Children Of Heaven
by Majid Majidi
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DVD details
Actor: Bahare Sediqi, Mir Farrokh Hashemian, Mohammad Amir NajiDirector: Majid Majidi
Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
Cinematographer: Parviz Malekzaade
Writer: Majid Majidi
Editor: Hassan Hassandoost
Producer: Institute For The Intellectual Development Of Children And Young Adults
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); Farsi (Original Language); French (Original Language); English (Original Language)
Format: NTSC
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 1 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2012-01-06
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: LIONSGATE
DVD Reviews of Children Of Heaven
DVD Review: Heart Touching Story
Summary: 4 Stars
Angelica Ruiz
Movie Review
October 14, 2004
Michele Lee
Watched any good movies with subtitles lately? Subtitles, yes, I know it sounds lame that is why we watch a movie, not read a movie, right? I agree. I am like many other lazy Americans' and I don't have time to put that much effort into anything, much less reading a movie. With an assignment for class, and a list of movies to choose from, I decided to choose Children of Heaven, simply for the title. It sounded like a decent movie, so I thought I would give it a shot. I never would have expected such a heart touching story. This story brings back family values, and the rewards that come to a hard working family. Now I definitely would buy this movie, and introduce it to others whom I think will find it a great movie as well.
The story is set in Iran, and the main characters are Ali and his sister Zahra, who struggle with a problem that they must keep from their parents. Ali managed to lose his little sister's shoes, and knowing their parents had no money until the next month, they couldn't turn to their sick mother, or poor but hardworking father for a new pair. The children come up with a solution that might work if little Zahra could run just a little faster in her brother's too big, beat up sneakers. You see, every day she would wear Ali's shoes to her morning class, and then meet Ali in the alley where they would exchange shoes and he would wear them to his afternoon class. In the meantime, Zahra learns that her shoes were picked up by a blind man and given to his daughter who attends the same school. Everyday she watches her running and skipping in her old, sparkly, red shoes.
The other great aspect of this movie is the family is poor and often run out of things at the end of a pay period. They struggle to make ends meet, and often have to do without when they run out of things. Ali's father receives some gardening tools and decides to try to make some extra money on the weekend. His father decides to take Ali on a bike ride into the rich city, much more modern than the poor slums they live in on the outskirts of the city. They go in search of gardening work; the father finds it difficult to find any customers by speaking into the intercom systems of the big, intimidating mansions. He just gets shut down by the stuck up people on the other side wondering why he is bothering them. The young and brave Ali steps up and finds a man who is in need of a gardener, Ali scores himself a playmate and fun toys to play with for the afternoon and work for his father. Now back to the shoe problem, Ali finally finds his answer. He enters a running race for boys and the third place winner gets a new pair of shoes. Ali battles the other boys, but fails to succeed at getting new shoes because he comes in first place. Ali must then go home to tell his sister the heartbreaking news.
I don't want to ruin the ending, but I am sure you can imagine it is a happy one, as the children continue to struggle to find a solution. This is what I really enjoy about this movie, how very different these children are compared to American children. They are such obedient and respectful little people. They know they must take their problems into their own hands. Since their parents did not create this mess, they do not want to burden them with it. They decide to help each other and come up with a plan that works for them, although not as smoothly as they would like. Throughout the movie they show so much respect for their elders, I just wanted to buy them each new shoes! These kids are so smart and have the skills to problem solve without the help of their parents.
This is a movie that is great for the whole family. I think it would be a perfect family activity that could involve everyone taking turns reading subtitles to younger family members. Siblings could learn a very good lesson and the values of taking care of each other, your belongings and to appreciate what you have are important lessons for every child. I think children could learn to have more empathy for others, and realize how lucky they are with all they do have. This movie also proves the value that your parents have to work hard for the money they earn to support the family.
I loved this movie, and will be recommending it to anyone who asks, "Seen anything good lately?" It was definitely different than anything I have seen lately. This movie was able to captivate my full attention, which is usually hard to do at 9 o'clock in the morning. The acting was great; I could feel the emotion of the children throughout the movie. It had me at the edge of my seat, and rooting for Ali to win the footrace, my heart pounding when a fellow runner tripped him. In the end, I was left with nothing but a smile and a whole new perspective on subtitles and movies.
Next time I am at the video store, my mind will definitely be more open to something a little less ordinary. I am very impressed with the film, and it leaves me feeling good about the Iran culture and people. In a time when our country is dealing with so many global issues, this is the perfect movie to watch to open your family's mind up. It goes to show that families struggle with the same type of issues, fitting in and getting by. The manner in which we handle them is different. The length these children go through to avoid putting additional stress in their parent's life is tremendous, and the heart touching title is very fitting in this film, Children of Heaven.
Description of Children Of Heaven
Triumph prize winner at many prestigious film festivals, this uplifting, crowd-pleasing story of family and love was also moniated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film! When Ali loses his sister Zahra's school shoes, this young pair dream up a plan to stay out of trouble: they'll share his shoes and keep it a secret from their parents! But if they're going to successfuly cover their tracks, Ali and Zahra must carefully watch their step on what rapidly turns into a funny and heartwarming adventure! A magical motion picture acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, Children Of Heaven is a charming treat you'll love, too!This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.
Majid Majidi celebrates the immediacy and essence of childhood in this delightful tale of a brother and sister who share a pair of shoes when the boy (though no fault of his own) loses his sister's only pair. Since their parents are too poor to afford a new pair, they keep it a secret, trading them off every day in a mad rush, jumping gutters and navigating the twisting lanes to their schools and back. Then the boy hatches a plan: the third-place prize in a student footrace is a new pair of shoes, and he's determined to take it. The plot may smack of a Disney film, but the direction couldn't be more different. The family scenes are delicately observed, and Majidi captures the spirit of the children perfectly: proud, emotional, petulant, sweet, and disarmingly sincere. The film has a Western-friendly framework without losing the naturalistic eye and lolling rhythm that gives the best Iranian films their richness. Even as he builds to the climactic footrace (quite unexpectedly turned into a nail-biting contest) the film continues to reveal a wealth of discreet surprises, culminating in a conclusion all the more resonant for its sublime delicacy. His efforts earned the film the honor of becoming the first Iranian feature to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. --Sean Axmaker
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