White Balloon

27 Nov 1996

Director: Jafar Panahi

Iran

1995

85 min

On the eve of the Iranian New Year, a young girl named Razieh desperately wants to buy a large goldfish with her mother’s last 500 toman note. However, she loses the money down a grate outside a closed shop. The film follows Razieh’s determined efforts to retrieve the note, encountering various people who offer help and hinderance along the way. This seemingly simple story becomes a poignant exploration of community, compassion, and the resilience of the human spirit, all seen through the eyes of a child.

Starring: Aida Mohammadkhani, Mohsen Kafili, Fereshteh Sadr Orfani