Lost Islands (2008) Movie Script

Come give me a hand.
Let me do it.
Lift it up.
Wait... no...
A bit more.
Don't move.
Erez, I'm out of toilet paper!
Opher, "Lost Islands" is starting!
I'm out of toilet paper!
Erez, don't sit there.
- What did I do?
Your brother
needs toilet paper.
I'll miss the episode.
You've already seen it.
He never takes toilet paper.
For God's sake,
he's your twin brother.
- Kfar Saba, 1980 -
My mother has always wanted me
to look out for my brother,
Opher.
She said he was born weak
and almost died.
Maybe that's why she wanted
me to look out for him.
Thanks, slave.
Every summer vacation we watched
the series "The Lost Islands."
Five regular kids on an island
whose natives were stuck in time.
"Lost Islands"
My Dad
didn't like the series.
You're addicted.
My Dad preferred to grow cacti.
He used to say that cacti
are like the Jews,
no matter how hard you try
to kill them, they survive.
You can always find them
on the street for free.
Why should we buy Begonias?
Michael Moshonov - Oshrey Cohen
Orley Zilbershatz Banai
Shmiel Ben Ari
Some day you'll talk about
the crappy car your father had
and you'll say,
"Our Dad was such a nut.
"He drove a dented car
with torn up seats."
Not like the beautiful car
we have today.
You will tell them,
and they won't believe you.
Dad, we don't believe it now.
Opher, you don't get rid of
an old car until it dies!!
What don't you understand?
- Avraham, this is heavy.
We won't be able
to get in this year.
Yes, we will.
Bend your leg!
- There's no room!
What's the problem?
Avraham, why are we stopping?
We're stuck, Sima.
- Oohhh...
Dad, what should
I tell my children now?
Erez, this is no time for jokes.
- I knew it.
Ido, we're all going to be murdered.
Duck down!
Mom, Opher is scaring me!
Stop it, Opher.
It's probably the electricity.
David, get out and fix the wires.
It's not the electricity, Sima.
It's the petrol, we're out.
Why didn't you fill the tank?
Because I don't want to die
with a full tank.
I want to die with
an empty gas tank.
There goes the Seder. This is the
last time I'm going with you.
Next year
I'm going to Simha's parents.
Go! Go to that cow of yours.
If she had come with us,
we'd have to tie her to the roof.
Opher, shut your mouth!
Dad, what
are we going to do now?
Sima, give me the whiskey.
Come on, let's go.
This is an American car,
it was built using technology
from the Apollo 11.
It has parts from spacecrafts
that flew to the moon.
If you have a dream,
pursue it to the end,
then nothing can stop you.
Nothing.
Pay attention.
Now, everyone push. Together!
Wait.
- One more.
I know it's hard to believe,
but that's what the '80s
were like in Kfar Saba.
Cars ran on whiskey
and my father believed in dreams.
Each of us
had to have a dream.
David, my eldest brother,
was supposed to be an attorney.
Sima,
your son is crazy.
He told you
he wants to be a plumber?
You knew about this?
Sima,
it's an act of treason.
It'll pass in a month or two.
I really want to be a plumber.
- See?
He fell on his head once
and you didn't tell me?
Did someone hypnotize you?
Avraham, he's a good boy.
He looks after his brothers.
He supports himself.
Take your brother, Avner,
will be in combat units,
and he's a plumber.
True, his wife's a slut...
Gila is not a slut.
- Yes she is.
Erez, make Dad some coffee.
Opher's dream was to be in
an elite commando unit.
Why did you do that?
We're going to graduate soon,
Erez.
If we don't write in school
"Ricky Wagner is a bitch",
what does that say
about our generation?
You know you're an idiot?
Look at these heros.
"Memorial wall"
All the commandos
broke into the school.
Now they're here.
Good night!
- Where are you going?
Erez, Erez, stop!
This is my trophy. I won it.
It should be in our living room,
not here.
I'm tired of your nonsense.
- Erez!
Why do you always leave
just when the fun begins?
I didn't win this,
but it will look good in my room.
Idiot! Do you think that you'll
get into the elite commando unit
with a police record?
Do you think they need
criminals like you?
From now on, you must think,
sleep and dream only of that.
A person who has no dream
is better off dead.
Take this and return it
to the school, right now.
Dad, I won't return it.
I won it.
What?
- I don't believe it...
David, shut up.
I still don't understand how you
left your brother behind.
What kind of brother are you?
Me?!
I told him to come with me.
Erez, a family is like a hand.
Each finger is easily broken,
but if you stick together,
you're invincible.
Opher stole it
and you're blaming me?!
Erez, Mom's right.
I called you
and you didn't answer.
That was wrong of you.
Then that huge guy caught me
and choked me and I couldn't breath.
I don't want to talk about it.
It's not funny.
I always dreamed
of making films.
Every time a new film
was shown in the theater
it was like
an invitation to Cinderella's ball.
Our house looked like
Cinderella's before the ball.
My brothers and I
were on cloud nine.
We lived for the cinema.
Simha! What's wrong with you?
Did you iron my shirt?
- Here it is.
Thanks, Mom.
