Maya & Samar (2025)

[bunniefuu]

["Goth" by

Sidewalks and Skeletons playing]

[heavy breathing]

[man moaning]

[heavy breathing]

-[exhales]

-[chuckles]

-[chuckles]

[clicks tongue]

-Maya?

You look good as a blonde.

-Thank you.

-What are you doing tonight?

[tap running]

[elevated train

rumbling in distance]

[distant voices]

[helicopter whirring]

[people yelling

and sirens wailing]

[yelling and sirens outside]

[man yelling

on loudspeaker outside]

[speaking Dari]

[sirens and commotion

continue outside]

[helicopter whirring]

[Samar crying]

VOICE ON RADIO:

[speaking Greek]

["Tou Erota Grammeno"

by Tina Alexopoulou playing]

[traffic sounds]

["Tou Erota Grammeno"

by Tina Alexopoulou continues]

-Can I take a video?

WOMAN: Okay.

[speaking Greek]

-Yeah...

Oh...

English?

[speaking Greek]

[in English] Are you lost?

-Definitely 100%

spiritually lost,

but... that's not the point.

Uh... Rebecca.

Uh, Rebecca is here?

-Ah...

Rebecca is up there.

[clicks tongue]

MAYA: Rebecca?

REBECCA: Ahh!

-Hi!

-Aw...

[giggles]

-[squeals excitedly]

-You made it.

You made it.

-I'm f*cking here!

-She f*cking made it!

Oh my God, Maya...

-What?

-Are you on f*cking crack?

-No.

[laughs]

-Your eyes are

f*cking bloodshot!

-But I like that idea

for a second.

I got laid last night.

I barely made it on the flight.

-Okay...

-But I'm here!

-Same old hot tron

on deck, huh?

-Do you miss it?

-No, no.

-It misses you!

-Let me get your stuff!

-Okay.

-Go, go.

Let me show you around.

-Wow!

Rebecca...

you've moved up in the world.

-Got lost in there.

-Oh!

Hi!

-Hi.

Welcome to our home.

-Thank you!

Oh. Mm!

Alex?

-[Greek pronunciation]

Alexandros.

-Sorry?

-Alexandros.

-Alexa-dro?

-Alex is okay.

-Okay.

My, ah, wife needs

her Canadian friend.

-You mean my drinking buddy?

-Mm, you mean your whipping boy!

-Yeah, no, my sister-wife.

-Teacher's pet tag team.

-No, stop, ew.

Oh my God, stop.

That man belongs in jail.

-This is delicious.

Professor Rutherford...

We both f*cked him.

-Well...

[clears throat]

You are like family here, Maya.

-Thank you, Alex.

- Filarkia. Yeah.

-He is so sweet.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, he likes going down on me,

so that was, you know...

important.

-Incredible.

-I know.

-This is f*cking amazing!

I bet you're getting

so much work done here.

-Alex says this is

gonna be the baby's room.

-You're pregnant?

What, we can't drink?

-That's your response?

-Was it an accident?

-Yeah, yeah.

My IUD got lost up inside of me.

-Oh my God.

It did not.

-No!

We took it out.

It was giving me cramps.

Come on.

It's not such a big deal.

I'm...

so happy about this.

-If you have a gender

reveal party, I will...

disown you.

-Please, please!

Anyway, I just want to have fun

with you this week, okay?

-Please let me

wash my body first.

-Okay.

First door upstairs.

-First door upstairs.

-I have to pee.

[shower running]

[birds chirping]

[tools rattling]

[distant voices]

REBECCA: Okay.

-Ela. Ktse.

-Ela.

-Yeah.

-Oh, no, no, no.

That's fine.

You can--

-Come on, come on.

-Okay!

-Sit.

-Well, I've been sitting

on a flight for ten hours, so...

[sighs]

Wow.

-Mm.

-I want to say...

-Yeah?

-Rebecca and Alex...

Congratulations.

-Aw...

Thank you.

-Yamas.

-Your child's gonna be

beautiful. Yamas?

-Yamas.

-Yamas!

-Thank you.

-Yamas, yamas.

[dreampop music

playing on radio]

-I know, I know.

-I can't believe my baby's

gonna have a f*cking baby!

-Stop...

I'm gonna cry!

-No!

-Thank you.

Who's that guy in the courtyard,

by the way?

With the motorbike?

-Uh... that's Yan.

-Yan.

-Alex's ex-bandmate.

-Yeah.

My old drummer.

-Okay.

-A drum...

-[door opens]

-Hi.

-Yeah, now he's, uh,

just some bullshit activist.

