00:01:56:00 00:01:58:07 Well, Mohammad dear I’ve brought the camera,
00:01:58:16 00:02:04:13 but of course only your voice will be recorded regarding the memories that we talked about.
00:02:05:02 00:02:06:12 That means you’d only record my voice.
00:02:06:16 00:02:07:18 Yep, I will only record your voice.
00:02:07:20 00:02:08:18 Well OK. I’m ready man.
00:02:09:15 00:02:11:16 Hold on.
00:02:12:15 00:02:18:00 Yep. This goes all back to the sixth sense.
00:02:18:10 00:02:20:23 What one thinks about and it materializes.
00:02:21:07 00:02:23:01 I guess it has must have happened to you to.
00:02:23:08 00:02:25:23 It has happened to me more than a hundred times which
00:02:26:15 00:02:29:21 I don’t know what its popular meaning is.
00:02:30:03 00:02:33:15 But my father used to say “molf”, which means when you say something and then it happens whether good or bad.
00:02:34:02 00:02:43:20 It’s a premonition. When something bad happens he says: “Don’t give a bad omen”.
00:02:44:11 00:02:46:21 It has happened to me more than a hundred times.
00:02:47:00 00:02:52:16 The sixth sense has faded now. I have lots on my mind and so many things have happened to us.
00:02:53:00 00:02:57:16 But imagine being a kid and giving a bad omen that is really something…
00:02:57:21 00:02:58:19 Where you there during the war time?
00:02:59:08 00:03:00:12 - Yeah!
- You actually remember?!
00:03:00:18 00:03:06:20 I was born in 1972. I was 7 when the war broke out. I had finished the first grade.
00:03:06:24 00:03:10:24 - Would want to talk about it? The sixth sense?
- Yeah.
00:03:11:04 00:03:14:13 Well just hang on a second I’ll get the camera…
00:03:14:18 00:03:16:09 What are you doing? Why have you brought a camera with you?
00:03:16:14 00:03:17:08 It’s nothing.
00:03:17:12 00:03:20:01 - You were just supposed to record my voice.
- I thought I’d record your voice.
00:03:20:04 00:03:23:16 Not here Mahmoud dear, this is an office…I’m scared if someone comes in.
00:03:23:20 00:03:24:14 There’s no-one here.
00:03:24:17 00:03:27:06 We haven’t coordinated or talked about it with anybody. You just take out your camera,
00:03:27:10 00:03:28:07 I’ll get into trouble.
00:03:28:10 00:03:31:10 I know but this is just an ordinary camera, it isn’t anything special. Nothing will happen until someone comes in,
00:03:31:12 00:03:32:22 nobody will come in now.
00:03:33:06 00:03:36:19 Swear to God, I’ll get into trouble. This is my office. You weren’t supposed to bring a camera.
00:03:36:23 00:03:37:23 In the research that I’m doing…
00:03:38:02 00:03:42:21 This is not what we agreed upon Mahmoud. You were supposed to record my voice and do a research on it.
00:03:43:24 00:03:48:17 - Swear to God if anybody…
- Just give a second…here…I’m sorry.
00:03:49:13 00:03:54:17 If anybody comes in, it will cause me problems, you won’t be accountable for anything.
00:03:54:21 00:03:56:01 No man. I will be accountable.
00:03:56:06 00:03:57:05 I have to answer to hundred of people.
00:03:57:08 00:03:59:19 I will be accountable…I will be accountable…go on.
00:03:59:24 00:04:03:14 Mahmoud dear. Just record my voice if you can and do your research.
00:04:03:18 00:04:06:19 It’s nothing special. I just want to have you picture.
00:04:06:24 00:04:10:04 The sense developed when you are explaining is very interesting.
00:04:10:11 00:04:13:10 - I will get into trouble, swear to God.
- No man. So you were saying.
00:04:13:15 00:04:15:00 I’m scared swear to God. My boss will pick on me.
00:04:15:03 00:04:17:07 I’ll take care of that, all right?
00:04:17:11 00:04:20:11 You say that now but I won’t find any trace of you tomorrow.
00:04:22:24 00:04:26:11 Yeah this bad premonition was costing me dearly.
00:04:27:07 00:04:34:14  In a way whatever occurred to me would actually happen. It was strange.
00:04:34:23 00:04:40:05 A few months ago again something occurred to me and it happened.
00:04:40:10 00:04:42:14 Maybe if I had worked on it I would have turned into something, which I didn’t.
00:04:42:19 00:04:44:14 I never paid any attention.
00:04:45:12 00:04:48:17 Allow me to tell you about a memory. It’s very interesting.
00:04:48:23 00:04:53:21 May be it could be a plot intriguing a story. The war had just broken out.
00:04:54:04 00:05:00:21 I mean I didn’t know that it had, nobody knew. I was in the second grade.
00:05:01:02 00:05:03:19  It was the first day that we wanted to go to school.
00:05:04:02 00:05:09:06  I was putting on my clothes. My father had gone out to buy breakfast.
00:05:09:10 00:05:12:17 Now that I’m thinking about it he had gone out to buy bread.
00:05:14:24 00:05:18:10 I was all dressed up and was about to sit down to have breakfast
00:05:18:16 00:05:31:08 when a whistle like sound turned into a mess.
00:05:31:16 00:05:34:09 My sisters woke up, everyone ran out to the door.
00:05:35:09 00:05:38:04 We wanted to get out when my father came in.
00:05:39:16 00:05:43:01 He was very frightened. He said: “Canon ball, canon ball”.
00:05:43:07 00:05:48:23 I thought he meant football, a round thing that we played with it.
00:05:49:11 00:05:54:19 Later I realized that he meant something sharp.
00:05:54:23 00:05:57:07 I found out that it was a metal thing that they would put inside a tube,
00:05:57:23 00:06:01:00 would pull the string and it would be projected.
00:06:01:09 00:06:04:00 This had directly hit the alley behind our house.
00:06:04:20 00:06:08:10 A massive explosion, the glasses were shattered, we were very scared.
00:06:08:19 00:06:16:04 My father came and said: “Iraq, Iraq has attacked”, I had no definition of war, of Iraq, and of…I don’t know.
00:06:16:09 00:06:19:19 Any way, everything changed. The schools were closed that day.
00:06:20:04 00:06:22:03 My father put all our belongings away.
00:06:22:07 00:06:28:22 The carpets were rolled, the fridge was unplugged, and the air-conditioner came off its frame.
00:06:29:02 00:06:31:21 My father put everything inside the bathroom.
00:06:32:10 00:06:33:09 Our bathroom was in the hall way.
00:06:33:19 00:06:35:12 Imagine a 6 square meter room.
00:06:35:17 00:06:41:09 He put everything on top of each other and locked the room.
00:06:44:01 00:06:53:10 Man, the house was empty and the wooden doors would bang.
00:06:54:05 00:06:57:22 Iraq would fire with multiple rocket launchers.
00:07:03:20 00:07:08:11 The sound would echo in the house and the doors would bang, it was terrifying.
00:07:08:16 00:07:11:08 It would make noises.
00:07:12:07 00:07:15:19 We were mischievous and we would repeat ha…ha…ha.
00:07:16:01 00:07:18:06 The sound would echo. We were very scared.
00:07:19:07 00:07:23:15 The house was empty. Some of our school books were scattered in the rooms.
00:07:23:23 00:07:29:04 My toys, I had a coloured toy train that would run on a track when it was switched on.
00:07:29:10 00:07:32:05 The train was in one corner and its tracks in the other corner.
00:07:32:09 00:07:38:21  My Lego, our books, pens and notebooks were scattered in the rooms.
00:07:39:01 00:07:44:01 My father took our hands and we went to Bakhtiari Garage in order to go to Shoushtar, a safe place.
