Roses?
-How much?
-Twenty-five francs.
All right.
It's hot. Wanna take a walk?
The heat's a killer. Let's go.
Hello! It's a hot one!
How much?
How much for a quickie?
How much?
Thirty? Thirty-five?
Okay.
Moron!
Hello.
It's a hot one! Let's go.
Happy birthday, Moses.
Look.
You put the coin here...
...in the slot.
It can't come out.
Money's made to be saved,
not spent.
And when it's full?
When it's full, you're rich.
You're happy.
Will Mom come back soon?
I don't know.
Need any change?
-How much have you got?
-Thirty-five.
Hello.
It's a hot one.
How much?
Are you ?
Yes.
Don't you live over there?
Give me the money.
Get undressed.
What's your name?
Moses.
You live around here?
Yes. What's your name?
Sylvie.
Not too hot?
It hasn't been around much.
Never?
Dry yourself.
Lie down.
Let's do this right.
There's only one first time.
It fell out!
There, Mister Moses.
Was that nice?
Next time, remember my present.
Good evening.
You got no wine?
Too expensive.
I gave you five francs earlier.
Got the receipt?
No.
From now on,
you'll note everything in here.
Momo, come out.
I took a laxative!
Move it!
Come out right now!
What are you doing?
You're doing it on purpose?
We're out of paper.
Go to the Arab's.
Get some quick!
I don't care, he's an Arab.
He's an Arab!
Even if he wasn't, I wouldn't care.
I'm not an Arab, Momo.
I'm from the Golden Crescent.
One franc ten.
Just a second.
Can people guess
what you're thinking?
No.
Are you sure?
I know someone who can.
You believe any crap.
Who said that?
I swear it's true.
What's the cake for?
It's not Sunday.
Try to guess.
It's my birthday.
It's the eighth already?
Happy birthday, son.
Why is there just one candle?
Excuse me.
One franc fifty.
And two.... Three francs fifty.
Four francs fifty...
...and one. Five francs fifty.
What's the Golden Crescent?
The Golden Crescent...
...is a region that runs
from Anatolia to Persia.
Thanks. Goodbye.
Goodbye, Momo.
-What's Persia?
-What?
Persia. What is it?
It's in the dictionary, under P.
P for Papa, Paulie....
Prick.
What?
Nothing.
Can't open a bloody dictionary!
Your brother never put it down.
-He never did the shopping.
-What?
Tough luck for you.
I hate Paulie!
My name's not Momo.
I know your name's Moses.
That's why I call you Momo.
It's less impressive.
What do you care?
Moses is Jewish, not Arabic.
I'm not an Arab, Momo.
I'm a Muslim.
Five francs eighty.
So why does Dad say,
"Go to the Arab's"?
Arab means
open from a.m. till midnight,
even on a Sunday,
in the grocery trade.
Quiet, please.
Come on, hurry it up.
Cedric, later.
Starting positions. First line.
"Come for a drink."
-Like that?
-Yes, fine.
Can you come here?
You speak to Paul,
who walks around the front too.
Coming to see me soon?
I'm still saving up.
One last time.
Okay? To your positions, please.
Camera ready to start.
Let's hurry it up.
Quiet!
Cedric, later!
She looks a bit common.
She sleeps around too.
In the movies, you have to.
Well, Momo,
want to be in the movies?
If I wasn't so old, I'd try it.
You?
I'm not made of stone.
Imagine me in a boat with her...
...and my wife.
The boat sinks. What do I do?
I bet that my wife...
...knows how to swim!
Hello.
Do you have any water?
Of course, mademoiselle.
How much do I owe you?
Five francs, mademoiselle.
I didn't know
water was so rare here!
Water isn't rare, mademoiselle...
...true stars are.
Thank you.
You've got nerve!
I have to make up
for all the cans you pinch.
Come here, Momo.
I'll pay you back.
Listen to me.
You owe me nothing.
