A World Not Ours (2012) Movie Script
1
-Okay?
-Yeah.
The Ain el-Helweh camp
stretches from that hill over there
all the way down to the main road.
That's the southern side.
The western side stretches from
that corner all the way to Saida.
That's the western side.
And the northern side runs
from the Mieh Mieh hills over there
and continues eastwards
to that corner there.
That's the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp.
What's that down there?
That's a cemetery for the
Palestinians who live in the camp.
But due to the large number of deaths,
they created a new
cemetery closer to the camp.
Mahdi, get a shot of those
buildings. Film that mosque.
I can't hold it steady, Dad.
These roads are terrible.
SPECIAL CARD FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES
NAME: MAHDI FLEIFEL
RESIDENCE: AIN AL-HILWEH
-Hello.
-ID cards, please.
-Which one of you is Mahdi?
-I am Mahdi.
Is this your ID? What model is it?
-Huh? What the model of it is?
-What kind of ID is it?
-Which year?
-It was issued in 1983.
It's a regular ID card.
-What's the camera for?
-Filming.
Okay, step out of the car.
Step out of the car.
A guy was killed in there.
When?
A while back. He was stabbed.
They ripped his guts
open and left him here.
Why? What did he do?
He worked for the Israelis.
-Did you know him?
-Sure.
DUBAI SPRING 1985
Just make sure you get it to focus.
Stand over here.
This place got hit by two
rockets. Can you see that?
May God be with you.
Film this.
This is standard and this is not.
A WORLD NOT OURS
That's enough, now! Enough, I said!
I'll smack you right in the
face! I've had enough of you.
Get out of here, you little shit!
You little son of a bitch.
Get the hell out of here!
Can't we get some peace around here?
-Excuse us, old man.
-Stop it already.
What do you think this is?
Squash that one. Get the one by the
door. Just step on him. Squash him, man.
Stop filming and stomp on him!
Are you afraid of a cockroach?
-No, but--
-But what?
I just don't want to kill him.
Are you filming a cockroach?
I swear, you foreigners are crazy.
-You said it.
-Where's the coffee?
Look, he's filming us right now.
-Cut it out!
-Ah, man.
Come on, son. That's enough now.
He wants to show this to
people in the West, you know.
I'm against the whole idea.
It's hot in Denmark too? You're kidding.
Just like here.
I swear, it's 28 degrees in
the shade. It's just too much.
Hello there.
We will never forget our land,
son. It's our forefathers' land.
And one day we shall return there
with God's help and through hard work.
We will return, God willing.
God bless you. Take care of
your dad and all good people.
Walk only the righteous path
and you will never go astray.
-May God be with you, my dear.
-Bye.
PALESTINE WORLD IN FILM
For one lira, one lira.
How's it going?
Germany or Argentina?
Mahdi, you're a Brazilian!
-Say Germany.
-Germany!
The Germans are the best!
Say no to Brazil!
-We lost, lady.
-Good for you.
You supported Germany? Loser.
-Cut that out!
-Brazil lost.
I don't give a shit!
If you don't stop, I'll come up there!
in a casual position.
German team strike early with this
Germany and the rest of the
West give their full support to Israel.
They're even helping Israel to
besiege and starve people in Gaza.
-So why cheer for those criminals?
-Come on. They just like football.
It's ridiculous. People are only
interested in stupid things these days.
As long as they just watch football.
Last time it ended in a bloodbath.
WORLD CUP 2006
-I will finish you off.
-Let go of me.
-Okay, introduce yourself.
-I'm going to need your shades.
-I need shades for this.
-You want to put them on? Why?
It's better that way.
Okay, go ahead.
What do you want to know? My name?
Tell me what happened last night.
Last night we were watching the
match between Italy and Germany.
-Who were you supporting?
-The Italian team.
The reason being that they once
dedicated the World Cup to us.
They dedicated the Cup to the PLO.
So I feel that it's my duty
to support a team like that.
When did that happen?
I think it was in 1982.
But I'm not entirely sure.
Time doesn't interest me.
I hate the thought of time passing.
That's why I don't wear a watch.
-So what's with the wristband?
-"Italia Forever."
That cut is a reminder.
What happened after the game?
I heard somebody got hurt.
There's a guy in the emergency
room with a brain injury.
It's a mess. He's still unconscious.
-But we'll win either way.
-How's that?
We were defending
ourselves. He started it.
What if the guy dies?
That's normal. No problem.
WORLD CUP FINAL 2006
I saw three rockets land right
over there and then they exploded.
Did you see that?
Abu Ali pointed and I saw them
drop. I just wish I could see the jet.
Ambulances have been busy
transporting the injured to hospitals.
Mahdi Fleifel is with his
family in South Lebanon.
The situation is getting worse by the day.
You never know where
the next bomb will strike.
ABU EYAD'S HOUSE 2009
Abu Eyad?
Hey, man.
Aren't you getting up?
Wanna go down to the river?
It's 2:00 p.m.
This is the music you brought me?
I love this song.
I'll show you the cave
where we practice shooting.
When we shoot in here, you
can't hear the gunshots outside.
How's it going?
Check out these hot beauty queens.
Look at those legs, Abu Eyad.
Gold, man! Gold!
What's that on your T-shirt?
-Is that Hebrew?
-Yeah.
-You working for the Jews now?
-Yeah, I am.
Don't move!
The people's court
hereby sentences you to
This gun is loaded! Death
by blowing your balls off.
-Is this Hebrew or what?
-Do you have a 3D camera?
He says the writing on this
T-shirt is written in Hebrew.
-It looks like Hebrew.
-It's not Hebrew. It's probably Chinese.
-What does it say in English?
-That's not English.
Abu Ali's son thinks that this
jersey belongs to an Israeli player.
The pineapples are just 1,000 lira.
-Where's the carrot juice stand?
-You mean Ahmed? He's over there.
Fresh watermelons!
Commander Abu Eyad! Good to see you.
Here.
I heard something about you.
-Was Maya your girlfriend?
-That was a long time ago.
So why did you leave her, my friend?
She's married now, you know.
-I went to her wedding.
-Really?
She loved you, you know.
But you're a womanizer, my
friend. Too much of a womanizer.
When you were still with Maya,
you also had other women in your life.
Or am I wrong?
Am I wrong?
Maybe back then, but not anymore.
