sun children (2020)

original title: Khorshid

A POIGNANT PORTRAIT OF YOUTH THAT SHINES BRIGHT

Iran’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2021 Oscars is a perceptive roller-coaster of emotions about the plight of young children forced to work in Iran and is most certainly worthy of its award submission.

Playing out as a childhood coming-of-age drama, the story focuses on 12-year-old Ali (Roohollah Zamani) and his three friends Mamad (Mohammad Mousavifar), Abolfazi (Abolfazi Shirzad), and Rez (Mani Ghafouri). Together they try to make ends meet, living one day at a time, whether that be at the local garage doing small jobs or committing petty crimes for a neighbourhood crime boss. It’s the latter that seems to be the most profitable, especially after Ali is entrusted with finding a hidden treasure that is located underground and is only accessible through a tunnel underneath the local school. Ali recruits his trusty gang of misfits for the mission that is set to change their lives forever, but to gain access to the tunnel that leads to the treasure, they must first enroll at the School of the Sun - a charitable institution that educates street kids and child laborers.

Once enrolled, Ali and his friends realise that locating the treasure is easier said than done. There are many obstacles along the way that constantly derail their mission while testing their friendship like never before. At the same time, the school is dealing with its own mission of trying to stay open, as they are behind on rent and face imminent closure. There are high stakes wherever you look, but who will crawl through the mud and emerge better off in this highly emotional and captivating tale of despair?

Director Majid Majidi is no stranger to this genre, in fact, the majority of his films lean into family drama, including his 1997 masterpiece Children of Heaven, which gave us an affectionate glimpse into the lives of Iran’s lower class. There are certainly parallels between the two films, however; this time round Majidi goes for a more polished and cliché story, but it works just as well. It’s a gripping and tense thrill-ride with a lot of heart and pain injected throughout with makes for one hell of a compelling watch.

The film starts thrillingly and doesn’t really slow down until the last half hour, which loses momentum, but not enough to derail this terrific piece of cinema. The performances here are all top quality, especially from our child leads, who each bring a sense of authenticity to their roles which makes the story all the more convincing. Roohollah Zamani who plays Ali, the leader of this gang of misfits, is truly remarkable and provides such a heart-wrenching performance. At such a young age, he sure knows how to own a scene and manages to say so much without saying a word at all. The other children do exceptionally well in their supporting roles and Javad Ezati is also worth mentioning with his subtle, yet warming display as Vice-Principal Rafie.

The cinematography is also superb and adds a level of rawness to this already gritty story. We’re transported into a rapid high-stake world from the opening shot, which is amplified by the swift camera movements. Close-ups are frequently used to try and inject hard-hitting emotion and it usually pays off, especially when up close with Zamani’s eyes which are always hungry and lit with optimism.

Sun Children is a bleak and dire look into the lives of a bunch of kids who are forced to grow up too soon. While it may lean on one too many clichés, it still manages to generate an engaging and captivating viewing experience. Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Well, I guess you’ll just have to wait and see, but one thing I can say is that Majidi certainly struck gold with this one.

★★★★☆

15 AUGUST 2021