Cousins: An Awkward Reunion

The New Yorker

In Karina Dandashi’s short film, a reunion between two cousins takes a chaotic turn when an ex-girlfriend enters the scene.

Transcript

00:00 (phone ringing)

00:02 - Claire is not available.

00:08 At the tone, please record your message.

00:11 When you've finished recording, you may hang up

00:13 or press one for more options.

00:15 - Hey.

00:17 I mean, you know it's fucked

00:20 when I have to leave an actual voicemail.

00:23 Are you gonna come and pick up your shit like you said

00:25 or no, just text me back.

00:28 (phone ringing)

00:30 - Hey Layla, are you standing me up?

00:41 Jala, I'm waiting outside.

00:43 See you soon.

00:43 (speaking in foreign language)

00:48 (phone ringing)

00:51 - Okay, it's okay.

01:07 Don't worry, no rush.

01:08 Layla, no rush.

01:09 I'm chilling, I'm chilling, no worries.

01:11 I'll see you when you get here, no worries.

01:13 (sniffling)

01:15 (speaking in foreign language)

01:22 - Hi. - Layla!

01:42 - Hi, how are you?

01:43 - Come here. - Okay.

01:45 So good to see you.

01:47 - You too.

01:48 - Should we head in?

01:49 - Yeah. - Okay, cool.

01:50 Got your voice notes by the way.

01:53 There are a lot of them.

01:54 - Can we get some menus please?

02:01 Thank you.

02:03 So.

02:06 (speaking in foreign language)

02:10 - Oh, sorry, I never fully picked it up.

02:14 - What? - Thank you.

02:16 - Never learned Arabic?

02:17 What do you mean?

02:19 - Give me a second.

02:20 - You used to speak Arabic?

02:21 When you were little, you used to sing a whole full song.

02:25 You don't remember?

02:26 (singing in foreign language)

02:32 - Sorry, I don't remember.

02:33 - You don't remember?

02:34 Okay.

02:37 - But I do know some Arabic.

02:39 - Um.

02:41 (speaking in foreign language)

02:44 Water?

02:45 (speaking in foreign language)

02:46 - Water, okay.

02:47 - So.

02:56 How is Tanya doing?

03:00 - Tanya is great.

03:05 She's very good.

03:06 So is Yeza.

03:08 - My little son, Yeza?

03:10 - Oh, yeah, of course, Yeza.

03:12 How old is he now?

03:13 - He's 10.

03:14 - 10?

03:17 Cool.

03:17 - Ashra.

03:19 - Ashra.

03:19 That's a great age for a kid.

03:23 - Indeed.

03:24 - In Jindal, my dad was just telling me

03:31 he's having a heart surgery or he had heart problems.

03:34 How's he doing?

03:35 - He's doing okay.

03:36 - How's he doing?

03:37 - Jindal's dead.

03:40 - Wait, what?

03:46 - Relax.

03:49 - Oh.

03:50 - I'm kidding.

03:51 - Okay.

03:52 That's funny.

03:53 - Layla.

03:57 Here.

03:59 Come here.

04:01 - Yeah.

04:01 - I also added you to that WhatsApp group.

04:03 Cousins.

04:06 All the memes we sent around.

04:08 - Yeah, you know, I just,

04:10 I don't like so many notifications on the phone.

04:12 You know, it's really distracting.

04:14 - I know, but hey.

04:15 Can I have another red tape, please?

04:20 Right next to that thing.

04:21 There's like an on/off button.

04:23 Hey, you can turn it on and off.

04:26 Just FYI.

04:27 - Hey, Tariq, can we just,

04:29 can you pretend like we're on a date?

04:33 Like, pretend we're dating.

04:34 Like, just for a second.

04:35 - We're on a date.

04:35 - Yeah, yeah.

04:36 I know, I'll explain.

04:38 - Hey.

04:39 Hey, Layla.

04:42 What's up?

04:42 - Hey.

04:44 I just wanted to say hi.

04:47 Hey, I'm really sorry that I haven't

04:50 responded to your messages.

04:52 I've just been crazy busy.

04:53 - I can see that.

04:56 Really busy, huh?

04:57 Actually, this is my boyfriend, Tariq.

05:03 So.

05:05 Hey.

05:06 - Hi.

05:07 - Cool.

05:08 I didn't know you were seeing someone.

05:10 - Yep.

05:12 I am, so.

05:13 - Very cool.

05:15 I'm also here with my date, Omar.

05:18 - Omar!

05:19 That's nice.

05:21 Maybe we should join tables?

05:22 - Oh, no, no, no.

05:23 I don't want to intrude.

05:23 I just wanted to say hi.

05:25 - Okay, cool.

05:26 - So, I'll see you.

05:27 - That's great.

05:28 - Have a good night.

05:29 - Don't be ridiculous.

05:30 Let's have a little fun.

05:32 - First round on me.

05:33 How about that?

05:34 - Come on.

05:35 Let's do this.