- What about my shirt?
I didn't have time.
Can you do it yourself?
I want to sit with Gila.
Erez, I'll iron it for you.
Can't he do it himself?
Don't you know
who irons best in this house?
Erez, You're very independant.
If you ask me,
you'll be the first one
to fall in love and get married.
Me?!
- Yes.
You're like your mother.
You are a one-Iove man.
Listen to your father, David.
You're absolutely right,
Avraham.
Simha, enough.
You're sucking my blood.
I only married Gila because
her mother was sick.
She came to me
and said, "Avner,
my mother is dying and I want her
to see my wedding."
And now, twenty years later,
why isn't your mother dead, Gila?
Listen, she heard that jogging
is healthy.
She's 76 years old
and training to run a marathon.
Don't get married.
Pass me the peanuts.
With a family like this,
you'll never get married.
I'm on a verge of a new career,
I have to build my reputation.
As a plumber?
So, it's not good enough
for you either? - No, No, No.
Anything you choose is good enough.
Just, choose already.
I am so horny!
I need a car.
I'm 17.5
and I haven't done it yet.
Not everyone
who's fucked your mother has a car.
What about the fling you had
with the sheep on the class trip?
Do animals count?
- Of course!
Hey, Watch out.
I got in first!
Did you see the new girl?
Her name is Neta.
She's mine.
I called it first. - Okay.
She's off limits, Erez.
She'll be my wife.
How do you know her name?
I got the speed & good looks,
you got the deep thoughts.
I've already masturbated
thinking about her.
Can I trust you?
- Of course.
Because we were twins,
we were always forced to share.
But we had an agreement.
Whoever called it first, won.
Opher said he saw her first.
There was nothing I could do.
Neta was the daughter
of Israel's ambassador to Iran.
They returned to Israel
just before Khomeini's revolution.
She had perfume called "Poison"
that no one else knew.
Her shirts were from Benetton,
and her jeans were Levi's.
We all fell in love with her.
It wasn't only me
and Grandma and Opher.
It was everybody.
I was sure she would
fall for Opher instantly.
Have you talked to her?
I know everything about her.
Did you call her?
I'll call her
as soon as they get a line.
The current waiting period
for a line is about 12 years.
Go talk to her!
Spread this chocolate on her.
What would I say?
- Anything will do.
Tell her, "You are so beautiful that
you make butterflies feel awkward."
You are such an idiot
it's embarrassing.
If we were in a plane, only your
oxygen mask would drop.
"You are so beautiful that you make
butterflies feel awkward."
Stop it. - What are you doing,
you butterfly?
Hi.
I'm Neta.
What's your name?
- What?
What is your name?
- Boaz, my name is Boaz.
But my friends call me Grandma.
- Okay, Grandma.
I went to an American school.
I don't understand
anything here.
So I thought that maybe I could
borrow your notebook.
No problem. That's fine.
I'll give it to you
in the next break. - Great.
Thank you, Grandma.
- You're welcome, Neta.
Erez, I need your notebook.
Opher, I need your condoms.
Because Grandma is
going to fuck.
Grandma, I told you
she's going to be my wife.
Opher, At my
current level of horniness
I would sleep with your sister
and your wife in the same bed.
I've had such a long dry spell
that sometimes when I masturbate
I fantasize about other times
I've masturbated.
Really. Look, here's Ms. Melikson.
I have a hard on.
Good Morning, Ms. Melikson.
Grandma had been our best friend
since we were seven years old.
He would steal his father's
porn film every Friday evening.
He always made us laugh.
But I always thought
he was the saddest guy in the world.
When I grow up
I'll make movies.
Porn?
- Not porn, you idiot.
What do you know about
filmmaking?
My brother will
make excellent movies.
He's good at bullshitting.
At least I am not full of shit.
What's the matter?
What's going on, Dad?
- You tell me.
What did I do?
- Did you take the tape?
No, I didn't.
- You're a pervert!
Dad, Dad.
- You're a pervert.
Dad, stop it.
If it's your film,
why am I the pervert?
You're a loser.
I'm not a loser, Dad.
You won't
even be a street cleaner.
I'll be a race car driver.
I'll drive in Formula One.
It's your film,
so how come I'm the loser, Dad?
Dad, what are you doing?
Taking Layka to the same place
I took your bicycle.
Two years earlier,
Grandma's Dad took his bicycle
and threw it into the river.
I saw your math notebook.
It's filled with
drawings of naked girls.
Dad, please.
Layka, Layka!
Layka!
That was the last time
we saw Layka.
You never liked
walking that dog anyway.
Shut up!
- What?
Didn't you see
how his father spoke to him?
Who cares
what his father thinks?
Next year he'll be a soldier.
That dog was the only one
I could count on in my family.
That very day,
Grandma decided to take revenge.
And he did it
in the best way possible.
He went to his fathers stash
and fulfilled his dream.
He had always wanted
to drive a Mercedes.
Yes! Yes!
All right!
Hey, what do you say?!
Grandma's wheels.
It looks like a refrigerator.
- Where did you get the money?
Start it up.
- Later.
Come on, start it.
Later.
You have to push to start it.
