The Day I Became a Woman (روزی که زن شدم)

THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN

Script: Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Editing:, Shahrzad Poya Maysam Makhmalbaf

Theme music: Mohammad Reza Darvishi

Starring: Fatema Cheragh-Akhar, Shabnam Tolou'i, Azizeh Sadiqui

Director: Marziyeh Meshkini

First tale:

Hava

Hava, let's go for some ice cream.

Hava...

Hava, darling.

Hava... wake up, dear.

It's 1 0:30. You're late for school.

- I want Hava. - Go away, now.

-Where is she? - I don't know.

You should go and play with boys.

- I'm not leaving. - Hava is now a woman.

She's no longer a girl.

It's your birthday, sweetie.

Come down. I'm buying you a beautiful gift.

Come down, now.

- What? - Come down, Grandma will tell you.

Why don't you tell me?

Come down first.

Come on.

What are you going to buy me?

Grandma will let you know. I'm off now.

Why did your mother kick me out?

Wait a minute for me, please.

I'll get some money, then we can go together.

OK, but hurry up.

I really want an ice cream.

Don't go without me. I want one, too.

Hava, come on down.

You're a woman now. You can't go on the roof.

You can't play with boys any longer.

Listen to your gran. Come down.

Hava, get permission to come out.

It's too windy to be up there. You'll fall.

How come she was allowed to play yesterday?

Mum, gran says I'm a woman now. Am l?

Hasan, you can go in and play with Hava.

Mum, gran doesn't let me play.

You mustn't play with Hasan or any boy.

You're all grown up now.

You have to cover up your hair from now on.

Look, gran. I bought a veil for Hava.

Let me see.

May I go and play?

It's very pretty. Well done.

Hava, let's measure you up for your new veil.

Come here, sweetie.

Hava, come over here. I need to measure you.

Mum, let me go play with Hasan.

Come here. I've got to measure you.

Please, Mum.

Ice-cream is waiting.

Hava, just sneak out.

Come here, daughter.

Please, Mum, he'll go without me.

Let me measure your veil.

Let me cut the veil. You'll ruin it.

Good girl. Come over here.

Hava, go and get the needle.

- Mum, I'm begging you. - Get the needle first.

- Is it good quality, Mum? - Excellent quality.

- What do we need to do? - We'll stitch it here.

Let's go.

Let's go, Hava.

Let's buy an ice-cream.

It's getting late.

Hava, where's the needle?

I couldn't find it.

Time for you to come inside, now.

Come inside.

Come inside.

Hava, I'll wait for you outside the mosque.

Don't forget, outside the mosque.

Come inside.

I won't.

Come inside.

- Congratulations. - Thanks, gran.

Hava, it's ready. Come over here.

Now, let's see...

Anyway, no-one goes out at noon.

Maybe we should let her go out for the last time.

I remember when she was born.

She was born at noon.

I asked if it was a boy or a girl. They said, "A girl!"

I already know all this. I gave birth to her, after all.

You were distracted then.

But, gran, if I were born at noon, I'm not a woman yet!

But it is noon.

No. it's still morning.

Let me play with Hasan until noon. Please, gran.

Will you let me?

Go and check the time first.

Make sure it isn't noon yet.

- I'll go check. - OK.

She never stays still.

Look, gran.

It's only... it's only eleven.

It's not noon yet.

I still have an hour.

If I don't go, Hasan will think I'm sulking.

Will you promise to be back by noon?

- I promise. - God won't forgive you if you lie.

- Don't be late. - I promise.

How will you know it's noon?

I'll take the clock with me. Can I go now?

- You promise? - Gran, a minute just went by.

- I'm losing time here. -You've to be back by noon?

How will you know the time?

I'll take it with me. Look, time is flying by.

I'll show you how to measure time.

Come over here. Sit down.

When the stick casts a shadow, when the stick casts a shadow...

it means it's morning.

When there's no shadow, you'll know it's noon.

Put this scarf on. God be with you.

When the stick casts a shadow, it's morning.

When there's no shadow, you'll know it's noon.

You have to be back at noon. OK, dear?.

Hey, kids...

Khaled...

Khaled, have you seen Hasan?

- Which Hasan? - Hasan, the orphan.

His sister took him.

- Hello. - Hello to you, too.

- Can you call Hasan? - He has homework.

Please call him.

How come your gran always throws him out?

He can't come.

Hasan, don't come out until you've finished your homework.

Hasan, open up. It's me.

I'm over here, Hava.

- There you are. - Hi. What are you up to?

- Come out and play. - I have to do my homework.

It'll be too late by then.

Can you not come out?

Teacher won't like it.

- How many exercises? - Four.

Do you see this stick?

When its shadow is gone, I have to be home.

Do you have to do your homework?

- Hava... - Look, Hasan.

It's shadow is getting smaller.

When the shadow is gone, I have to be back home.

Can't you give the homework a miss?

Teacher will spank me.

Not if I teach you a neat trick. Bring your notebook.

It's a real nice trick.

Bring an eraser too.

See where he marked yesterday's homework?

Rub out his remarks. Pretend this is all new stuff.

- He'll know. - No, he won't.

Tell him you wrote it today.

OK, I'll rub it out later.

- Hasan, finish your work first. - My sister is back.

- I'll wait here. - No, you'd better leave.

Where should I wait for you?

- Wait for me at the seaside. - Promise you'll come?

I promise.

Can you give me a hand?

What do you want me to do?

Come grab the other side.

Straighten this side up.

What's that?

This? It's a stick.

A stick? What's that?

This here... this is its shadow.

What does it mean?

When the shadow is gone, I have to be home.

It's tiny now, but before it used to be this long.

Now it's really small.

Would... would a cloth this big be enough?

-Yes. -Wait a second.

Hi. Do you want to sail with us?

- No. -It'll be fun.

I'm waiting for Hasan.

Sure? We'll sail over there.

- Over there. - I don't want to.

I'm waiting for Hasan.

I've got something to show you.

Won't you come?

No.

Leave my stick alone.

I have to be home when the shadow is gone.

We need you to rescue us...

in case the sail... the sail comes unstuck.

Come, let's go.

It's so pretty.

Do you want it?

- It has such a pretty tail. - It's cute.

How about a swap? Your scarf for the toy.

Hasan, where are you?

Only this much is left of the shadow. I have to be back soon.

I'm really angry with you.

All I wanted to do was say goodbye.

When I left home it was this long, now it's tiny.