If you have to steal,
I prefer you do it in my shop.
Look at me.
You owe me nothing.
Picked tonight's menu?
Come and see.
As a starter...
...this cat food will fit the bill.
Your father won't realize.
Tell him it's farmhouse pate.
Don't eat any yourself.
No need to buy bread every day.
Warm it in the oven,
and it'll be fine.
You can add a little chicory
to his coffee.
Dry the tea bags
and you can use them again.
As for the eaujolais...
...add a bit of this wine
to the bottle each day.
For yourself, get what you like.
Good evening.
Bought more Beaujolais?
Yes, on special.
I got this pate.
What do you think?
Not bad.
It's a bit expensive, though.
Try it.
It's full of flavor.
No thanks, I'm not hungry.
Stop, thief!
Stop, thief! Stop him!
Are you hurt?
You sweetheart!
Thanks, angel!
When you grow up,
come and see me sometime.
I'm you know.
I've already done it.
All right.
He's got guts.
Moron.
What are you doing?
I'm cold.
Close it!
The light ruins the bindings.
Why are you showering
all the time now?
I'm cold.
At least your brother
wasn't like you.
Why are you always thinking of him?
Got nothing to do?
Take a book.
He loved books.
You forgot to clean the shower
yesterday.
Think he'd have liked me?
What a question.
Why don't you ever smile?
I can't afford to.
You think I'm rich?
Your till's full of money.
That pays for the stock and the rent.
Know how much I have left
to live on?
Not a lot.
Excuse me, mademoiselle.
When I say smiling's for the rich...
...I mean it's for happy people.
You're wrong.
Smiling is what makes you happy.
-Like hell.
-Try it.
Try it, you'll see.
Just a second.
Take this.
Sauerkraut and meat,
top quality.
Thanks.
Well?
Don't look at me, look there.
It's obvious.
I'm sorry,
I don't really understand.
All right.
I'll start again.
How about it?
It's thirty francs.
No problem.
You're already a reporter?
Still a student.
Reporter's a good job.
You travel...
...you learn things,
you see people.
You see people too.
And what's in them?
Can you do me up?
You're beautiful when you smile.
I am?
A smile can work wonders.
Sorry, I don't have a present.
See, it works.
You can get all you want.
Evening, Dad.
It's ready.
I got pate and Beaujolais.
You've done something stupid.
Look at me.
Come here, let me see.
Closer.
Open wide.
You need braces.
Your teeth are a mess.
Forget something?
It's my fault.
If I was like Paulie,
Dad would love me.
How do you know? Paulie left.
Maybe he hated your dad.
-You think so?
-Why else would he leave?
I bet he knew how to smile.
Mom never had time to teach me.
Did you know Paulie?
I prefer you a hundred times.
I prefer you a hundred times.
Help me. It soothes the nerves.
He says I need braces,
that I have crooked teeth.
Let me see.
They're not that bad.
Look at mine.
Smile less, that'll do.
Can you imagine
your mouth full of metal?
The girls won't believe you're .
You know about that?
I don't know anything.
I just know what's in my Koran.
It's good to start off
with professionals...
...but afterwards, when you
complicate things with feelings...
...then you'll appreciate novices.
You go too.
At your age.
Sorry.
Heaven is for all of us,
not just for minors.
How about a walk
Sunday afternoon?
You like walking?
You're always on that stool.
Well?
A snapshot, gentlemen.
Don't move.
Living in Paris must be fun.
But you live in Paris.
No, I live on Blue Road.
It's too beautiful here for me.
You can find beauty
wherever you look.
That's what my Koran says.
Should I read your Koran?
If God wants to reveal life to you,
he won't need a book.
I thought Muslims didn't drink.
But I'm a Sufi.
It's not a disease,
it's a way of thinking.
Although, some ways of thinking...
...are diseases too.
"Sufism:
Mystical form of Islam.