So, what do you think?
Do you know that the commando
can hide in an ordinary street?
They can?
- Yeah, sure.
A commando could be standing behind
that electricity box right now.
Why are you
going to a combat unit?
Now there's
a peace treaty with Egypt.
Begin and Sharon
will never give Sinai back.
They're both nuts,
just like our mother.
And then we'll die
before we fuck. Shame.
Let's get a whore
and share her and get it over with.
I'm not a virgin, Grandma.
- I don't go to whores, Grandma.
Look what I installed.
That will make her strip.
I'd screw her in a second.
Here she is.
Look at her.
She is really hot.
Her father is probably trying
to convince her to take some money.
He's saying, "Neta, take
some money, buy yourself a dress."
And she replies,
"I don't need money.
"I need Grandma to screw me.
"I want him
to screw me right here.
Then the father says,
"No, you won't screw Grandma.
"But I want
Grandma to screw me."
"Not on the new carpet!"
- "But I want to, I must!"
She can't see us.
If we're in the shade and she's
in the sun. The reflection hides us.
How may we
help a pretty girl like you?
Since you're spying on me like
a bunch of perverts...
Just happened to pass here.
- Sure.
I need a ride.
No problem. Enter the fridge.
Thank you all.
"I want Grandma."
- "No, you won't sleep with Grandma."
Where were you planning to go?
To a movie.
- To Tel Aviv.
Make up your minds.
Grandma wanted
to screw a whore
and we thought we'd watch.
Really?
Sounds great. Shall we go?
You heard the lady.
Drive!
Say, are you a virgin?
- What?
I won't answer that question.
- Why not?
She doesn't want to label herself.
- Nice, you're learning.
Are you afraid to tell us?
- No. I'm not afraid of the truth.
I'm not a virgin, okay?
How many boys
have you been with?
I don't know.
The night is young.
Sorry.
What was it like in Iran?
Better than here?
How could it be better?
They're all Iranians.
Do you know that Iranians are...
What?
- We apologize.
The only thing slower
than Grandma's car is his brain.
It was wonderful in Iran.
The Americans brought
Broadway Shows.
What about movies?
Did you see movies?
Of course. I love movies.
Did you see "Raging Bull"?
- No, what's that?
It's about a boxer who wants to kill
his brother because of jealousy.
No, I prefer romantic films.
Boy meets girl, they fall in love
and kiss in the moonlight.
I like characters who always tell
the truth, like in the old films.
Grandma is a virgin.
That's another truth.
Grandma masturbates so much
that a genie came out
and granted him three wishes.
Are you virgins?
I don't want to label myself.
- In other words, you're a virgin.
Opher?
I've been with three girls.
And since, the night is young,
I also included
you in the count.
Grandma, isn't that your mother?
- No, she only works mornings.
You jerk!
Hello.
- Hello.
How's it going?
Did my mother send you to see
how I am? Keep moving.
How much for a ride?
Ask her for a discount.
- Is there a discount for soldiers?
Do I look like the army canteen?
Do you accept checks?
Go!
- You faggot! If I'd wanted a dick,
I would have jerked off myself!
This is really not a good time
to stop.
Grandma,
an ugly man-whore is on his way.
Grandma, It's not his fault. He
was born a woman in a man's body.
That man
is as mad as a woman.
You wanted a dick,
and you're gonna get one.
Abandon the fridge!
Riki! Riki!
Riki!!
Are you all right?
- Yes, I'll be fine in a second.
Thanks.
- For what?
I think
you saved my life back there.
You think so? That's great.
I'm free to save lives
on Mondays and Thursdays.
What should we do?
I don't know, it's late.
Yes.
It's cold.
- Are you cold? Take this.
Thank you.
Do you have a girlfriend?
Nope.
Do you have a boyfriend?
I do have someone,
but he's in the U.S.
He was my boyfriend in Iran.
Come on, Erez.
Do you miss your boyfriend?
- Sometimes.
Do you want to hug me?
- What?
Nothing.
I want to, but I can't.
- Why not?
Because Opher saw you first
so I can't make any move.
You are a complete moron.
- What?
Did you divide me up between you?
What am I, a prize?
You don't have to be with him.
Although he is a great guy.
Really, and I'm not just saying it
because he's my twin.
It's 1981, not the 16th century.
And if I want you...
Do you want me?
- You're here now.
I can do whatever I want
with whomever I want.
That's a problem.
- Why?
How can you trust a girl
who says something like that?
I get you, Erez.
- What do you get?
You are a coward.
I believe in absolute loyalty
when it comes to family.
Everyone cheats
when it suits them.
My parents don't cheat.
I think it's inevitable.
I think that in every relationship
you end up hating each other.
But don't worry, it won't be that way
between Opher and me.
Really?
- Yes,
because I already hate him,
even before we've started.
We can walk from here to Tel Aviv.
- What will we do there?
My father works there.
We can take some money from him
and take a bus home.
Neta.
This is our car.
What's this
jungle in the back?
My father collects cacti.
Come on.
Is that your father?
Erez, wait a second.
He's a useless loser.
Maybe it's not what you think.
- Not what I think?
