- Welcome, teacher!
- Thanks, Mehmet. Thank you.
- See you, man. Take care.
- You too.
- Welcome, teacher!
- Thanks.
The place is crawling with ants.
Look at them.
I hate them.
- Hello? - Hello. What are you up to?
- I'm fine, Mum. I got to the village.
- You don't sound fine.
- I'm just a bit tired.
- Are you ill?
- No.
I'm just tired.
- Did you get everything that you need?
- Yes, I did.
- Okay, talk to you later.
- Okay.
Okay. Okay, mum.
Good bye.
- Hello? - Hello.
- What are you up to, mum?
Hey, get lost!
There's nothing here.
Nothing at all.
Okay, I knew I was
coming to a village.
I knew I'd be sent to a village.
But I didn't expect it to be this bad.
I thought at least I'd have water.
I even don't have water.
Is that the imam?
I can't tell them apart.
They all look the same.
- Selam aleykum.
- Aleykum selam. Welcome.
- Welcome, teacher
- Thanks.
- How are you? Are you fine?
- Fine thanks. How are you?
- Where are you from, teacher?
- Denizli. - Denizli? Good.
- What is your name?
- Emre.
What did you request from,
Chief? Like water?
I don't have running water.
It's my first time in the east so,
everything is kind of strange. Why?
Because I grew up in the west,
in big apartment blocks.
- I had everything I wanted on tap.
- It'll be tough on you then.
- Well, it's bound to be a bit tough.
- You can't be without water.
- If you'll excuse us now, teacher...
- See you again. Nice to meet you.
- You'll slowly get used to it.
- I have already. Today's my eighth day.
- Hopefully you'll get more used to it.
- Hopefully. Have a good day!
- Don't you know, Bedriye?
- No. - Ceylan?
Zlkf?
Well, where do they live?
Come on, let's go. Take me there.
- Okay.
- Let's go then.
Zulkuf's house is over there.
I think there is nobody at home.
And sure enough there isn't.
There is nobody
at this house, too.
There is no one at home.
- So, do you know anyone else? What?
- I have to go to pee.
Go on then.
Off you go.
- Is this where Sedat lives? - Yes.
- Do you know where they are?
- At the tomato fields.
- Did they go to the tomato fields? - Yes.
[KURDISH] Vehip!
Where's your dad?
[KURDISH] - I don't know.
- No? Where's your mum then?
[KURDISH]
Mum's gone collecting cow dung.
- What about Sabri?
- Sorry? - Sabri?
Sabri's collecting cow dung, too.
- They're not here either, teacher.
- They're not?
Vehip, why didn't you
come to school?
- Do you know Turkish?
- No.
- Ask why he didn't come to school. I told them
last night. - Why didn't you go to school?
Why didn't you go to school?
I'm not registered.
He says he's not registered.
I spoke with chief last night.
It's not a problem.
- I said he should come.
- He says registration is not important.
Why didn't you go?
- Go tomorrow, Okay?
- Okay.
- Can't he come in the afternoon?
- No, he'll come tomorrow.
- Tomorrow. - Yes, he must come tomorrow.
- Go tomorrow, Okay? - Okay.
Let me get you a trouser.
That's enough.
Okay, listen to me!
Is this your first year, too?
Separate a little.
First-years over here.
Second-years here.
Third-years here, fourth-years
there and fifth-years over there.
Okay, never mind
about the fifth years.
All right?
- Good morning, kids.
- Thanks.
Sit down then.
- How are you all?
- We're fine. How are you?
I'm fine too, thanks.
My name's Emre.
And my surname's Aydn.
I'm from Denizli, by the way.
I've come here
all the way from Denizli.
I haven't taught before.
This is my first year.
And it turns out to be with you.
This is my first year, as a teacher.
Do any first-years
know Turkish?
Don't ask in Kurdish.
Do you know Turkish?
- What's your name?
- Bahar.
Say it yourself.
Stand up and shout.
- Bahar.
- Bahar. Your name's Bahar.
So, you know Turkish.
Do you know Turkish, Bahar?
"Er."
No 'er'. It's 'yes', Okay?