00:07:44:09 00:07:45:12 Why to Shoushtar?
00:07:45:15 00:07:47:08 Well Iraq had never attacked Shoushtar.
00:07:47:12 00:07:51:20 My father intended to move us away from the war epicentre.
00:07:52:01 00:07:54:20 He took us there and we got on the mini-bus.
00:07:55:00 00:07:59:16  I remember it was very crowded. Everyone wanted to go to where?
00:07:59:21 00:08:00:24 To Shoushtar.
00:08:01:21 00:08:09:01 We too got on the mini-bus. I sat next to my mother, my sisters and my father with a small hand bag.
00:08:09:06 00:08:13:15 We had put everything we needed inside a hand bag and took it with us.
00:08:13:21 00:08:18:17 Mahmoud, I don’t know why but at that very moment a strange music came to my mind.
00:08:33:23 00:08:37:03 May be you heard it in the car or in your subconscious.
00:08:37:07 00:08:48:12 No, no. A few years later I heard it in a war movie which was about
the attack on Khorramshahr, the exile, the escape, etc.
00:08:49:00 00:08:58:10 This music came to my mind passed my subconscious and 20 years later it appeared in a film on immigration, escape,
00:08:59:02 00:09:08:01 Khorramshahr and war. Well this could be among one of those incidents that occurred late but it did occur.
00:09:08:12 00:09:11:21 Any way man, we set off and departed for Shoushtar.
00:09:12:06 00:09:16:12 We got off in the bus terminal and walked through the dusty roads
00:09:16:16 00:09:19:07 and arrived at a house which belonged to my sister, it was about 3000 square meters.
00:09:19:16 00:09:25:01 Everybody was there, my brother-in-law’s aunt, his sister, everyone was there.
00:09:25:12 00:09:28:03 The war had somehow made everyone become friends.
00:09:28:06 00:09:31:13 The family had come a little closer. Each family was staying in one room.
00:09:31:17 00:09:34:21 Every one had escaped from Ahvaz and was there.
00:09:35:00 00:09:37:06 I think we were the last group.
00:09:37:18 00:09:41:09  Our share from the house was a basement which was around 10 to 12 square meters.
00:09:41:15 00:09:50:23 We settled there. We had to climb down 10 – 12 mud stairs to a dark, damp and humid room.
00:09:51:09 00:09:53:24 Imagine we stayed there for 9 months.
00:09:54:03 00:09:56:03 All of you? You abandoned school and studying…
00:09:56:06 00:09:59:13 We all did. I studied my second grade at home and just sat the exams.
00:10:01:07 00:10:08:08 We would all gather in one place, either my sister would teach me or my brother-in-law’s cousin.
00:10:11:24 00:10:17:00 I’ll show you my report card if you come to our house one time.
00:10:20:21 00:10:23:21 I still have my report card which is beautiful.
00:10:26:22 00:10:29:19 Whenever I look at it, it reminds me of those days.
00:10:29:24 00:10:32:08 You mean you went there?
00:10:32:13 00:10:39:19 We were there for 9 months. My father returned to Ahvaz the same day that he took us to Shoushtar.
00:10:40:17 00:10:44:11 He had to go back because he worked at the railroad,
00:10:44:16 00:10:48:17 in the epicentre of the war and he had to transport ammunition to Khorramshahr.
00:10:49:02 00:10:55:17 He couldn’t stay with us. Imagine a father leaving his wife and child in Shoushtar, going back to
00:10:55:24 00:11:00:06 Ahvaz, the centre of war, loading the train with ammunition and taking it to Khorramshahr.
00:11:00:12 00:11:05:09 If a bullet would hit the train, the train would have exploded.
00:11:05:17 00:11:16:01 My father was the train conductor. He and his friends were in charge of transporting ammunition in the beginning of the war.
00:11:17:15 00:11:24:17 Back then we had no idea about what was going on around us. We were happy. It was around 4 to 5 of us.
00:11:24:22 00:11:27:06 We made wooden guns and played with them.
00:11:27:12 00:11:33:02 We talked, laughed, swam in the river and played throughout the day.
00:11:34:08 00:11:40:03 Unaware of what my parents were going through. Imagine many people fought in the war.
00:11:40:22 00:11:46:03 Mahmoud many people became heroes for fighting in the front lines but I think my father was a hero too.
00:11:46:08 00:11:48:19 What difference does it make? He was a hero too.
00:11:49:00 00:11:55:04 A train full of ammunition moving towards the fighters, this is a kind of heroism.
00:11:55:11 00:12:04:04 My mother, 200 km away, was spending her days and nights wondering if her husband would return.
00:12:05:01 00:12:07:17 This is heroism. What difference does it make?
00:12:08:04 00:12:17:07 But imagine nothing was sweeter than the horn of the train or a trip by train. Even now the children like seeing a train.
00:12:21:13 00:12:24:00 We might like the horn of the train.
00:12:26:17 00:12:31:17 But my father still says that the horn of the train to him is like he has been hit in his head by a sledge-hammer.
00:12:31:23 00:12:33:01 Do you know what he remembers?
00:12:33:05 00:12:37:08 "He certainly remembers the train being bombarded by the planes; "
00:12:37:13 00:12:39:17 he certainly remembers the train that was bombarded in Haft Tappeh.
00:12:39:23 00:12:40:24 (Knock on the door)
00:12:43:00 00:12:44:24 One second… Mahmoud. I told you someone would come.
00:12:45:03 00:12:46:14 No, that’s not a problem. I’ll put the camera away.
00:12:46:18 00:12:52:13 It is a problem. Swear to God, if they see this…one second…did you put it away?
00:12:52:17 00:12:55:01 Please come in.
00:13:49:10 00:13:51:14 I told you it was like this in the office.
00:13:52:05 00:13:57:23 People come and go, asking for a cigarette. I’ll get into trouble.
00:13:59:06 00:14:01:11 Well you were saying.
00:14:01:16 00:14:06:07 We were there for 9 months. Then one early morning my grandfather came.
00:14:06:12 00:14:07:15 From where?
00:14:07:22 00:14:12:19 He came to Shoushtar from Ahvaz. He was wearing a white suit. He had sewn the suit himself.
00:14:13:00 00:14:23:10 He was a tailor and had a shop on Hafez Avenue. He climbed down the stairs and sat on the second step.
00:14:23:15 00:14:25:15 He was addressing my mother.
00:14:25:22 00:14:30:22 He was asking her why we were living there. What we were doing in that damp basement.
00:14:31:02 00:14:33:16 He said: “Come back to Ahvaz. The shops are open.
00:14:33:20 00:14:35:20 The bakery shops are baking bread.
00:14:35:24 00:14:37:09 The porridge shops are cooking porridge.
00:14:37:14 00:14:39:23 I am sewing 3 suits for 3 grooms”.
00:14:40:03 00:14:44:17 Mahmoud all his examples considered shops in the bazaar, because he worked in the bazaar.
00:14:46:08 00:14:48:21 "My mother said to him: “I don’t know what I should do; "
00:14:49:00 00:14:50:12 I have no news from Shokrollah.
00:14:50:16 00:14:54:14 He has left us here. I don’t know if it is right to stay or to leave”.
00:14:54:22 00:14:56:18 “You have nothing to do with Shokrollah.
00:14:56:22 00:15:00:07 He has sent me to take you back. Get up. Get your stuff. Get up. Get your stuff”.
00:15:00:12 00:15:04:09 Man…we didn’t know what to do.
00:15:04:19 00:15:09:02 Mahmoud imagine what one should have done under such circumstances.
00:15:09:07 00:15:13:08 Considering my grandfather’s age, my mother believed that her father was right.
