Where Is The Friend's House? (1987)

This film captures the emotions of a small boy brilliantly. Facing a crisis that (as usual) none of the adults around him seem to appreciate, he sets off on an adventure that would have been of epic proportions if it had been scaled up to compare with the experiences of any grown-up. Is Where Is the Friend's Home simple? Yes, while also very subtle. It operates on multiple levels. This movie is one of the most human movies I have ever seen. The story is quite simple. A little boy keeps forgetting to do his homework in the book and finally he is threatened with dire consequences. His friend has the book and must return it. But the story has so much warmth and is shown with so much beauty that it is impossible not to like the film. The characters that we see throughout the movie are very nicely drawn out. Ahmed's interactions with the old man at the end are so beautiful and filled with emotion that I am brimming with joy just recalling those moments.

I'm sorry I've seen this movie doubled in Spanish and not subtitled in Portuguese but, even so, I found it lovely. It is all about how children live in the adult's world and how they perceive and deal with them. It is also about how children can understand each other and help each other to survive the power and rules of adults. It is filmed very closely to the children which means we see the adults, houses, streets and landscapes from their point of view. The story is very well written, playing very wisely with our expectations. It is an almost timeless and universal story but the where and when it happens is brilliant.

This child, a boy of about 8, takes a friend's homework book home in error and fearful that his mistake will prevent another boy from doing his homework which will result in his pal's expulsion from school and thus the loss of a friendship tries to return the book. First however and this is only the first of the many problems he encounters he must persuade busy parents who will not listen to allow him to leave the house and return the book. He sneaks off and then although he has only a vague idea of where his friend lives attempts to find the house which is in another village some distance away. The journey is long and night is falling; he meets mostly uncooperative adults on the way. I was amazed at determination of this very serious young boy to prevent the expulsion of the friend. You will gain good incites from this movie into the lifestyles of both adults and children in a rural part of Iran where the nature of the terrain makes travel difficult. He doesn't find the house but does succeed in solving the problem in his own unique way. If you like movies about kids you will enjoy this one.

Though it takes a little getting used to the limited amount of dialogue and the real-time progression of events, this film captures the emotions of a small boy brilliantly. Facing a crisis that (as usual) none of the adults around him seem to appreciate, he sets off on an adventure that would have been of epic proportions if it had been scaled up to compare with the experiences of any grown-up. The director manages to capture all the fear and wonder of the situation with the determination of a real hero to get the job done no matter what. It was a great introduction to Iranian Cinema, a genre which - at present at least - prefers real life events to special effects and blockbuster-style ridiculous story lines. It comes highly recommended.