Good Morning At Night
2005


Text used for the film Good Morning At Night

Wake up to the voice of dawn, the sound of the fan and the birds outside. Too early to get up, try to go back to sleep, unsuccessful, decide to go for a morning walk. Leave the house, turn the corner of the courtyard, walk alongside the museum, hear disturbing noise, see a man holding a device, thick white smoke comes out. Keep walking, half asleep, turn by the corner shop, get in the shade, keep walking. Go to the Square, pick up used telephone cards, leave the Square, walk home, go back to sleep.

Go to the Square after dusk, ask if anyone speaks my language, try to collect the names of people there. I say, "Can I have your name, please?" They say, "problem." They say, "Are you from the government office?" I say, "I am a foreigner. I'm sorry. I don't speak your language." try explaining the project. Some turn around and leave. Some say, "no problem." Full name seems to be a big problem. take down their first names. There is a group of people gathering around me. They say, "Why are you writing down our names? What are you using them for?" try explaining the project. One of them says, "What's the profit?" apologise for not giving them any profits, write down some more names. One of them refuses to give me his name, I say, "no name?" he says nothing, he nods.

Move to a different part of the Square, ask if anyone speaks my language, try to collect the names of people there. One of them says, "Why don't you go and ask decent people? Go into the shops and ask their names." I say, "I need to collect the names of people in the Square." He says, "They have 'no names'." I say, "What do you mean?" He says, "They'll never give you their names. It would be a problem for them" I say, "But, they did." get annoyed, start arguing with him, he gives me his name, he leaves.

Walk to another part of the Square, ask if anyone speaks my language, try to collect the names of people there. One of them helps me taking some of their names. He says, "Over there, there are more. Come." He takes me to the opposite side of the square. There are groups of people he knows. He gives me the name of each single person. There is another group of people gathering around me. Some of them come from the opposite side of the Square. He says, "That's enough. You take the names of the others. They are over there." I say, "Do they have different types of names?" He says, "It's a problem." I say, "What's the problem?" he says, "They are different." I say, "So, you wouldn't go over there because they are different?" he says, "Yes." I say, "Don't worry, that's not a problem for me."

Leave the crowd of people behind. Move towards the different crowd of people, ask if anyone speaks my language, try to collect the names of people there. One of them responds, write down his name, write down the names of people around him, start realising they have similar names to the ones taken down earlier, look up, see the same faces behind them. They seem to know each other. I say, "They are your friends. Which group of people did you mean 'the problem'?" They say, "They are over there."

Leave the crowd of people behind. Walk over, find some people sitting in circles, ask if anyone speaks my language. One of them says, "Yes? What can I do?" try explaining the project. He says, "Sorry, we are having a meeting. Can you come back in ten minutes?" try another person to collect the names of people. They start giving me their names. One of them says, "Why are you writing down our names? What are you going to use them for?" try explaining the project. No idea if they understand. I say, "Do you mind if I use your name?" they say, "no problem." No idea if it's really 'no problem'. More and more people start gathering. Some of them come from the very far side of the Square. Find myself being the only person with long hair in the whole Square, find myself being shorter than everyone else in the whole Square, decide to leave the big crowd of people behind.

Go to the green market before midnight, buy a plant, walk along the creek, see a man holding a fishing rod, keep walking, cross the street at a round about. One of the cars with a family inside slows down, they look, they see me walking alone, they see me wearing a red t-shirt, they see me wearing jeans, they see me having black hair. They laugh, one of them says, "Give me the plant!" I say nothing, they keep laughing. I have 'no name'. They disappear. Keep walking, another car slows down, see a man slowly opening the car window, he looks, he sees me not taking a taxi, he sees me not wearing a long sleeved clothes, he sees me not hiding my black hair, he says nothing, he keeps looking. I am 'no name'. The car disappears.

Keep walking with the plant on my hand, hear the sound of people talking by the water front, cross the street, go into the shop, buy some bread, keep walking, turn the corner of the courtyard, see a man standing by the gate. He waves his hand, he says with his usual tone of the voice, "Good morning. How are you?" I say, "Good morning. I'm fine. How are you?" he says nothing, he nods, he smiles. Go inside the house, water the plant, decide where to put it, take a shower, switch off the lights, go to sleep.