Ela.

-[catlike sounds]

-[speaking Greek]

-Did you find Rebecca?

-I think so!

-Rebecca!

-Hi, Yan.

[chuckles]

-So I read your last piece

on the New York dom

who k*lled her client.

Maya...

it was amazing.

-Thank you.

f*ck...

I can't believe

she was convicted.

[men speaking Greek]

MAYA: I was gonna go to Atlanta.

Same thing.

Woman gave her client fentanyl.

And there was a story

in Belgium like this too.

I actually...

Okay, I'm planning

this big piece across

international jurisdiction

looking at sex crimes,

and I have access...

-[groans softly]

-Are you okay?

-[groans]

MAYA: Oh...

-Sorry, this happens.

-You okay?

-Yeah.

-Are you...

-Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick.

I just think I need to lie down.

ALEX: Okay.

REBECCA: Yeah, okay?

MAYA: You-- okay.

-On a nice trip?

-TBD.

To be decide--

like, I don't know yet.

-Okay.

You have any plans?

No?

-She's my plan.

-Well, after the tavli

and the tzatziki and wine,

I'm going to a party.

Huge scene, immigrant DJs.

Um...

many girls.

-Mm.

-You're gonna love it.

-How do you know

what I'd love?

-Oh, I know.

-I know

I'm not that complicated.

Well, did you fix your bike?

-Yeah, wanna try it?

[motorbike rumbling]

[music thudding inside party]

MAYA: Wow.

YAN: Here, here, here.

Take this.

-Oh...

What you got there?

Oh!

[laughs]

Right. Molly?

Uh-huh.

Okay...

Here we go.

[muted voices and music]

YAN: No, no, no, no, no.

[clicks tongue]

No, no, you can't film here.

No.

MAYA: Yeah, I can.

I'm press.

-It's forbidden.

Once we're inside,

it's ill*gal, okay?

MAYA: ill*gal?

YAN: Yeah.

Ah...

It's for safety.

No one violates it.

Come on.

MAYA: Whose safety?

-A lot of people, they don't

have their papers on them.

If they get caught, they

send back to the camps or worse.

-Okay.

-Please.

-Okay.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I got it.

-Mm-hm.

-I'm just gonna

look around a bit.

-Okay.

[music thudding inside party]

[motorbike approaching]

[techno music thudding]

[voices and laughter]

[voices and laughter]

-Oh...

["Ninja Princess" (techno remix)

by Simina Grigoriu playing]

[ethereal interlude]

[beat kicks in]



[breathing echoing]

SAMAR: [voice echoing]

What did you take?

Put your head down...

Near the ground.

Breathe.

[Maya exhales]

MAYA: [voice echoing]

I'm dizzy...

I'll be fine.

I just haven't slept.

I shouldn't have filmed you.

It's just

what I'm used to doing.

It's my job.

I'm a journalist.

-Okay.

-I'm from Toronto.

Where are you from?

-I'm from Kabul.

-Kabul?

[speaking Greek]

[in English]: I thought I lost

you in the wilderness.

What's your name...

[speaking Greek]

[in English] What is your name?

-My name is Yan.

-I'm Maya.

-Samar.

[music thudding inside party]

-I have to go.

MAYA: Wait...

Where can I find you?

SAMAR: Hot Candy.

-Wanna get out of here?

[seagulls calling]

-f*ck.

[heavy breathing]

[moaning softly]

[moaning]

[moaning loudly]

[birds chirping]

[birds chirping]

[waves rolling]

[seagull calling]

[speaking Dari]

[door opening and closing]

REPORTER [in English]

[video] Since seizing power

in 2021,

Afghanistan's

Taliban administration

has taken away

the hard-earned rights

won by Afghan women and girls

during two decades of rule

by American-backed governments

under the leadership of...

-Search for

"Hot Candy, Athens."

[phone beeps]

PHONE: There are three results

for "Hot Candy" in Athens.

[phone ringing]

-[sighs]

Hey, Victor.

VICTOR: [phone] When are you

back at the office?

-I just got here.

VICTOR: Ticket to Brussels,

Maya.

I need your dates.

Hundred K clicks

on the k*ller dom piece.

We like that.

Hello?

Maya?

MAYA: Met this girl

last night...

VICTOR: Who?

Maya, I need your dates!

REBECCA: [distant]

Come on, Maya!

VICTOR: I need to apply

for a press pass

and Tony's

waiting on you again.

REBECCA: Maya, let's go!

VICTOR: I need to book

your tickets ASAP.

I really need you on this.

