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Product Details
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
Product Reviews
 (5 stars) - Charming
As the story opens, young Ali is picking up his sister's shoes from the repair shop. On the way home, the shoes are inadvertently lost and Ali must tell his little sister Zahra they are gone. The family has no money for new shoes and Ali fears they will both be beaten, so they don't tell their parents but come up with a plan: Zahra will wear Ali's shoes to school in the morning and he will wear them in the afternoon.
This Iranian film is absolutely charming. We see the world through the children's eyes...the harsh realities of their poverty and the contrasting luxury Ali sees when he helps his father as a gardener. Ali risks serious consequences by sticking with the plan and Zahra's heart longs for the beautiful shoes of her classmates. The children who play the leads are natural actors, completely believable and sympathetic; sadly, this was their only movie.
I couldn't wait to see what would happen next and the long-distance race at the end is really exciting. Highly recommended for the whole family, but keep the tissues handy. (In Persian with English subtitles.)
(5 stars) - Sometimes to win is not enough: A sublime masterpiece!
Children of heaven is the most charming picture about the childish emotional universe since the times of Salaam Bombay (India) and The cyclist (Iran) .
The sons of a humble worker are beloved brothers. He loses the shoes of his sisters and since that fact, he has to agree with her about changing the shoes and so he goes to class despite he arrives with certain delay.
The final solution appears before him. A race of 5 Km. with a pair of shoes for the third place.
Watch this true jewel of the cinema.
(5 stars) - What a sweet movie
I love Majid Majidi, he creates poems, not movies, yet his poems are very deep and graphic.
What I love the most is to share people's lives, while in the movie you transport yourself to those exotic places and learn so much more about who iranians are and how they are, towards children for instance (so sweet and considerate) when the girl is crying at the shoe going through the water a strange man comes and tries to comfort her and helps her.
Great photography, the story is sad but it depicts normal life of strugling laborers around the world.
Two thumbs up film, great story that will keep your attention untill the end.
 (4 stars) - I Must Have 13 or 14 Pairs of Shoes.....How About You?
Those of us who are comparatively well-off need to watch movies like this from time to time, just to remind ourselves what it's like for most of the people on this earth. It is so easy to get lost in our materialism, to become preoccupied with our looks, our clothes, our stuff, ourselves. I believe we are put on this earth to love God and to love one another, and that belief is summed up in the phrase: Treat Others As You Would Want To Be Treated. And a couple more: Don't Forget the Poor. And finally: Embrace Humility.
Sorry if I got preachy. Suffice it to say that watching this movie will go a long way toward keeping you properly grounded. Watch the brother and sister and learn how to treat people. The interactions between Ali and Zahra in this film are phenomenally moving. What amazing actors those two youngsters are! Highlights for me are the scene where the little girl classmate returns the lost pen to Zahra, and of course, the foot race, which was filmed without music; all you hear are the pattering of the boy's feet.
We adults can learn so much from children. If we would only take the time to watch and to listen.
(5 stars) - Kids all over should see this one!
We loved this movie. It was a really simple story - but very well done. I'll bet you'll love it, too.
Show it to your kids!!!
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