00:15:14:02 00:15:20:03 We gathered our belongings and took our hand bag. I was clinging to my mother’s chador. We went to the bus terminal.
00:15:20:11 00:15:28:09 My grandfather was ahead of us. He would run and so would we.
00:15:28:16 00:15:33:20 With the size of my feet, I couldn’t keep up with him.
00:15:34:01 00:15:37:09 We arrived at the terminal and got on the mini-bus.
00:15:37:14 00:15:46:09 My grandfather sat in the front of the mini bus like a conqueror.
00:15:46:20 00:15:53:23 He sat next to the driver. We sat in the back and I held my mother’s chador.
00:15:54:14 00:16:01:01 We left for Ahvaz. Something crossed my mind, a “molf” but I didn’t say a word.
00:16:01:11 00:16:02:06 The sixth sense?
00:16:02:10 00:16:07:19 Yep. The sixth sense. I wanted to say that we shouldn’t go, that I was scared, that something would happen…
00:16:08:04 00:16:12:22 I kept my mouth shut. I said to myself that I should say nothing.
00:16:13:04 00:16:21:22 I was afraid a rocket would hit our mini-bus…you know one thinks about these things, I kept my mouth shut.
00:16:22:03 00:16:25:24 The mini-bus was moving but I realized that the road was empty.
00:16:26:18 00:16:34:03 It was as if no cars were on it. Nobody was overtaking us. I pulled the curtain and saw nobody.
00:16:34:08 00:16:38:14 No sane man would leave a safe place and go to Ahvaz back in 1981.
00:16:38:19 00:16:42:22 We were the only ones on a mini-bus leaving for Ahvaz.
00:16:43:15 00:16:53:01 After driving for about 50 to 60 kilometres I saw 2 army jeeps coming towards us while flashing their head lights.
00:16:53:22 00:16:57:24 Mahmoud imagine when a car approaches you and the driver wants to say hello they flash the light once.
00:16:58:07 00:17:01:14 But those lights were constantly flashing saying danger.
00:17:07:19 00:17:12:14 They both passed us by while they were continuously honking their horns.
00:17:14:02 00:17:17:16 I felt nauseous. I pressed my mother’s hand.
00:17:17:20 00:17:22:10 She looked at me and rubbed my shoulders. I was the only son.
00:17:22:20 00:17:27:21 I was scared, so was she. She was scared for all of us. She said: “It’s all right, it’s nothing.”
00:17:28:01 00:17:31:24 After another 10 kilometres I saw 3 to 4 army trucks.
00:17:32:03 00:17:37:10 The soldiers were wearing helmets and holding their machineguns they too passed us by.
00:17:37:15 00:17:45:21 The head lights were on and they were honking the horns and shouting: “Go back, don’t go, no!”
00:17:47:04 00:17:58:14 My mother was scared and said to my grandfather: “Dad, it seems they said something. What did they say?”
00:17:58:24 00:18:02:20 He said: “No, it’s nothing. They said hello. They said hello.”
00:18:04:17 00:18:07:13 My mother didn’t believe him. But we did.
They definitely said hello.
00:18:07:19 00:18:12:01  Another 10 kilometres and this time we saw 5 to 6 trucks.
00:18:12:06 00:18:21:17 We could see the fear in the soldiers eyes as they were passing us by: “No, no, don’t go, no”.
00:18:23:17 00:18:27:03 I was sure that something was going on.
00:18:27:10 00:18:37:16 Another 6 kilometres and we saw a long queue of cars, pick-up trucks, bicycles, carts, taxis, army trucks, land cruisers …
00:18:38:04 00:18:44:06 Everybody was trying to go to Shoushtar, to a safe place by any means.
00:18:45:07 00:18:48:03 We were the only car in our direction.
00:18:48:09 00:18:50:18 The driver jammed his foot on the brake and said: “I won’t go any further.”
00:18:50:24 00:18:53:13 My grandfather told him: “What? Not going any further? Take us to Chahar Sheer.”
00:18:53:17 00:18:59:00 The driver quickly asked: “What’s going on?” in his Shoushtari dialect.
00:18:59:05 00:19:04:02 We couldn’t tell if the passer-bys were from Lorestan or they were Arabs or even if they could understand his dialect.
00:19:04:05 00:19:09:00 He said: “What’s going on? What’s going on?”
The soldier said: “Don’t go. Don’t go. Ahvaz has fallen”.
00:19:11:05 00:19:16:12 My mother was terrified.
With the word fallen I remembered Khorramshahr.
00:19:17:17 00:19:19:15 Fallen? That meant it was over.
00:19:20:07 00:19:25:14 My father was in Ahvaz. My grandmother was in Ahvaz, My older sister was in Ahvaz. We were all terrified.
00:19:25:18 00:19:31:09 The driver said: “I’m not going.” My grandfather got into a fight with him.
The driver said: “I’ll only go up to Chahar Sheer.”
00:19:31:19 00:19:32:12 My grandfather said: “All right.”
00:19:32:17 00:19:38:21 The car took off. We got to Chahar sheer and we got off. The driver made a u-turn and drove towards Shoushtar.
00:19:39:06 00:19:46:00 My grandfather disappeared. Later on I found out that he had gone to close his shop.
00:19:46:19 00:19:54:07 My mother covered my eyes with her chador so that I wouldn’t see how scared people were.
00:19:54:13 00:20:00:02 I could see the people from behind the thin black fabric of the chador. It was near sunset.
00:20:00:06 00:20:02:21 The continuous explosions could be heard.
00:20:06:06 00:20:08:10 The soldiers were running in the streets with machineguns in their hands.
00:20:08:15 00:20:16:02 The cars in Chahar Sheer square, the continuous honking of the horns, the screams of the children, the frightened women,
00:20:16:10 00:20:19:02 I could see the people from behind the black chador.
00:20:20:21 00:20:22:21 For an instant I looked at the sky from behind the chador.
00:20:23:00 00:20:27:04  I saw red, purple and green flames in the sky.
00:20:27:12 00:20:28:21 I didn’t know what had happened.
00:20:29:06 00:20:35:16 When the soldier said that Ahvaz had fallen I felt that we had got stuck at the entrance point of the city.
00:20:35:20 00:20:40:19  That half of the city had fallen and the Iraqis would capture us at any moment. My mother didn’t know what to do.
00:20:41:08 00:20:43:01 She would walk towards Shoushtar for a little,
00:20:43:06 00:20:50:05 then would run towards Maahshar and then would run towards the city centre, all this within 10 steps.
00:20:50:10 00:21:00:02  I was behind her holding on to her chador. My heart was pounding. We were completely terrified.
00:21:02:19 00:21:06:06 Just then my mother said: “Let’s go to your sister’s house.”
00:21:06:15 00:21:08:19 She used to live in Zeytoun neighbourhood.
00:21:08:22 00:21:13:19 It was a house belonging to the Oil Company.
00:21:14:02 00:21:17:11 We went quickly towards my sister’s house. 
The door was open.
00:21:17:16 00:21:21:24 We got into the crowded yard and saw that everybody was there.
00:21:22:06 00:21:24:15 It occurred to me that maybe everyone else was there.
00:21:24:21 00:21:27:15 We could either surrender or figure out what we had to do.
00:21:28:01 00:21:31:06 Then I saw everyone looking at the sky with binoculars.
00:21:35:13 00:21:39:13 It was very interesting for me to see how they were easily looking at the sky, what was going on…
00:21:39:17 00:21:46:22 Just imagine… all the explosions could be heard. We asked our son-in-law:
00:21:47:00 00:21:48:03 “What has happened? What has happened?”
00:21:48:06 00:21:56:02 He said: “The ammunition warehouse caught on fire at 2 p.m. The ammunition is exploding.