And the fixer

only f*cking trusts you.

REBECCA: I'm leaving

without you!

-Okay, I got-- I-I can't--

I'll call you back.

I don't-- I...

REBECCA: Maya!

-I'm on vacation, Victor.

I'll talk to you later, okay?

-VICTOR: Maya, I--

-[phone clicks off]

MAYA: I'm coming!

REBECCA: Did you shave?

-[sighs]

REBECCA: Are you wearing

a slutty bikini?

-Yes.

-[slurping loudly]

Thank you.

Did you have fun

with Yan last night?

Where'd he take you?

-A rave.

-Oh my God.

[laughs]

What are you, 16?

Some people

never f*cking grow up.

Well, I have way finer plans

for us this week.

Maya...

-Do you think a woman

from Afghanistan

would do sex work here?

-What?

What are you talking about?

-I have a hunch about a woman

I met last night.

-Thank you.

Vacation, Maya.

No hunches allowed.

-Is there a strip club

called Hot Candy?

-Yeah.

Sleazy little place

near Kolokotroni.

You would love it.

-Okay...

Can we go?

-No way.

The smell would do me in.

I really wish you would stop

working for, like, a hot minute.

-I just can't stop thinking.

A q*eer Afghan sex worker

in Athens.

-It's been done before, Maya.

There were all these stories

here last year about these...

Afghan teenagers,

these boys who would...

suck d*ck in the parks.

Like, these boys would work

so that their families

could eat,

and their families f*cking...

excommunicated them.

[elevated train

rumbling in distance]

[distant voices]

-I was thinking we could

go to Sounio tomorrow

for the day and stay over.

There's this cove there

that I want to take you to,

and there's this

super-cute guest house.

-I'm gonna go to

the strip club tomorrow.

-Mm.

-You should come.

-as*h*le-magnet and workaholic.

-[giggles]

-Same old Maya intent.

-Oh, come on.

f*ck you!

[chuckles]

[dreamy house music

with pan flute playing]

[water sloshing]

["Handstand" by

Ty Robinson playing]

Do that sh*t, do that sh*t

Do that sh*t, do that sh*t

Do that sh*t, do that sh*t

Get up on the wall,

make it clap on a handstand

Do that sh*t, one time,

one cheek, come on

Do that sh*t, two times,

two cheeks, come on

Do that sh*t

One time, one time,

one time, one time...

You ain't gotta

talk nice to me

Talk like a freak

Make that a*s clap

One time for a n*gga,

like...

Two times

for a n*gga like...

Ratta-tat-tat, come on,

make it clap

I ain't wastin' time

I ain't with the cappin'

I like it face-down,

a*s in the air

Ima make you beg

on ya knees

Yeah, do that for me

Take you on a road day

First stop Celine

Need a foreplay,

I'm headin' in

It's gonna be a cold case,

how I'm killin' it

Do that sh*t, do that sh*t

Do that sh*t, do that sh*t

Do that sh*t, do that sh*t

Get up on the wall,

make it clap on a handstand

Do that sh*t, one time,

one cheek, come on

Do that sh*t, two times,

two cheeks, come on

Do that sh*t

One time, one time,

one time, one time...

Make it clap

on a handstand

Make that a*s clap

on a handstand

I ain't d*ck Clark

but my bands stand

Americano strong

but it ain't bland...

-Um... Jameson, double.

-Neat?

-Yeah.

Hands on the floor

when ya drop

Shake that a*s

like it's yo job

sh*t, we need a mop

Do that sh*t, do that sh*t

Do that sh*t, do that sh*t

Do that sh*t, do that sh*t

Get up on the wall, make it

clap on a handstand...

-Hey, can I get myself

one of those?

-Twenty Euro.

-Okay.

Get up on the wall,

make it clap on a handstand

Do that sh*t, one time,

one cheek, come on

Do that sh*t, two times,

two cheeks, come on

Do that sh*t

One time, one time,

one time, one time...

Make it clap

on a handstand...

[music becomes muted]

[man announcing in Greek]

["Who Else?"

by FrvrFriday playing]

Is it too much to ask,

take your time

Know you wanna get

that message off your mind

Makes you scream, gives you

chills down your spine

'Cause I'd love to

treat you like you're mine

I take that much pride

Who else gets you right?

You don't

have to say I'm right

But this should

hold you for the night

The things I'm doing,

don't know why

You play with fire, fire

You play with fire, fire

You play with fire, fire

You play with fire, fire

You don't

have to say I'm right

But this should

hold you for the night

The things I'm doing,

don't know why...

