Bag of Rice (1996)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- When none of her family have time to play with her, four-year-old Jairan (Jairan Abadzade) decides to accompany her elderly neighbour, Mrs. Khanoom (Masume Eskandari), on her cross-city shopping trip. Mrs. Khanoom is set to exchange her pensioners' coupons for a bag of rice, but when they find the shop closed, an unusual adventure ensues.
- Actors:
- Jairan Abadzade, Shirin Bina, Masume Eskandari, Hossein Kalantar
- Directors:
- Mohammad-Ali Talebi
- Writers:
- Houshang Moradi Kermani
- Aka:
- Kiseye Berendj
- Genres:
- Children & Family, Drama
- Countries:
- Iran
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Reviews (1) of Bag of Rice
A Sack Full Of Bliss. - Bag of Rice review by NC
A young girl and her elderly neighbour set off to shop for a bag of rice. True to form with Iranian films, a simple journey turns into an odyssey of small adventures, offering both delight at the invention, and insight into a country and its people (a very different view from that some powerful people around the world would have us believe).
A recurring motif in Iranian films is the way complete strangers will stop and help people (especially children) who need assistance. In a poor society, so the message implies, the best way to survive is to stick together. The girl and the old lady could not possibly accomplish their mission without the kind intervention of numerous passers-by along the way. What a lesson to so-called 'civilised' countries, where the rushing masses have little time for anyone but themselves.
A small boy crawls under a covered gutter to retrieve a coin and a pair of glasses; a busload of ladies, each fish out a small bag from their shopping baskets in order to help pick up spilled rice; a long line of schoolboys, each holding one of the small bags, cross a bridge and march to the bus-stop. All scenes beautifully done and all scenes archetypal of Iranian cinema.
The nearest parallel I can think of from a British perspective, are some of the products of the Children's Film Foundation from the '50's and '60's; the small problems which are mountainous when looked at through a child's eyes; the need to band together to have any hope of coming through; the help forthcoming from strangers, willing to spend their time and their energy; the innocence and simplicity of a gentle story, gently told. The West has lost the ability to tell such stories now, or at least they are told in such a flashy, brashy manner, with child actors that appear the very opposite of innocent, that watching them is torture rather than a pleasure. Iranian cinema has retained the magic.
The film doesn't seem to be available for rental, at the time of writing, but is on Youtube. On no account should you miss it.