00:21:56:13 00:22:00:23 The gunpowder and the light are falling on the city.” It was very horrifying.
00:22:03:04 00:22:10:23 After the explosions were over and it was a little quieter I saw my father coming in.
00:22:11:08 00:22:14:19 He said: “You’re here? Who told you to come to Ahvaz? Who told you to do so?
00:22:14:24 00:22:22:16 You should have informed me, or called me. Didn’t I tell you that until I come to fetch you…”
00:22:22:20 00:22:24:08 Any way there was a big row.
00:22:24:11 00:22:29:23 He took us home: the house that the echo of our voices could be heard inside.
00:22:30:01 00:22:33:11 The house in Campelo neighbourhood where our stuff was all stored in the bathroom.
00:22:33:17 00:22:41:01 We got there at night. It was dark. We wanted to switch on the light but my father said: “Don’t switch on the light!”
00:22:41:12 00:22:46:12 Back then nobody would switch on lights. You can ask anyone who was there during the war.
00:22:46:23 00:22:52:14 Man, we got into the house. Our voices echoed.
00:22:52:24 00:23:01:01 We turned on the fluorescent light. I really felt sorry for my dad. Mahmoud he had a very simple and poor life.
00:23:01:05 00:23:05:02 2 cardboards were laid on the floor with a klim on top, a cooking stove,
00:23:05:06 00:23:09:17 a pillow which was filthy because it was used a lot and hadn’t been washed,
00:23:09:23 00:23:20:04 a desert plate, a knife: A poor life in a corner where it was safe.
He would go to work and come back home to sleep.
00:23:21:13 00:23:27:05 "We brought out the carpets and put the air-conditioner back in its place; "
00:23:27:10 00:23:45:12 a peaceful life along with the repeated sounds of explosions
and conflicts, attacks, war news and things like this…
00:23:45:20 00:23:47:16 Excuse me…
00:23:54:09 00:23:57:02 I’m sorry.
00:24:04:00 00:24:06:03 That’s how it was, an ordinary life.
00:24:06:07 00:24:11:20 I remember the best music was the war march.
00:24:19:13 00:24:21:23 When they would play it I would stick my ear to the radio.
00:24:22:02 00:24:24:18 I would get a piece of paper and would right down with a pencil…
00:24:25:07 00:24:27:19 4 planes were attacked…2 army divisions destroyed,
00:24:28:09 00:24:32:11 I don’t know, 3 helicopters attacked, how many prisoners of war…
00:24:32:15 00:24:34:15 When my father would return from work, he would ask me “Any news?”
00:24:34:19 00:24:36:09 and I would read him the news.
00:24:36:18 00:24:47:19 Even now when I hear the march I have a feeling, a beautiful feeling. It reminds me of then this is how our life was…
00:24:48:00 00:24:49:21 You got back to your normal life…
00:24:49:24 00:24:58:06 Yes, we got back and from 1981 to 1986 we had a peaceful life along with the bombardments,
00:24:58:09 00:25:02:04  the explosion, etc…but regarding the “molf” that I told you…
00:25:02:10 00:25:03:08 The sixth sense?
00:25:04:03 00:25:12:04 It caused me a lot of trouble one day. It was 1984.
00:25:13:12 00:25:18:01 There was a nice children’s TV programme back then. I don’t know if you remember…
00:25:26:24 00:25:29:20 You are used to such explosions.
00:25:30:09 00:25:37:04 What is this? An actual safe match! I loved the children’s TV programme.
00:25:37:10 00:25:44:02 I remember I would go back home from school no matter where I was so that I could watch the children’s programme at 5 p.m.
00:25:44:15 00:25:51:02 There would be a black background on the TV screen and a child would walk and the programme would begin.
00:25:58:09 00:26:03:16 There were good programmes: Sinbad, Pink Panther. We would get home wherever we were.
00:26:03:22 00:26:08:15 Man… I got home, dropped my bag and sat in front of the TV.
00:26:09:07 00:26:14:02 Just when the programme was about to begin my father said: “ Mohammad, go and buy 20 breads.
00:26:14:14 00:26:20:21 ” If the bakery shop was on the corner I would have gone but it was on the way to Khorramshahr Road.
00:26:22:03 00:26:29:07 Almost near Nasser Khosroe junction, a location far away from our house which we had to go a long way.
00:26:29:11 00:26:33:11 I said: “I won’t go. I want to watch the children’s TV programme.” I made up an excuse.
00:26:34:14 00:26:38:12 “Get up, get up. You are too old for the children’s TV programme. Get up and go get bread.”
00:26:39:15 00:26:41:18 I thought to myself what I should tell him so that he wouldn’t send me.
00:26:42:02 00:26:43:11  I said: “I won’t go.
00:26:44:01 00:26:46:24 Iraq will bomb us today, it was announced on the TV last night.”
00:26:47:14 00:26:50:13 He said: “Iraq wants to bomb today.” He got angry.
00:26:50:16 00:26:52:15 “Don’t talk. You’re giving a bad omen.
00:26:52:19 00:26:55:22 A child that gives bad omen is not worth a red cent”.
00:26:56:04 00:27:01:22 "When my mother saw how scared and reluctant I was to go, she said to him; “What do you want from him? "
00:27:02:01 00:27:03:16 Go and get bread yourself.” He said: “Shouldn’t a child learn?
00:27:03:23 00:27:05:22 He should as well learn now that he should provide for the household.
00:27:06:03 00:27:08:08 I may go to work tomorrow and something may happen to me.
00:27:08:18 00:27:11:00 I should be rest assured about who shall provide for you.”
00:27:11:12 00:27:16:06 And things like that. When my father went into the hall way I told my mother: “ I wont’ go.
00:27:16:12 00:27:18:20 Make up something. I won’t go. I’m scared.
00:27:19:09 00:27:20:23 I’m scared, the road to Khorramshahr?
00:27:21:01 00:27:28:14 What if they bombard us?” My father heard me. He said: “I don’t understand. Now we have to go together.” Woe is me!
00:27:28:24 00:27:32:23 I was wondering whether to go or not, when I saw my father with his bike.
00:27:33:02 00:27:34:15 He took it from under the staircase.
00:27:34:22 00:27:42:01 It was a  green Hercules size 28. It had a plate number too 1 Ahvaz/2521.
00:27:43:13 00:27:48:05 I was the only one who would remove the plate from the bike when I wanted to go to school.
00:27:48:12 00:27:51:07  I removed the plate 2 or 3 times with a screw driver when he gave me the bike to ride.
00:27:51:10 00:27:55:20 I would leave the plate under the air-conditioner frame.
00:27:56:02 00:28:02:08 It was a hassle. Imagine riding a bike with a number plate, over and over again. God is my witness.
00:28:02:12 00:28:03:06 It had a plate number?
00:28:03:11 00:28:08:08 It did 1Ahvaz/2521. My father even had a driving license.
00:28:08:20 00:28:15:05  If he wanted to make a right turn he would shake his right arm for about quarter of an hour.
00:28:15:09 00:28:17:02 If he wanted to make a left turn he would shake his left arm.
00:28:17:06 00:28:19:06  If he wanted to go straight, it was a story.
00:28:19:16 00:28:23:05 He would say: “If you don’t have a driving license you can’t ride a bike.”
00:28:23:17 00:28:29:16 Once I was riding to school and I hadn’t removed the plate number, when I saw 50 people pointing me out.
00:28:30:18 00:28:32:17 Something funny happened once.
00:28:32:20 00:28:35:02 I was riding the bike when a police car drove passed by me.
00:28:35:06 00:28:42:00 I said to myself it would be good if he would say to me through the loudspeaker: “2521 pull over…2521 pull over!”
