Children of Heaven

Witnessing the events unfold around us, we sometimes wonder where the sensitivity, faith in relationships have gone? Have we lost the capacity to view relationships in a simple, uncomplicated way? Just when we are about to give up, life presents us with some unexpected, invaluable gifts which strengthen our belief in basic human values. Last week I watched two great movies, Children of heaven & Where is my friend’s home? directed by an Iranian & a Russian director respectively.

Children of heaven, directed by Majid Majidi, was nominated for Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category in 1997(‘Life is beautiful’ won the award that year). The film portrays the innocent world of the children very powerfully. The story is about ten years old Ali and his eight years old sister Zahira, both belonging to a very poor family.

Zahira’s shoes are lost by Ali when he takes them to a cobbler for repairs. Ali doesn’t know how to face his sister. Zahira, when told this fact, almost starts crying. The siblings cannot even tell this to their parents as they are fully aware about their family’s financial condition and also of the fact that their father’s monthly salary is still very far off. Ali comes up with a brilliant plan of sharing Ali’s shoes. This is possible since Zahira goes to school in the morning and Ali goes in the afternoon. Zahira frantically runs home as soon as the school is over. Ali waits for her in the ally. They exchange shoes and Ali proceeds to school. Many a times Zahira is late and Ali gets a scolding from his headmaster for being late.

One slowly begins to involve oneself in the agony, despair and love of these children for each other through the small incidences which are woven very intricately.

Finally Ali gets an opportunity he has been waiting for. A running competition is announced in that province. There are many prizes to be won but what beckons Ali is the prize for the third position, a brand new pair of shoes. He manipulates the race so that he will be in third position. However, when two others run past him near the finishing line, he runs frantically and wins the race. Everyone is wishing him while he deeply regrets the result.

At the end, the father is on way to home with a new pair of shoes. Not knowing this, Ali comes home, his demeanor, that of someone who has lost everything. Winning the race is of least importance to him. He takes off his shoes and dips his legs in the small pond in the courtyard. The water flows over his feet & the fish tickle his feet.

The movie is actually a poetry. I have just outlined the plot. Majidi’s direction and the performances by the children especially by Ali, are only to be experienced.

I will write about Where is my friend’s home? in my next blog.