05:35 (speaking in foreign language)

05:44 - Ah, no way!

05:45 Me too!

05:46 I knew it.

05:47 - Wow.

05:48 We have so much in common.

05:50 - Right on.

05:53 You look like you're an Instagram person.

05:55 Let's connect real quick.

05:57 This way, I have you.

05:59 - Another Arab, huh?

06:00 - Okay.

06:01 - What, do you have like a fetish or something?

06:04 - We've been seeing each other for a few weeks.

06:08 - Weeks?

06:09 It's been more than that.

06:10 It's been a couple months now.

06:13 - A couple months?

06:14 You're supposed to be like that.

06:21 - Are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on?

06:24 - No.

06:25 - No?

06:26 - No. - No?

06:26 - How long have you two been seeing each other?

06:32 - Couple of years, give or take.

06:34 - No. - No.

06:35 - No, obviously.

06:35 - Two years? - No, a year.

06:37 - No? - Just a couple weeks.

06:38 But it feels like a long time.

06:40 - It does.

06:41 It does.

06:42 It's so weird.

06:43 - The fuck am I gonna do?

06:56 (upbeat music)

06:59 - How about some shots?

07:08 Yeah? - Sure, sure.

07:09 - We can use another- - You know what?

07:11 - What? - On me.

07:12 - I like your cheese, generous.

07:17 (footsteps)

07:19 - Four shots, bottom shelf tequila.

07:33 - Yo, cuzzo.

07:45 - Key fake, heard of that one before?

07:48 - Lalo, do you mind telling me

07:57 what the hell's going on over there?

08:00 Or what is happening?

08:01 - Okay.

08:06 I had a huge fight with Tanya.

08:13 Things are not working out.

08:15 My whole life is falling apart.

08:18 So is my country.

08:21 I thought I'd take a little break,

08:26 give Tanya some time,

08:28 and, you know, give myself a little bit of a breather.

08:32 So that's why I'm here.

08:34 (footsteps)

08:37 - Claire is my ex.

08:46 - Say what?

08:50 - But don't tell anyone, okay?

08:54 My family doesn't really know yet.

08:56 And yeah, I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything.

09:00 Yeah.

09:01 - I'm sorry.

09:05 I did not know.

09:06 - It's okay.

09:08 Yeah, obviously it still hurts.

09:11 I'm sorry about Tanya.

09:18 Seriously, like, I'm sorry.

09:20 - If you checked that WhatsApp group once in a while,

09:22 you would know.

09:23 But that's okay.

09:25 All good.

09:28 - Look, you need a guest couch?

09:30 I've got one.

09:31 - Matter of fact, I do.

09:33 - Okay.

09:34 - Ooh.

09:34 - Thanks.

09:36 Okay, do you want to carry this back to them?

09:40 - Not really, but,

09:41 I'll help you in another way.

09:45 Here's to my cool, gay, American cousin.

09:50 - Okay, technically I'm bi, you can just say queer.

09:53 - Technically, you don't have to be ashamed of being gay,

09:55 so.

09:56 (knocking)

09:58 Oh.

10:02 (knocking)

10:04 - Tarek?

10:07 - What's up?

10:08 - I lied about something else.

10:09 - What now?

10:11 (speaking in foreign language)

10:20 All right.

10:26 Oh, keep going, I want to hear the rest.

10:28 Come on, come on.

10:29 Let's go.

10:31 Chop that memory.

10:32 (singing in foreign language)

10:37 That's right.

10:47 (singing in foreign language)

10:51 Now we're talking.

10:58 Let's get out of here, and I do know who to give this to.

11:01 - Okay.

11:02 - Let's go.

11:03 - Oh God, we're gonna have to get in trouble for this,

11:23 are we?

11:24 - I don't think so.

11:26 - I don't think so.

11:27 (laughing)

11:30 - Wait, wait.

11:31 (speaking in foreign language)

11:31 - Hey, Danny.

11:33 (laughing)

11:34 (singing in foreign language)

11:36 - Stop.

11:37 - I don't think part of it is like,

11:38 - You're embarrassing me.

11:39 - You know what I'm saying?

11:40 - You're gonna sing it this loud,

11:42 then let's just put it on the cousins group.

11:44 - No, seriously.

11:45 - Oh, no, no, no.

11:46 We're gonna put it on the cousins group.

11:47 Come on, let's go, let's go.

11:48 Let's go, do it.

11:49 One more time, for the cousins.

11:52 (singing in foreign language)

11:56 (upbeat music)

11:58 (singing in foreign language)

12:02 (upbeat music)

12:05 (singing in foreign language)

12:09 (upbeat music)

12:11 (singing in foreign language)

12:15 (upbeat music)

12:18 (singing in foreign language)

12:21 (singing in foreign language)

12:25 (upbeat music)

12:28 (singing in foreign language)

12:32 (upbeat music)

12:34 (singing in foreign language)

12:38 (upbeat music)

12:41 (singing in foreign language)

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