Amir Farrokh Hashemian, Bahare Seddiqi, Behzad Rafi

The Children of Heaven follows the relationship between an impoverished brother and sister, Ali and Zahra, who are thrust into a difficult circumstance. They choose to solve their problem themselves, ...( read more  read more... )without telling their parents, in their own unique way. What follows is a tender, moving tale of compassion, determination and deep family love.

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95% liked it

8,602 ratings

Critics

88% liked it

24 critics

PG, 1 hr. 28 min.

Directed by: Majid Majidi

Release Date: February 5, 1999

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DVD Release Date: September 3, 2002

Stats: 933 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (933)


  • August 11, 2009
    A young boy & his little sister are forced to make sacrifices for each other as they attempt to share an old pair of sneakers.. The Children of Heavin is a beautiful illustration of how adversity draws people closer together.
  • July 13, 2009
    A really sweet film.
    An interesting look into the lives of Iranian family of modest means and more specifically into the loving relationship between a brother and a sister.
    The two main children are a pleasure to watch and (for the most part) act in a very genuine and endearing...( read more) manner.
    It's a simple film, but full of emotion.
    But for the ending which (as an adult) I felt was a little sudden and abrupt, this is a great film for children and adults alike.
  • November 19, 2008
    So fantastic I don't even have enough words. I want this movie...
  • August 1, 2008
    Sometimes second-guessing a film can actually prove helpful, especially in films such as this gem. A no-budget film from Iran and human above all else, tells the story of how two siblings loved each other in their unique, original way, by sharing a pair of dirty, old shoes.
  • November 4, 2006
    The two young actors are amazing they play their guileless naïve sensitivity with such earnestness! Central character, Ali, the 9 year old brother, is Mir Farrokh Hashemian, who really carried the film with his legwork, and the younger sister Zahra is Bahareh Seddiqui, who contri...( read more)buted her restrained share of screen presence. The pair is so natural: those furrowed faces, anxious knitted brows , the range of sad faces the two came up with! The bond between the brother and sister is so warm
  • November 19, 2009
    This film made me laugh...made me cry...made me reflect on my life..my number one favorite film of all time.
  • November 14, 2009
    This movie depicts the innocence of a children, the strong bong between brother and sister and touching storyline.
    I shed a tears at the end of this movie. It was beautiful
  • November 4, 2009
    very solid and heartwarming movie..
  • October 20, 2009
    Majid Majidi's winsome fable is a sweet, heartwarming, ultimately uplifting film from Iran that manages to be a perfect children's movie. Ali (Mir Farrokh Hashemian) goes to the cobbler to get new shoes for his sister Zahra (Bahare Seddiqi). On the way home, Ali accidentally lose...( read more)s them at the grocer's and a blind man accidentally picks them up. Ali goes home in shame, afraid of what will happen if his parents find out, so he and his sister concoct a plan: She will go to school in the morning wearing his own shoes, and run to a meeting place to give him his shoes back so he can attend school in the afternoon. What could go wrong, right? Ali must improvise a lot in order to keep his secret and stay out of trouble. Majidi's film is simple but not simplistic, intelligent but nowhere near condescending, and sweet without being cloying. The siblings love each other and the young actors portray them with solid and believable performances. The film unfolds with the gentle humor of everyday life, never pounding home the plot points, always with a good insight into human nature. The subtitles are generally easy enough to follow for any child of reading age. This is a fine film - for any age.
  • September 23, 2009
    hey i think its great...abt the children..

Comments


  • itwasashark
    June 9, 2006
    Possibly, but foreign films these days are certainly gaining recognition, even by the regular public. "No Man's Land," a Bosnian picture, picked up Best Foreign Film for 2001.
  • firdaus125
    May 22, 2006
    It didn't win best foreign film because it's iranian, i bet.

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