Think you have it rough? Try sharing shoes

Posted on Jan 17, 2007 in Films/Theatre, Life | 0 comments

The other evening Crystal and I watched Children of Heaven, a wonderful Iranian film from 1997 (though it looks like it was shot in the 70s). It’s remarkable to see how a family in Tehran lives in (essentially) the same era we do. The story revolves around a boy who loses his sister’s pink shoes and how he tries to replace them. While he looks, he and is sister (who is the cutest little thing ever) share his white, threadbare sneakers. Not only heartwarming, this film made me appreciate what I have.

The opening scene sets the tone for how different life is for these people. The boy, Ali, is waiting for his sister’s shoes to be mended. Mended. When’s the last time you or anyone you know had their shoes mended? Sure, it is out of necessity, but a culture that values items enough to mend rather than throw away is very respectable.

Examples of the difficulty of living in Iran abound, but you don’t feel sorry for these people as much as you respect their fortitude. I especially admired the way children were respectful not only to the adults in authority (represented by a wooden ruler in one case!) but to each other. It is a really sweet film.