Following the introduction of the films of the Iranian Cinema Day, we have gone to Film Khorshid, which was one of the best films of Iranian cinema last year, and we have examined the different dimensions of this film to make it easier to decide whether to see the film “Khorshid” or not?
“Film Khorshid” received a lot of attention at last year’s Fajr Festival.The film won the Crystal Simorgh for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, and among all the films in the competition, it attracted the attention of critics.
“Film Khorshid” also shone and was seen in the international arena, and in its first international appearance in the main competition section of the prestigious Venice Film Festival, it was screened and won the Magic Lantern Award of this festival.It is interesting to know that in addition to the judges of the Venice Film Festival, international critics also liked and welcomed “Film Khorshid”; The Hollywood Reporter, for example, ranked the film among the top 20 films at the 2020 Venice and Toronto Film Festivals.
On the other hand, Majidi, who also represented Iran at the 2021 Oscars, did not receive much attention from the academy and could not be among the finalists for the best foreign film.The score given to the film’s audience on the Salam Cinema website is 6.5. But it should not be forgotten that this statistic is only related to the festival days.Because the release of “Film Khorshid” coincided with the outbreak of Corona and the closure of cinemas in Iran, and this issue caused great damage to the film. While the film could experience a crowded Nowruz screening after the festival.
Finally, the screening of “Khorshid” started on March 18, 2017, but again it dealt with the outbreak of Corona and the closure of cinemas, and in this short period of 12 weeks, Corona has sold nearly one billion and three hundred million.
Film Khorshid – Story
The story of “Film Khorshid” is one of the strengths of the film. Majid Majidi, who in many of his films, especially his good films, uses the presence of children in the main roles, in “Khorshid” also tells his story with some Iranian and Afghan working children.
Ali is a 12-year-old child whose mother is unable to care for him, and he and his friends make a living by stealing parts, working in a rubber warehouse and retailing on the subway.Until the criminal in the neighborhood offers them to find a treasure by enrolling in a school and digging into its warehouse.The children enter the school but it is not easy to do so and it causes them a lot of trouble.
As mentioned earlier, Majidi has always created memorable child characters in his films;Ali and his sister in “Children of Heaven”, the blind boy in “The Color of God”, Baran, the lovely girl in “Baran” are among these characters.But it is no exaggeration to say that the children of the film “Sun” are, without exaggeration, the most attractive, empathetic and memorable young characters created by Majidi.
The important point in their characterization is that the final shine of these children on the screen and the strong and deep sympathetic feeling they establish with the viewer is not just the product of the script and the characterization.Majidi did not go to the actors to play the role of these children and chose them from among the children working in the warehouses and streets of the capital.
Ruhollah Zamani, Shamila Shirzad, Abolfazl Shirzad and Ali Ghobashi, with their realistic, candid and honest performances, have produced imaginative and at the same time real characters.
If you take a look at the behind-the-scenes videos or the film’s Q&A session, you will find that beyond the film, the process of making it has a profound effect on children, and the mutual familiarity of the “sun” elements with their feelings and bio-suffering. Has also been affected.
The tears of the children and the humor of Tabatabai in the press conference are a proof of this.Few Iranian films succeed in reaching such a degree of empathy with their viewers without being pitiful and chanting slogans, turning this “Film Khorshid” into a special and spectacular film.
Film Khorshid – Casts
In addition to the children, the presence of Javad Ezzati as a caring teacher and friend is very significant and is considered one of the most diverse roles of this talented actor.
Ali Nasirian, in the role of the criminal and villain of the film, astonishes the audience with his delicate performances and subtle acts, and Tanaz Tabatabai is very effective in the very short moments of his presence on the screen.
Majid Majidi is one of the slain directors of Iranian cinema.A director whose films have always been considered at home and abroad.
In addition to directing the film, which can be said to be Majidi’s best directorial experience in recent years, the presence of Hooman Behmanesh as director of photography has also had a tremendous impact on the final quality of the film.
Especially the many long scenes shot in the tunnel are great and stunning. Very laborious, hard and exhausting scenes in the performance.
Peter DeBroge wrote about the film, which is reminiscent of one of the best children’s films of the 21st century, The Florida Project, but “The Sun” has an inverted narrative.He continues: Majidi has never been a fan of complex stories and even the audience moves a few steps ahead of the characters in his story, but “Khorshid” has interesting surprises and Majidi has made the narrative more attractive by dramatizing the problems facing the characters of his story.
Deborah Young also said that Majid Majidi has created a number of stunning and exciting works about deprived and exploited children and youth, of which “The Sun” is one of the best.The vivacity and expectation that lies in the face of the “Spirit of Time” hurts the human heart.
Lee Marshall also wrote about the film: “Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi” has made another sympathetic work about poor but talented urban children.
This exciting and strange film by Majidi is the story of some street children who are taken to a special school to learn to read and write.
“Sun” is an unusual choice to compete in the Venice Film Festival, but in today’s unusual times, it is a new brand of neorealist fiction with a bit of nostalgia.
Ali Atapour said that he finally saw the best film of this period of the festival. A humane, motivating and profound film.”Film Khorshid” was a very emotional and heartwarming film, even though it was very bitter and painful, but it was still sweet.
Ehsan Mohammadi also wrote in his comment: How difficult it was to film this film and how difficult it was to play with these children.The sequence of Zahra’s fight with Abolfazl at school was very beautiful.
Siavash Piroznia also pointed out a good thing about the length of the film and said, “I think the film was a bit long, but the whole film was beautiful.”