His hand was on her breast.
That's his secertary.
Calm down.
Let's go up.
We'll get money for the bus.
I don't want his money.
Do you know
what a good woman my mother is?
You're not going
to say anything to him?
Erez! Erez!
It's just like I said before,
you're a coward.
I'm sure that if Opher were here,
he would behave like a real man.
Why did you do that?
I meant talk to him,
not ruin his car.
Stop it, Erez.
My aunt works not far from here.
Let's go get
some money from her.
Opher, can you stop that?
- Sorry.
I don't understand
why Dad is so late.
We should try
calling him again.
Why?
He's been held up.
Do you think he's like you,
sleeping all night on the beach.
Maybe that's him.
Move your feet.
Hi, Gila.
What are you doing here?
I was at work.
I didn't want to call.
Avraham was in a car accident.
He was hurt and is in hospital.
Sima, do you understand?
How is he, Gila?
He's in surgery.
I'm so sorry.
I didn't want them
to notify you by phone.
We have to go to the hospital.
I know what I'll do.
I'll make sandwiches.
For the children.
Opher,
I'll help you with the little one.
Put his shoes on.
Come on.
Wow, what a mess.
- David, enough!
That is not helpful. Calm down.
Erez, get the bag
from my room.
Ido, stop, it's okay.
Ido, come here to me.
- Get his sweater.
Mom,
forget the sandwiches.
Put them in a bag.
Let's go.
Erez, come on!
No, no, no. No.
Hello, Simha?
It's David.
What's up?
Listen,
my father was in a car accident.
He's in hospital.
No, you don't have to come.
Don't come...
But you're not my wife!
Don't get all insulted.
This it is not a sign that we should
get married, Simha! So don't come!
Listen, sit.
The good news is that he will live,
the bad news is that he will sit.
What do you mean?
He broke two vertebrae.
His spine cord is broken.
His legs won't work.
He won't feel anything.
He won't be able to walk.
The artery in his back was blocked
and caused a hemorrhage.
Sometimes when a pipe is clogged
the problem is not the clot itself.
David, do you want
to help the doctors
free the clot with a toilet stick?
So let me continue.
The question is if the arm will also
be paralyzed. They don't know.
Opher, stop.
It is all nonsense.
Your father is a strong man
he may have some difficulty walking,
but your father will walk.
When he was little he had hepatitis
everyone said he would die,
but he overcame it.
Don't believe the doctors!
I brought sandwiches.
Who wants avocado?
Ido, cheese or avocado?
What's going on, Erez?
- What?
Are you okay?
- Sure.
Listen, I need you to help me.
David is in shock, Mom...
Noam and Ido are little.
We've always split the mess.
Say, did they say anything
about what caused the accident?
What difference does it make,
Erez?
The main thing is Dad.
How are you, Gila?
- Hi, Avraham.
How are you, Avner?
- Great, thanks. How are you?
The accident was three months ago.
You don't have to come every day.
Look at that!
I can't believe they're giving up
the Sinai. Unbelievable!
Begin is a traitor.
Look at the way the protestors
let the soldiers
drag them like sacks of potatoes.
Dad.
- Yes, David.
What would you think
of me marrying Simha? - Big mistake.
Are you proposing
your marriage to Simha to me?
Yes. It would make you happy,
wouldn't it?
Anything that showed me
you had stopped being stupid
would make me happy.
Good.
I'll propose tomorrow.
Are you serious, David?
- Yes.
Call her now!
- I can't call between 2:00 and 4:00.
So what? Call.
It's an emergency.
Next year, a firstborn son!
You got caught in the net.
The line is dead.
- No, it isn't.
Hello, may I speak with Simha?
Hello, Simha, It's me, David.
What's up?
Good.
How was kindergarten today?
Listen, when you come over,
don't forget to bring me my bag.
Okay, and Simha...
I think we should get married.
She said, "Yes".
We'll think and set a date.
No, the World Cup football
tournament is this summer.
He's right.
- What do you mean, he's right?
But the guests won't come.
It makes sense.
- Talk to her.
So we'll get married
next winter.
Me, too.
I can't say it
because everyone is here.
Simha, everyone is here...
That's just the way I am!
David!
What are we celebrating?
- David is getting married.
Two summers from now.
- Congratulations, David.
Come on, it's only Simha...
Will you stay with me tonight,
Erez?
Can you help me water the garden?
Okay.
- Great.
What's the problem?
- Nothing, there's a party tonight.
That's fine. You can go.
Can't you stay home
for five minutes?
I'm here all the time.
But I wasn't.
I fled the house whenever I could.
Dad was fired a few weeks later.
He was a legless 55-year-old man
with no dreams,
who did the one thing
he used to despise most.
Opher even began
to water his plants for him.
He wouldn't let us sell his car.
He said you cannot sell a car
made with parts
from the Apollo 11 spacecraft.
It stood there waiting for the day
his legs would start working again.
Hey, Opher, Erez!
- Hi, man!
Did you dress up as Hitler?
Erez, come here one second.
How are you doing?
- Okay.
Do you want to dance with me?
- Maybe later.
Maybe later I'll be busy.
