Did my mum tell you to come?
Why did you come with this warrant?
I get why you hate me. Because I killed her.
But I swear to you, she's the last person I'll ever kill.
-How do you know it won't happen again? -I just do. Because you're here now.
-Take off your clothes now! -I'm going to shower!
This cute face? It can steal whatever you need.
Sunny never made me a criminal. We were blood brothers.
-Grandma. -Your pillow from Mum's house.
No judge will send you home after you've been charged with dealing drugs.
Be on your best behaviour, maybe they'll take a few months off your sentence.
-Who doesn't know their father's name? -I don't wanna know.
My mum says he tried to kill us.
-Pass it high, over here! -Pass it!
He says, "It's for Oshrit, huh? You fucker."
Because you're useless little morons with itsy-bitsy brains.
You got two months off. Congrats.
-I can't go back there. -She knows, and she has a solution.
-I gotta say goodbye to Zorro. -You leave when we say so.
-Bye, Dean. -Let go, motherfucker!
"And Saul said to David,
'You cannot go to that Philistine and fight him,
for you are a boy, and he has been a warrior since his youth.'"
Why does David allow himself
to go into battle against this massive giant,
without a shield?
Anyone?
Because he has balls for brains?
I got out of prison. I came back.
My grandma died. My grandma had…
Huh? Why are you shrugging?
They laugh at anything. Never seen such a moronic audience.
"Ha ha, nice, yeah…"
It's like a special needs class.
"Nice…"
People always say, "Prison, nice…" Without asking what for.
-"Oh yeah, what were you in for?" -"Raping a kid." You know, you can't…
You can't really come back from that. "I was a paedophile in my youth,
but realized it was wrong, and now I'm on a great path. I found stand-up."
"I'm an inactive paedophile. I admit it."
A paedophile can't say, "It was a phase in my life."
You know why I don't like paedophiles? They think too small.
I thought what you said in class was funny,
but most people don't have a sense of humour.
Depends where.
What do you mean, "depends where"?
Do you mean, like,
in prison?
No, it's just
everybody wants to know how it is.
But don't feel obligated.
Hey, Dean,
don't know if you're still doing it,
but can you hook me up?
Dean, let's go. I'm tired of being here.
Whoa!
Nice!
-What's up, sweethearts? -Good. How are you, Mum?
How was school?
-Good. -Same for me.
Get over here. I'll kick your arses. Two against two?
Nice! Did you like it?
Dean, come on.
I'll be right back.
Dad, what's the matter?
Welcome to Cupid…
Did you ask Chelli to get me a visitor's pass?
You know it's not allowed.
I know, but you said you'd try.
Dean, enough. Forget about prison. Go to your God-fearing folks.
Hey, chill, they're not my folks.
But they're all right. What can I say?
-Good for you. Then move on. -Why are you like this?
Gotta go, Rabbit.
-Wait, what… -Early headcount because of the Indians.
Wait, did you get the stuff I sent you?
Yeah. Okay, bye.
Okay, talk to you tomo…
Dean, can you come here?
We'll sort it out.
Maybe he'll agree.
-Hi. -Hey, Deanchu.
How are you, sweetie?
What… what's up?
You had enough of me?
You think? Who's going to do the dishes?
No clue how you've managed to turn this wreck into a tolerable human being.
Relatively speaking.
Okay, the papers.
Have a seat, Dean.
So…
Your grandma must've really lost it right before she died.
-She decided to leave everything to you. -What?
-You heard me. -Look, Dean.
We need to figure out a way for you to turn over a new leaf.
-Yes, of course. -Yes.
We just want to make sure that getting all this money doesn't confuse you.
Why would it confuse me?
It's what money does. It confuses people.
So the three of us decided on a condition, okay?
The money will go into a fund, with your mother as a custodian,
but since you're living with us, we'll handle the fund.
-We'll transfer you 500 NIS a month. -Cool.
But only if you free yourself from prison already.
-Enough with the ball! -Tom.
-What do you mean? -Three calls a day to the cellblock.
Collect calls, hours on the phone. It's holding you back.
