This is one movie that can be watched by a 3 year old baby as well as a 70 year old human being and both these age groups will definitely be touched by this gem of a movie.This was the first Iranian film to be nominated for an Academy Award. It lost the "Best Foreign Film" award to Life is Beautiful in 1998.

The story revolves around Zahra and her big brother Ali. Ali is in third grade and Zarra is in class one. The love they have for each other is marvellous and I would ask all parents to make their kids watch this movie. It is indeed a classic example of one of the best brother-sister love ever caught on screen.


In the movie, Ali takes his little sister Zahra's shoes to the shoemaker to be repaired, but loses them on the way home. The siblings decide to keep the predicament a secret from their parents, knowing that there is no money to buy a replacement pair and fearing that they will be punished. They devise a scheme to share Ali's sneakers: Zahra will wear them to school in the morning and hand them off to Ali at midday so he can attend afternoon classes. This uncomfortable arrangement leads to one adventure after another as they attempt to hide the plan from their parents and teachers, attend to their schoolwork and errands, and acquire a new pair of shoes for Zahra. Zahra sees the shoes on a schoolmate's feet, and follows her home, but the two soon become friends.



Ali enters a high-profile children's footrace in the hope of receiving the third prize of a new pair of sneakers. He accidentally places first and wins another prize instead. The film ends with Zahra finding out that she will not get a new pair of shoes, but there is a quick shot of their father's bicycle at the end of the movie that shows what appears to be the red shoes Zahra had been focusing on earlier and another pair of white sneakers, presumably for Ali, whose old sneakers were torn from so much use. The film ends with the final shot showing blisters on Ali's feet.(This scene will make everyone cry)

I watched this movie with a four year old kid. Certain scenes from the movie welled both our eyes. I was really amazed by the effort put in by the director in pulling out the emotions of the audience irrespective of their agegroups.. Majid Majidi has become one of my favorite directors. now.

-Chronicwriter

Note: The owner of the red underwear has not contacted me yet. If no one owns responsibility, I will start using it