- Why are you so sure I want you?
You have a boyfriend in the U.S.,
don't you? Are you a cheat now, too?
Ever since my father was injured
I've had to be tough.
I've had to carry
everyone through.
You know what's lucky, though?
That my parents love each other.
They don't lie to each other.
Don't you think your father
could cheat on your mother?
Any man would cheat on his wife
if my father was on a desert island
and a spacecraft landed,
bringing a great looking alien,
he would have to sleep with her.
A woman would refuse,
and an intergalactic war would begin.
Have you
ever thought about that?
About what,
sleeping with an alien?
That maybe your parents cheat.
If they did, they wouldn't miss the
chance to tell each other about it.
Do you know
what I just realized?
She's crazy about me.
She's doing all of this
just to make me jealous.
Neta,
from the first moment I saw you
I haven't stopped thinking
about you.
I eat, drink, walk, sleep,
jump, skip Neta.
You are so beautiful that you
make butterflies feel awkward.
Really?
- Yes.
They're kissing.
They're kissing.
I'm going to masturbate
thinking about her tonight.
Grandma, let's go.
- What?
Just when it's getting
interesting?
Did you hear something?
- What? I don't see anything.
And I have perfect night vision.
Erez! Erez!
Listen, I think you should leave.
- What? Why?
I have a boyfriend.
- Where? - In the U.S.
That's on the other side
of the globe. He's probably asleep.
If you really want to know,
I don't care.
But I think he would.
You can be his in America
and mine here in Israel.
He'll have
a problem with that.
I'll also give him China
and the USSR.
You know what?
I don't mind cheating
but I won't have sex with you. Okay?
Okay.
- Aren't you sorry?
Sorry? I'm glad
we're not sleeping together.
I have a dog named Dingo,
I'll sleep with him.
He's very free with his body.
No matter,
I'll stay a virgin for another day.
You're a virgin?
You never did it?
Not really...
Once I dreamt that I slept
with Nili Segal so I counted her.
I've never been with a virgin.
Is that a problem for your
resume?
No one
ever forgets his first time.
Except for Alzheimer patients.
Will you shut up?
- Okay.
Do you want to do it or not?
- I do, I do.
How does it feel the first time?
- Very nice.
It's the best feeling in the world.
- I know.
I'm going
to the tattoo guy in Tel Aviv
and make a picture
of your brother on my ass.
It was incredible, incredible!
The way he softened her up!
Poor Erez is falling apart,
because his father is sick, and...
Shut your mouth, Grandma!
Shut up!!
Relax, I was just kidding.
Screw you!
You're taking the costume
too seriously.
Three months later...
What's wrong with you?
What? Nothing.
- Keep eating.
What about you, Erez?
- What?
When will you find a woman
who'll iron your clothes?
Mom won't do it forever.
Mom never did it.
You always ironed my clothes.
I've been watching you recently,
and you never look me in the eye.
Why do you say that?
This is not anybody's fault.
It's just life.
I was in an accident.
You must learn to accept that.
Mom, Dad,
I have to tell you something.
I got a girl pregnant.
- Simha?
No, not Simha.
- Then who?
What difference does it make?
You got a girl pregnant
and it doesn't matter who she is?
Dad, what do you say?
That I'm tired and going to bed.
Dad, I need your help.
Should I go back in time,
get your "thing" out of her "thing"
and tell you, you're
knocking someone up?
Dad, what should I do?
Have an abortion.
- I don't think I can.
So, who did you get pregnant?
Michal Mizrahi.
Our neighbor?
She's 17.
- She turned 18 two weeks ago.
How did this happen?
Mom, David is a plumber.
He's used to sticking his pipe
into holes. - Stop it, Opher.
How was she?
- She's 10!
I think
I'm in love with her.
I want to marry her, Dad.
Don't even think about it.
- Why?
You promised Simha
you would marry her!
Promised? They're just dating.
We were at her parents' house,
we shook hands.
If he promised, how did he
get Michal Mizrahi pregnant?
I can't just throw
Michal to the dogs.
Her father has a gun.
He once shot a thief.
Avraham, the boy is in danger.
Come here, come here.
You will not be a shit,
do you hear me?
You will have the abortion
and do the right thing.
You're not going
to stand up that girl!
Avraham leave
the boy alone.
But David
was stubborn.
And in truth, we all thought
that Michal Mizrahi
was much prettier.
Where is your mother?
She's bringing my father.
They'll be here in a minute.
Where is Dad?
- He's not coming.
What do you mean, not coming?
Say that he doesn't feel well.
Don't say that he and David argued.
Mom, I'll go up
and to talk to him.
It won't do any good, Opher.
He doesn't understand
There are times you just close
your eyes so things will be OK.
Let's go, we're late.
Mom,
Why are you rushing?
We have all the food.
They should be coming to us.
With this ring I thee wed.
Great!
Mazal Tov!
- Congratulations!
Opher, play the song
we talked about.
Follow me.
Guys, I figured out
what I'm going to do in the army.
I'll be a driver.
I'll drive a car for three years.
It will be "cool".
Cool?
It's a new word.
Grandma thinks he invented it.