[song ends]

[man announcing in Greek]

[man announcing in Greek]

["Get Over Here" by Mark Roberts

and Patrick Sturrock playing]

It's been a long time comin',

mammy, I'm on a roll

Picture your boy coming

with the fat bankroll, huh?

Stamina, with

a whole lotta attitude

Check out the shine on the

bling that I'm baggin' you

Stylin', profilin',

and they frontin'

You can't trust them boys

'cause they nothin'

They show up

and I begin thumpin'

I bet my whole stack

they get something...

MAN: Hey.

Join us.

-Sure.

-Hello.

-Hello.

[in foreign language]

-This guy.

-But these guys are Polish.

-Yes, Polski.

-Polska.

SAMAR: Polish.

What are you doing here?

MAN: Work.

SAMAR: I see.

Come on, girl, lemme show you

what it's all about...

MAYA: Hey.

Guys, so sorry,

I got one of these.

[man announcing in Greek]

-Sit.

["In the Early Morning"

by Don Slevin playing]

Baby, the way

that you speak cautious

It got me clinging

to your softness

I come with a warning,

but don't men got needs?

And I pray that

it won't change a thing

Something about fallin'

Fallin' free,

fallin' no strings

Girl, I know

you got options

So what I do

to make it me

I know you wanna,

I know you wanna

I know you wanna

fall for me

I know you wanna,

you wanna tell me

Tell me you're

falling hard for me

You're falling for me

And I'm falling for you

I know you're calling on me

And I'm calling on you too

Calling on you,

calling on you

Falling on you,

falling on you

Calling on you,

calling on you

Falling for...

Falling for you.

MAN: Whoa...

[wolf whistling]

[chuckling]

Wow.

-Wow.

-That was hot.

MAN: That was sexy, guys.

MAN: Very.

[speaking Polish]

-[laughs]

That sounds bad, bro.

[indistinct conversation]

MAN: I think I love you...

[indistinct conversation]

[laughter

and indistinct conversation]

SAMAR: I don't want

to ruin your hair.

-Those glasses.

-Yes.

-Oh no, my hair.

My glasses and make-up,

my lips.

-Yeah.

-But the eyebrows.

Your eyebrows.

[laughs]

[indistinct conversation]

MAYA: Samar, I love your shoes.

SAMAR: Thank you!

[laughter]

WOMAN: What is this?

[laughter]

WOMAN: Are those--

are those stripper--

-[laughter and shouting]

-Stop!

[distant music playing]

[indistinct conversation]

[distant music continues]

[traffic sounds]

MAN: Ladies, ladies...

We are offering you...

I dunno, all of this...

-[speaking Polish]

-...to stay and party.

-We like to party.

-We love to party.

-We love to party!

[indistinct conversation]

-Let's go in.

-Room 412.

MAN: Maybe you will

come to our room!

[indistinct conversation]

[water sloshing]

-Oh...

MAN: Careful.

SAMAR: Oh!

[chuckles]

[indistinct conversation

in background]

[Samar speaking quietly]

MAYA: Come here.

SAMAR: What do you want from me?

-I want to tell your story.

And I want to f*ck you.

[indistinct conversation

in background]

-Let's get out of here.

-Okay.

[indistinct conversation]

[indistinct conversation]

[speaking Polish]

[indistinct conversation

continues]

SAMAR: Ooh, this party

is getting better and better.

MAYA: This is...

party money...

MAN: The room card.

MAYA: And 412.

Got it.

MAN: Yes. 412.

SAMAR: Thank you.

[indistinct conversation]

[both giggling]

MAYA: Hey!

Woo!

Show me.

MAYA: Oh...

That's hot!

-This is where

they wanted it, right?

-Where else would they want it?

-For sure, they wanted it here!

Or more of it.

[laughing]

MAYA: Whoa!

On the floor.

SAMAR: There's a car coming!

MAYA: Oh my God,

oh my God!

-[car honks]

-[both laughing]

-[car honking]

-Aah!

-Here.

-No...

You, it's yours!

-Ooh!

Ooh-la-la!

[both laughing]



[moaning]

-[passing car honks]

-[people hollering]

-f*ck!

[laughing]

[phone beeps]

-Could we meet

somewhere more private?

-Oh...

-[phone beeps]

Nope.

I want to hear your story.

I want to tell your story--

I--

-Oh my God.

-[phone beeps]

I had a nice time last night.

I--

-No. f*ck.

-[phone beeps]

f*ck that.

[exhales]

[keyboard clicking]

[phone dings]

[exhales]

SAMAR: [voice] After 3,

come to Hatzi Street.