Yeah, back then. That's what I meant.
There's no one in my life right now.
Are you saying I'm not part
of your life? I'm devastated.
You tell me--
So what's your daily routine?
I get up, I chill at the market
and then I hang out at the office.
Then I shower, go back to the
market and then I head right back here.
We smoke a couple of
rockets and just chill out.
Then we go out on patrols around the camp.
The football vibe
isn't like it used to be.
All the guys have left. The
whole atmosphere is gone.
It's not like the old days.
-Why are you sitting here all alone?
-We were just watching the game.
-When do we get paid?
-I'm not sure. Next few days maybe.
Between your heart and mine.
To hell with love, man.
-That's the one?
-That's it.
How am I supposed
to talk while I'm filming?
Hey, Abu Eyad! Film me holding this.
You left the country and came back.
And here I am. Nothing has changed.
Look at you.
The mask has fallen...
...be evident from nowhere.
May I have a Lord to worship. May I
Names teach me
Said!
-Who is it?
-Mahdi. Are you upstairs?
I'm in here.
I told her
-What are you doing today?
-Not a thing.
-Aren't you working today?
-I've got nothing on.
-Where do you wanna go?
-I'm going out on the street.
-Can I come along?
-Sure.
It's hot today.
I will break that gun, asshole.
Get rid of this gun. Put it away.
Give me the shampoo.
-What is this shampoo?
-How should I know? It's just shampoo.
-Now what, Uncle?
-We leave it to dry.
When did you arrive? How
long have you been here?
He's been here for two months now.
And you don't let me know?
I was joking, man. He
arrived two days ago.
-But you said two months ago.
-I was just joking.
-Well, I believed you.
-He believed me.
I could hear you talking to her.
-there are no photos of you.
-That's how I like it.
Film the bird.
Film it, man.
-What do you do with the cans?
-What do you mean?
-When you're done crushing them?
-I sell them.
-How are they sold?
-By the kilo.
-How much for a kilo? 1,000 lira?
-1,000. Yeah.
Have you been outside the camp?
Yesterday. And then I came straight back.
I went to work in Saida and
came straight back to the camp.
-Ever been out of the country?
-No.
Son of a bitch!
Fuck off, you son of a bitch!
-Is this my uncle right now?
-Son of bitch!
That little son of a bitch
was going to eat him.
Come close.
-What's on TV?
-Birds of Heaven.
-Is that a kids' show?
-For kids, yeah.
I never watch anything else.
Sometimes I watch Hezbollah's channel.
If there's a good movie with
Adel Imam in it, I'll watch it.
Your granddad keeps
pestering me to get married,
but I can barely support myself.
How can I get married
with the lousy work that I do?
I can't afford to get married. I
hardly make enough to feed myself.
All your granddad talks about is
getting the kids to send money.
"Just save up for it."
But how can I save up?
-Would you like to go abroad?
-Of course I want to.
But they're not helping me to leave
or get married or any goddamn thing.
Your uncles haven't done a
thing for me. Not one thing.
Promise me you'll show them this.
Make sure your uncles hear my
words. Make sure that they hear this.
Your uncle Mohammed has let me down twice.
Twice he said he'd get me out of here.
I paid a fortune to get a
passport, but I never got to use it.
Your uncles made a fool of me. They
never helped me leave or anything.
who came from
Jerusalem to occupied Jaffa.
These confrontations led
to the injury of 15 people.
And the reason, in their view, is
the desecration of Jewish places,
during the digging of the
foundations of the buildings in the town.
Palestine has really fucked us over, man.
This revolution has destroyed us. I
just want to fuck all those guys up.
I wish all the Palestinians would just
die and not a single one be left alive.
I wish Israel would just kill all of us.
I'm serious.
I mean it, and I don't give a fuck.
Let the whole world see this film.
It's the truth.
They really fucked us over,
man. They've destroyed us.
-The Israelis?
-The Israelis?
No, we destroyed ourselves.
Our revolution's failed leaders.
They are thieves and corrupt.
They have destroyed us.
The coke heads, the stoners, the gamblers.
Who else?
When we were kids, they used to say,
"Arafat doesn't like the educated ones."
"He likes the wild ones."
And that had an impact on me.
"He likes the warriors, the tough
guys." That's what they used to tell us.
I don't want to go back to Palestine.
Mahdi, how are you? You've changed.
Hands up, idiot!
People don't like that!
-Long live Abu Ammar.
-Long live Palestine!
Okay, stand still.
-What's wrong?
-Quit joking around.
Don't you dare make fun
of me when I'm in uniform!
-But I just--
-Get the hell out of here!
Fuck it all! You think I give a shit?
-Go set yourself on fire.
-Why not? I'd be better off, I swear.
Why should he set himself on fire?
You call this a life? It's fucked up.
-I swear, man
-Hey, what can we do?
-Don't touch it.
-Let me see it. It's not made of gold.
-You pig. What's that for?
-For killing people.
-Do you stab or slash?
-Whatever.
You just say the word.
Jump on.
-Hello. Hey, guys.
-Hey, Abu Eyad.
-Are we going through the alley?
-Sure. Alleys are the best.
They're great for shortcuts.
Our love is lost
My heart's love is gone
Oh, Mahdi.
-Why are you laughing?
-How should I know?
It's just all this
Forget it.
Tell me that story.
That time I was jailed?
Now, that's a fucked-up story, man.
-How old were you?
-I guess I was around 14.
They threw us into a cell
and took our clothes off
and then electricity.
They used electrical cables,
like the ones for a stereo.
They stripped off the coating at both ends
and attached the wire
to both wrists using tape.
Then they threw water on us.
He would just do this with the wire.
Every time he did that, you'd get zapped.
I swear, I could tell you some shit.
When I tell this story to the
guys, they think I'm making it up.
Only the guy I was in prison with
and my brother Walid believe me.
Why were you arrested?
They accused us of being agents of Arafat.
When Arafat signed the peace
deal, they accused him of treason.
They said he had sold out Palestine
and the whole cause and so on.
They still believed in the
struggle to liberate Palestine
and all that stuff.
-Hi, guys.
-Abu Eyad.
You're the man!
-Hello, fellas. My brothers.
-How are you? Everything cool?
Mahdi, make sure you
film this. Show him the gun.
Fuck these weapons
and fuck the revolution.