Enough with the fucking ball already!
That's not true.
Are you calling someone specific or do you just talk to everyone?
-What's the difference? -It's to one guy?
-Why? -Because…
Wait a second, Deanch.
Before everyone beats you up, understand this is not up for debate.
-But it's my money. -Not for a few more years.
So, if you want to build a normal life,
it starts now, and it starts with no more calls to prison.
You promise?
-I promise. -Thank you very much.
Deanch, show me out.
Deanchu,
look at me for a sec.
Do me a favour and be a good boy. Okay? These people saved our lives.
I'm always a good boy.
-Should we not wake him? -Let him be. He gets hell in school.
We're late. Let's go.
Welcome to Cupid…
Yes?
Warden, it's Dean Shaiman.
-Are you crazy? Why are you calling here? -I'm crazy. I know I'm crazy.
I just have to speak to Zorro. A matter of life and death.
It's not gonna happen, Dean. Please just let it go.
I can't reach him when he can't leave his cell.
And you gave that order.
He doesn't want to talk to me?
Did something happen?
Dean, I told him not to talk to you.
You've got to move on.
Fuck!
Sit down.
We missed you, you jerk.
Thought we'd never see you again.
You've grown, haven't you? Big shoulders, hair…
What hair?
This is hair, my friend. Good luck.
I was in Tel Mond with your cousin, Bruce Lee. Great guy.
Here. So you can move it all in two weeks?
Yeah.
Are you sure? It's a lot.
No sweat.
No kidding.
We're friends, right? Don't want this harming our relationship.
It's all good. I got an inheritance.
Inheritance? Which inheritance?
Inheritance is for a wife and kids.
Not for going on adventures and gambling.
Here's a phone, so I won't lose you.
Okay, cool.
Anything you need, you call me on this phone.
You don't call anyone else. Got it?
But as I said on the phone, there's an… issue.
What issue?
I need some iron.
What iron?
To shoot some Tel Aviv gangster.
-No kidding. -Someone stole your playground swing?
Or do you wanna shoot pigeons?
You don't like pigeons?
It's just to feel safe, bro.
Run the merch for two weeks, and we'll talk.
Okay. If you don't have it, no biggie.
The little jerk…
Anyway, I got in with this crime family. Names don't matter.
Started learning the language. I wanted to be a felon. I wanted it.
I lost myself in my own image.
I became part of this world, part of this language.
Hung out with these people. They'd set me up with cocaine.
Crime families picking me up in a van. Names don't matter.
I wanted a gun. I fought with people, so I wanted a gun.
By then, I knew all the…
I got assimilated, you know.
And I enjoyed it.
I did, yeah.
Hey, sorry I'm late.
-I… -It's okay, come.
Take off your backpack, eat something.
Have a seat.
Want to eat?
-What's with the bag? -I'm emotionally attached to it, okay?
Stop judging.
Okay, what's wrong? It's all good.
-All right, just leave me alone. -What's up?
It's fine, Dad.
-Doesn't seem fine to me. -It's fine.
Maybe tell us what's going on?
Say something.
There's this guy I met in prison.
He was in for fucking an eight-year-old.
-Dean… -The little perv was funny.
-Asked to be called "Ilan the Horse". -Dean.
-Horse? -Hold on, wait.
They put Ilan the Horse in a cell with a unibrow Arab named Khader…
Okay, get up.
Wait. What?
Because Chelli knows that Arabs hold their horses on a short leash.
Enough already!
Tomorrow morning, apologize to them, and they'll forget everything.
You're an optimist.
-Trust me. That's how they roll. -That's how they roll with you.
Say, why are you holding that backpack as if it was your dick?
Peanut snacks, loads of them.
Okay, I'm just curious.
If you're so curious,
take a look.
Drugs?
You're doing coke?
Ever fired it?
Baseball. How are you doing, buddy?
-Enjoying your freedom, bro? -I need a favour.
Pass a note into Zorro's cell. I need him to call me.
Bro,
Zorro's here, among the living.
Freddy moved to the main prison, and Chelli let him off his leash.
He's roaming free.
You're serious?