House 7.

-[phone beeps]

-I'll be there.

[phone beeps]

[toilet flushes]

[keyboard clicking]

-[knock at door]

-[door opens]

-I just purged

the last two days of food.

Don't ever get pregnant.

-I won't.

-What are you doing?

-I'm writing about that woman

that I told you about.

-Okay.

What about her?

-Um, profile.

A q*eer Afghan sex worker.

What brought her here.

Her community,

the refugee scene.

-You smell like p*ssy.

My sense of smell

is off the charts.

-Well, p*ssy smells good, no?

-Oh...

-Okay, I came across

this article

by this f*cking badass

great journalist, about...

an Afghan girl who was

m*rder*d in Moria last year

for posting a photo of her

and her boyfriend on Instagram.

-Mm-hm.

I remember that.

Maya...

[exhales]

You would never do this,

I trust that you wouldn't,

but it just makes me think,

remember what Rutherford

always said about stories

crossing cultural lines

of understanding?

-Yeah, I remember.

I remember him

f*cking me up the a*s too.

Did you do that?

-[exhales]

-No? Just me?

Okay.

God, I forgot how much

of a b*tch you can be.

-[chuckles]

You love it.

-I know!

I missed you.

-I know.

-Dumbass.

-b*tch.

"A tragic incident...

"at the Moria refugee camp

on the Greek island of Lesbos...

"22-year-old Dhiba

was k*lled by..."

Maya...

Maya...

[sighs]

-I love this neighbourhood.

Do you live around here?

-Uh, I'm not far.

-Mm-hm.

I read your piece

on the women's prison

and your articles

on the refugee camps,

the situation in Lesbos,

and then the piece

on Dhiba's k*lling in Moria.

How is it that her family was

able to do that here in Greece?

-Are you writing an article?

What exactly are you asking me?

-I would like to have

a better understanding

of the situation

Afghan refugees are in.

-It's a very

volatile situation here.

Who is granted asylum

and who is not.

-I met a q*eer Afghan

woman here.

-[phone buzzing]

-Mm-hm.

-And she works

as a dancer at a club.

At a strip club.

-A strip club?

-Yes.

-Very bold.

-Mm-hm.

She's sexual.

She's okay with her sexuality.

-Doubtful.

-No, it's not.

-Are you trying to save her?

-No.

-Good.

[phone buzzing]

-Do you think she's

in a vulnerable situation,

like Dhiba was?

Even though she's not

in the camps; she's in the city.

-So, you are trying to save her.

[phone buzzing]

-I'm so sorry.

I have to take this.

[into phone]

Hi, yeah.

Yes. I'm here.

Yeah...

[speaking Dari]

[phone beeps off]

[train rattling]

[can clatters across

cobblestones]

[Maya sighs]

[motorbike passing]

[distant music playing]

[motorbike passing]

Hi.

I'm here.

Okay.

[exhales]

[door buzzer]

["Hesse Jadid" by

Morteza Pashaei playing]

-Oh, no.

-This stuff is nice.

-I put a little hash in it,

from Turkey.

[hookah bubbling]

I used to be

in a club in college,

the women's nursing union,

but it was really

an underground vinyl club.

-[chuckles]

Okay.

-At our hospital, FMIC,

it's a French hospital,

everyone had love affairs

with the NGO workers.

And we had parties.

Like, such parties.

SAMAR: We could be

whoever we liked.

[man yelling]

[wings flapping]

-Can I record this?

-Sure.

SAMAR: But you can't

show my face.

Only my body.

-Okay.

I'll put it down here...

[camera beeps]

["Hesse Jadid" by

Morteza Pashaei continues]

MAYA: Can I ask you

some questions?

SAMAR: Yes.

MAYA: How long

have you been in Greece?

[music grows quiet]

[distant voices]

[music stops]

[siren blaring]

[people yelling in streets]

[g*nshots]

-You are aware what the Taliban

is doing to my country?

-It's terrifying.

You came alone.

Is your family...

still in Afghanistan?

Why did you leave?

-Because I was g*y

and cavorting with foreigners.

The Taliban will make me marry.

My family will make me marry.

Can I live my whole life

in this terrible lie?

MAYA: How did you leave?

SAMAR: My friend

gave me a letter.

MAYA: Your friend?

-Frenchman.

NGO worker.

[people yelling]

SAMAR: He told me

I didn't have time.

I had to go

right to the airport.

But when I arrived

to the airport,

there were so many people there,

like walls of people,

that I couldn't

get on the plane.