As I was saying, my friend
Harbe, put your gun away.
I swear I'll shoot myself. Give
me $5,000 or I'll blow my head off.
Just do the honorable
thing and shoot yourself.
-What's that for?
-A lamp for the chicks.
-Is that really necessary?
-It gets cold at night.
They're young.
A lamp to keep the chicks warm?
How much did you pay for that?
-Forty thousand.
-Forty? I'll bet you paid sixty.
-So what now?
-Nothing.
I'm just cleaning up
and then I'm going out.
-A good day to you.
-And to you, my dear.
Film that guy. Film him!
Don't listen to him. The man is a fool.
-Come on, Said. Do that thing.
-Did you see that?
THE FATHERSAID TO HIM, "GO LOOK
FOR YOUR BROTHER INSTEAD OF PLAYING."
A MAN APPROACHED THE CHILDREN AND SAID,
"BE OFF. THE ISRAELI TROOPS ARE COMING."
HE DYED THE TOY AND PLAYED WITH IT,
AND FOUND IT USEFUL FOR REALIZING HIS IDEA
How do you expect us to
dance? There's no room.
And it's way too hot.
-I got you in a white dress, my darling.
-Check out the lady.
Mona looked out of the
window and said, "Oh, Father."
Let's all go together.
Smile, you're on camera.
You're supposed to be happy.
Come on, Bassam.
God is the greatest.
-Abu Eyad!
-I'm upstairs.
-Hi, Mahdi.
-What's up?
You've got to see this.
I found the lyrics for the
old revolutionary songs.
The voice of my suffering
And yearning is growing
I became a bullet, A slap
in the face of every traitor
Is that really "bizing" here?
-It's "biting."
-"Biting"?
I got the pronunciation all wrong.
What are you doing?
I'm trying to figure out what to
keep and what to throw away.
What to keep and what to get rid of.
What's this?
"Political statement from Fatah's
central committee, blah, blah"
Fuck them.
Why do you think they
still have offices here?
Because of the money.
It's about the money.
-What do you mean?
-It's all about the money.
So they can keep sending them money.
If they close the offices, then there's
no reason for Fatah to send money.
And how are Fatah's supporters
supposed to survive if they don't?
What about the veterans, the old fighters?
They gave their whole lives
to the revolution and all that.
How are they supposed to survive?
By taking it up the ass for money?
Someone needs to pay
them. You know what I mean?
Why are you moving, Abu Eyad?
I need to leave this house.
I can rent it out and help my parents.
A hundred dollars isn't bad.
It's Ghassan Kanafani's
book, A World Not Ours.
CHILDREN'S TESTIMONY IN WARTIME
Welcome, welcome.
Welcome! How good to see you.
-Welcome, welcome.
-How are you, Uncle?
Resistance Movement as an approach,
culture, value, behavior and morality.
-There are persons who
-This is your photo.
Here's Hibhib.
And here's Sahlab and Hadi.
She's so sweet. What a great smile.
Here are all the stupid
Palestine pictures.
-Your father would love to see those.
-He'll go crazy! "The baby! The baby!"
Dad! I've got the perfect
picture for you right here.
Who's this?
Is that the baby? Where did you find this?
-I've been looking after it.
-Take care of it.
-That baby is your cousin.
-She lives in Palestine.
Yes, that's right.
Do you know how Israel's
back will be broken?
It would have to be a
scenario of total destruction.
They wouldn't be able to withstand
it. Four targets would be destroyed.
West Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel
Aviv, and all of their nuclear sites.
Israel could never
withstand such an attack.
-How would the Americans accomplish that?
-With missiles.
The US could take out
their nuclear sites, son.
That's the only way.
Israel can't really use those
weapons. We're too close to them.
If they bombed South Lebanon,
it would all blow back in their face.
Syria? The wind would
blow it right back at them.
The same with Gaza and Egypt.
-They've got tactical bombs.
-So what? It's the wind that decides.
They wouldn't dare do anything, son.
But the Jews have
demonstrated their power.
Not like that son of a bitch Mahmoud
Abbas handing over his papers.
Handing over all of his documents.
And then he makes a CIA agent
the head of police in Ramallah.
Shame on him.
So the next war would
be the end of Israel?
Absolutely. I'm 100% sure of it.
Bon appetite.
I'm going over to Said.
-Want to come with me?
-No.
Tell me about Jamal.
Jamal?
What can I say? Jamal's blood was boiling.
I don't know what to tell you.
God bless his soul. He's gone now.
-Were you close?
-Of course. He was my brother.
We had some great times.
We used to work together.
We had some great times working together.
-How many years were there between you?
-Just a year's difference. That's all.
He was only one year older than me.
We built this house together.
Just the two of us, without any
money or help from anybody.
It was just the two of us.
I visited him at the hospital
every day after work.
Every single day.
He really suffered.
He was in the hospital
for a year and four months.
-Did you cry?
-He was my brother. What do you think?
I cry every time I think about him.
He was my brother. Of course I cry.
-Do you still think about him?
-Of course. I will never forget him.
-What's this?
-Just a bunch of graves.
The graves of the martyrs, people
who fought and died for Palestine.
Anis Khader. He was my friend.
He was killed in 2004.
THE MARTYR ANIS TAREK KHADER.
DIED AS A MARTYR ON 29 SEP, 2004.
His brother is buried here too.
Who talks behind his back?
His ally. And who is that?
The ambassador, Sabir.
Let me tell you something.
Sabir's politics are messed up
I hate those Islamist Jund al-Sham guys.
I'm just waiting for the right
moment before I fucking strike back.
And believe me, they will pay.
There's still bad blood between us.
Look at that guy.
It's as if he's asleep.
I want to go on a mission
and blow myself up, man.
I bet most of the guys who blew
themselves up felt the same way I do.
No future, no work, no education
nothing.
I'm convinced that's the reason
why they blew themselves up.
They just used Palestine as
an excuse to end their lives.
The generation of victory.
JERUSALEM 1997
We are traveling to Saffuriya.
Look, Mom! Just look at this.
Look, look!
-Come on. This is really boring.
-It's for my parents, you know.
-So who's buried here?
-David Ben-Gurion.
Leader of the Zionist
movement in Palestine.
DAVID BEN-GURION
This is your grandmother's
grave, may she rest in peace.
