Où est la maison de mon ami?

I'm sorry I've seen this movie doubled in Spanish and not subtitled in Portuguese but, even so, I found it lovely. It is all about how children live in the adult's world and how they perceive and deal with them. It is also about how children can understand each other and help each other to survive the power and rules of adults. It is filmed very closely to the children which means we see the adults, houses, streets and landscapes from their point of view. The story is very well written, playing very wisely with our expectations. It is an almost timeless and universal story but the where and when it happens is brilliant.

This dear and simple story is the most wonderful film I have seen this year. The children are non-actors who bring a reality and wonder to this film that is sadly absent from American films, and you will be left in awe by their performances.

The story involves a little boy who must track down his friend to give him a notebook, or his friend may be kicked out of school. All along the way he is blocked from this quest to "do the right thing" but adults who are too stuck on their own silly business to listen to him and offer assistance. Instead of helping this sincere and good child, they do everything imaginable to block him. How very real this situation is, and how refreshing to see adults forced to examine the condescending way they communicate with children. The child Ahmed in this film is a refreshing hero for little boys... so much better than the smart-alleck and spoiled brats offered up in American films. It is a beautiful story, and it is a beautiful experience to sit and take in this magnificent film!

I saw this movie when I was 15 and really enjoyed it at that time because I could find myself instead of the boy playing in the movie. I was older than him, but I felt there was something, let's say, close connection between us. That was the best movie I had ever seen. I learned many things about life and the world around me. Everyone could see simplicity and honesty in his eyes. After 10 years I saw the movie again when I was around 25; and the interesting thing was that I had the same feeling! I didn't know why? But when I look at that precisely I think the story of our life is so simple: When you do good, you feel good and when you do bad you feel bad! Kiarostami visualizes the whole story simply and memorably, it doesn't matter at what age you are watching the movie, just you can feel it, touch it and live it!

A magnificent and unforgettable film with prodigious moments where you really wonder how the director did shoot some moments in such an intimate way without being noticed or without making the presence of the camera a problem. It's a poem (to friendship, honesty, childhood, purity) more than a movie.

Actually it's hard to find any more words to define this masterpiece than the ones in the title of this review. If you are looking for something that would make you feel like you're reading a classic short story rather than watching a film, then this one is right that film. When you watch a film you have the vision, the sound, the effects, the music; almost nothing's left to your imagination and you watch the film effortlessly. Eventually, the story is misted over. On the other hand, in Khane-ye doust kodjast?, Kiarostami with his fascinating simplicity, takes you deep into a world of childish innocence. Everything from acting to cameras, is full of that precious amateur feeling. You actually feel amazed when you see how well Kiarostami managed to get such natural acting from a cast of all non-professional actors. Each character, each scene is tailored with Kiarostami's masterful observations. The film is so purely simple that, for a second, I even wished we didn't even have the music that plays only in two scenes, though I loved it. I personally believe, it really is a piece of art than a film.