Bachehâ-ye âseman
Kinder des Himmels
Directed by
1997
- A boy in a slum area of Tehran loses his younger sister's only pair of shoes. The children then have to share the boy's shoes for the way to school. When a pair of sneakers beckons as a bonus at a marathon, the problem seems to be resolved. The autobiographical film tells from the undisguised view of the children how difficult it can be for the poor to meet even their basic needs.
This film evokes the world of a young brother and sister within the context of their parents’ world in contemporary Teheran. It movingly intimates the larger themes of solidarity among the poor, education into gender roles, and the complexity of family relations. This apparently simple story is alive with elegant cinematic detail and rings true to both childhood and to life itself.