Opposed to legalism,
it stresses inner religion. "
"Legalism: meticulous observance
of the law. "
"Opposed to legalism. "
He's against the law.
He isn't always honest.
If respecting the law
means being like him, that's terrible.
I'd rather be against legalism.
"Inner religion.... "
Dictionaries always use words
you don't understand.
"Inner religion.... "
I've been fired, Moses.
I need to find a job...
...somewhere else.
We have to tighten our belts.
How do you manage to be happy?
I know what's in my Koran.
Maybe I should pinch it one day.
Although a Jew shouldn't.
What does being Jewish
mean to you?
I don't know.
For my dad,
it means being depressed all day.
For me,
it's why I can't be different.
Your shoes are no good.
We'll buy you some tomorrow.
I don't have any money.
It'll be my treat.
You only have one pair of feet.
Look after them.
If your shoes hurt you,
you change them.
You can't change your feet.
"Son...
...excuse me, I've left.
I'm not cut out to be a father.
Perhaps we'll meet again one day...
... when you're a man...
...when I'm less ashamed
and you forgive me.
I've left my money on the table...
... with a list of people to contact.
They'll take care of you.
Goodbye. "
You like it?
You know it?
Look, it's easy.
Try it.
Dad has indigestion.
What can I give him?
Fernet-Branca.
There.
I won't buy any more pate.
What can I do for him tonight?
Ravioli? Great idea, ravioli.
A Koran?
No.
Why?
Not here.
Why?
My mom would murder me.
I'd murder her first.
Silly.
When I bought these trousers,
she called me a slut.
They look good on you.
You think so?
Not just the trousers.
Even though I threw water at you,
I still fancied you.
I know.
You knew?
What do you want most of all?
Nothing?
-I'd like to meet my brother.
-You have a brother?
He lives with my mom.
I hate him.
Why?
If he was here, you'd be with him.
You wouldn't look at me.
No.
Yes.
It kills me, knowing you could be
with another guy.
Is that true?
I think Myriam's in love with me.
I'm in love with her anyhow.
I've even gone off Sylvie.
How's your dad?
I haven't seen him lately.
He's working a lot.
He leaves early for his new job.
Isn't he angry about the Koran?
I hide to read it.
I don't understand much.
When you want to learn,
you don't pick up a book.
You talk to someone.
Thank you, madame.
-But you always say you know--
-What's in my Koran.
Do you wash in the morning?
Of course I wash.
I even change my socks every day.
Thirty francs.
Next time, bring a note
from your father.
She has a new boyfriend
since yesterday.
Maybe she even knew him before.
I knew it.
There's always a Paulie...
...eating me up inside.
It doesn't matter.
Your love for her is yours.
It belongs to you.
She rejects it,
but she can't destroy it.
She's just missing out on it.
What you give, Momo,
is yours for good.
What you keep is lost forever.
Do you have a wife?
Yes.
How come we never see her?
Let's cool off.
Come on.
You didn't answer me.
Momo, no answer is an answer.
You're circumcised too.
Muslims are, like Jews.
So you could be Jewish.
This is my hand,
this is my mouth.
I don't understand.
You can't understand everything
with your mind.
-Where are you going?
-Leave me alone.
Where are you going?
Can't you tell? It's Shabbat.
I saw you with Richard.
I know.
So what?
I don't want to see you again.
Why?
Why?
You're crazy! Stop it!
It's over!
Coming to see me?
Something wrong?
Come on, I'll make it better.
Come on.
PAULlE
-Who is it?
-Police.
We have some bad news, son.
Your father's been found dead
under a train near Marseilles.
It looks as if he took his own life.
Now...
...you'll need to identify the body.
I don't want to see him.
Who's he?
A friend of my father's.
A friend?
How good a friend?
My wife looked after Momo.
Have you been here long?
In France?
Very long.
Momo grew up here.
You know his father?
We ought to talk in private.
Excuse me, Momo.
Is he sick?