00:28:43:03 00:28:49:09 My father would take out his bike and would clean the rims with a cloth and polish them until they would shine.
00:28:49:23 00:28:54:24 He would grease the shafts so they wouldn’t make any noise.
00:28:55:10 00:29:01:23 As I was deciding whether to go or to protest, I saw myself on the street.
00:29:03:18 00:29:05:09 He would stand by a platform.
00:29:05:12 00:29:11:02  I would jump on the top tube, a 100 times my leg would go numb,
00:29:11:20 00:29:18:05 he would run and step on the pedal and swing his other leg around and ride on the bike.
00:29:19:02 00:29:24:16 Imagine…he was bulky, he would lean forward on me and I would be on the steel handlebars.
00:29:25:00 00:29:28:21 You’ve seen a size 28. They have iron brakes.
00:29:29:03 00:29:32:04 The 2 sharp things and my finger would get stuck between these sharp things…
00:29:32:08 00:29:37:04 “Ouch…what was that? What was that?” “Nothing, move your hand”, my father used to say.
00:29:37:14 00:29:42:15 Any way, I got on the top tube and held on to the handlebar and my father started pedalling to where?
00:29:42:21 00:29:48:24 The bakery…The front tyre would wobble like this.
00:29:49:05 00:29:55:06 The tyre tread was worn-out. He hadn’t changed the tyre.
00:29:55:10 00:29:57:13 The tyre wobbled and my father was pedalling.
00:29:57:17 00:30:04:02 Something came to my mind and I said: “Father, what if they really bombard us?”
00:30:04:06 00:30:06:06 He said: “Child, don’t give a bad omen.
00:30:06:09 00:30:10:12 You should hit a child who gives a bad omen, in the mouth with a slipper.
00:30:10:19 00:30:12:03 Talk about good things.
00:30:12:07 00:30:14:17 We are on our way to Khorramshahr Road and you talk about bombardment.”
00:30:16:06 00:30:18:17  We rode to the bakery shop.
00:30:19:05 00:30:24:23 Four people were in queue. It was near sunset.
00:30:25:02 00:30:26:23  I said to myself that we would buy bread and go back home.
00:30:27:02 00:30:28:08 The hell with the children’s TV programme!
00:30:28:16 00:30:31:18 I just don’t want to be bombed. I swear to God.
00:30:33:10 00:30:37:10 There were only two people left.
00:30:37:16 00:30:41:17 I said only 10 more minutes. Nothing will happen in 10 minutes.
00:30:42:01 00:30:46:11  I hadn’t finished my sentence when I heard the sound of the anti-aircraft gun.
00:30:50:09 00:30:54:24  They started shooting at the planes.
00:30:57:01 00:31:05:00  I turned my head up towards the sky and I saw white patches of explosions.
00:31:05:05 00:31:08:16  I was freaked. My father said: “It’s nothing. It’s OK.”
00:31:08:22 00:31:12:22 He turned my face away like this and put me between himself and the person in front of him.
00:31:13:00 00:31:14:10 He stood there but I could feel that he was getting scared.
00:31:14:15 00:31:17:22 Suddenly the sound of Olican cannonballs could be heard.
00:31:19:14 00:31:24:09 "When they would start shooting it meant that the air strike was definite;"
00:31:24:13 00:31:29:10  it meant that the planes had gotten to a point where they would attack the city.
00:31:29:20 00:31:30:24 What’s Olican?
00:31:31:13 00:31:36:22 Olican was a type of very precise cannon that could track the planes and shoot them down.
00:31:37:00 00:31:42:02 Once I saw with my own eyes that it shot 3 MIGs down.
00:31:43:12 00:31:48:02 They sounded very loud…It was an interesting sound.
00:31:48:05 00:31:51:19 They would shoot 8 cannonballs. The last one would clean the tube.
00:31:51:23 00:31:53:11 They sounded very loud.
00:31:53:19 00:32:03:19 The sound of 2 tubes…the sound of 4 tubes…yeah…the sound was very beautiful…
00:32:03:21 00:32:07:08 I’m serious…It had a special tonality…
00:32:13:06 00:32:14:21 it assured me when they were shot…
00:32:15:00 00:32:19:12 I loved it and I would say…they can’t attack us any longer.
00:32:19:20 00:32:24:24 When they were shot I took my head out of my father’s hand and looked up at the sky.
00:32:26:03 00:32:33:24 50 Iraqi MIGs in the sky, black…around 5 white Mirages, they were flying in the sky.
00:32:34:07 00:32:38:15 When I saw them I said to my father: “Papa…Papa…airplanes…airplanes.”
00:32:39:02 00:32:45:03 My father looked up quickly and said: “No, they’re just crows…don’t look at them…don’t look at them.”
00:32:45:15 00:32:50:00 What was the connection, I said: “Papa…Papa…”
00:32:50:07 00:32:54:22 He said: “It’s nothing.” He paid, got the breads and put them on the handlebar.
00:32:55:15 00:32:59:14 I sat on the top tube…I put my hand on the breads…
00:32:59:23 00:33:04:04 I can still feel the warmness of the breads Mahmoud…It’s so palpable to me.
00:33:04:17 00:33:08:01 Man…my father sat on the saddle and started pedalling.
00:33:08:06 00:33:10:04 But this time the pedalling rhythm was faster.
00:33:12:11 00:33:14:24 The tyre was wobbling too.
00:33:15:03 00:33:18:12 I felt as if the front tyre would come off and we would hit the ground with our faces down…
00:33:18:19 00:33:20:09 the anti-aircraft weapons were shooting…
00:33:22:01 00:33:24:08 My father was pedalling towards our house.
00:33:24:15 00:33:27:10 We wanted to get home as quick as possible and get away
00:33:27:18 00:33:30:06 from Khorramshahr Road or at least get to the city centre to avoid any incidents.
00:33:30:12 00:33:32:21 We arrived at Nasser Khosroe junction.
00:33:33:04 00:33:39:03 Suddenly something pulled me off the ground and we fell down.
00:33:39:10 00:33:43:07 I fell down on my face and I raised my head. I saw the people running.
00:33:44:00 00:33:46:11 The cars were jammed at the junction.
00:33:46:21 00:33:53:03 Everyone was looking for a place to escape. There was a smoke on our left hand side.
00:33:53:11 00:33:58:16 A sound…passed us by and there was an explosion on our left side.
00:33:59:13 00:34:00:19 I don’t know what happened next.
00:34:00:24 00:34:07:11 Then I saw my father lying down on the ground inside a flower-bed with his hands on his head.
00:34:07:21 00:34:10:11  I was confused and stuck in the middle of the junction.
00:34:10:18 00:34:12:20 My father said: “Come lie down, come lie down child.
00:34:13:00 00:34:18:08 You gave a bad omen. Come lie down.” I ran and laid down with my hands on my head.
00:34:18:16 00:34:24:01 The fence around the house doubled the sound of the shrapnel in my ears.
00:34:26:06 00:34:30:02  I stuck my head to the ground and everything was shaking around me.
00:34:33:09 00:34:39:16 Among the explosions, the shrapnel and the smoke, my father said: “The breads, the breads.”
00:34:40:03 00:34:43:08  I told him: “They are over there.” He said: “Go get them.Go get them.”
00:34:44:17 00:34:48:23 Imagine a child, the only son, in the midst of confusion.
00:34:49:03 00:34:52:12 I got up, got the breads, got back and laid down.
00:34:53:08 00:34:55:19 The explosions would pick me up and drop me back on the ground.
00:35:00:07 00:35:02:06 My father said: “The bike, the bike.”
00:35:02:11 00:35:03:22  I said to him: “It’s in the middle of the junction.”