It won't catch on.
- Yes it will.
I think I'll try to join
a combat unit.
What?
Yes. I'll try to become a
paratrooper.
Congratulations, Erez.
Why congratulations?
You're a wreck.
You'll be the first
soldier to suffer from shell shock
before you leave base.
- I can work out.
You were born an old man, Erez.
You have osteoporosis.
You should be
somewhere where they write.
I want to get away,
to leave home.
Are you stupid?
You'll die there.
What do you care, Opher?
It annoys me that everyone thinks
they can be in an elite unit.
Does anyone want
a soda?
Listen, you'll be able
to screw any girl you want.
It will be... cool.
That word "cool"
won't catch on.
No one believed
in groovy either...
I'm going to dance.
Cool.
I haven't told you anything,
but I think about it all the time.
I don't think it was your fault.
What?
Your father's accident.
It doesn't make sense that a flat
tire would cause something like that.
Have you talked to Opher about this?
- Of course not!
Have you told anyone?
No.
It's not your fault, Erez!
- Okay, if you say so.
It is not your fault!
I punctured his tire.
- It was a coincidence.
Ask him. You've been eating
yourself up for nearly a year
and you've never even asked him?
Maybe he changed the tire.
You don't know.
Erez, flat tires
don't cause accidents, believe me.
Ask him, please?
You promise?
Avraham, what happened?
What happened to you?
I tried to go to the bathroom.
I told you we'd be back
in four hours.
I couldn't just leave.
Let's take you to the bathroom.
It doesn't matter any more.
Then let's take
you to the shower.
Go make me some coffee.
- I'll take you to the shower first.
I asked for coffee.
I'll take you, Dad.
- Give me a moment.
Dad...
I'm all right.
Don't mind me.
A son shouldn't have to wash
his father's ass.
Who said that, Aristotle?
Nietzsche?
Don't give up your dreams
for me, Opher.
What's a dream?
You dream a new one every night.
You make a big deal
out of dreams.
"The IDF spokesperson announced
"that Israeli Air Force planes
attacked the nuclear plant in Iraq.
"The pilots reported that the
plant was destroyed." -Yes!!
They blew up the nuclear plant
in Iraq.
That Begin is a genius,
Two years from now
no one will know who Shimon Peres is.
Opher,
soon you'll be like those pilots.
Mommy's officer.
I decided not to go, Mom.
What?
I'll stay close to home.
I'll serve in a non-fighting unit.
What is this nonsense?
Don't tell Dad.
But Opher, that was your dream.
I wanted to be the commander
of the IDF, but I found out
he doesn't get car allowence.
- But you exercised so much!
Dad weighs over 100 kilos.
So I didn't exercise for nothing.
But you should stop feeding him.
No more cookies, Mom.
Besides, Erez is going.
He called it first.
Be strong, be strong.
There are rocks here, careful.
What happened, cutey,
does your stomach hurt?
Do you want some coke?
Finish and come on!
Hello?
Neta.
- Erez.
How are you?
- Are you all right?
How was Opher's induction?
Fine.
Grandma was able to get away
from his course
to come as well.
We missed you.
Was my father there?
No. But Opher will be
coming home every day.
He's having a ball, your brother.
There're lots of girls in his base.
If they catch me talking to you
I won't be home until I am 65.
Wait! Why do you have to stay there
for the weekend?
It's a punishment.
I crossed a firing line.
What?
That's very dangerous, Erez.
I don't care, Neta.
You're insane.
- I don't care.
Don't tell Opher, okay?
Don't worry.
I'll never tell your secrets.
Be strong, Erez, do you hear me?
Erez, will you let me
shoot people in the street?
Actually we're supposed
to shoot people over the weekend.
Look at this.
I like your short haircut.
What? He looks stupid.
So, tell me what goes on there.
I got a thorn this long
stuck in my dick.
Ouch!
Well, you won't be home
for the next three years anyway,
so it won't matter.
Opher, I want to
speak with Erez. - Okay.
What is this charade of
you serving in a combat unit?
You always said it was
important to serve my country.
Why did you to Opher?
- What did I do to Opher?
Why don't you help at home?
What do you want from me?
- You make your brother a slave.
I earned 13,000 lira.
Take your money.
I don't need money.
I need help in the house.
But I'm on your side, Mom.
There is only one side, the side
of the family. Where are you?
I'm here.
- You're not here.
Your Opher will be
in an urban base, he'll be safe.
Does that make you happy?
Don't you dare speak to me that way.
You are evil.
I cared for all of you.
Don't you dare say
that I love Opher more.
You are my punishment.
Here, slave.
David, gotten anyone
pregnant since yesterday?
Dad, I understand your anger.
- I am not angry.
Let me speak. I prepared a speech.
- But I am not angry.
Great,
then come to the circumcision.
I relinquish that honor.
I want you to be my son's
godfather.
What should I name him?
Hole-in-the-condom?
David,
I sincerely congratulate you
and I wish that your son will do
to you just what you did to me.
Dad, how much time
do you have left?
Mom says that you're
deteriorating,
if you don't see
your grandson today...
Why are you crying?
