This is really all it takes!

Rating: Null/10 (19 September 1999)

Very few movies has the quality of tenderness without being sentimental. This one does. A very simple plot unfolds the entire story of present day life in Teheran. It is beautifully shot, very well acted and accomplishes with such simplicity what it intends. The sweetness with which the relationship between the two siblings is described is rare and their protection of their very poor parents is touching.
There is especially one scene that has stayed with me, where the brother secretly tries to explain that he has lost his sister's shoes on the way from the shoe maker. This takes place in the family's one-room home when the children are supposed to be doing their homework and they are writing notes back and forth. The girl's mounting frustration with her brother and his reluctance to take the entire blame is so right and so funny as they try to keep it a secret from their parents.
Every scene in the movie HAS to be there, nothing redundant, nothing superfluous. A pure delight. See it as soon as you get a chance.