I don't want to hear 'er' at the class.
All right? You must say
'yes' at the classroom.
So, I've introduced you myself.
Let's hear about you now.
Come here. Come on.
What's your name?
- Rojda.
- Sorry?
- What's your name?
- Rojda.
Rojda.
- What's her name?
- Rojda. - Rojda!
- What is your surname?
- Huz. - Huz.
- What is your mother's name?
- Hanus.
- What?
- Hanus.
- What is your mother's name?
- Hanus. - Hanus!
- What? - Hanus.
- Hanus.
What's that? Hanus.
- What is your father's name?
- Seleman.
Sleyman.
Sleyman.
Okay, sit down, Rojda.
Vehip, come here.
Vehip Huz.
- What's your father's name?
- What? - Your father's name?
- Chief. - I know your dad
is the chief. - Celal, teacher.
- But what's his name?
- What? Huz.
Okay, Celal.
What's your mother's name?
- Melahat.
- Melahat. Okay, sit down.
Who else?
Who else isn't registered?
At the back there.
We've registered Metin li.
How about you?
Come here.
- What's your name?
- Zlkif. - Zlkif.
- Your surname?
- My surname? Huz.
Huz. Hold on a second.
Zlkf Huz.
- What's your father's name?
- Bayram. - Bayram.
- What is your mother's name?
- Muazzez. - Muazzez.
Okay. Sit down, Zlkf.
- Zlkf Yldrm.
- Zlkf, stand up!
- Which one of you is, Zlkf?
- Zlkf, stand up!
- Zlkf Yldrm?
- That's him there, teacher.
- Which one?
- Zlkif!
- Is he Zlkf Yldrm?
- Yes.
Come here, boy.
Are you Zlkf Yldrm?
What's your name?
What's your name?
Is your name Zlkf?
Speak.
Is your name Zlkf?
Kids, ask him a question.
- Zilkif, he's asking your name.
- Zilkif.
There you go.
Never mind. Okay.
Go back to your place.
Now what are we going
to do, kids? Let's start today...
...by making our classroom rules.
I don't want you to
speak Kurdish in classroom.
Why not? Because all our
lessons are in Turkish.
If you speak Kurdish,
I won't understand you.
Okay?
So, let's not speak Kurdish in class.
Let's try to speak in Turkish.
Because you will stay
eight years at school...
...and all lessons will be in Turkish.
So, please don't speak in Kurdish
at the classroom, okay?
It's really exhausting, mum.
Yes, they showed up.
Not all of them but
more than half of them came.
It's hard dealing with
all the kids at once.
The first-year students
came today.
They can't speak Turkish.
Whenever I say something
it's like I'm wasting my time.
They don't understand a word.
How am I supposed to teach them?
They just stare at me.
They just sit there staring and
they don't understand a thing.
Damn it! The line's gone dead.
Is this your first day?
No, is this the first time
you're coming to school?
- Are you a first-year student, too?
- Canan.
Okay, Canan. Sit down.
Nedret, look after her too.
Teacher, I need a pencil sharpener...
...a rubber.
- What's up now?
- She wants to sharpen her pencil.
- You want to sharpen your pencil?
Okay, go on.
Sharpen your pencil.
- Sharpener.
- A pencil sharpener. Here.
Leave your notebook there.
Do it over the rubbish bin.
The rubbish bin. It's over there.
Leave you notebook
and go to the bin.
Go to the bin.
Go on. Canan.
Come with me. Look, you have to
sharpen it over the bin, okay?
Go on then.
Can't you do?
Give it to me. I'll do it.
- I need to pee.
- I didn't hear. Shout.
- Say it again.
- I need to pee.
- You should say "Can I go to the toilet"?
- Can I go too-let?
- Toilet. - Too-let?
- Okay, you can go.
Devran, come here.
Here. Hold this.
There.
What's this? Others, be quiet.
What's this?
- What's this? - A horse.
- What's this? - A cow.
- Quiet! What's this?
- A cow.
No, it's not a cow.
What's this?
A bear.
- A bear.
- A bear!
Okay, off you go.
Zlkf, take off your bag.
Take it off.
Okay.
Come here.
What's this?
Be quiet!
- A butterfly.
- What's this?
- What's this?
- A butterfly.
In Turkish?
- What is this?
- Can I go to the toilet?
What? No, you can't.
What's this? A bee.
- A bee. - A bee.
- A bee. - Off you go.
What is this?
- Vehip, what's this? - What?
- What is this?
- An ear.
- It's not an ear.
- This is your ear.
- What is this? This is your ear, isn't it?
This is your ear.
What is this?
Zlkf, what's this?
What's this?
Cover your mouth!
What is this?
- You don't know either.
A nose. - A nose.
- A nose.
- A nose.
A nose.
What is this?
You tell me.
- A partridge.
- What's this?
- A partridge. -
In Turkish. - A dog.
What's this?
What was this?
- A duck.
- It's not a duck. This is different.
- Rojda, what's this?
- A duck!
Be quiet!
Zlkf, what's this?
- A watermelon.
- It's not a watermelon.
- A bird.
- Right! Who said bird?
- Well done! It's a bird. - A bird.
- A bird. - A bird.
Okay, your turn.
Come here.
- A bell.
- Quiet, everyone!
- What's that? - A bell.
- Tell it to the class!
- Say 'bell'. Shout!
- Zlkf, say it to us.
- Zlkf, say 'this is a bell' to us.
- No Kurdish!
- Tell us! - No Kurdish!
- Bell. - Bell.
- Bell. - Bell.
- Bell. - Bell.
Okay, sit down.
Do you have the knife, teacher?
'Ker' means 'knife'.
So it means 'knife', right?
When you say 'kelepe'
it means the same: Handcuffs.
- What do you call this?
- 'Tornavida'. Screwdriver.
'Tornavida'. So that's
the same word too.
See that string there?
Let's wind that around here.
- Is it long enough?
- No.
How are you doing?
Here, it's coming.
Thank God for that!
Let's go backwards!
I'll kill you when I stand up!
- A horse.
- A horse.
- A chicken.
- A chicken.
- He gave me a pencil.
- Who did?
- He gave me a pencil and notebook.
- Who gave you the pencil?
- We drew pictures.
- You drew a picture?
- No, we didn't.
- Yes, we did. We did.
- Can you go to the toilet by yourself?
- No, I can't.
He goes to the toilet
with the teacher.
I'll ask the teacher
to teach me.
- Is your teacher respectful?
- Yes.
- Is he a good teacher?
- Yes. - Is he? - Yes.
- Does he teach you properly?
- Yes.
- What's this?
- A watermelon.
- A slipper.
- A slipper.
- A baby.
- A flag. - A flag.
- A pepper. - A pepper.
- A pepper. - A pepper.
aga, come and undo this.
aga!
Come here. I'll do it.
Auntie, I've finished.
- You don't want any more? - No.
- Put the leftovers in the basket.
- If I come over there,
you'll be in trouble! - He's gone.
If I come over there,
I'll show you hell!
Don't hit me!
Don't hit me!
You want to be like
neighbor's girl Aysel?
Stop that! Stop!
They can't hear you.
Have you brought the key?
So, this is the situation.
My aim is just to teach them
how to read and write this year.
I mean, forget about
mathmetics...
...social life information...
...and all the other stuff.
I want to teach them at least Turkish
so they can read and write.
If they can gain
that background...
...then next year I can make up
for everything they miss this year.
- It's a penalty!
- It's a penalty!
I'll be the goalkeeper.
Turn around! Don't use
your notebook reverse.
Hold it in your hand.
Look, just like this.
Hold itjust like me.
Hold it like this.
Right, like this.
Look at me. Look.
Don't write.
Hold it like this.
Okay? Wait.
Everyone, look at me. You
will hold the pencil like this, okay?
This is the pencil.
Okay?
Draw lines like this.
Is it okay?
Go on.
Don't rub it out!
Don't! Stop it!
You should start from
the first page.
Take the pencil.
Relax, relax.
Continue. Continue until
the end of the paper.
Okay?
Is it okay?