This is it. "Salima Mohammed Abu Salem."
"Born in 1936 in Saffuriya, Palestine."
"Died August 24th, 2008."
-Hi!
-Welcome.
-How are you?
-God bless you, son.
-Where's Grandma?
-Is that you?
-Just give me a second to put my scarf on.
-All right, hold your horses.
If we end up going to
Europe, we'll choose Denmark.
If we ever go, we'd have
to put wheels on the house
and pull it all the way to Denmark.
It's my life's work.
If I leave it behind, people
might rob it or mess with it.
Well, give thanks to God then.
I don't know if I'll ever
see my children again.
Only God knows how
much time I've got left.
Let me take a picture of
the two of you together.
That's it. It's much nicer that way.
-Got it?
-Yeah.
-I never look good on video.
-Sure you do. You're the prettiest.
No, I'm not. I'm old and all worn out.
What did he say?
They said they found
someone else for the job.
So I handed in my Fatah
ID, quit and left the place.
-Just like that? No way!
-I swear.
Why did you hand in your ID?
Screw those motherfuckers, man.
-But the ID
-I don't need it.
-He can't just take your ID.
-I don't give a shit.
We'll go to the military leadership.
Hey, man. What's up? Fuck you!
-Don't tell that guy anything.
-That motherfucker!
Fuck Palestine and all that shit.
Okay, sweetie.
If I was you, I'd go down there
right now and set things straight.
I telling you this as a friend, man.
Go down there right now and insist on it.
Forget it, man. I quit Fatah. It's over.
-We need to get his ID back.
-I don't want it.
Forget it. Give Bilal the assignment.
Are you thinking of leaving Lebanon?
Where would I go if I leave this place?
Where would I go?
Nothing is ever easy in our
lives. Everything has to be hard.
I was born in this fucking
country, but they treat us like shit.
It's despicable, man.
We're not allowed to work here,
not even if you have a college degree.
Can you imagine how that feels?
Have you ever heard of
anything so despicable?
And they say it's a democracy!
What the hell are they talking about?
-What's that?
-Get lost.
Come on in.
Not you. Get lost!
Come on in, Mahdi.
Eight.
Nine.
Ten.
Eleven and twelve
Come on, Said. I need
a shot of you looking up.
-Up where?
-At the flying pigeons.
-What for?
-It's for the film.
-I guess I lost my touch.
-No, do it again.
I've forgotten how.
Nope. Can't do it anymore.
Shame on you kids!
You should be ashamed!
I'm having a nervous breakdown here.
What's wrong with you?
Get out of here, all of you!
Get the hell out of here, the lot of you!
It wasn't me! Don't touch me.
-Let me be--
-May God never let you be!
Take it easy. Did you see the doctor?
I told you already. I'm
sick. I feel miserable.
Those damn kids are driving
me nuts with that football.
And you just stand there and film them!
-Where were you?
-At the doctor's.
What's wrong? What did he say?
I'm not feeling well,
son. I'm falling apart.
Isn't that obvious?
-What's wrong?
-I've got nothing more to say.
-Did the doctor say you're okay?
-Leave me alone.
He gave me medicine. What
does it look like I'm doing?
Did you tell your parents?
No, and promise not to
tell anyone. Swear on it.
Everybody thinks that I'm
going to the Bekaa to work.
Let them think I'm in the Bekaa
until I'm good and ready to call
them and let them know where I am.
-How will you get there?
-I'll cross the border into Syria.
Then travel with smugglers
from Syria to Turkey.
Then I'll go from Turkey to
Greece via one of the islands.
It'll be a crazy adventure. A
once-in-a-lifetime experience.
-How will you make it?
-I'll make it. Don't worry about me.
You got out of here and now you
have a comfortable life in England.
Should I keep pretending that
everything is fine and stay in this place?
I'd kill myself, man.
I'm suffocating here.
But why so suddenly? I don't get it.
Listen, Mahdi. We are refugees.
We don't have a country of our own.
If this was our country, I could put up
with it and make a life for myself here.
I could work for the police or the army.
But fuck, man, we're nothing here.
We're just refugees
with no country, no land.
Go liberate Palestine from the
Israelis if that's what you want to do.
You expect me to do that?
How's it going?
Fuck you.
-Who's that?
-Some motherfucker.
Fuck this country, man.
It's a fucked-up country.
They don't deserve a damn.
Not even your film.
See ya.
Oi!
-So long!
-Give me a call before you leave.
Abu Eyad.
-Just one, Granddad.
-What? That's not near enough.
-That's way too much.
-No, that's not enough.
I'll add some milk. It
tastes better that way.
I've got powdered milk.
-That's plenty, thanks.
-How can this be too much, son?
Tell me if it's not sweet enough.
Praise God.
Is it sweet enough for you?
It's very sweet.
You're even sweeter.
-Oh, God
-I'll miss you, Granddad.
God bless you. Are you
leaving at 7:00 or at 8:00?
-At 8:00.
-Not later.
Said.
-Said?
-What do you want?
Are you up yet? It's almost 8:00.
-Did you oversleep?
-Get lost!
My goodness.
What's that all about? Mahdi
is leaving. Come on over.
I'm on my way.
-Is Mahdi with you?
-Yes, he's here.
Mahdi is right here.
May God bless all of us.
-What was that?
-He said, "Get lost."
That's just the way he is.
May God bless
-Granddad says you overslept.
-Yeah.
-Well, so long then.
-Goodbye, son. Safe journey.
-Yeah, get lost.
-Goodbye, Said.
Give us a kiss.
Bye, Granddad. Hope to see you again soon.
-You two take care of each other, now.
-He should be taking care of me!
-Goodbye, everybody.
-Bye.
And switch that damn camera off!
You've been filming
ever since you got here.
-Goodbye, Grandfather.
-Goodbye.
-Bye.
-Goodbye.
GOD IS THE GREATES-Hello.
-Hello? Abu Eyad?
Yeah.
-It's Mahdi.
-Mahdi. How are you?
-See you in Ain el-Helweh.
-God willing.
Safe journey, my friend.
Yeah.
So what now, Abu Eyad?
Abu Eyad, what now?
TWO DAYS LATER, THE GREEK AUTHORITIES
PUT ABU EYAD ON A FLIGHT TO LEBANON.
HE IS NOW BACK IN AIN EL-HELWEH.