Why would I lie to you, brother?
So can you get him on the phone?
-Of course I can. -Dean, bro!
Thanks for the tapes, but I need another small favour.
Pesach, Chelli really lets Zorro walk around the cellblock?
-You bet. -When?
Don't know, man. I'll go get him.
All blocks, five minutes to end of break.
Everyone back in the cells in five minutes.
Zorro, Chelli let you out?
What? What's up?
Listen, Rabbit.
-This is becoming a problem. -What is?
All these phone calls.
Man, from now on, I won't take your calls.
'Cause Chelli told you not to talk to me?
Listen, Rabbit, go out, study, screw, I dunno. Do what everyone else does.
Just let it go, man.
Everyone on the block thinks you're my girl.
Stop calling me. Enough.
Just telling you I'm putting 500 NIS in your canteen account.
What? What do you mean?
I'm putting 500 NIS in your canteen and buying you a pearl necklace.
I see.
You know, I spoke to Chelli,
and she said this friend of yours that you talk to three times a day
is the kid who murdered that girl in Kiryat Gat.
I don't understand how you can even talk to him.
He's my friend.
Three fingers are "regardless of race, religion, or sex",
and thumb over pinky is "the strong protect the weak."
Like this?
-Sunny, not tomorrow, today. -What's the rush?
Because this time, half of what we make is our net profit.
We'll control North Tel Aviv in six months.
Come here.
Where's that fucking lighter?
What's up with you? Huh?
You got a death wish?
Messing with the Abu-Diab twins? You lost it in jail? They'll slaughter us.
It's fine. I know how to move the merch.
-And I'm good on my debt. -What does that mean?
My grandma left me money.
What for, you idiot?
Didn't we say we'll stop with the drugs, the stealing, all that shit?
What for? So we can be millionaires and fly to the moon.
Listen.
I wasn't dragged into a dark pit.
And I don’t carry the ex-prisoner scorn like you, Dean, and never will.
So don't get me into trouble, okay?
And tell your brother to stop calling me.
"The strong protect the weak."
What are you doing here?
I missed you.
You're coming home?
So what's up? What are you doing?
A fire sign.
What does it say?
Dean, come on, come home.
Mum can't handle me.
But I can.
I was born and raised in the north of Tel Aviv.
A good neighbourhood. A good Ashkenazi boy from North Tel Aviv,
in a neighbourhood with too much greenery,
with kids who chew on their sleeves and talk to themselves.
Everyone's got a bowl cut or a ponytail.
This ambience of "too much". Even the dogs say, "Hello, good morning."
In the '90s, you walked the streets. You really did walk the streets.
They would say, "The kids are on the street."
We were on the street.
Now everyone's on TikTok. It used to be that hoodlums would sit in the park
and would call you, “Hey, kid!”
It used to be scary to go out in the street.
"Hey, kid!"
You're just hanging out with your friend and suddenly, "Come here!"
You and your friend walk up to him and… "What's your name?"
"Daniel."
"Okay, go."
Welcome to Cupid, the biggest dating chat…
Who's this?
I got Ofek?
Yeah.
Get Zorro on the phone.
Are you stupid or what?
Why won't you listen?
-I'm telling ya, Ashkenazis killed Zohar. -Ashkenazis killed Zohar.
Dean, how's it going? You said two weeks to run the merch. Where are you?
Sunny, you s… Sunny!
Sunny, give me back my bag. It's not funny.
I don't like these games of yours. Answer the phone, boy.
You owe us a lot of money, you arsehole.
Sunny!
Sunny, you son of a bitch, Sunny!
Listen, crazy boy, we know where you live.
We know where your mum lives.
It would be a real shame.
When you're in jail, you're so bored,
you discover strange talents people have. I was the funny guy, but we had a guy…
…in the cellblock, he was in jail for fucking an eight-year-old.
The little perv was funny. He asked us to call him "Ilan the Horse".
The highlight of our day would be when he imitated a horse.
"Ilan the Horse". Everyone came to see him.
The Arabs loved it. Arabs have this weird thing for horses.
