Children of Heaven

There is a lot to be said for a tempest in a teapot. To me, watching a movie about military battles doesn't have the same impact as watching a small family struggle for marginal existence in a third world city.

"Bacheha-Ye aseman" (English captions) is one such movie.

This award-winning 1997 film takes us to Tehran, Iran, where a nine-year- old boy is sent to a cobbler to have his little sister's shoes repaired, then buy some potatoes for his hard-working mother to cook for the evening meal. While he is selecting the potatoes, the shoes are picked up in error and he can't find them. This is a huge problem: Now he and his sister have to share one pair of sneakers without the parents finding out. Of course this makes a major challenge because she wears them to her school first, then has to rush to meet him so HE can put them on and go to his school (and try not to be late!).

Watch as they spot the shoes on a little girl who has no idea they are watching her. See their sense of justice and fair play as it is tested. It's fun to watch them find joy in simple things, e.g., soap bubbles, a brand-new pencil, and a ball-point pen (a prize for scholarship).

This is an excellent way for our own over-privileged youngsters to see how precious a single, shabby pair of shoes can be and to admire the steadfast loyalty between these siblings.

I am, once again, grateful to a JayFlix colleague to light a fire under me to issue this long-overdue review. Many times we overlook deserving films simply because no one bothered to remind us.

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Here is a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2901319193/
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