He's burying my father.
I'm sorry.
Suicide is worse
than abandoning your kid.
Excuse me, the door was open.
I'm looking for Moses.
I'm his mother.
Who are you?
They call me Momo.
Short for Mohammed.
You're not Moses?
I'm Mohammed.
There's no Moses here?
Moses has gone, ma'am.
He has?
Can I look round?
He was sick of being here.
He had bad memories.
Is this his room?
I think so.
He likes music?
Is he coming back?
I don't know.
-He went to find his brother.
-His brother?
Paulie, I think.
Yes, an older brother.
Moses was my first child.
When will you adopt me?
Tomorrow, if you want.
Honest?
Honest.
Won't your wife mind?
My wife went back home
a long time ago.
We'll go to see her if you want.
It's a quarter to five.
We're closed.
Come back tomorrow at nine.
Is lbrahim your first name
or your surname?
Ibrahim Demirdji.
Spell the surname.
If you were French,
it would be tough enough.
But in this case...
...in your situation...
...it would take more than a miracle.
Come to office
at on Monday.
It's an excellent vehicle.
Four shock absorbers.
Tax category seven.
You can get her up to mph.
It was voted car of the year
at the last motor show.
Perhaps this one
would be more suitable.
A V engine for flexibility.
Don't give me your spiel,
I'm buying this one.
Do you have a license?
A license?
Of course.
Here you are.
This is a driving license?
Of course. Can't you tell?
If I have to read Arabic now.
Follow me. You can pay monthly
installments over three years.
When I buy, I have the money.
Here and now.
In that case, write a check for--
No, I pay you now.
With cash.
Here, real money.
You see?
No one pays in cash.
That's not possible.
Why? This isn't money?
I accepted it, why won't you?
We've come to the wrong place.
All right.
That's what we'll do.
We can deliver it in two weeks.
Will that do?
Two weeks?
I'll be dead in two weeks!
No, I want it tomorrow.
Tomorrow, outside the store.
It's beautiful.
I forget, Momo.
What? You've driven before.
Long ago,
with my friend Abdullah, but....
-But what?
-The cars weren't like this.
They weren't drawn by horses.
No, my boy, donkeys.
But your license?
That was a letter from Abdullah.
We're in the shit, then.
Gently!
Both feet like this.
You ease one off
and press the other down. Gently.
-A car's like a woman.
-Why didn't you say so?
-She has ticklish feet. Okay, Momo?
-Let's go.
Gently.
There. Gently!
-That's a bend to the right.
-You slow down.
This one?
Stop. You slow down.
But I never go very fast.
Obligatory stop.
You have to stop at yards.
That's a yellow line.
You have those on all the roads.
An unbroken line!
Yes, unbroken.
-Country roads are beautiful.
-Hold on. An unbroken line and....
An unbroken line....
There are dotted lines too.
-No overtaking!
-I'm learning, Momo.
But it makes my brain shrink.
Before parking, what do you do?
Before parking?
You slow down.
The indicator!
You forget everything!
I can't think of two things at once.
I know, you'll cough.
When you cough,
I'll put the indicator on.
Pull up there, behind the blue car.
Stop the engine.
If there'd been a yellow line,
what would you have done?
An unbroken one?
Yes, unbroken.
But I used the indicator!
Straight on.
Straight on what?
Unbroken yellow, straight on.
No overtaking.
Okay.
You get your license,
but only just.
I wanted to say goodbye.
We're going to Turkey.
Are you going away?
Goodbye.
Rich people live here.
Look at the rubbish bins.
What about them?
To find out if a country...
...is rich or poor, look at the bins.
If there are bins and no rubbish,
it's rich.
If there's rubbish by the bins,
it's neither rich nor poor...
...it's touristy.
And if there's rubbish but no bins,
then it's poor.
So this place is rich?
You bet, this is Switzerland!
Is this place poor?
Yes, this is Albania.