Go on, do like this.
That's correct.
Don't go backwards.
Keep going this way.
Now, fourth-year students.
You're also fourth-year students.
- Third-year students!
- Third year students, raise your fingers!
- I'm a third-year student, too. - Copy down the
Turkish Oath in your notebook and memorize it!
- Go on. Do it.
- I've finished. - What?
I've finished.
First-year students,
draw those lines.
Start from here.
Move up the page, up!
Come on, up!
Well done.
Now, come here.
Draw this one.
You're almost done, Rojda
but it's not finished, yet.
Move down. Move.
That's good.
Keep going.
That's correct.
Yes, correct.
- Is this correct? - Yes. Don't keep
showing your papers to me. Carry on.
- Is this correct?
- Is this correct?
- I'm Turkish.
- I'm Turkish.
- My principles are...
- My principles are...
- Don't tell her.
- Is this correct?
Yes.
...to protect the youngsters.
Be quiet!
- Is it correct? - Quiet!
- Is it correct? - Quiet!
Why aren't you playing?
You don't understand
a word, isn't it?
Don't you understand anything?
You don't understand, do you?
You don't understand, do you?
Yes, you don't understand.
You don't know Turkish,
is that right?
You don't understand, do you?
You just laugh.
Well, I don't understand you, either.
So what will we do now?
Here, take this.
Give me the other one.
- What are you doing?
- Nothing.
- My life... - My life...
...is a gift...is a gift...
...to Turkey.
...to Turkey.
- Happy is the one who says I'm Turk!
- Happy is the one who says I'm Turk!
- Study well in your classes!
- Thanks!
First-year students, enter.
Slowly.
Wait.
Listen, don't start from there.
Start from the beginig, here. Okay?
Start from here.
Now, you write.
Well done. Well done, Zlkf!
Continue writing.
Write.
Look at me!
Which letter is this?
- E!
- What? - E!
- E! - E! - E!
- You, look at your papers.
- E! - E!
- E! - E!
- L! - What's this?
- L! - L! - L!
- L! - L!
- L! - L!
- What is this?
- Hand. - Hand!
- Hand. - Hand!
- Hand. - Hand!
Come here, Pervin.
Devran, come here.
Come on.
Come here. Wait over there.
Hold your hands.
- Hand! - What's that? Hand in hand.
- What's that? Hand in hand.
Is it okay? Okay?
Hand in hand. - Hand in hand.
- Hand in hand. - Hand in hand.
Well done. Sit down.
- Let me see you hand in hand.
Hand in hand now! - Hand in hand.
Join your hands.
Let's see you hand in hand.
Hand in hand now!
Hold your hands! Hold your hands!
Hand in hand.
Hand in hand.
Hold your hands, now!
Hold your hands! Hold you hands!
Hold your hands!
Hand in hand. Hand in hand.
- Hand in hand. - Hand in hand.
Hand in hand. - Hand in hand.
Nesra, join hands with Redife.
Hand in hand. - Hand in hand.
- Hand in hand. - Hand in hand.
- Okay? - Okay!
Now, write this down.
Did you read it?
Ela, buy me a tulip!
Don't look over there!
Ela, buy me a tulip.
Read it.
What does it write here?
Ahmet!
I'm coming over there!
Here it is, Zlkf.
Metin, this one is for you.
Give it to your parents.
- We want to come, too!
- You won't come.
- Dad! - Yes. - The teacher asked me to give
this to you. You must come to school tomorrow.
Is there a parents'
meeting tomorrow?
A parents' meeting.
Is tomorrow the 15th?
Is it November the 15th?
Thursday.
Is tomorrow Thursday?
Selam aleykum.
First of all, I want to thank you
all for showing up here.
I don't know some of you
but I'm the new teacher.
My name's Emre Aydn.
I'm from Denizli.
I want to talk about the kids'
general performance at the school.
Most of the kids come here
without their notebooks.
For example, Ercan akmak.
I think he's the driver's son.
He's not here, is he?
- No. His guardian's here. - Ercan comes to
the school without a pencil or a notebook.
He comes into class.
I tell everyone...
