Bid-o Bad

I found this movie strangely compelling for such a simple plot. It reminded me of the Bhutanese film "The Cup", as well as the Iranian film "A Time for Drunken Horses". All of these films contain singular seemingly straight forward quests within a framework of largely tedious everyday life. I believe that my interest was held because they are studies on different cultures and ways of living. They allowed me to feel grateful to reside in North America, and to have myriad options in life. There is little extraneous content in these films, the life situation is set up, the quest is introduced, and some kind of conclusion is reached. Most of the characters seemed very genuine, as if they were being filmed by a hidden camera. I felt that the lead child actor did a passable job, however the constant sour expression on his face, that was probably meant to convey utter hopelessness, seemed quite out of place in a number of scenes, and I found this increasingly annoying as the film progressed.

KIA ROSTAMI was Lord of the Screenplay I'm not talking anymore. This one sentence is enough to make sure you watch this movie.

The film was written by Iranian master auteur Abbas Kiarostami, and in many ways is a companion piece to Kiarostrami's "Where is the Friend's House". Both stories center around a young boy on a dangerous quest, and failure will potentially produce physical/social/emotional scars. While the film unfolds slowly, as the protagonist risks life and limb to satisfy the school's demands, and in the course of it has to travel a great distance, almost exclusively on foot, a patient viewer will be richly rewarded.

The director may be Mohammadali Talebi, but the film is still an Abbas Kiarostami film. It is clear from the very first frames that this is a script from his pen, and by the way, this may be my favorite Abbas Kiarostami film. Unfortunately, for those who have not set foot in Iran, Iranian cinema is nothing more than orientalism or poverty literature, especially as we can see from the comments made on platforms like Letterboxd and IMDb. For people like me who have been to Iran and are passionate about Iranian art and literature, Iranian cinema is the reason for the emergence of cinema...

Children, roads, difficulties, challenging weather conditions, fear, sense of responsibility, anger - this is not just a film, it's reality...

That's why the world's best child actors usually come from Iranian cinema, even though most of them have not received any formal acting training. Just like the two rascals in the movie "Bid-o Bad" (Willow and Wind)... They live unaware of the global success of the films they star in.

This film, which looks like the fourth film in the Koker trilogy directed by Abbas Kiarostami, looks at least 30 years older despite being made in 2000, and this old atmosphere suits the film very well.

"Bid-o Bad" is a touching and powerful film that transcends cultural boundaries. It is a testament to the universality of human experience and a reminder of the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity.... Rest in peace Abbas Kiarostami

If the Middle East wasn't so complicated, I would go to Tehran on the first plane tomorrow, that's how excited I get when I watch Iranian cinema.

Willow and Wind (1999) - A poetic gem from Iranian cinema.

A young boy must carry a fragile pane of glass across miles of wind to fix his school's broken window. Each step is a battle against nature, loneliness, and the weight of responsibility far beyond his years.

A poetic journey that mirrors the struggles of growing up and the silent courage it takes to keep moving forward.