Daan (Don)

Spring '97 The Court, Tehran

We will ask you some questions...

...in order to help you.

And if you speak the truth,...

...we will be able to help you.

As this boy’s father,...

...why haven’t you yet got his identity card?

Well, they were born during the war,...

...and I was a conscript.

Being afraid of doing the military service,...

...I couldn’t get their identity cards.

Do you have other children?

Yes. 4 other children.

They haven’t got identity cards either?

No, they haven't.

Considering the problems, how could you...

...and your family live without identity cards?

We managed somehow.

Were you addicted when the children were born?

Yes.

How long have you been addicted?

Since a year after the Revolution.

Your files show that...

...you’ve been sentenced before.

- Is that right? - Once or twice.

- What for? - The same: drugs.

How long for?

3 or 4 months.

To give up the drugs.

You do not have any documents to prove that...

This child and the others are your children.

Thus, having no proof,...

...and since you are also addicted,...

...the court believes that you are not...

...competent enough to keep this child.

So we’ll send him to an orphanage...

...to be brought up in the custody of the government.

That’s until you get his identity card.

That done, we will grant you his custody.

They’re my children. My children!

But you have no proof.

My proof is that they’ll stand before me and you,...

...and will confirm that I am their father.

Children get used to calling ”father"...

...the person they’ve been living with.

No! That’s not true.

Yes. There have been similar cases.

An identity card is a document acceptable...

...by law, the society, and by us.

You do not have it.

You are also addicted.

They’ve been living with me for years.

You can investigate this.

These do not prove anything.

These do not prove anything at all.

You should have proof that this is your child.

Unfortunately, you don’t.

Having no proof and also being incompetent,...

...we can not give you the custody of the child.

You should first get his identity card,...

...and then solve your own problem.

If you don’t do something about your addiction,...

...we will not give you the child.

You must help me...

...to get identity cards for them,...

...not taking them away from me.

Don

Writer, Director and Editor: Abolfazl Jalili

Cinematography: Farzad Jodet

Sound Recorder: Hassan Zarfam

Farhad Bahremand Farzaneh Halili

Bakhtiar Bahremand S. Ghahremani Far

Produced by IRIB, Channel 2

Can’t you see anything?

I can see a bright spot.

Look at the spot carefully.

What happened to that spot? Look at it well.

Something is appearing in the spot.

What is it?

How long?

About a year.

- A year in prison? - Yes.

- You live with your mum? - Yes.

- How many are you? - Five.

- All of you go to school? - All except my sister.

- Does your mother work? - No.

Then how do you make ends meet?

Our uncle helps us.

What will you do if you don’t go to school?

I don’t know.

- You don’t know?! - No.

What’s the use of not going to school?

I myself like to go to school.

But my father doesn’t let me.

What if I talk to your mother and convince her.

Will it solve the problem?

I don't know.

- You send it normal? - Yes.

- Not by express? - No.

Write the address here and here.

Then put it in the yellow postbox.

- How much is it? - 20 Toomans.

Here you are!

Here’s the change.

- You wrote the address? - We will.

- Thank you very much. - Goodbye.

- Come in! - No, I should go.

Come this evening to write the letter...

...and to go to work in the morning together.

I’ll come at 7.

7?! Come earlier.

Ok!

- Anything else? - No, goodbye.

- Is Abbas your eldest son? - Yes.

- How old is he? - He’s 18.

- Has he got identity card? - No, he hasn’t.

And this is your eldest daughter?

Yes.

- Is she married? - Yes.

- Without identity cards?! - Yes.

How did you get married without an identity card?

I’m married temporarily.

- Is this your child? - Yes.

- You have only one child? - Yes.

- What’s his name? - Hamed.

- No identity card? - No!

- What about this girl? - My daughter, Shirin.

- How old is she? - 6 or 7.

So you have 4 children. Right?

No, 5 including Farhad.

What can we do now?

Whatever you say.

We’ll get nowhere this way.

You must provide the money I told you.

Don’t ever think I’m cheating you.

I feel pity seeing your situation.

I want to help you.

You will realize it in future.

- Thank you. - Don’t mention it!

But bring the money soon.

We discussed and agreed on it.

We must finish the business quickly.

Come here a minute.

Daddy. didn’t you always encourage me to study?

Didn’t you tell me to study?

Didn't you wish to see me as a college student?

Why have you changed your mind?

Why don’t you let me go to school?

I just want to ask you why I mustn’t.

What happened to all that encouragement?

If it makes you happy,...

...I won’t go to school.

Until you reach a convincing conclusion.

What should we do with her?

We sent a letter to her father,...

...but he has not answered back.

We're waiting for his reply.

What if the reply comes late?

What will you do?

He told me the children must not go out.

So I can’t answer you till he answers me.

Have you got other children...

...besides this girl? - Yes

What about them?

They are boys. ”No” is for the girls.

- Why is he like this? - I don’t know.

As a mother. as a person who...

...takes half of the responsibility,...

...what are you going to decide?

My husband decides first, then me.

What are you going to do?

- Can't you decide alone? - No!

- What’s your name? - Charlie.

- How old are you? - 9.

- How long have you worked? - One year.

- Where you worked before? - In a garage.

- Why are you working? - My mother told me to.

- You worked here before? - Pardon?

- You worked here before? - Yes.

- How long? - One year.

- How much do you get? - 1000 Toomans a day.

- Do you help your family? - Yes.

- Charlie! - Yes?

- Are you satisfied? - Yes

- What’s your name? - Najeeb.

- How old are you? - 12.

- How long have you worked? - One year.

- Are you Afghani? - Yes.

- Do you go to school? - No.

- Why? - I have no green cards.

- How long you’ve worked? - 5 years.

- Working just here? - Yes.

- Are your parents alive? - Yes.

- Do they work too? - My father does.

- Do you help them? - Yes.

- Have you been to school? - For 2 years.

- Do you study now? - No.

100 Toomans a day.

What do you do with your money?

- I save it. - What for?