-Okay?
-Yeah.
The Ain el-Helweh camp
stretches from that hill over there
all the way down to the main road.
That's the southern side.
The western side stretches from
that corner all the way to Saida.
That's the western side.
And the northern side runs
from the Mieh Mieh hills over there
and continues eastwards
to that corner there.
That's the Ain el-Helweh refugee camp.
What's that down there?
That's a cemetery for the
Palestinians who live in the camp.
But due to the large number of deaths,
they created a new
cemetery closer to the camp.
Mahdi, get a shot of those
buildings. Film that mosque.
I can't hold it steady, Dad.
These roads are terrible.
SPECIAL CARD FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES
NAME: MAHDI FLEIFEL
RESIDENCE: AIN AL-HILWEH
-Hello.
-ID cards, please.
-Which one of you is Mahdi?
-I am Mahdi.
Is this your ID? What model is it?
-Huh? What the model of it is?
-What kind of ID is it?
-Which year?
-It was issued in 1983.
It's a regular ID card.
-What's the camera for?
-Filming.
Okay, step out of the car.
Step out of the car.
A guy was killed in there.
When?
A while back. He was stabbed.
They ripped his guts
open and left him here.
Why? What did he do?
He worked for the Israelis.
-Did you know him?
-Sure.
DUBAI SPRING 1985
Just make sure you get it to focus.
Stand over here.
This place got hit by two
rockets. Can you see that?
May God be with you.
Film this.
This is standard and this is not.
A WORLD NOT OURS
That's enough, now! Enough, I said!
I'll smack you right in the
face! I've had enough of you.
Get out of here, you little shit!
You little son of a bitch.
Get the hell out of here!
Can't we get some peace around here?
-Excuse us, old man.
-Stop it already.
What do you think this is?
Squash that one. Get the one by the
door. Just step on him. Squash him, man.
Stop filming and stomp on him!
Are you afraid of a cockroach?
-No, but--
-But what?
I just don't want to kill him.
Are you filming a cockroach?
I swear, you foreigners are crazy.
-You said it.
-Where's the coffee?
Look, he's filming us right now.
-Cut it out!
-Ah, man.
Come on, son. That's enough now.
He wants to show this to
people in the West, you know.
I'm against the whole idea.
It's hot in Denmark too? You're kidding.
Just like here.
I swear, it's 28 degrees in
the shade. It's just too much.
Hello there.
We will never forget our land,
son. It's our forefathers' land.
And one day we shall return there
with God's help and through hard work.
We will return, God willing.
God bless you. Take care of
your dad and all good people.
Walk only the righteous path
and you will never go astray.
-May God be with you, my dear.
-Bye.
PALESTINE WORLD IN FILM
For one lira, one lira.
How's it going?
Germany or Argentina?
Mahdi, you're a Brazilian!
-Say Germany.
-Germany!
The Germans are the best!
Say no to Brazil!
-We lost, lady.
-Good for you.
You supported Germany? Loser.
-Cut that out!
-Brazil lost.
I don't give a shit!
If you don't stop, I'll come up there!
in a casual position.
German team strike early with this
Germany and the rest of the
West give their full support to Israel.
They're even helping Israel to
besiege and starve people in Gaza.
-So why cheer for those criminals?
-Come on. They just like football.
It's ridiculous. People are only
interested in stupid things these days.
As long as they just watch football.
Last time it ended in a bloodbath.
WORLD CUP 2006
-I will finish you off.
-Let go of me.
-Okay, introduce yourself.
-I'm going to need your shades.
-I need shades for this.
-You want to put them on? Why?
It's better that way.
Okay, go ahead.
What do you want to know? My name?
Tell me what happened last night.
Last night we were watching the
match between Italy and Germany.
-Who were you supporting?
-The Italian team.
The reason being that they once
dedicated the World Cup to us.
They dedicated the Cup to the PLO.
So I feel that it's my duty
to support a team like that.
When did that happen?
I think it was in 1982.
But I'm not entirely sure.
Time doesn't interest me.
I hate the thought of time passing.
That's why I don't wear a watch.
-So what's with the wristband?
-"Italia Forever."
That cut is a reminder.
What happened after the game?
I heard somebody got hurt.
There's a guy in the emergency
room with a brain injury.
It's a mess. He's still unconscious.
-But we'll win either way.
-How's that?
We were defending
ourselves. He started it.
What if the guy dies?
That's normal. No problem.
WORLD CUP FINAL 2006
I saw three rockets land right
over there and then they exploded.
Did you see that?
Abu Ali pointed and I saw them
drop. I just wish I could see the jet.
Ambulances have been busy
transporting the injured to hospitals.
Mahdi Fleifel is with his
family in South Lebanon.
The situation is getting worse by the day.
You never know where
the next bomb will strike.
ABU EYAD'S HOUSE 2009
Abu Eyad?
Hey, man.
Aren't you getting up?
Wanna go down to the river?
It's 2:00 p.m.
This is the music you brought me?
I love this song.
I'll show you the cave
where we practice shooting.
When we shoot in here, you
can't hear the gunshots outside.
How's it going?
Check out these hot beauty queens.
Look at those legs, Abu Eyad.
Gold, man! Gold!
What's that on your T-shirt?
-Is that Hebrew?
-Yeah.
-You working for the Jews now?
-Yeah, I am.
Don't move!
The people's court
hereby sentences you to
This gun is loaded! Death
by blowing your balls off.
-Is this Hebrew or what?
-Do you have a 3D camera?
He says the writing on this
T-shirt is written in Hebrew.
-It looks like Hebrew.
-It's not Hebrew. It's probably Chinese.
-What does it say in English?
-That's not English.
Abu Ali's son thinks that this
jersey belongs to an Israeli player.
The pineapples are just 1,000 lira.
-Where's the carrot juice stand?
-You mean Ahmed? He's over there.
Fresh watermelons!
Commander Abu Eyad! Good to see you.
Here.
I heard something about you.
-Was Maya your girlfriend?
-That was a long time ago.
So why did you leave her, my friend?
She's married now, you know.
-I went to her wedding.
-Really?
She loved you, you know.
But you're a womanizer, my
friend. Too much of a womanizer.
When you were still with Maya,
you also had other women in your life.
Or am I wrong?
Am I wrong?
Maybe back then, but not anymore.
