pretty sure

this isn't how you build a bridge.

Okay.

We've got 20 people signed up to come.

That's 20 people

outside this room that know.

So this is how we keep it safe.

Only I will know

the exact location of the dance.

Ardi, when you pick up the audience,

I'll tell you where it is an hour

into your drive south on the freeway.

This is ours.

If we stop, if we hide,

if we change, they win.

It's just up over there.

Where are we,

about 100 kilometers south of Tehran?

Yeah. Think it's far enough away?

Should be.

Get in.

Let's do it.

Okay, let's go.

You shouldn't be so nervous.

It's going to be great.

Of course. Hey...

Thanks.

Elaheh.

Afshin.

Afshin.

Afshin.

Afshin, please.

Hey!

Afshin!

Just get ready.

Guys, sit down. Sit down.

I promise you it's worth it.

I promise. I hope you like the show.

You, are you okay? Yeah?

These have been

amazing times in Iran.

The government has just announced that

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

has been reelected with 62.6% of the vote.

The challenger,

Mir-Hossein Mousavi, got 33.7%.

That seems strange.

In fact, it is my own sense

that the vote appears to have been rigged.

Mousavi had been drawing huge crowds,

generating greater and greater enthusiasm,

and getting bolder and bolder

in his criticism

of Ahmadinejad and the regime.

Where is our vote?

Where is our vote? Where is our vote?

Where is our vote?

Where is our vote? Where is our vote?

Where is our vote? Where is our vote?

Where is our vote?

Where is our vote? Where is our vote?

Where is our vote?

Where is our vote? Where is our vote?

Where is our vote?

Where is our vote?

What happened?

Uh, I'm going home.

My family wants me back.

Hey, who did this to you?

My brother is Basij.

He wanted me to betray you, but I couldn't.

We were free in the desert,

just for that moment.

I couldn't destroy that.

And I'll always have it.

Mousavi! Mousavi!

Mousavi! Mousavi! Mousavi! Mousavi!

Mousavi! Mousavi!

Mir-Hossein! Ya Hossein!

Mir-Hossein! Ya Hossein!

Mir-Hossein! Ya Hossein!

Mir-Hossein! Ya Hossein!

Ya Hossein! Mir-Hossein!

Ya Hossein! Mir-Hossein!

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