-So, what did you do?

-I took a bus

from inside the airport

to Iran first, then Turkey.

With smugglers, you know?

-So, you went

from Turkey to Greece?

-Yeah.

In a rubber boat.

Rubber dinghy...

with little children in it.

-Were you scared?

SAMAR: You never believe

in one moment

your whole life could be over.

-Ah!

[phone ringing]

-My brother wants me dead.

[typing on phone]

[phone beeps]

-So, I read

all your stories online.

-Oh.

-You write about sex, yes?

-Mmh, yeah.

-Write about sex clubs.

Dominatrix m*rder.

Now you want to write about me?

-Yes.

-Why?

-Because I think you're brave.

I think people

should know your story.

[elevated train

rumbling in distance]

-Listen, Maya...

I can't be

in your funky magazine.

There's a guy

who gives me trouble.

A guy from the camp.

He knows my brother

and words get out.

Word reaches far.

[sighs deeply]

-Is he threatening you?

[hookah bubbling]

[distant siren]

[heavy breathing]

[heavy breathing]

[moaning]

[heavy breathing]

[heavy breathing]

[heavy breathing]

[moaning]

[heavy breathing]

[moaning]

[heavy breathing]

[moaning]

[moaning]

[moaning]

[rapid heavy breathing]

[moaning]

[exhales]

[breathing sharply]

[breathing sharply]

[phone ringing]

[distant baby crying]

[ringing continues]

-[inhales sharply]

[softly]

f*ck...

[ringing stops]

-I'm sorry, I gotta go.

[Maya sighs]

[sighs]

Rebecca's gonna k*ll me.

Okay.

[phone ringing]

[phone ringing]

MAYA: Yeah.

Okay.

[ringing stops]

[men speaking in Greek]

REBECCA: Mm...

Mm-mm!

[conversation in Greek

continues]

REBECCA: I don't like it at all.

It's honestly making me sick

just thinking about it.

[conversation in Greek

continues]

-Alex is right on this one.

I'm sorry.

[conversation in Greek

continues]

-It's because

he's thinking about his own--

his own mom

or something like that.

[conversation in Greek

continues]

-You're thinking about your mom.

-No, my yiayia .

[conversation in Greek

continues]

-English tra .

English.

[speaking Greek]

[Yan exhales]

Lovely sauce.

Uh...

I think you're, er...

multi-talented.

-Mm-hm.

Yeah.

-[chuckles]

-Well, Maya,

you should tell Alex and Yan

what you've been writing about.

Maya came to Greece

to visit me, of course.

And, um...

you found a story

about an Afghan stripper?

Is that right?

-Samar's a stripper?

-You've met Samar?

ALEX: Oh, there is no such thing

as an Afghan stripper.

-Stripping's just a job, Alex.

-Oh, come on, Maya,

don't be so naive.

ALEX: An Afghan woman

would never willingly

sexualize herself.

It's not part of their culture.

-Even I think

it's very, very unlikely.

REBECCA: Yeah.

Yes.

-Well, maybe after everything

that Samar has been through,

stripping is

an act of rebellion.

[Rebecca scoffs]

What, Maya,

are we back in the 1990s?

Stripping is sex-positive

feminism for a refugee?

-Samar is her own person,

with a whole complex life.

Yes, she works at a strip club.

I really don't have to explain,

and I don't need to justify

anything to any of you.

[phone clatters]

-Maya...

[clears throat]

Oh, come on.

Maya, come on.

It was just--

Maya, it's just a conversation.

I...

[door closes]

[kiss]

-Oh, f*ck off, Yan.

[tap running]

[distant traffic sounds]

[distant voice on loudspeaker]

[elevated train

rumbling in distance]

[food simmering]

MAYA: [video] How long

have you been in Greece?

SAMAR: [video] Are you aware

of what the Taliban is doing

to my country?

MAYA: It's terrifying.

[fast-forwarding video]

[phone ringing]

SAMAR: My brother

wants me dead.

[fast-forwarding video]

SAMAR: ...write about sex?

[fast-forwarding video]

SAMAR: There's a guy

who gives me trouble.

A guy from the camp.

He knows my brother.

Words get out.

Word reaches far.

[heavy breathing]

-[knock at door]

-YAN: Maya...

Maya, can I come in?

[knock at door]

[heavy breathing continues]

[footsteps receding]

[heavy breathing continues]

[stops video]

[distant music playing]

[phone beeps]

-I wish I was still with you.

MAYA: [voice]

I wish I was still with you.

I wish I was still with you.