...to get out their notebooks.
They all take them out. I ask
Ercan if he has a notebook.
And he says 'na'.
I guess 'na' means 'no'.
'Na'! It's not even Turkish.
He says 'na'.
But that's great, teacher.
You're learning a new language here.
They don't know a lot of Turkish.
That's possible.
But if you encourage them
with their Turkish it'll help me a lot.
Because whenever I speak
the kids don't understand me.
In Turkish classes, for example,
I ask them to repeat a sentence.
And they can't even do that.
I mean, their Turkish is very weak.
- Is it OK if I translate for these two
ladies here? - Of course. Go ahead.
We've put up with the kids for years.
It's your turn now. What can we do?
- Please, translate. - He wants us
to send the kids to the school clean.
Their clothes, uniform, pencils
and notebooks should all be clean.
And send them to school on time
not at the crack of dawn.
- The school has opening times.
- What time should they come?
- The school opens at 07.30 a.m.
- At home...
...teach your kids to be quiet.
Do you understand?
Just keep trying.
We trust you with our kids.
Even if we are wrong, at the end
you're the teacher. You know better.
You're the one
who does the teaching.
- Forgive us, teacher if we're wrong.
- Please, don't say such a thing!
No, you don't have any fault.
Let's see. Which one is
better, mine or yours?
- Let me write something, too.
- Vehip, this is my notebook.
This is better.
Sharpen your pencil, then.
Sharpen that pencil.
Sharpen it. Go on.
Sharpen it. Sharpen it.
Go on. Sharpen it.
What is this?
Here it is.
Keep this sharpener. Okay?
- Mum, do you know what
the teacher gave me? - What?
- A green pencil sharpener.
- Really? - Honestly.
It's really sharp.
I've got a pencil sharpener.
Have you?
- Are you going to eat something?
- What is there?
Molasses and eggs.
I'll eat eggs.
What are you up to?
Fine. Taking it easy.
I'm taking it easy.
No. I'm a bit tired.
I don't know. Moreover, today,
this girl had this thing with her finger.
It was like as if her finger will split off.
A stone hit her.
No, she's not from my school.
The little girl of my neighbour.
Gurbet's sister.
Half of the girl's ring finger
was actually missing.
She was yelling and screaming.
I poured hydrogen peroxide over it.
I doused it in iodine
to stop it getting infected.
Melek, come here.
Come here.
Come on.
Come here, come.
- Does she know you?
- Yes, she knows.
Melek, does your finger hurt?
Thanks for yesterday.
I was so terrified.
I don't know how I got there.
I was sinking in the mud.
My wife said you got
stuck in the mud over there.
Imagine this happened in winter.
This is Emre. Give it
to Emre. Teacher Emre.
- Okay, okay. Bring it to me.
- Give it to him, bring it.
Give it to, Emre. Come on, my love.
Give it to, teacher Emre.
Bring me the empty plate!
- I was on my way to Germany in 1992.
- Have you been abroad?
- I planned to go. - Yes.
- My Turkish wasn't good at those times.
I didn't know anything about politics
or Turkish-Kurdish discrimination.
We were going to go by ship.
The company was sending me.
We had an accountant named zlem.
She gave me a form to fill in.
You know how those forms ask you
your mother's name, father's name?
This one also asked
how many languages you knew.
I figured I knew two languages:
Turkish and Kurdish.
So I wrote two languages.
zlem said she didn't know I knew
two languages and asked what they were.
I said I knew Turkish. She said she also
know Turkish and asked what the other was.
I said I know my mother tongue
and I know Turkish.
- She asked me what that was and
I told her that its Kurdish. - Kurdish.
She just burst out laughing.
Like a whore, excuse me for saying so.
She really laughed
at me and mocked me.
- You see, that's wrong.
- She really mocked at me.
She said to me "You count
Kurdish as a language?"
I said Turkish is my
second language.
I learned Turkish
when I was fifteen.
Doesn't that make it
a second language?
- Now, he speaks Kurdish...
- Foreign language is something different.
But these children! I mean, Heca
and Servet are going to school, right?