And here?
Smell that? The scent of happiness.
This is Greece.
People don't move.
They take the time to watch us pass.
I've worked hard all my life...
...but I've always
taken my time about it.
I've never tried for record sales...
...or a crowd of customers.
Slowness...
...that's the key to happiness.
What do you want to do later?
I don't know.
Import-export.
Import-export?
That's good.
Import-export.
Meet my son Momo...
...who'll work one day
in import-export.
-Were you born by this sea?
-No.
What's the matter?
Nothing.
Why aren't you speaking?
Listen.
Smell.
I smell incense.
Orthodox.
I smell candles.
Catholic.
It stinks of feet!
And your feet don't stink?
You're no better than others.
That odor reassures me.
I smell myself, I smell you.
Where's your sea?
We're getting there.
I'm happy, Momo.
You're here
and I know what's in my Koran.
Don't be upset,
but I keep thinking of Blue Road.
-Are you bored?
-No, no.
But I think about it.
It's all I can think of.
I'll make you dance.
You?
Yes, you must. Absolutely.
A man's heart is like a caged bird.
When you dance, your heart sings...
...and then rises to heaven.
They spin around their hearts.
God is there, in their hearts.
It's like a prayer.
They lose all their bearings,
that burden we call balance.
They become like torches.
They burn in a blazing fire.
My head's clear.
All my hatred....
Is that praying?
Let's have some tea.
Do you feel hatred too?
Good evening.
Good evening. It's a hot one!
I'm French.
I don't speak Turkish.
Do you think I'm good-looking?
You're very good-looking.
Will I be good-looking enough
to attract girls without paying?
In a few years, they'll pay for you.
It's not great for now.
Of course not.
See how you go about it?
You stare as if to say,
"See how good-looking I am."
And so they just laugh.
You have to look at them as if to say:
"I've never seen such beauty before."
For men like you and me...
...not Alain Delon or Marlon Brando...
...you're beautiful through women.
Man was mineral, then vegetable,
then animal.
Then he became man.
Can you imagine the distance
between dust and what we are now?
Later, you'll become an angel,
after you finish with the Earth.
When you dance, it's like that.
Wait here. I won't be long.
It's over the mountain.
Go on, get out.
-Get out.
-Why?
I left so long ago,
I don't know what I'll find.
What'll I do here?
Speak with your smile.
I'll be back very soon.
See you, my son.
Go back to your village.
I don't know where I'm going.
What about lbrahim?
Where's lbrahim?
The journey ends here.
No.
Yes.
I've arrived. I didn't know.
What about the sea?
All rivers flow into the same sea.
No, Momo.
I'm not pleased.
I'm scared.
I'm not scared.
I know...
...what's in my Koran.
I've had a good life.
I'm old.
I've had a wife.
She died a long time ago...
...but I still love her.
I've returned home.
The store was doing well.
The Blue Road is pretty...
...even if it isn't blue.
And then...
...there's you.
I don't want this.
I'm not dying.
I'm going to join...
...the immensity.
I'll read the will now.
"This is my will and testament.
I, lbrahim Demirdji, hereby leave
all my goods to Moses Schmitt, my--"
Mother, I'm in a meeting!
Excuse me.
"My son Momo...
...because he chose me
as his father...
...and because I've given him
everything I've learned in--"
Excuse me.
Mother, listen to me,
I'll call you later.
Not now.
"I, Ibrahim Demirdji,
hereby leave all my goods...
...to Moses Schmitt,
my son Momo...
...because he chose me
as his father...
...and because I've given him
everything I've learned in this life.
Now you too will know
what's in my Koran, Momo.
It's all there is to know. "
Now, I'm Momo.
The whole street knows me.
I'm the corner Arab,
open from a.m. to midnight...
...even on Sundays,
in the grocery trade.
Eight francs forty.
Just a second.
You know, I'm not an Arab, Momo.
Special help by SergeiK