00:35:04:01 00:35:06:16 He said: “Go get it. Go get it. You gave a bad omen.”
00:35:07:00 00:35:12:21 I got up, brought the heavy bicycle and lay it on the ground and lay down myself.
00:35:14:02 00:35:17:06 The explosions were shaking everything.
00:35:17:11 00:35:21:05 I pulled my head up and looked at the direction where our house was.
00:35:21:13 00:35:25:21 I was staring at our neighbourhood to see if there was any smoke.
00:35:26:07 00:35:29:03 There was a smoke coming from our neighbourhood. I was terrified.
00:35:29:18 00:35:35:13 I said: “Papa, Papa, Papa… Campelo” My father said: “Hush! Close your eyes… close your eyes.”
00:35:35:18 00:35:42:21 The explosions reduced, the planes could not be heard.
00:35:43:24 00:35:48:06 My father got up quickly. He raised the bike and put the breads on the handlebar
00:35:48:12 00:35:53:05 and I sat on the top tube and my father started pedalling.
00:35:53:12 00:35:57:00 But swear to God Mahmoud I couldn’t hear any puffs and pants.
00:35:57:12 00:36:00:06  I don’t know may be because I was scared. I shut my eyes.
00:36:00:18 00:36:04:24 - Why?
- I just felt that the bike was moving fast towards our home.
00:36:05:04 00:36:10:17 "I shut my eyes; I didn’t want to see what had happened, whether the smoke was from our neighbourhood or our house. "
00:36:10:22 00:36:16:06 I didn’t want to see anything. I felt as if we had reached 15 Khordad Square.
00:36:16:16 00:36:25:09  I opened my eyes and saw my mother and sister waiting on the corner of our street.
00:36:26:21 00:36:31:08 I’m sorry if I hurt you. Had anything happened?
00:36:31:24 00:36:39:20 No. As soon as my mother saw me, she hit herself in the face with her two hands. I looked for my younger sister in the crowd.
00:36:40:01 00:36:43:09 She was at school. I looked at Dezhban Street.
00:36:43:14 00:36:47:02 The school was closed. Instead of keeping the students in school during the bombardments,
00:36:47:07 00:36:49:03 they would send them out into the streets.
00:36:49:11 00:36:52:09 The children were crying on the other side of the street.
00:36:52:15 00:36:55:07 It was sunset. The power was cut throughout Ahvaz.
00:36:56:00 00:36:59:03 My father went to fetch my sister and they came back together.
00:36:59:06 00:37:04:04 We went home. We found out that Ahvaz was attacked in 52 locations that day.
00:37:05:15 00:37:06:21 They pounded the fruit and vegetable market.
00:37:07:01 00:37:11:21 You can ask about the market incident from anyone who was there during the war.
00:37:12:10 00:37:20:18 That night they had to collect the corpses with the fire engine water pumps.
00:37:20:24 00:37:23:15 They were mutilated, hands, heads, legs.
00:37:23:19 00:37:29:04 The poor guy who had brought melon from Mashhad, the other guy who had brought walnuts from Khorramabad,
00:37:29:09 00:37:32:11  the one who had brought grapes from Shiraz, the one from Kashan, I don’t know…
00:37:32:17 00:37:37:18 Everyone with their lorries, trucks, trailers were mutilated.
00:37:38:11 00:37:43:06 I swear to God, they were collecting the corpses with the water pumps and putting them in the sacks.
00:37:43:22 00:37:45:04 Nothing happened to you?
00:37:45:07 00:37:52:16 No, we were all safe and sound. That night we slept in our house with fear.
00:37:53:17 00:37:57:06  I can still feel my heart pound. Look at this.
00:37:57:14 00:38:00:09 What is this? This is for palpation.
00:38:00:13 00:38:04:19  I’m taking these because of what happened to me back then.
00:38:05:05 00:38:10:02 I have to take one every morning. It is the outcome of those explosions.
00:38:11:08 00:38:20:15 Any way, giving a bad omen, the sixth sense…nearly killed us all.
00:38:21:05 00:38:25:09 After this our lives were changed 180 degrees.
00:38:25:13 00:38:26:10 How so?
00:38:26:18 00:38:30:24 - My father took me to Shoushtar the following day. Only me.
- Why?
00:38:31:06 00:38:35:14 I was the only son. I couldn’t stay. Something could have happened to me. I had to study.
00:38:35:19 00:38:40:22 I told my father: “Papa, every school is closed. Nobody is studying.
00:38:41:02 00:38:44:24 I won’t study either.” He said: “You have to study, even if nobody else does.
00:38:45:05 00:38:47:20 You have to study.” He wanted me to study.
00:38:48:02 00:38:53:08 He took me to Shoushtar and left me with my sister.
00:38:53:13 00:39:00:00 My sister gave me a metal cabinet where I kept my books, notebooks and a little pocket money.
00:39:00:04 00:39:03:01  I was admitted at a school. I went to Shoushtar.
00:39:04:13 00:39:11:12 My aunt’s husband was the principal of that school…
00:39:16:24 00:39:29:18 It’s not my day to smoke today... I sat in the front row between 2 other students. Well everyone was looking at me differently.
00:39:29:24 00:39:33:08 He’s war-stricken, he is from Ahvaz. You know how they are in a small town.
00:39:33:15 00:39:40:04  It was the same back then. They didn’t mean it but they kept calling me war-stricken, Ahvazi,…
00:39:40:24 00:39:45:07 We had Arabic that day. I remember. Our teacher was teaching.
00:39:45:12 00:39:51:11  I was drawing on a piece of paper, I was drawing airplanes.
00:39:52:05 00:39:57:04 Suddenly something hit me in the chest and fell on the desk.
00:39:57:14 00:40:03:17 The teacher threw a piece of chalk at me. I raised my head.
00:40:03:22 00:40:06:02 He asked: “What are you drawing? What are you drawing?”
00:40:06:14 00:40:10:16 He went through the pages of my notebook. “You’ve been brought here to study.”
00:40:11:18 00:40:16:22 He started swearing at me. I don’t want to repeat them because you have a camera here.
00:40:17:06 00:40:18:07 Say it.
00:40:18:10 00:40:27:02 No Mahmoud. He called me names. I was really offended.
00:40:27:09 00:40:34:09 “War-stricken …you were brought here to study, dandy boy!” I was really upset man.
00:40:34:18 00:40:36:22 When he walked back towards the blackboard I said: “Sir.”
00:40:37:03 00:40:39:12 You know what happened that I said that?
00:40:39:18 00:40:46:20  The students burst into laughter. When I heard their laughter I thought I should say something.
00:40:47:22 00:40:50:16  I was very quiet but I made mischievous.
00:40:50:20 00:40:56:13 I said:”Sir if Shoushtar is stricken wouldn’t you be considered war-stricken?” “Keep silent. Keep silent.
00:40:56:19 00:41:00:18 Don’t give a bad omen.” It’s interesting that the people from Shoushtar use this term.
00:41:00:23 00:41:04:18 “Don’t give a bad omen. Strike Shoushtar, strike Shoushtar.”
00:41:05:02 00:41:08:03 Again the children burst into laughter.
00:41:08:17 00:41:15:08 Swear on my own life, I said I hope they do.
00:41:15:21 00:41:26:13  I hadn’t finished my sentence when I heard the rumbling sound of an airplane.
00:41:26:18 00:41:28:09  I poked my classmate and said: ”What is this sound?”
00:41:28:13 00:41:30:06 He said: “It’s nothing. It’s the sound of an F-4 phantom.
00:41:30:13 00:41:37:23 They want to land in Dezful 5th Base but they have to fly over Shoushtar first.” It was logical. But what was this sound?
00:41:38:02 00:41:39:12  It was the sound of a MIG 23.