Stop crying.
Stop crying.
Please stop crying.
Stop it. Enough.
I'm going to sleep.
I need to talk to you.
To me?
Yes, I'm not speaking with him.
What happened?
- Didn't Opher tell you?
No.
He didn't say anything?
No, he didn't. What happened?
If you knew, you would know.
Are you smoking?
I already have one screwed up
father.
Stop patronizing me.
- I'm not being patronizing.
Stop judging people, Erez.
You've made your mistakes,
just like everyone else.
I only pointed
out that you're smoking, that's all.
Your brother is cheating on me.
No way.
He has some slut
named Emily.
Can you believe that name?
It must be a mistake.
He admitted everything.
He wants to be with her.
I'm sorry.
It can happen to any couple.
I thought he and I were
different.
I thought we were creating
new rules for love.
Your brother is a stupid idiot.
So what, if he has
a witty answer for everything?
That doesn't make one smart.
Erez, what are you doing right now?
- I don't know.
Do you want to go to the beach?
We can swim in the nude,
I'll show you my underwear,
you can show me yours.
I can't do that to Opher.
He takes care of my father.
How would it look if I was with you
while he takes care of my father?
I'm not going to wait
until your father dies.
What happened, Dad?
- They shot Argov.
Zohar Argov the singer? - No, Shlomo
Argov our ambassador in London.
Those Arabs are
murderous people.
We gave them all of Sinai
and what did we get in return?
Murder and more murder.
You got a call from the army.
You have to go back.
Don't worry, Mom.
It's probably
just a drill.
There must be a war.
We must react.
Then they'll understand
that they cannot target Jews.
That's how the Holocaust began.
Erez, look after yourself,
okay?
Crawl into the cacti.
- What?
If they shoot at you,
crawl into the cacti.
Who would think that
someone would crawl in there?
Erez, I packed your bag.
Now go take a shower.
Remember, cacti.
What are you doing?
Didn't they teach you to knock
in basic training?
Did you leave Neta?
- What does it look like?
Is that
the right thing to do?
People always think others
should do the right thing.
I'm leaving.
- No, you're staying.
Erez, go away.
- Does she know you have a girlfriend?
Do you think I would lie
to my mistress?
He who lies to his wife
is a cheat.
He who lies to his mistress
is a real scoundrel.
Why did you leave Neta?
Do you get the
feeling that I owe you something?
That girl was your dream.
- No, no, no.
My dream was
to be in the elite commando unit.
Let me remind you
that someone stole my dream from me.
The only person I ever trusted.
You're not missing a thing.
It's shitty there.
It's shitty, is it?
I clean up shit.
I clean up your father's shit.
I clean up the shit you haven't
got the courage to clean yourself.
You lift a machine gun.
I lift your father.
When he dies, they'll call you
for his funeral, but I'll be here
to wash him
before the undertaker arrives.
I'll be here to support Mom.
Where will you be?
Where? Where?
You'll be out
fulfilling my dream, right?
So, don't walk into my room
without knocking.
Because it's
no longer your room.
Get out of here!
Nabatia, Lebanon 1982
Lansky, don't touch that man!
What has he done to you?
Here is Erez.
Erez, I don't believe it!
What are you doing here?
Erez, this is my friend, Amir.
He just returned from India.
Hello to you, Sir.
He lived in Goa for six months.
- What's Goa?
It's a place in India.
There are no Israelis there.
Tell him
you have to come with me.
Hey man, take it easy.
Give me a minute, okay?
What?
You have to come
with to be with Opher.
You come by after months
and jump all over me.
Why do you think
I should be with Opher?
Because he made a mistake.
People make mistakes
and they shouldn't have to pay
their whole lives.
He thinks about you.
He can't live without you.
And I...
- Yes, what about you?
Neta, come on!
Get out of here
you pile of smelly curry.
Take things easy, man.
Do you want
to be part of my family?
Eat Friday night meals with us?
Neta. Come with me.
Wait for me here, okay?
Neta.
How nice to wake up
and see you here.
How are you?
Why the sad face?
Your children.
- What about my children?
I love both of them, Avraham,
but they are ruining my life.
Do you love Neta?
- Hmm, yes.
So why did you cheat on her?
Is that what you came to ask?
Okay, Erez. Like most people,
I'm opposed to cheating,
except when it is mine.
She has someone else.
What about Erez?
Does he talk to you?
Because here at home
he keeps everything to himself.
Your child is suffering.
- Suffering?
Why is he suffering?
Did he tell you what the problem is?
He feels...
- What does he feel?
Neta, what does he feel?
If you don't go back to her now,
you'll lose her.
Do you want to give her up?
Because if you do, she is here
in the living room. - What?
So go tell her
that she is free.
No,
Neta is not a girl that you give up.
We were in Tel Aviv
on the day of your accident.
We came to visit you.
- You came to visit me?
When? I didn't see you.
- We...
Erez accidentally
punctured your tire.
The burden that he's
carrying is too much.
He punctured my tire?
Erez punctured my tire?
What do you mean, accidentally?
You'll help him, right?
- How can I help him?
What can I say?
Erez, try not to puncture
my tire next time?