I wish I was still with--

[conversation in Dari]

[conversation in Dari

and laughter]

[conversation in Dari

continues]

[phone ringing]

-Hi.

SAMAR: [video call]

Hey.

You look nice.

-So do you.

You look so...

clean.

Fresh.

-Mm-hm.

Dirty thoughts.

MAYA: Are you working tonight?

I could come over.

-Come over.

Come now.

[phone beeps off]

[sound of kissing]

-I missed you.

-I missed you too.

SAMAR: Wait...

I want to remember this.

-Me too.

-I mean...

film us.

-Film this?

Okay.

-I need to look at you

whenever I want.

-Okay.

Where are we...?

-All right.

Here we are,

Maya and Samar.

[camera beeps]

This is for you

to remember me.

[kiss]

MAYA: God, you're hot.

[elevated train

rumbling in distance]

[ominous music]

-[gasps]

[softly]

Stop...

Stop!

MAYA: Who the f*ck are you?

Dude, what the--

[yelling]

[speaking Dari]

[glass shatters]

[grunting and thudding]

MAYA: Samar!

-[heavy punch]

-MAYA: Samar!

[high-pitched ringing]

MAYA: Stop!

Get off!

Stop it!

[dramatic music]

MAYA: Oh my God...

[breathing shakily]

[breathing shakily]

Okay...

We need to go to a hospital.

You're bleeding a lot.

We need to go to a hospital,

okay?

Can you get up?

-No.

-Yeah?

Samar...

-No hospital.

No hospital.

No...

[sombre music]

-Is that okay?

-Show me your cam.

MAYA: What?

-Show it to me.

-I don't think

that's a good idea.

-Maya, show me.

Show me.

[camera beeps]

MAYA: [video]

God, you're hot.

SAMAR: [video]

Stop... Stop!

MAYA: Who the f*ck are you?

Dude, what the--

[yelling]

MAYA: Samar!

[grunting and thudding]

MAYA: Stop it! Stop!

Get off, get off!

Stop it!

SAMAR: You can see

my face in this.

My whole face.

-You can see his face in this.

He needs to be in jail.

-Oh, you don't understand.

He's allowed to do this.

-No, he's not f*cking allowed

to do this.

People aren't

allowed to do that.

-What?

I put my family in danger?

-Your family doesn't

rule your life here.

-Shame is for always.

-What if I posted the video?

With your story.

If I posted the video of...

Victor, my editor,

has dealt with this

kind of situation before,

and he can access

financial support and security.

And then you never

have to go through this again.

-Let me see it one more time.

[camera beeps]

MAYA: [video]

Who the f*ck are you?

Dude, what the--

[yelling]

MAYA: Samar!

[grunting and thudding]

MAYA: Stop it!

Stop!

Get off, get off!

Stop it!

[camera beeps]

-Okay.

-Okay to me using the video?

-I just need to sleep now.

Let me sleep.

-Okay.

[keyboard clicking]

[chiming]

[clicks]

MAYA: [video]

Who the f*ck are you?

Dude, what the--

[yelling and glass breaking]

MAYA: Samar!

[grunting and thudding]

MAYA: Stop it!

Stop!

Get off, get off!

Stop it!

[traffic sounds]

[birds chirping]

[traffic sounds]

[distant traffic sounds

and birds chirping]

MAYA: [video]

Samar!

[speaking Dari]

[video playing again]

[video playing again]

[video playing]

MAYA: [video]

Samar!

[grunting and thudding]

MAYA: Stop it!

Stop!

Get off, get off!

-[stops video]

-Oh my God.

My God...

[door opens]

[phone ringing]

[phone ringing]

[sighs]

VICTOR: [voice message]

Maya, this thing is blowing up.

Are you seeing this?

Where are you?

Call me!

-Where is she?

-You brought her here?

Why would you do that?

-Where did she go?

-She f*cking took off.

-f*ck...

When?

-I don't know, Maya.

I-- five f*cking hours ago,

I don't know.

It's the middle

of the f*cking day.

-Why didn't you wake me up?

-Oh my God.

-Rebecca!

This is my fault now.

-f*ck, yes!

-Okay.

-I can't believe

you didn't wake me up.

-And I can't believe you posted

a video of her being beaten.

You can see her whole face.

Maya...

[line trilling]

-Do you think I don't know that?

[line continues trilling]

-CNN re-posted it.

-[Samar's voicemail]

-[hangs up]

REBECCA: So did Al Jazeera.

I'm sure you know that.

Did you not anticipate this,

Maya?

It's f*cking dangerous for her.