00:41:39:17 00:41:45:09 Mahmoud, when you would hear one of them you would have to
 cover your ears and open your  mouth and shout,
00:41:47:01 00:41:49:16 so that your tympana wouldn’t get perforated.
00:41:49:21 00:41:54:20 They sounded dreadful. When the sound barrier was broken you had to cover your ears and shout.
00:41:55:04 00:41:57:16 Once we had all gathered in the basement and we were shouting.
00:41:59:21 00:42:04:10 We all looked at each other my mother, my sister, my older sister, my younger sister, my grandfather.
00:42:05:07 00:42:07:22 Man…
00:42:11:11 00:42:16:03 one day when the MIG 23 were flying very low and we were all shouting,
00:42:16:12 00:42:20:14 my grandfather wouldn’t stop shouting for half of an hour after the bombardment was over.
00:42:21:01 00:42:23:22 I said to him: “It’s over.” He said to me: “It’s necessary to be cautious.
00:42:24:11 00:42:29:19  It’s better to be on the safe side, it’s no problem.” God rest his soul. God rest the soul of your lost ones.
00:42:30:14 00:42:42:02 Man… I was thinking whether it was the sound of the F-4 when suddenly...
00:42:47:05 00:42:51:03 ...when a missile struck a 5000 litre water tank:
00:42:51:10 00:42:58:11  explosion, screams, shattered glasses, all the students ran towards the door.
00:42:58:17 00:43:04:21 They all got stuck in the doorway because they all wanted to get out at the same time.
00:43:05:10 00:43:09:13  I got out and saw my teacher who was frightened with his hair stood up on end.
00:43:09:19 00:43:14:00 “Where? Where? Where? You gave a bad omen.”
00:43:14:09 00:43:20:19 Man… I started running through the alleys and got to my sister’s house, but the sounds of the explosions and missiles...
00:43:21:01 00:43:24:13 - I don’t know how I got there.
- Shoushtar was bombarded.
00:43:24:18 00:43:28:00 They said that the thumb tack had fallen off the map.
00:43:28:05 00:43:32:02 They used to say that there was a thumb tack on the map and Shoushtar was under the thumb tack.
00:43:32:07 00:43:35:18 Man… Shoushtar was now on the list of unsafe cities.
00:43:36:15 00:43:39:20 That day we gathered our stuff and left town.
00:43:40:16 00:43:45:11 We set up a tent in the suburb. My aunt’s husband used to do such things.
00:43:45:22 00:43:49:18 We set up a tent 10 kilometres before Masjed Soleyman on top of a hill.
00:43:50:08 00:43:51:23  We could see the whole town.
00:43:52:06 00:43:55:15 Mahmoud, one day, swear to God, I bear God as my witness,
00:43:55:20 00:43:59:07  I just want you to believe me, it was around 1 p.m.
00:43:59:14 00:44:09:06 I heard the sound of a MIG. I got out of the tent and looked up in the sky.
00:44:09:11 00:44:12:06  2 black MIGs were flying in circles on Shoushtar.
00:44:12:11 00:44:15:11 They came towards us over the mountains.
00:44:15:20 00:44:19:09 They went all the way to Masjed Soleyman.
00:44:19:15 00:44:22:12 Then they turned and hovered over our tent.
00:44:22:18 00:44:32:14  I could read their names, the writings, the model, the logo and if the angle was right I could have seen the pilot too.
00:44:32:19 00:44:36:17 I saw his helmet. It was that low. I could see the glitter of the missiles.
00:44:37:10 00:44:40:09 They were hovering over us.
00:44:40:13 00:44:43:21 They could easily have killed 10 to 12 members of our family if they aimed at us with their machinegun.
00:44:44:02 00:44:47:16  They were hovering on top of us and moving up and down like this.
00:44:47:20 00:44:55:06 I don’t know why but I thought the pilot was pointing at a target.
00:44:55:15 00:45:02:24 Who is it? Is it my aunt’s house? My uncle’s? My sister’s? Our relative’s?
00:45:03:09 00:45:06:22 Our school? He was aiming at something.
00:45:07:08 00:45:10:23 Suddenly I sensed that he locked the target through the bore sight.
00:45:11:04 00:45:14:14 The target was aimed and the missile took off.
00:45:18:15 00:45:23:21 We followed the missile trail. Where will it hit? Uncle’s house? Aunt’s house?
00:45:25:03 00:45:36:19 The second missile, the third, the fourth. 11 missiles.
00:45:38:02 00:45:40:16 Why were they firing the missiles from the place we were?
00:45:40:22 00:45:45:13 They would hit the ground by a parachute. They would aim at the missiles and fire.
00:45:46:09 00:45:50:10 We followed the missiles. Where will they hit?
00:45:50:22 00:46:01:13 How interesting? You describe it so well that one wishes you had a handy-camera so that you could have filmed it.
00:46:01:18 00:46:06:10 Even though when you watch them later on, you see that the scenes are so moving and beautiful.
00:46:06:16 00:46:14:10 One would think that these are a part of our movie archives and we could now use your archive.
00:46:14:14 00:46:20:08 We would have used it for your film, a moving film, very interesting, in my opinion those beautiful scenes...
00:46:23:13 00:46:26:17 If you had a camera it would appear as a symbol of aesthetics in art.
00:46:26:22 00:46:29:04 All these moments are beautiful, right?
00:46:29:10 00:46:36:04 I wish you were there back then so that you would film it all and would see the missiles.
00:46:38:06 00:46:48:11 Mohammad, I didn’t it meant to hurt you. I’m sorry. Mohammad, forgive me. I’m shameful.
00:46:48:15 00:46:57:20 Mahmoud, what am I saying? Of course I’m talking about missiles, about blood, about human beings.
00:46:58:00 00:47:03:14 This is a glass! Are you shocked? If you bang it against my head, nothing will happen.
00:47:06:20 00:47:10:08 From the point of view of aesthetics…art…
00:47:11:15 00:47:14:00 You think we were standing down there as simple as that?
00:47:15:18 00:47:19:07 I didn’t mean it? Swear to God. Forgive me.
00:47:19:13 00:47:25:12 Swear to God, the best filmmaker in the world can not create that moment.
00:47:25:18 00:47:30:03 What is that movie that you are claiming? What is it? And now it is the end of the world.
00:47:30:10 00:47:33:05 Nothing can measure up to the scenes we saw.
00:47:33:11 00:47:36:16 Then you claim to wish you had been there. It was interesting. It was beautiful.
00:47:36:20 00:47:39:05 Put your camera away Mahmoud. Put it away!
00:47:39:09 00:47:45:12 I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean it.
00:47:48:20 00:47:50:02 First you say you’ll only record my voice.
00:47:50:07 00:47:54:02 Then you bring your camera. Then you comment on all my sacred beliefs and say how interesting!
00:47:54:08 00:47:58:17 You call all the calamities interesting.
00:48:05:18 00:48:07:12 I’m sorry Mohammad.
00:48:07:15 00:48:11:06 I bear God as my witness. I have sworn so many times in this matter.
00:48:11:11 00:48:12:17  I hope God forgives me.
00:48:12:22 00:48:14:21 I’m just telling you so that you would believe me.
00:48:15:08 00:48:20:14 Mahmoud, our most beautiful days, the safest days in our lives were cloudy days.
00:48:21:17 00:48:25:00  When it was cloudy then we were relieved.
00:48:25:04 00:48:27:12 You know why? Do you know what I’m saying?
00:48:28:06 00:48:31:00 We felt as if we were in trenches.
00:48:31:08 00:48:33:15 In a trench where God had prepared for us.
00:48:33:20 00:48:36:22 The planes couldn’t see us. They couldn’t see the town.
