Strong start, with a little girl trying to make her way home from school in the busy streets of Tehran and getting lost, something which builds empathy instantly. It fades in the second half though, after the actor playing the little girl breaks the fourth wall and walks off the project, then tries to find her own way home, mirroring the character's predicament.
The film gets a few observations in about the patriarchal society in the form of bus regulations that require women to enter the rear door, and a taxi driver who expounds on the proper domestic role for women in marriage, at least as he sees it. Mostly, however, it's just the girl trying to describe where she needs to go to strangers, who are kind enough to try to get her moving in the right direction, but never really follow through completely, often passing her off to another set of adults like a baton. There is probably something to be said for the resilience of the child and the culture where she is generally safe, or at least feels that way anyway (no one is alarmed for her being alone, a striking contrast to how it is in America).
Unfortunately, however, this film just gets tedious as it plays out, with no real escalation in the story, and the transition from character to "real life" coming across as a gimmick, since it added absolutely nothing. A great concept and an endearing little girl, but this is one that fizzled.
The film gets a few observations in about the patriarchal society in the form of bus regulations that require women to enter the rear door, and a taxi driver who expounds on the proper domestic role for women in marriage, at least as he sees it. Mostly, however, it's just the girl trying to describe where she needs to go to strangers, who are kind enough to try to get her moving in the right direction, but never really follow through completely, often passing her off to another set of adults like a baton. There is probably something to be said for the resilience of the child and the culture where she is generally safe, or at least feels that way anyway (no one is alarmed for her being alone, a striking contrast to how it is in America).
Unfortunately, however, this film just gets tedious as it plays out, with no real escalation in the story, and the transition from character to "real life" coming across as a gimmick, since it added absolutely nothing. A great concept and an endearing little girl, but this is one that fizzled.