"Make way. He's galloping. Come here, do it here."
"Clear the way!"
He was a hoodlum with an attitude.
"I went, shanked them, I fucked up their…"
"Ilan, do a horse."
"Make way and I'll…"
And they'd cheer him on, with this attitude of his,
his stories about shanking people, and they make way,
and he's doing the stupidest thing.
"Ilan! Make some room." And the Arabs…
Arabs whistle hands-free.
And he's trying to stay cool, "I'm gonna fuck him up…"
Trying to stay cool and keep his attitude.
"I'm gonna fuck him up. I'll just do the horse thing first."
He'd do the horse like this.
And the whole block is shouting, "Ilan!" Shout "Ilan!"
So they put Ilan the Horse in a cell with a unibrow Arab named Khader.
Chelli said an Arab can keep the horse on a short leash.
But it turns out Ilan the Horse isn't just fucked up in the head.
-He was also dumb as hell. -How come?
He moves in with Khader and tells him, "Khader, you know what I never fucked?"
-What? -"I've never fucked an Arab girl."
Get over here!
-Come here. -Get over here.
Come here, boy!
Fucking hell.
So Khader starts chasing him,
but Ilan can't defend himself. All he did was steal a few DVDs.
Khader's chasing him, so he grabs a plastic stool and bashes Khader's head.
This is for Ziad.
Where are you going, sweetie?
I told you, a scout meeting. Next week is our final trek.
Oh, right, but don't be back late. By 9:00 pm, okay?
-Okay. -Good.
Have fun!
-Why are you letting him go out so late? -He's grown, the little shit.
-Which prison? -Shatta.
-Which prison? -Ayalon.
-Which prison? -Ezra?
No, which prison is this?
Hang up, kid. I've got a conference call.
-Hello, who is this? -Which prison?
Ofek.
Rami Rashi?
Galit?
Galit? It's Dean.
Oh, Shaiman, dear friend.
What's it like out there? Health and prosperity, God willing?
Listen, I need to cut a deal with you.
Talk to me.
I'll put 1,000 in your canteen account if you put Zorro on the phone.
But tell him some Cupid girl is looking for him.
Make it 2,000, because you're sending me to do evil work. Have you no shame?
Two thousand.
Girl's on the phone for you.
Hi.
What's your problem, man?
Just wanna know how you're doing.
Know what? Since you called, I'll tell you.
-What? -Chelli asked me something.
What?
If I wanted a cellmate.
And what did you say?
I said I do.
Directory enquiries, Dorit speaking.
-I'm a friend of Zion's. -Adiso?
Sit. Go sit.
What do you want? Zion owes you money?
No.
So what is it?
He did something to you?
No, nothing.
He…
he misses you.
-All of you. -You're Zion's friend?
Yes.
Zion isn't dead?
You wanna do him a drawing? I'll get it to him.
ZION
You'd better leave. Avraham won't like you being here.
Sunny, I'm home.
The package is in the wardrobe.
He won't see a thing, for sure.
Hey, kid, have you seen Dekel?
Girls, have you seen Dekel?
Is Dekel in the club?
-Who's Dekel? -My baby brother, Dekel Shaiman.
How should I know?
-Are you crazy? -Get off! You're not my dad.
Watch it, Dekel. I'll fuck you up.
You watch it.
What's up, man? Found your bag?
Tamir, I'm serious, stay away from my brother.
Why? Little Dekel's one of us.
Stay away from him and we're even.
-I don't give a fuck about that bag. -I don't get you.
-He came to us looking for love. -No problem, Sunny. No problem.
You know what?
We thought…
of getting your brother a birthday gift.
Sunny, watch out. I'll kill you in a heartbeat.
-Stay away from him. -Get lost. I'm gonna count to…
Count to a million, you fucker. Stay away from my brother.
Why be difficult? We want another Shaiman bitch before his Bar Mitzvah.
-Stay away from my brother. -Another brother to be our bitch.
Moron. Who do you think you're dealing with?
Stay away from my brother, you fucker!
THE STRONG PROTECT THE WEAK
Subtitle translation by: Lior Hadar