This Is Not a Film Page #4

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with a film or a real work. But...

l'd like to tell another sequence.

We'll see how it turns out.

The sequence in which the girl...

Oh, by the way,

l never showed you the girl.

Yes... Here.

These 2 giris spoke with Isfahani accent.

We tested a number...

but these two were the closest

to what l was after

Particularly if they shaved their heads.

This one with those hollow eyes,

it looked like she'd had a life

full of hardships and problems.

l felt that the role would suit her

and she had

a very nice Isfahani accent, too.

Now...

Oh, by the way, let me say, that

within the whole film

she developed

a very intense relationship with the boy

who stands at the end of the alley,

and within the 4- 5 days...

she feels that she's falling in love

with the boy.

And it causes her

to gradually lose interest in

going to Tehran,

and there's a relationship forming.

Toward the end of the film

we begin to learn that

as in the original story...

Since this story is based

on a 1-page work,

by Chekhov titled ''A Girl's Notes''

that Kambozia (Partovi)

and l worked together on...

we begin to learn

that the boy didn't come there...

because he was in love

but that he had adverse intention, and...

he was in fact an agent.

Anyway, one sequence l like

is when her sister comes to the door...

Why do l keep crossing here?

It's by habit.

The other time

l left the phone behind the line.

The sister comes to the door

and we later learn that...

she has left her husband in a sulk

and has nowhere to go.

Door is locked

and only the grandmother has the key.

The girl tries to talk with her sister

through the window,

but she can't.

So she comes over here

and goes down these stairs,

and arrives behind the entrance.

She has tried before to open the door,

but couldn't

so she just sits there behind the door,

like this, and talks with her sister.

We never see the sister.

We have a closed frame.

We only hear the sister talk

from behind the door.

The sister talks

of her own problems,

and Maryam talks of her own problems,

and it turns out...

that they both have

serious problems.

The sister, who is behind the door

notices the boy's presence.

ln one of my favourite dialogues,

she says..

''Listen, go with him.''

Since last year which was actualIy

the first 'fireworks Wednesday'

since the protests following

the presidential elections,

lran's leader for the first time

denounced fireworks Wednesday

as unreligious,

and said there's no religious basis

for fireworks Wednesday.

Therefore practicalIy since last year...

Hello.

- Is Aunt Tahereh home?

- No, she's gone out.

How about Panah?

Panah has gone with Tahereh

to give his grandma's New Year present.

- Do you know when they'll come home?

- Late at night, l think.

Can l ask a favour?

Just don't ask me to keep this.

Please.

There's no one to keep Micky.

l'm going out with Shahrzad

for the Fireworks. l have promised her.

Why don't you

take him to the 8th floor?

But Shahrzad

has left her cat with them.

Just for an hour please.

l promise l'll be back soon.

- But what am l supposed to do with it?

- l'll be back soon.

- When will you be back?

- In one hour.

Well, come on in.

l'll really be back soon.

Go Micky.

l'll come soon. Thanks a lot.

OK. Bye.

Come. Come here.

Shima...

Take this out, Shima. Igi is scared.

But he's safe.

Sorry, l can't.

Take him to the 6th floor.

Hello?

Hi.

Hello, sir.

How is it going?

Thanks. What's up?

Where are you?

Just sitting at home.

Where are Tahereh and Panah?

They've gone to give my mother

her New Year present.

You should see outside.

Shall l come and pick you up?

No. l can't come.

The guys have asked me to call

as in ask you to come if you like.

No, thanks.

l'm waiting for Tahereh and Panah.

l'll have to see what they're up to.

There's amazing traffic outside.

The crowd is in the middle of street

and armed men are standing around.

Where?

There's a weird atmosphere outside.

l feel armed men

are helping light up the fires!

Where are you?

l'm returning from office.

But don't get worried.

Would you like me to pick up Tahereh,

and bring her home?

No. l asked them to wait

until the streets are quiet.

Excuse me... sorry.

l'll call you.

Police stopped me.

What happened?

Hello?

Can you see the fireworks at all?

Hello?

Let me turn down the TV.

l called to say don't worry.

They were checking my camera.

Don't worry.

l'm through the checkpoint now.

But who were they that stopped you?

They've got checkpoints.

They stop cars.

They'll ask you to pull over

and they'll start searching.

lt was just a random check.

They saw my camera on the seat.

They asked me to pull over.

He asked me

why l was carrying a camera.

l said it's for my work.

l'm returning from my office.

He took a look

at my camera and he let me go.

Listen. Be careful.

Sure.

Sir... If you are worried,

l can go and pick up Tahereh and Panah.

lt's unbelievable traffic out here

and l see a lot of police on the streets.

You don't need to do anything.

You just look after yourself.

Don't cause any trouble.

Ok. l'm going directIy home.

Don't cause any problem. Just go.

Yes, sir. l was in the office

and now l'm going home.

OK.

Thanks. Bye.

Bye.

What are you doing?

l got bored, l'm taking a film.

We aren't able to make our film

so at least...

l want to see if l can do anything

with the cell phone.

They say,

''when hairdressers have nothing to do,

they cut each other's hair.''

Fine. You shoot, too.

But what good can it do?

The quality is too low.

Listen, Jafar. l believe what matters

is that it is documented.

Since the day

those things happened to you,

and after you left the prison...

if you had turned on

your cell-phone's camera,

you would have recorded

a lot of important moments.

We won't know if they can be turned

into a film or not...

Even the things we've been doing

so far today.

If you want to turn it into a film,

l doubt it, but...

if you're documenting the days,

then go ahead.

l don't know

what we've been doing.

But l thought l might hear

about my verdict any time...

and l've got tired of sitting home

the past few months,

l thought l might as well do something.

That's quite natural.

Don't cut, Jafar.

- Why?

- Keep it on.

And shoot what?

Take a shot of me in case l'm arrested...

there will be some images left.

Nothing can be seen from this side.

Can't see outside.

Don't count much

on what l have taken

since l'm not a photographer.

At least you know some things.

l really don't know anything technical.

Do you really want us to continue,

or what?

l don't know.

Can't you stay longer tonight,

so we see how it goes?

You want us to sit like this

Iooking at each other all night?

and we can't do anything.

l think l should be going.

l'm worried about my son, Yasna.

He was going to Fireworks Wednesday

with a lot of ammunition.

lt's late already.

We can meet again tomorrow.

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