-Rebecca,

she gave me her consent.

Remember?

That's how this works.

-No, I-- the pregnancy,

it must have given me amnesia.

[line trilling]

REBECCA: Will you just stop

doing whatever the f*ck

it is that you're doing?

'Cause you're making me sick.

Why would you risk that woman's

life for a f*cking story?

-Oh my God, Rebecca!

I just told you,

she gave me her consent.

-"Dead b*tch.

f*ck all men."

[exhales shakily]

"wh*re, deserved it."

"Allah smiles."

-Are you reading me

f*cking internet trolls?

That's not helpful!

-All right,

you're making me sick, Maya.

Honestly, you're--

you're f*cking

making me literally sick.

You publish a piece

about an Afghan woman

that people in the community

now know works at a strip club--

-Rebecca!

The video is evidence.

Every single refugee is

registered with the government,

so now the cops can be combing

the camps for this guy.

-Oh my God, Maya!

Maya, you should not

have done this!

-Don't tell me

how to do my f*cking job, okay?

You gave up.

-Get out of my f*cking house.

[line trilling]

[Samar's voicemail]

[phone beeps]

-Hi, um...

can you just answer your phone?

I just want to make sure

that you're okay.

MAYA: Samar?

[speaking Dari]

Is Samar here?

[speaking Dari]

Do you know where she is?

[tense music]

[Maya grunts in frustration]

[in English] Oh, hey, hey.

Uh, is Samar here?

-Who?

-Samar. Like, uh...

long, brown, curly hair.

Big eyes.

Afghan. Thin.

Samar.

-Not here.

-Okay.

Do you know,

did she come in earlier today?

-You her girlfriend

or something?

I'm not allowed

to talk about the girls.

-Wow.

f*cking fantastic.

[traffic sounds

and indistinct voices]

-I have something I need

to share with you, Myrto.

It's an emergency.

[indistinct voices

and laughter]

-Since we posted the video,

I haven't been able

to get in touch with Samar.

She's not answering her phone.

-And where do you think she is?

-I've looked everywhere

that I can think of.

-I know people.

No cops.

What's her last name?

Maya?

MAYA: Oh my God...

Um, I don't know.

I don't know her last name.

-But she had family here?

-No, she said that someone from

the camps was following her.

Someone who knew her brother.

-So it was arranged

from Kabul, yes?

-I don't think so.

I think that, um...

She said that word about her

travelled fast.

-Okay.

Um...

Samar is likely dead.

-No, she's not.

-Are you this invested

in all of your stories?

MYRTO: Maya...

[phone buzzing]

MYRTO: Walk with me.

I'll tell you something.

When her family sees that video

of her being beaten up,

it might be a good thing.

Of course, it's much better

if they have her body back.

But near dead is sometimes okay.

-I don't understand.

-If a family has proof

that she's been

beaten up very badly,

this so-called shame

that affects the entire family

based on a woman's

sexual infraction,

it can be resolved.

If Samar is thriving, alive...

the family is shunned.

Their reputation is tarnished.

No other daughters

can be married.

The family will never be okay.

-I just want to find Samar.

-I know.

[sighs]

I don't know if you will.

-Victor?

Since when do you

f*cking sleep at night?

I need you to call me back!

I need

Reporters without Borders.

I need IRL protections.

I can't find her, and I don't

want any f*cking cops.

So don't tell

any f*cking cops.

And call me back!

[breathing heavily]

[muted thud and scream]

f*ck...

I shouldn't have

f*cking done that.

[muted thud and scream]

[chaotic traffic sounds]

[heavy breathing echoing]

[phone chimes]

[laughs]

I thought you were dead.

-I'm alive.

I think.

-I thought that f*cking guy

came back and k*lled you.

-I'm living, Maya.

Look at me, I'm fine.

-Did they catch that guy?

-I'm ill*gal here.

My asylum request

got rejected twice,

but with that video,

I have applied

for emergency asylum,

to France.

-That's amazing.

Yeah?

You can, like,

start a whole new life.

-My friend helped me

by doing this to me.

I made the video

and you made your story.

A big story, no?

200,000 likes.

-I don't understand.

-I said okay to being beat.

-The guy that beat you

is your friend?

Oh...

f*ck.

The video's staged?

You used me?

-Maybe.

Maybe you used me too.

[emotional music]

-[crying]

MAYA: Can I come to France?

Can I come to France

and visit you?

[knock at door]

[door opens]

["Antinoe" by Casque D'or

playing]

[speaking Dari]

["Antinoe" by Casque D'or

continues]