Yeah, back then. That's what I meant.
There's no one in my life right now.
Are you saying I'm not part
of your life? I'm devastated.
You tell me--
So what's your daily routine?
I get up, I chill at the market
and then I hang out at the office.
Then I shower, go back to the
market and then I head right back here.
We smoke a couple of
rockets and just chill out.
Then we go out on patrols around the camp.
The football vibe
isn't like it used to be.
All the guys have left. The
whole atmosphere is gone.
It's not like the old days.
-Why are you sitting here all alone?
-We were just watching the game.
-When do we get paid?
-I'm not sure. Next few days maybe.
Between your heart and mine.
To hell with love, man.
-That's the one?
-That's it.
How am I supposed
to talk while I'm filming?
Hey, Abu Eyad! Film me holding this.
You left the country and came back.
And here I am. Nothing has changed.
Look at you.
The mask has fallen...
...be evident from nowhere.
May I have a Lord to worship. May I
Names teach me
Said!
-Who is it?
-Mahdi. Are you upstairs?
I'm in here.
I told her
-What are you doing today?
-Not a thing.
-Aren't you working today?
-I've got nothing on.
-Where do you wanna go?
-I'm going out on the street.
-Can I come along?
-Sure.
It's hot today.
I will break that gun, asshole.
Get rid of this gun. Put it away.
Give me the shampoo.
-What is this shampoo?
-How should I know? It's just shampoo.
-Now what, Uncle?
-We leave it to dry.
When did you arrive? How
long have you been here?
He's been here for two months now.
And you don't let me know?
I was joking, man. He
arrived two days ago.
-But you said two months ago.
-I was just joking.
-Well, I believed you.
-He believed me.
I could hear you talking to her.
-there are no photos of you.
-That's how I like it.
Film the bird.
Film it, man.
-What do you do with the cans?
-What do you mean?
-When you're done crushing them?
-I sell them.
-How are they sold?
-By the kilo.
-How much for a kilo? 1,000 lira?
-1,000. Yeah.
Have you been outside the camp?
Yesterday. And then I came straight back.
I went to work in Saida and
came straight back to the camp.
-Ever been out of the country?
-No.
Son of a bitch!
Fuck off, you son of a bitch!
-Is this my uncle right now?
-Son of bitch!
That little son of a bitch
was going to eat him.
Come close.
-What's on TV?
-Birds of Heaven.
-Is that a kids' show?
-For kids, yeah.
I never watch anything else.
Sometimes I watch Hezbollah's channel.
If there's a good movie with
Adel Imam in it, I'll watch it.
Your granddad keeps
pestering me to get married,
but I can barely support myself.
How can I get married
with the lousy work that I do?
I can't afford to get married. I
hardly make enough to feed myself.
All your granddad talks about is
getting the kids to send money.
"Just save up for it."
But how can I save up?
-Would you like to go abroad?
-Of course I want to.
But they're not helping me to leave
or get married or any goddamn thing.
Your uncles haven't done a
thing for me. Not one thing.
Promise me you'll show them this.
Make sure your uncles hear my
words. Make sure that they hear this.
Your uncle Mohammed has let me down twice.
Twice he said he'd get me out of here.
I paid a fortune to get a
passport, but I never got to use it.
Your uncles made a fool of me. They
never helped me leave or anything.
who came from
Jerusalem to occupied Jaffa.
These confrontations led
to the injury of 15 people.
And the reason, in their view, is
the desecration of Jewish places,
during the digging of the
foundations of the buildings in the town.
Palestine has really fucked us over, man.
This revolution has destroyed us. I
just want to fuck all those guys up.
I wish all the Palestinians would just
die and not a single one be left alive.
I wish Israel would just kill all of us.
I'm serious.
I mean it, and I don't give a fuck.
Let the whole world see this film.
It's the truth.
They really fucked us over,
man. They've destroyed us.
-The Israelis?
-The Israelis?
No, we destroyed ourselves.
Our revolution's failed leaders.
They are thieves and corrupt.
They have destroyed us.
The coke heads, the stoners, the gamblers.
Who else?
When we were kids, they used to say,
"Arafat doesn't like the educated ones."
"He likes the wild ones."
And that had an impact on me.
"He likes the warriors, the tough
guys." That's what they used to tell us.
I don't want to go back to Palestine.
Mahdi, how are you? You've changed.
Hands up, idiot!
People don't like that!
-Long live Abu Ammar.
-Long live Palestine!
Okay, stand still.
-What's wrong?
-Quit joking around.
Don't you dare make fun
of me when I'm in uniform!
-But I just--
-Get the hell out of here!
Fuck it all! You think I give a shit?
-Go set yourself on fire.
-Why not? I'd be better off, I swear.
Why should he set himself on fire?
You call this a life? It's fucked up.
-I swear, man
-Hey, what can we do?
-Don't touch it.
-Let me see it. It's not made of gold.
-You pig. What's that for?
-For killing people.
-Do you stab or slash?
-Whatever.
You just say the word.
Jump on.
-Hello. Hey, guys.
-Hey, Abu Eyad.
-Are we going through the alley?
-Sure. Alleys are the best.
They're great for shortcuts.
Our love is lost
My heart's love is gone
Oh, Mahdi.
-Why are you laughing?
-How should I know?
It's just all this
Forget it.
Tell me that story.
That time I was jailed?
Now, that's a fucked-up story, man.
-How old were you?
-I guess I was around 14.
They threw us into a cell
and took our clothes off
and then electricity.
They used electrical cables,
like the ones for a stereo.
They stripped off the coating at both ends
and attached the wire
to both wrists using tape.
Then they threw water on us.
He would just do this with the wire.
Every time he did that, you'd get zapped.
I swear, I could tell you some shit.
When I tell this story to the
guys, they think I'm making it up.
Only the guy I was in prison with
and my brother Walid believe me.
Why were you arrested?
They accused us of being agents of Arafat.
When Arafat signed the peace
deal, they accused him of treason.
They said he had sold out Palestine
and the whole cause and so on.
They still believed in the
struggle to liberate Palestine
and all that stuff.
-Hi, guys.
-Abu Eyad.
You're the man!
-Hello, fellas. My brothers.
-How are you? Everything cool?
Mahdi, make sure you
film this. Show him the gun.
Fuck these weapons
and fuck the revolution.
