12-year-old Ali (Rouhollah Zamani) and a group of other street kids are hired by Hashem (Ali Nassirian) to enroll at a school where he says a treasure is buried. Majid Majidi has depicted imperiled youth throughout his career, not least in his Oscar-nominated film Children of Heaven (1997); thereās a lot of authenticity here, as several kids in the cast share experiences from child labor, a practice illustrated and denounced in the film. As we become involved with Aliās quest to find the treasure, we follow events at the school and a kind-hearted teacher who sees something promising in the stubborn boy. As reality catches up with Ali near the end, the effect is heartbreaking.
2020-Iran. 99 min. Color. Produced byĀ Amir Banan, Majid Majidi. Directed byĀ Majid Majidi. Screenplay: Nima Javidi, Majid Majidi. Cast: Rouhollah Zamani (Ali), Ali Nassirian (Hashem), Javad Ezzati (The Vice Principal), Tannaz Tabatabaei, Shamila Shirzad, Mohammad Mahdi Mousavifar.
Trivia: Original title: Khorshid. Alternative title: The Sun.
Last word:Ā “I’ve come from a poor background and there was no one to protect me or be my voice. I remember those painful days, so when I look at these kids I can see myself.Ā I have this tenderness and love towards them. I might sound cheesy but that’s what I feel.” (Majidi, Xinhuanet.com)