00:48:39:17 00:48:41:05  It was at those times when we would say how interesting.
00:48:41:12 00:48:43:02 How good it is, the weather is cloudy.
00:48:43:20 00:48:46:08 We could safely go to school.
00:48:46:17 00:48:49:21 We saw death with our own eyes a thousand times.
00:48:50:18 00:49:04:10 Whenever we would hear the attack sirens I felt that a soldier is turning something or pressing a button.
00:49:08:12 00:49:11:07 We had to place ourselves under the staircase no matter where we were inside the house:
00:49:11:16 00:49:18:10 a place where my father had built, a safe location where every unfortunate father would have prepared for his children.
00:49:19:16 00:49:27:22 Back then as we were poor we used 3 sacks of cement and covered it with a piece of fabric so it wouldn’t be seen.
00:49:28:04 00:49:30:12 We would all run and hide there.
00:49:32:20 00:49:36:12 I’m sorry Mohammad. I didn’t mean it… I’m so ashamed…
00:49:37:05 00:49:41:21 When the air attack sirens would be heard…
00:49:49:06 00:49:58:22 Oh my, I’ve never heard a worse melody…the horrifying red melody…
00:50:01:12 00:50:04:19 When the red alert would be sounded we would all run under the stair case.
00:50:05:00 00:50:07:02  I would be first, because I was the only son.
00:50:07:07 00:50:13:15 Then my younger sister, then my older one, then my mother and then my papa. Only half of his body would fit.
00:50:16:06 00:50:21:13 Then we would all pray. Allah — there is no God but He, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting by whom all subsist.
00:50:21:24 00:50:23:19 We would recite so many verses of Quran.
00:50:23:23 00:50:29:07 Everyone would recite different verses.
00:50:29:23 00:50:32:14 I had just learnt this verse by heart Allah — there is no God but He, the Ever-living,
00:50:32:21 00:50:34:12  the Self-subsisting by whom all subsist,
00:50:34:21 00:50:36:22 we would recite the verses so that we would be safe.
00:50:37:00 00:50:37:24 Did it work?
00:50:38:03 00:50:41:00 It must have, for we are alive. It did work.
00:50:41:18 00:50:45:12 May be the people whose houses were attacked didn’t recite these verses.
00:50:46:02 00:50:53:08 Any way we would recite these verses together and when we could hear the sound of anti-aircraft and the explosions,
00:50:53:13 00:50:55:04 then we would raise our voices.
00:50:55:10 00:50:59:18 Who is he that can intercede with Him but by His permission? Slumber overtakes Him not, nor sleep.
00:50:59:23 00:51:03:22 And when the noises would get louder we would all pray together
00:51:04:05 00:51:06:12 Allah — there is no god but He, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting by whom all subsist.
00:51:06:17 00:51:11:01  Slumber overtakes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth.
00:51:17:19 00:51:19:21 I’m really sorry man.
00:51:20:00 00:51:22:20 No my dear…it’s not your fault…
00:51:22:24 00:51:24:21 I didn’t mean to hurt you.
00:51:24:24 00:51:26:12 I know…I know.
00:51:27:21 00:51:29:02 Forgive me.
00:51:29:05 00:51:33:13 I’m angry at myself…It’s me…
00:51:38:13 00:51:41:05 Mahmoud I’m thinking, if a war breaks out…
00:51:41:09 00:51:48:22 we don’t have the endurance and the strength which our fathers had…we…matches…
00:51:49:08 00:51:51:04 - I have a lighter.
- You do?
00:51:51:06 00:51:52:15 I’m sorry. Forgive me.
00:51:52:21 00:51:55:21 We don’t have that endurance and strength. It’s OK if you don’t have any.
00:51:56:00 00:51:57:03 No.
00:51:59:15 00:52:03:01 I can’t drag my child from here to there like my father did.
00:52:03:06 00:52:06:24 We don’t have those facilities any more. It’s not like back then.
00:52:07:06 00:52:10:06 Families don’t take care of each other like they used to do.
00:52:11:14 00:52:20:08 It’s not my child’s fault. My child…thousands of children, it doesn’t make any difference…This is Sahar
00:52:21:10 00:52:22:19 How cute! How old is she?
00:52:22:23 00:52:28:22 5…5 years old…It’s not this kid’s fault.
00:52:29:01 00:52:32:17 It doesn’t make any difference…not my child…thousands of children who live in this world….
00:52:32:23 00:52:36:09 I don’t know… the children of Lebanon, Palestine, Vietnam, the children of the US…
00:52:37:03 00:52:38:09 what difference does it make?…
00:52:38:18 00:52:40:05 all the children of the world…
00:52:40:19 00:52:47:11 now instead of the word how interesting I’d say how filthy the war is.
00:52:48:21 00:52:53:04 War is filthy, it’s not interesting. There’s nothing interesting about war…nothing interesting.
00:52:54:05 00:52:58:02 You’re right…I didn’t mean…to hurt you.
00:52:58:06 00:52:59:18 You are an artist…
00:52:59:21 00:53:04:01 you wish you were there at that moment so that you could create, but swear to God there’s nothing interesting about war.
00:53:04:14 00:53:08:09  I would say filthy instead of interesting.
00:53:08:14 00:53:13:17 If there’s another war I can’t take my child from one city to another.
00:53:14:15 00:53:20:17 I just can’t. I can’t move her around. I don’t have the strength of my father.
00:53:26:23 00:53:31:21  I’m sorry I hurt you…you were really hurt…forgive me.
00:53:33:11 00:53:34:20 I’ve run out of battery.
00:53:35:08 00:53:36:21 Thank God.
00:53:37:01 00:53:40:12 But your story in unfinished…I’m sorry for hurting you.
00:53:40:21 00:53:46:06 No…I told you not to film me…you were wrong for having brought your camera…because anything can happen.
00:53:46:10 00:53:47:00 No.
00:53:47:04 00:53:49:05 I get nervous. I’m nervous swear to God.
00:53:49:08 00:53:50:11 No, nothing will happen.
00:53:50:15 00:53:51:23 I’m nervous swear to God.
00:53:52:01 00:53:55:13 Any way I’d like to know the end of your story, what happened in the end?
00:53:55:16 00:53:56:13 Giving a bad omen?
00:53:56:15 00:53:59:16 Yeah, I’ll turn off the camera…Tell me about giving a bad omen…
00:53:59:18 00:54:01:08 They still exist…
00:54:01:17 00:54:02:15 Oh…you mean…
00:54:02:18 00:54:08:08 Yeah…right now…a few days ago I was standing in line at the ATM…
00:54:08:20 00:54:11:17 Ten people were in line and wanted to withdraw money.
00:54:12:12 00:54:16:08 9 of them got their money and there was only one person ahead of me.
00:54:16:12 00:54:18:08 I said to myself what if there’s no money by the time it is my turn?
00:54:18:14 00:54:21:17 The lady in front of me got 40 thousand Tomans. I inserted my card…
00:54:22:17 00:54:26:21 Sorry…it read on the monitor…please refer to another ATM.
00:54:29:02 00:54:34:16 That’s where I think the giving a bad omen still exists in my mind and on my tongue.
00:54:35:03 00:54:40:24 Mahmoud if there is another war it will be because of giving bad omens in your film.
00:54:43:14 00:54:50:10 To Mohammad Ghadirzadeh and those who lost their childhood in the war.
00:54:51:04 00:54:56:17 Director & Cameraman: Mahmoud Rahmani
00:54:57:15 00:55:02:15 Sound Mix: Farid Daghagheleh
00:55:04:03 00:55:08:23 Music: Mohsen Saffarian
00:55:24:07 00:55:29:03 Producer: Visual Art Center of Khuzestan (Hozeh Honari)