- Yes. - They learn a bit of
Turkish from the television.
Why do they go to school?
- To learn Turkish.
- So, what is Turkish to them?
A foreign language.
One they don't know. I accept that.
My dear and valued teacher...
...our kids barely learn
Turkish after five years.
Rojda, come here.
Come here!
Why?
- Write it.
- Okay.
Well done.
It's wrong.
Clean it.
You wrote it wrong.
Rub it all out.
Look. Do it like this.
Hasan, come here.
Hurry up!
Come on!
Run! Run!
Did you do this, Rojda?
Did you write these?
Look at me, look.
Did you do these?
Did you do it?
Did you do it?
You didn't write these, isn't it?
- What letter is this, Zlkf?
- E.
L. A.
A. T.
- I.
- Well, done.
- L. A. - La.
- La.
- L. E. - Le.
- Le.
La.
- Le.
- Le.
- A.
- It's 'La', 'La'!
La.
- Le.
- Le.
- A.
- La! La! - La.
- E. - Okay, you can go, too.
Go, go, go!
- Go on. Go out for break. - Hurray!
- Out you go, Ahmet. Out. Go on!
Okay! Go outside!
Get off!
Get out!
Okay, get out!
Okay, get out!
Get out!
What are you up to, Mum?
Nothing. I was in class.
I sent the kids out to break.
I don't know. I mean, things are
all the same as ever here.
I don't feel like calling.
I don't speak to anyone, anyway.
It's good. As usual.
It's sunny.
It is over!
It is over!
Shall we make an apple?
What's this?
This is grass.
Okay?
This is beautiful.
You like it?
Is it all right?
Is it beautiful?
Did you like it?
Here you are,
continue yourself.
Finish this at home, okay?
- Goodbye. - Goodbye, teacher.
- Goodbye, goodbye.
Goodbye, goodbye.
Goodbye. All right.
Do your homework! Okay?
Goodbye. Goodbye, Canan.
Goodbye. All right.
- Off you go, Sabri.
- Goodbye, teacher. - Goodbye.
All right.
Shit!
For God's sake, what a timing!
The damn power's always going off!
Vehip! Here are
some pencils for you.
- Are they're all for me?
- Yes.
These are yours.
These are Suna's.
...some chocolate.
...some chocolate.
...bought...bought...
...etin...etin...
...bought some chocolate.
...bought some chocolate.
- Do you know what chocolate is?
- Yes. - What does it mean?
Where can you buy chocolate?
Vehip, where you can buy it?
You don't know, isn't it?
What language is this?
What have you written here?
What have you written here?
What does that mean?
Is this Turkish?
What language is it?
Is it Kurdish?
What did I told you?
Didn't I say told you not to
make your homeworks in Kurdish?
What did I told you?
Are you doing this just to be stubborn?
Go up to the blackboard. Go on!
Stand on one foot
when you get there.
We're having a Turkish lesson
and he writes Kurdish in the book!
Okay.
- That can't go there.
- There! There!
This is mine.
That's yours.
I've destroyed you now!
Let's hear the four directions, then.
West, east, south...
...north. - Good. Now point
us the east. Where's east?
Which way is east?
Where the sun rises.
Which way is that?
- This way.
- West?
- West is here.
- North?
- Here. - The north is
in your front of you, okay?
- Flew away.
- Flew away.
- Flew away. - The black...
- The black...eagle...
...eagle...
...flew away...flew away.
- The black... - The black...
...eager...flew away...eager...
...eagle...
...flew away...flew away.
- Pars-ley.
- Pars-ley.
- Pars-ley.
- Pars-ley.
- Parsney.
- Parsley.
- Parsley. - Parsnip.
- Not, parsnip. Parsley!
- Parsley. - Yes, parsley.
- Parsley.
Do you know what parsley is?
- Do you know what parsley is? - Yes.
- Yes? What's parsley like, then?
Have you ever seen a parsley?
Okay, it's green. Green.
And it smells very good.
Did you understand?
Have you ever seen parsley?
Okay, I understand.
You haven't see before.
Go on. Say it:
'Can I go to the toilet? '
Can I go...