As I was saying, my friend
Harbe, put your gun away.
I swear I'll shoot myself. Give
me $5,000 or I'll blow my head off.
Just do the honorable
thing and shoot yourself.
-What's that for?
-A lamp for the chicks.
-Is that really necessary?
-It gets cold at night.
They're young.
A lamp to keep the chicks warm?
How much did you pay for that?
-Forty thousand.
-Forty? I'll bet you paid sixty.
-So what now?
-Nothing.
I'm just cleaning up
and then I'm going out.
-A good day to you.
-And to you, my dear.
Film that guy. Film him!
Don't listen to him. The man is a fool.
-Come on, Said. Do that thing.
-Did you see that?
THE FATHERSAID TO HIM, "GO LOOK
FOR YOUR BROTHER INSTEAD OF PLAYING."
A MAN APPROACHED THE CHILDREN AND SAID,
"BE OFF. THE ISRAELI TROOPS ARE COMING."
HE DYED THE TOY AND PLAYED WITH IT,
AND FOUND IT USEFUL FOR REALIZING HIS IDEA
How do you expect us to
dance? There's no room.
And it's way too hot.
-I got you in a white dress, my darling.
-Check out the lady.
Mona looked out of the
window and said, "Oh, Father."
Let's all go together.
Smile, you're on camera.
You're supposed to be happy.
Come on, Bassam.
God is the greatest.
-Abu Eyad!
-I'm upstairs.
-Hi, Mahdi.
-What's up?
You've got to see this.
I found the lyrics for the
old revolutionary songs.
The voice of my suffering
And yearning is growing
I became a bullet, A slap
in the face of every traitor
Is that really "bizing" here?
-It's "biting."
-"Biting"?
I got the pronunciation all wrong.
What are you doing?
I'm trying to figure out what to
keep and what to throw away.
What to keep and what to get rid of.
What's this?
"Political statement from Fatah's
central committee, blah, blah"
Fuck them.
Why do you think they
still have offices here?
Because of the money.
It's about the money.
-What do you mean?
-It's all about the money.
So they can keep sending them money.
If they close the offices, then there's
no reason for Fatah to send money.
And how are Fatah's supporters
supposed to survive if they don't?
What about the veterans, the old fighters?
They gave their whole lives
to the revolution and all that.
How are they supposed to survive?
By taking it up the ass for money?
Someone needs to pay
them. You know what I mean?
Why are you moving, Abu Eyad?
I need to leave this house.
I can rent it out and help my parents.
A hundred dollars isn't bad.
It's Ghassan Kanafani's
book, A World Not Ours.
CHILDREN'S TESTIMONY IN WARTIME
Welcome, welcome.
Welcome! How good to see you.
-Welcome, welcome.
-How are you, Uncle?
Resistance Movement as an approach,
culture, value, behavior and morality.
-There are persons who
-This is your photo.
Here's Hibhib.
And here's Sahlab and Hadi.
She's so sweet. What a great smile.
Here are all the stupid
Palestine pictures.
-Your father would love to see those.
-He'll go crazy! "The baby! The baby!"
Dad! I've got the perfect
picture for you right here.
Who's this?
Is that the baby? Where did you find this?
-I've been looking after it.
-Take care of it.
-That baby is your cousin.
-She lives in Palestine.
Yes, that's right.
Do you know how Israel's
back will be broken?
It would have to be a
scenario of total destruction.
They wouldn't be able to withstand
it. Four targets would be destroyed.
West Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel
Aviv, and all of their nuclear sites.
Israel could never
withstand such an attack.
-How would the Americans accomplish that?
-With missiles.
The US could take out
their nuclear sites, son.
That's the only way.
Israel can't really use those
weapons. We're too close to them.
If they bombed South Lebanon,
it would all blow back in their face.
Syria? The wind would
blow it right back at them.
The same with Gaza and Egypt.
-They've got tactical bombs.
-So what? It's the wind that decides.
They wouldn't dare do anything, son.
But the Jews have
demonstrated their power.
Not like that son of a bitch Mahmoud
Abbas handing over his papers.
Handing over all of his documents.
And then he makes a CIA agent
the head of police in Ramallah.
Shame on him.
So the next war would
be the end of Israel?
Absolutely. I'm 100% sure of it.
Bon appetite.
I'm going over to Said.
-Want to come with me?
-No.
Tell me about Jamal.
Jamal?
What can I say? Jamal's blood was boiling.
I don't know what to tell you.
God bless his soul. He's gone now.
-Were you close?
-Of course. He was my brother.
We had some great times.
We used to work together.
We had some great times working together.
-How many years were there between you?
-Just a year's difference. That's all.
He was only one year older than me.
We built this house together.
Just the two of us, without any
money or help from anybody.
It was just the two of us.
I visited him at the hospital
every day after work.
Every single day.
He really suffered.
He was in the hospital
for a year and four months.
-Did you cry?
-He was my brother. What do you think?
I cry every time I think about him.
He was my brother. Of course I cry.
-Do you still think about him?
-Of course. I will never forget him.
-What's this?
-Just a bunch of graves.
The graves of the martyrs, people
who fought and died for Palestine.
Anis Khader. He was my friend.
He was killed in 2004.
THE MARTYR ANIS TAREK KHADER.
DIED AS A MARTYR ON 29 SEP, 2004.
His brother is buried here too.
Who talks behind his back?
His ally. And who is that?
The ambassador, Sabir.
Let me tell you something.
Sabir's politics are messed up
I hate those Islamist Jund al-Sham guys.
I'm just waiting for the right
moment before I fucking strike back.
And believe me, they will pay.
There's still bad blood between us.
Look at that guy.
It's as if he's asleep.
I want to go on a mission
and blow myself up, man.
I bet most of the guys who blew
themselves up felt the same way I do.
No future, no work, no education
nothing.
I'm convinced that's the reason
why they blew themselves up.
They just used Palestine as
an excuse to end their lives.
The generation of victory.
JERUSALEM 1997
We are traveling to Saffuriya.
Look, Mom! Just look at this.
Look, look!
-Come on. This is really boring.
-It's for my parents, you know.
-So who's buried here?
-David Ben-Gurion.
Leader of the Zionist
movement in Palestine.
DAVID BEN-GURION
This is your grandmother's
grave, may she rest in peace.
