you an everyday random event. What happens is nothing special as far as the story goes. But somehow he makes it a very moving story, taking both the time to show the innocence of children and the wisdom of the elderly. As a viewer you can't help to be moved by Ahmed who desperately looks for the house of his friend Mohamed Reda Nematzadeh. While Ahmed searches for his friend's house, Kiarostami takes this as opportunity to show the beautiful Iranian landscape. With its beautiful sand coloured brown and yellows, its small streets that run up and down, and the colourful and very helpful people, Khane-ye Doust Kodjast? shows that life in Iran doesn't have to be that much of a difference as life in Europe or the US. Everywhere around the world children act the same, nomatter what language they speak or what country they grow up in, their surroundings most of the time make the only real difference. Ahmed, portrayed with much honesty, almost makes you forget you're watching a movie instead of a documentary or real event. It is as if the camera isn't even there and you're actually watching a real boy set off on this search, almost as being a voyeur peering through the windows of someone else's life. The dialogue is simple, with a lot of lines repeated many times, just so Ahmed can get through to the people who he asks for help. It's just like real life. Gone are the movie dialogues, that sometimes feel fake and fabricated. This is how you would go ask for help, and if you wouldn't get through to people you would ask again and again, especially if your an eight year old like Ahmed. These simple and recognizable things add a lot to the authenticity of the film wich is what makes this film succeed in being earnest and sincere.What is it about?
Ahmed, an eight year old boy living in Koker, a village in Iran, goes to school just like any other child. His teacher who is a bot strict with the boys, keeps pointing out the importance of making homework in a notebook. This way they can easily look up their previous work from some days before. Mohamed, who sits next to Ahmed in class, is crying because he forgot his notebook at his nephew's house and therefore wasn't able to do his homework. His nephew, also in the same class, returns Mohamed's notebook to him,
but the harm is already done. The teacher is already angry and threatens to send Mohamed home if next time he still hasn't done his homework in a notebook. When walking home after school's out, Mohamed stumbles and falls to the ground. Ahmed who walks beside him helps him get up, but in his attempt doing so accidently takes Mohamed's notebook. Without realising he has Mohamed notebook in his bag, the two walk on to their separate homes. After Ahmed realises he has Mohamed's notebook he knows he has to somehow return it to him, because if he doesn't, Mohamed will be dropped out of school and it will all be Ahmed's fault.Final Verdict: ****1/2
Like a film such as Ladri Di Biciclette (It: De Sica, 1948), about a man who's bike is stolen and together with his son tries to get it back, Khane-ye Doust Kodjast? succeeds in turning a simple premise into something special. It shows that cinema doesn't have to contain difficult plots or lots of action to be interesting and exciting. It first and foremost is a way to tell a story and give way to feelings and emotions that words alone can not express. With the desperate look in his eyes, you can't help feel moved by Ahmed's numerous attempts to asks people for help in his search for this one house. The strength of this film is mostly that it is so recognizable. We can all relate to Ahmed. We all have been little and have acted the same when adults wouldn't take notice of us and we had to make ourselves heard. Khane-ye Doust Kodjast?, which is part of a trilogy of films set in Koker, also leaves you a few lessons and teaches you to don't take anything
for granted and making sure you realise education is something to be cherished and not let go to waste. Why replace the doors with new ones, when the old ones still work properly, the elderly wonder. With these simple and small aspects, director Kiarostami gives a very clear portrayal of everyday life in Iran. Even though this film is already very touching and sad, knowing that the actors who played these boys aren't alive anymore makes it even more sad. Apparently, a couple of years after the film was made an earthquake hit their village and destroyed it. Both boys were killed during the events. Kiarostami, clearly hurt by this tragedy, tells about these real life events in the fictionalized Zendegi Va Digra Hich, which he made a couple of years later. With Khane-ye Doust Kodjast? Kiarostami has made a very touching film that gives shape to a wonderful look upon childhood and makes me crave for more.
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