Tell me: 'Can l...
Can I, can l...
- Can I, can l...
- Can I, can l...
- Can I go to the toilet?
- Okay, go on.
- Can I go...
- Can I go...
...to the toilet?
...to the toilet?
- Of course you can, go.
Fa-mi-ly.
Fantasy.
- Fa-mi-ly.
- Fa-mi-ly.
- Fa-mi-ly. - Fa-mi-ly.
- Fa-mi-ly.
- Do you have a family? - No.
- What do you mean 'no'?
- Don't you have a
mother and father? - Yes.
Mother, father, brother, sister, you.
All of you make a family.
All together
you're called a family.
Did you understand?
Fa-mi-ly. - Fa-mi-ly.
Zilkif, come here.
Come over here.
Hold the pencil.
Hold the pencil.
Hold the pencil.
Sit like this.
- Do you write with your left hand?
- Yes.
Why don't you use your
right hand? You can't use?
- I can't write, Dad.
- Okay, you can't. Hold the pencil.
Look. Write like this.
Good.
- Good, good.
- Good.
Parsley.
Okay?
P- a-r-s-l-e-y.
Parsley.
How are you, mum?
There's been a power cut for three
days. My battery's running low.
So don't worry
if we get cut off.
I mean, my battery's
about to run out.
I thought I'd give you a call
before the battery went.
On Friday.
Well yes, it's snowing.
Yes, yes I've.
I just called
so you wouldn't worry.
Don't throw the soil away!
Sedat, just throw away
those stones.
- Look, these come in polythene bags.
You take off the bag like this. - Yes.
- You see this soil here?
- Yes.
You dig a hole this big.
Then you fill in the hole.
Start, carefully fill in the hole.
Come on.
Press down, Zlkf.
Press down!
Teacher, Mehmet's speaking Kurkish.
Don't speak in Kurdish.
No Kurdish.
Let's not quarell.
I said let's not quarell.
- Yes, did you understand?
- Yes.
Let's have a round of applause
for planting our first tree.
No one put their rock here.
- Quick! Bring it here! Quick!
- Quick! Be quick!
- You can't even stand up!
- You can't even stand up!
Hasan, come here!
Come here.
- Why haven't you been at school?
- I've been going to the fields.
- What about Rojda?
- She's been with my little sister.
Isn't there anyone
else to look after her?
- No. - But your sister's learning to read
and write. Why isn't she at school?
- Don't you have a father? Don't you have
an older brother? - Brother? No.
Your dad's not here either.
Where is he?
My father went to work, teacher.
- Where did he go?
- I don't know, teacher.
This won't work!
- Rojda must come to school,
do you understand? - Yes.
- You must come to school.
Is it okay? - Yes, it's okay.
- I'm Turkish.
- I'm Turkish.
- I'm honest. - I'm honest.
- I'm hard-working. - I'm hard-working.
- My principles are... - My principles are...
...to protect my youngers... to protect my youngers...
...to respect my elders.
...to respect my elders.
- To rise... -. To rise...
...my country...my country...
...and my nation!
...and my nation!
- To go forward.
- To go forward.
- You, great Atatrk! - You, great Atatrk!
- I vow... - I vow...
...to always walk... to always walk...
...in the path you blazed... in the path you blazed...
...towards the goal you showed.
...towards the goal you showed.
- My existence is a gift... - My existence is a gift...
...to Turkish existence... to Turkish existence.
- Happy is the one who says I'm a Turk.
- Happy is the one who says I'm a Turk.
Today is April, 23rd.
What does April 23rd mean?
Why we are celebrating today?
- Fidan?
- Because Atatrk founded 23 April...
What happened?
What was founded on April 23rd?
- Turkish National... - Turkey Assembly.
- The Turkish National Assembly.
Who governed our country before that?
- The Sultans. - How was it governed?
Yes, the Sultans.
Turkey was rescued from the sultans...
...and parliament
opened today. All right.
What's the only country in the world
that has a children's holiday?
- Which country? The only one?
- Ankara! - I'm asking country!
What's the only nation to celebrate
children's holiday on 23 April?