This is it. "Salima Mohammed Abu Salem."
"Born in 1936 in Saffuriya, Palestine."
"Died August 24th, 2008."
-Hi!
-Welcome.
-How are you?
-God bless you, son.
-Where's Grandma?
-Is that you?
-Just give me a second to put my scarf on.
-All right, hold your horses.
If we end up going to
Europe, we'll choose Denmark.
If we ever go, we'd have
to put wheels on the house
and pull it all the way to Denmark.
It's my life's work.
If I leave it behind, people
might rob it or mess with it.
Well, give thanks to God then.
I don't know if I'll ever
see my children again.
Only God knows how
much time I've got left.
Let me take a picture of
the two of you together.
That's it. It's much nicer that way.
-Got it?
-Yeah.
-I never look good on video.
-Sure you do. You're the prettiest.
No, I'm not. I'm old and all worn out.
What did he say?
They said they found
someone else for the job.
So I handed in my Fatah
ID, quit and left the place.
-Just like that? No way!
-I swear.
Why did you hand in your ID?
Screw those motherfuckers, man.
-But the ID
-I don't need it.
-He can't just take your ID.
-I don't give a shit.
We'll go to the military leadership.
Hey, man. What's up? Fuck you!
-Don't tell that guy anything.
-That motherfucker!
Fuck Palestine and all that shit.
Okay, sweetie.
If I was you, I'd go down there
right now and set things straight.
I telling you this as a friend, man.
Go down there right now and insist on it.
Forget it, man. I quit Fatah. It's over.
-We need to get his ID back.
-I don't want it.
Forget it. Give Bilal the assignment.
Are you thinking of leaving Lebanon?
Where would I go if I leave this place?
Where would I go?
Nothing is ever easy in our
lives. Everything has to be hard.
I was born in this fucking
country, but they treat us like shit.
It's despicable, man.
We're not allowed to work here,
not even if you have a college degree.
Can you imagine how that feels?
Have you ever heard of
anything so despicable?
And they say it's a democracy!
What the hell are they talking about?
-What's that?
-Get lost.
Come on in.
Not you. Get lost!
Come on in, Mahdi.
Eight.
Nine.
Ten.
Eleven and twelve
Come on, Said. I need
a shot of you looking up.
-Up where?
-At the flying pigeons.
-What for?
-It's for the film.
-I guess I lost my touch.
-No, do it again.
I've forgotten how.
Nope. Can't do it anymore.
Shame on you kids!
You should be ashamed!
I'm having a nervous breakdown here.
What's wrong with you?
Get out of here, all of you!
Get the hell out of here, the lot of you!
It wasn't me! Don't touch me.
-Let me be--
-May God never let you be!
Take it easy. Did you see the doctor?
I told you already. I'm
sick. I feel miserable.
Those damn kids are driving
me nuts with that football.
And you just stand there and film them!
-Where were you?
-At the doctor's.
What's wrong? What did he say?
I'm not feeling well,
son. I'm falling apart.
Isn't that obvious?
-What's wrong?
-I've got nothing more to say.
-Did the doctor say you're okay?
-Leave me alone.
He gave me medicine. What
does it look like I'm doing?
Did you tell your parents?
No, and promise not to
tell anyone. Swear on it.
Everybody thinks that I'm
going to the Bekaa to work.
Let them think I'm in the Bekaa
until I'm good and ready to call
them and let them know where I am.
-How will you get there?
-I'll cross the border into Syria.
Then travel with smugglers
from Syria to Turkey.
Then I'll go from Turkey to
Greece via one of the islands.
It'll be a crazy adventure. A
once-in-a-lifetime experience.
-How will you make it?
-I'll make it. Don't worry about me.
You got out of here and now you
have a comfortable life in England.
Should I keep pretending that
everything is fine and stay in this place?
I'd kill myself, man.
I'm suffocating here.
But why so suddenly? I don't get it.
Listen, Mahdi. We are refugees.
We don't have a country of our own.
If this was our country, I could put up
with it and make a life for myself here.
I could work for the police or the army.
But fuck, man, we're nothing here.
We're just refugees
with no country, no land.
Go liberate Palestine from the
Israelis if that's what you want to do.
You expect me to do that?
How's it going?
Fuck you.
-Who's that?
-Some motherfucker.
Fuck this country, man.
It's a fucked-up country.
They don't deserve a damn.
Not even your film.
See ya.
Oi!
-So long!
-Give me a call before you leave.
Abu Eyad.
-Just one, Granddad.
-What? That's not near enough.
-That's way too much.
-No, that's not enough.
I'll add some milk. It
tastes better that way.
I've got powdered milk.
-That's plenty, thanks.
-How can this be too much, son?
Tell me if it's not sweet enough.
Praise God.
Is it sweet enough for you?
It's very sweet.
You're even sweeter.
-Oh, God
-I'll miss you, Granddad.
God bless you. Are you
leaving at 7:00 or at 8:00?
-At 8:00.
-Not later.
Said.
-Said?
-What do you want?
Are you up yet? It's almost 8:00.
-Did you oversleep?
-Get lost!
My goodness.
What's that all about? Mahdi
is leaving. Come on over.
I'm on my way.
-Is Mahdi with you?
-Yes, he's here.
Mahdi is right here.
May God bless all of us.
-What was that?
-He said, "Get lost."
That's just the way he is.
May God bless
-Granddad says you overslept.
-Yeah.
-Well, so long then.
-Goodbye, son. Safe journey.
-Yeah, get lost.
-Goodbye, Said.
Give us a kiss.
Bye, Granddad. Hope to see you again soon.
-You two take care of each other, now.
-He should be taking care of me!
-Goodbye, everybody.
-Bye.
And switch that damn camera off!
You've been filming
ever since you got here.
-Goodbye, Grandfather.
-Goodbye.
-Bye.
-Goodbye.
GOD IS THE GREATES-Hello.
-Hello? Abu Eyad?
Yeah.
-It's Mahdi.
-Mahdi. How are you?
-See you in Ain el-Helweh.
-God willing.
Safe journey, my friend.
Yeah.
So what now, Abu Eyad?
Abu Eyad, what now?
TWO DAYS LATER, THE GREEK AUTHORITIES
PUT ABU EYAD ON A FLIGHT TO LEBANON.
HE IS NOW BACK IN AIN EL-HELWEH.