Is that what I should say?
Is it?
Tell her already.
- What do you want me to say?
Tell her that you're an idiot,
that you love her.
That you were meant
to be together,
that she's not a girl
you cheat on.
And that Emily
is just a pair of breasts.
That could work.
- Okay.
I'm sorry, you are not a girl
to cheat on,
I'm a moron...
and Emily has great breasts.
Emily has...
Erez's version
was better than yours.
Because he's a writer.
You are
the best friends I will ever have.
We can make it a threesome.
Strip!
Now you tell Erez.
Erez, you have great breasts.
- Not that, jerk.
Tell him that he doesn't have
to take care of you all the time.
But he does.
He's my twin brother.
We take care of each other.
That's how it works.
Good night to you both.
I'm off to conquer Lebanon tomorrow.
This is not a training exercise,
guys, this is the real thing.
I love you and trust you.
I know that each of you
carries with him his love of country
and his love for this unit
and we will
go into Lebanon and hit the PLO hard!
We will screw them!
- Yeah! Yeah!
Ido, go see who's at the door.
Hello.
Is this the Levy residence?
Yes.
- Is your mother or father home?
Yes.
Sima and Avraham?
- Yes.
My name is Moti,
I am the local IDF representative.
I'm afraid I have some bad news.
It's Erez, in Lebanon?
Your son is called Erez?
- Yes.
Do you have a son named Opher?
- Yes.
I am very sorry.
Opher drove
to Lebanon this morning,
the building he was in
collapsed.
How did he get to Lebanon?
There was intelligence material that
had to be delivered there.
Your son volunteered.
No one else wanted to go and Opher
insisted on making the journey.
Your son is a hero.
I am sorry.
Opher is dead. You have
four living children to care for.
I don't care.
I don't care.
I would have preferred
for one of the others to be taken.
I wanted him to live.
He was my prince.
My baby.
None of them touched my heart
the way he did.
Do you think I'm a bad woman?
If you ever say what you just
said again, I'll leave you.
I'll take myself and leave.
Once, when you used to say
you would leave me,
that frightened me
more than anything else.
Now, I don't care.
My condolences.
- Thank you.
Airplane, airplane.
Go to Mama.
What are you doing
these days, Grandma?
I left home and am living
with a girl in the city.
Are you still training
with your car?
If you want to be a race car driver,
don't postpone it.
I'm going to get
a cab driver's license.
Driving a cab is enough for me.
The main thing
is to be away from home.
If that's what you want,
that's what you want.
I'll see you tomorrow.
I want to tell you something.
I'm going to India with Amir.
He invited me to travel with him.
What do you think?
I don't know.
Is he's nice?
Not as nice as you,
but he's okay.
He says that it
is an amazing place.
When are you leaving?
I don't know.
This place gets worse and worse.
It was the same way in Iran.
Everything became black.
It's not good, Erez.
Why don't you come with me?
Leave the army,
get discharged,
leave the madness behind.
I have to take care
of my father.
I love you.
Bye.
Erez, come here.
I want you to tell Neta
not to come here anymore.
Why should I tell her that?
Because I can't
stand seeing her.
Some day she will have
another guy, she's easy.
She won't be alone for long.
To me,
she will always be Opher's.
Once she has someone else,
I'll know that Opher is dead.
That he isn't coming back,
that everything is over.
Okay.
Erez.
I'm sorry.
Erez.
What are you doing?
I'm cleaning my gun.
Come help me with the cacti.
Go catch Neta before she leaves.
She belongs to Opher, Dad.
Opher? Opher is dead.
He has nothing.
Look, I've made many mistakes,
but I have never been wrong
when doing something for love.
Sometimes, remaining loyal
to your wife,
or to your dead brother,
means betraying yourself.
Mom will go crazy.
- Let her go crazy!
If she had listened to her mother
you wouldn't have even been born?
Do you know who is the smartest
brother in this house?
David.
- David?
Because he knows when to cheat
and when to be loyal.
He puts himself first.
Look at this cactus.
It will do anything to survive.
In the toughest desert.
Erez, you must learn to survive.
Do you understand?
Do you want a coffee, Avraham?
- No thanks, Sima.
Erez, do you want coffee?
No.
Life can change in an second.
Look at me.
I was a regular man,
I wanted to build the largest
building in the middle east.
One accident, one second.
There was an oil stain on the road.
I didn't notice it and I skidded.
Oil on the road?
- Oil.
It was a unfortunate day.
I had to change a flat tire
beforehand as well.
Now go, do you hear me?
Wait a minute.
Take my Chevrolet.
It should be moved
once in a while.
Why did you lie to the boy?
Why did you tell him
there was oil on the road?
Sima, family is like a hand.
Each one is a finger and I am
the thumb that protects them all.
Never tell him otherwise.
Do you hear me?
Never, Sima.
In the time
that has passed since then,
I've been happy
and I've been sad.
I've been right
and I have made terrible mistakes.
But I've never felt as free
as I felt there,
in my mother's living room
with five children
who were stuck in time
and watched "The Lost Islands"
every summer.
Dedicated to my family
who taught me how to love.