Simple and Complex

Rating: 10/10 (15 February 2004)

I believe that we tend to view people from Iran, or other parts of the Middle East, as one-dimensional people. We read news stories, listen to politicians, never hearing about the mundanities of everyday life.
This story is about 2 sibliings faced with a dilemma: the boy loses his sister's shoes, leaving one pair of shoes between them, which they share. While this might not be such a travesty in the USA, for these children, it's about the worse thing that can happen to them. They understand their parent's circumstances and never tell them, almost knowing that it would add to their miserable financial circumstances. Watch the film to see how the boy tries to fix the situation.
Beautifully filmed, nicely acted, with a not-overly preachy message, it would be a good film for any self-indulgent teenager to see, the next time they argue with their parents over money for the newest or latest status symbols.