The Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University invites you to a film series by the internationally acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi. This series, organized by Ramyar Rossoukh (a joint PhD candidate in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies), will explore the role of 'Islam' in the development of Iran's thriving cinema through short presentations and a Q & A session following the film screenings.

All films are in Persian with English subtitles. 

CHILDREN OF HEAVEN (Bacheha-ye aseman)
Iran, 1997 / 89 min
Written and Directed by Majid Majidi
Starring: Amir Farrokh Hashemian, Mohammad Amir Naji, Bahare Seddiqi

One of the most distinctive features of post-revolutionary Iranian cinema has been its attention to so-called ‘children’s films,’ like Children of Heaven, that dominated international film festivals in the nineties. Majidi’s interpretation of the genre is a story of sibling fidelity set in a poor neighborhood in the south of Tehran. After Ali accidentally loses his sister Zahra’s shoes, the two children secretly hatch a plan to share Ali’s sneakers, as they know their parents cannot afford to buy her a new pair. When the scheme begins to unravel, Ali enters a citywide school race in a desperate attempt to win his sister a new pair of shoes.

Speaker: Michael M.J. Fischer, Professor of Anthropology and Science and Technology Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology