underground cinema

Children of Heaven

1 oktober 20:30 - 22:30

CHILDREN OF HEAVEN 1997
( بچه‌های آسمان, Baččehā-ye āsmān)
Directed by Majid Majidi
90 minutes
In Persian with English subtitles

Although there are a majority of exceptions, I would say that for me there was a certain wave of Iranian cinema connected to two things. The first would be the incredible landscape of the country and how that land resonates in the soul of its people. The second would be the theme of childhood. This Iranian focus on childhood is very sensitive, and I think it exists for at least two reasons. One would be the general sense of humanity that their culture has. The second aspect would be more strategic... since children are seen as innocent, by making movies focusing on them the director is able to explore things and say things that adult characters aren't allowed to. In other words, the director has more freedom to express themselves, as long as it's through the eyes of children. It's a way to bypass censorship.

So that's what happens in this film as we follow the plight of Ali, a young boy who has inadvertently lost his sister's new shoes. It wasn't his fault, but he still feels the responsibility. Without confessing what happened he tries to figure out a solution somehow. It is as simple as that, and the film unfolds with such grace and richness, which is only possible because the story is so stripped down. In fact, most of Iran's cinema is well known for its unrushed speed, giving the audience time to embrace the world at large. So when a movie slows down, the world opens up. Seen in this light, most Hollywood movies are straightjackets. Through Ali's journey we come across many aspects of Iranian life. We see poverty, hardships, the tightness of the family unit, both religious and education institutions.

The down-to-earth simplicity shows how Iranian movies tapped into Italian neo-realism of the late 1940s... but it's necessary to point out that there is an incredible sensuality captured here that is missing from the war-torn Italian films. While watching this movie it's hard to say where the story stops, and the documentation of everyday life begins. It's all interwoven with a sense of poetry. The film doesn't rely on dialogue very much, it's mostly told through images that resonate. Illuminated colours, sublimely lit scenes, tenderness, the sparkle of a child's eye. Here a spirit is captured, not really a story.

This was the first Iranian film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.