- The Turkish nation.
- The Turks.
- Okay, and where do we live?
- In Demirci. - In Turkey.
Value that.
Hseyin, come here.
All right. I'm right behind you.
Now sing along with me.
Happy April 23rd!
It's a mighty holiday today.
Happy holiday, everyone!
Happy April 23rd!
- Rejoice and be glad!
- Okay, okay! It ends there.
Off you go over there.
Now, we're going to do some races.
Three!
Fidan! Fidan!
Fidan! Fidan!
Yes, all right!
Seher and Redife win.
Just hold on a minute.
Hold on a minute.
Zlkf, come here.
- Let's hear you read then.
- The Adorable Squirrel. - What?
The Adorable Squirrel.
- Read it.
- On-ce up-up-on a t-time...
...th-th-there w-was...
...a- an a-a-do-dor-able...
...an adorable
s- squ-squir-rel...
...who l-lived...
...i- in the f-fo-for-est.
- Read it properly!
- Read it properly!
- H-he a-a-ate...
...w- wal-n-nuts.
- What did he eat?
- What did he eat? - Malnuts.
- What did he eat?
- Malnuts.
- What did he eat?
Malnuts.
Malnuts.
Read this properly.
What does it say there?
Maln... Malnut.
Maln... Malnut.
- M-mal...
- Can you see an 'm' there?
Read it properly.
M- mal... Mal-nu...
Malnuts.
- Walnuts. - Right. He ate
walnuts, didn't he? - Yes.
What are walnuts?
Do you know what walnuts are?
- No. - This thing in his paw is a
walnut. Look, there. Okay?
- Did you understand?
What's in his paw? - A walnut.
- What did he eat?
- Walnuts.
- Is everyone here?
- Yes.
Okay kids, your school
reports are here.
As you can see.
Thank you.
Summer holiday is starting today.
You know that, don't you? - Yes.
It's the end of school. But of course
I'll be coming back next year.
Okay. Let's get started on
this report business.
Rojda! Rojda, come here.
What are you up to this summer?
- Class work, books, study.
- Good, girl.
- You're going to write. - A story.
- Hasan's your big brother, isn't he? - Yes.
- Keep pestering him to make you read.
- Okay. - Okay? I'm sure you can do that.
Okay? Here you are.
Conguralations
Zlkf Yldrm.
Kiss my hand. Go on.
Hold my hand.
Hold it!
You have to hold it!
Here.
Now kiss it.
Kiss it!
Put it up to your forehead.
Well done.
You did it, Zlkf.
Zlkf! Are you going to
read this summer?
- No.
- What do you mean 'no'?
What are you going to do then?
What will you do in the summer?
- Aren't you going to read books?
- Yes.
- You're going to read, won't you? - Yes.
- You're going to write, won't you? - Yes.
When I come back next year,
you're not to forget any of this.
- Okay?
- Okay.
If you do forget, these ears
will grow all the way to the ceiling.
- Okay.
- Okay? - Okay.
Here you are.
Go.
Turkish: 5-5-5.
Mathematics: 4-5-5.
Good for you! Thank you,
boss! Well done!
Well done, Zlkf.
Your marks are all good.
You've done very well.
Okay?
Keep working hard...
...to continue to do well.
Dad! Rojda, Bingl and Nesra
all got bad reports.
They got bad reports
and yours was good, right?
Well done!
Didn't the teacher want...
...any money for the report?
- What? No.
The teacher said not to fold it!
The teacher said not to fold it.
- Don't fold it, he said.
- Put the report in his bag.
Teacher, give our regards
to your mother and father.
Thanks, I will.
- Take care of yourself.
- You take care of yourselves, too.
Goodbye, teacher!
- Goodbye, teacher! - Bye-bye!
- Goodbye, teacher!
I saw this rock.
I went over to it.
I touched it.
It turned out to be a snake.
- It was so enormous!
- When I touched it, it escaped.
- Was it green or black?
- It was black and white.
- Where did you see it?
- Under the bridge.
- I saw a green snake.
- You don't get green snakes.
- I swear I saw one!
- So did I. - Me too.