On the Way to School

- Welcome, teacher!

- Thanks, Mehmet. Thank you.

- See you, man. Take care.

- You too.

- Welcome, teacher!

- Thanks.

The place is crawling with ants.

Look at them.

I hate them.

- Hello? - Hello. What are you up to?

- I'm fine, Mum. I got to the village.

- You don't sound fine.

- I'm just a bit tired.

- Are you ill?

- No.

I'm just tired.

- Did you get everything that you need?

- Yes, I did.

- Okay, talk to you later.

- Okay.

Okay. Okay, mum.

Good bye.

- Hello? - Hello.

- What are you up to, mum?

Hey, get lost!

There's nothing here.

Nothing at all.

Okay, I knew I was

coming to a village.

I knew I'd be sent to a village.

But I didn't expect it to be this bad.

I thought at least I'd have water.

I even don't have water.

Is that the imam?

I can't tell them apart.

They all look the same.

- Selam aleykum.

- Aleykum selam. Welcome.

- Welcome, teacher

- Thanks.

- How are you? Are you fine?

- Fine thanks. How are you?

- Where are you from, teacher?

- Denizli. - Denizli? Good.

- What is your name?

- Emre.

What did you request from,

Chief? Like water?

I don't have running water.

It's my first time in the east so,

everything is kind of strange. Why?

Because I grew up in the west,

in big apartment blocks.

- I had everything I wanted on tap.

- It'll be tough on you then.

- Well, it's bound to be a bit tough.

- You can't be without water.

- If you'll excuse us now, teacher...

- See you again. Nice to meet you.

- You'll slowly get used to it.

- I have already. Today's my eighth day.

- Hopefully you'll get more used to it.

- Hopefully. Have a good day!

- Don't you know, Bedriye?

- No. - Ceylan?

Zlkf?

Well, where do they live?

Come on, let's go. Take me there.

- Okay.

- Let's go then.

Zulkuf's house is over there.

I think there is nobody at home.

And sure enough there isn't.

There is nobody

at this house, too.

There is no one at home.

- So, do you know anyone else? What?

- I have to go to pee.

Go on then.

Off you go.

- Is this where Sedat lives? - Yes.

- Do you know where they are?

- At the tomato fields.

- Did they go to the tomato fields? - Yes.

[KURDISH] Vehip!

Where's your dad?

[KURDISH] - I don't know.

- No? Where's your mum then?

[KURDISH]

Mum's gone collecting cow dung.

- What about Sabri?

- Sorry? - Sabri?

Sabri's collecting cow dung, too.

- They're not here either, teacher.

- They're not?

Vehip, why didn't you

come to school?

- Do you know Turkish?

- No.

- Ask why he didn't come to school. I told them

last night. - Why didn't you go to school?

Why didn't you go to school?

I'm not registered.

He says he's not registered.

I spoke with chief last night.

It's not a problem.

- I said he should come.

- He says registration is not important.

Why didn't you go?

- Go tomorrow, Okay?

- Okay.

- Can't he come in the afternoon?

- No, he'll come tomorrow.

- Tomorrow. - Yes, he must come tomorrow.

- Go tomorrow, Okay? - Okay.

Let me get you a trouser.

That's enough.

Okay, listen to me!

Is this your first year, too?

Separate a little.

First-years over here.

Second-years here.

Third-years here, fourth-years

there and fifth-years over there.

Okay, never mind

about the fifth years.

All right?

- Good morning, kids.

- Thanks.

Sit down then.

- How are you all?

- We're fine. How are you?

I'm fine too, thanks.

My name's Emre.

And my surname's Aydn.

I'm from Denizli, by the way.

I've come here

all the way from Denizli.

I haven't taught before.

This is my first year.

And it turns out to be with you.

This is my first year, as a teacher.

Do any first-years

know Turkish?

Don't ask in Kurdish.

Do you know Turkish?

- What's your name?

- Bahar.

Say it yourself.

Stand up and shout.

- Bahar.

- Bahar. Your name's Bahar.

So, you know Turkish.

Do you know Turkish, Bahar?

"Er."

No 'er'. It's 'yes', Okay?

I don't want to hear 'er' at the class.

All right? You must say

'yes' at the classroom.

So, I've introduced you myself.

Let's hear about you now.

Come here. Come on.

What's your name?

- Rojda.

- Sorry?

- What's your name?

- Rojda.

Rojda.

- What's her name?

- Rojda. - Rojda!

- What is your surname?

- Huz. - Huz.

- What is your mother's name?

- Hanus.

- What?

- Hanus.

- What is your mother's name?

- Hanus. - Hanus!

- What? - Hanus.

- Hanus.

What's that? Hanus.

- What is your father's name?

- Seleman.

Sleyman.

Sleyman.

Okay, sit down, Rojda.

Vehip, come here.

Vehip Huz.

- What's your father's name?

- What? - Your father's name?

- Chief. - I know your dad

is the chief. - Celal, teacher.

- But what's his name?

- What? Huz.

Okay, Celal.

What's your mother's name?

- Melahat.

- Melahat. Okay, sit down.

Who else?

Who else isn't registered?

At the back there.

We've registered Metin li.

How about you?

Come here.

- What's your name?

- Zlkif. - Zlkif.

- Your surname?

- My surname? Huz.

Huz. Hold on a second.

Zlkf Huz.

- What's your father's name?

- Bayram. - Bayram.

- What is your mother's name?

- Muazzez. - Muazzez.

Okay. Sit down, Zlkf.

- Zlkf Yldrm.

- Zlkf, stand up!

- Which one of you is, Zlkf?

- Zlkf, stand up!

- Zlkf Yldrm?

- That's him there, teacher.

- Which one?

- Zlkif!

- Is he Zlkf Yldrm?

- Yes.

Come here, boy.

Are you Zlkf Yldrm?

What's your name?

What's your name?

Is your name Zlkf?

Speak.

Is your name Zlkf?

Kids, ask him a question.

- Zilkif, he's asking your name.

- Zilkif.

There you go.

Never mind. Okay.

Go back to your place.

Now what are we going

to do, kids? Let's start today...

...by making our classroom rules.

I don't want you to

speak Kurdish in classroom.

Why not? Because all our

lessons are in Turkish.

If you speak Kurdish,

I won't understand you.

Okay?

So, let's not speak Kurdish in class.

Let's try to speak in Turkish.

Because you will stay

eight years at school...

...and all lessons will be in Turkish.

So, please don't speak in Kurdish

at the classroom, okay?

It's really exhausting, mum.

Yes, they showed up.

Not all of them but

more than half of them came.

It's hard dealing with

all the kids at once.

The first-year students

came today.

They can't speak Turkish.

Whenever I say something

it's like I'm wasting my time.

They don't understand a word.

How am I supposed to teach them?

They just stare at me.

They just sit there staring and

they don't understand a thing.

Damn it! The line's gone dead.

Is this your first day?

No, is this the first time

you're coming to school?

- Are you a first-year student, too?

- Canan.

Okay, Canan. Sit down.

Nedret, look after her too.

Teacher, I need a pencil sharpener...

...a rubber.

- What's up now?

- She wants to sharpen her pencil.

- You want to sharpen your pencil?

Okay, go on.

Sharpen your pencil.

- Sharpener.

- A pencil sharpener. Here.

Leave your notebook there.

Do it over the rubbish bin.

The rubbish bin. It's over there.

Leave you notebook

and go to the bin.

Go to the bin.

Go on. Canan.

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