Where is the Friend's Home? (1987)

Mohamed Reda Nematzadeth has been told off three times already for not doing his homework in the book provided, next time he fails to do it in the book he will be expelled. So whenever his classmate Ahmed gets home and finds that Mohamed's book is in his bag. Knowing that it will be his fault that his friend gets into trouble, he tries to get his mother to help him return it but, when she refuses, he sneaks out of the house knowing only that Mohamed lives in an area several miles away across the hills. Getting to the area turns out to be the easy part as, regardless of who he asks, few are able or willing to help him find the house of his friend.

It is perhaps fitting (and pointless) that Channel 4 in the UK chose to broadcast a short season of films from Iran; after all, Iran is being talked about in the same way as Iraq was a year before we went to war with them, so it looks like some form of action may be taken against Iran – a country that few people really know a great deal about. I don't think that watching a few films from a country will teach you all you need to know about it, but it is a start I suppose and kudos to Channel 4 for giving up so much time (albeit late night) to screen 2-3 films a night for a week. This was the first in the mini-season and it presents a disarmingly simple story to provide an insight into life in a semi-rural area of Iran although it is certainly too slow, uneventful and layered to really learn a great deal from. For starters the plot is simple and does as little as my plot summary suggests it does; viewers reared on "bang a minute" action films will certainly not be impressed by the pace, the delivery or the conclusion. I enjoyed it but even I must admit that the running time did have a certain about of slack in it that could have been taken in a bit without losing too much.

The actual story is just a frame to see aspects of life in Iran – behaviour, environment, habits and conditions; to the unfamiliar (such as myself) this will provide distraction easily enough as it is interesting in what it does, although I suspect that more was lost on me than I realised. I got the impression that the story was a metaphor for Iran and that the themes of doing the right thing, being distracted by individual minor squabbles, giving for others etc were all set within a national context that I failed to understand, perhaps a little help for the uninitiated would have been useful in the shape of text explaining the country up front? Regardless, this is my loss and the film owes me nothing; I still felt that the theme that really Ahmed's ongoing thoughtfulness and friendship was more useful than just finding the boy's house worked – not easily reached perhaps but it is there.

The performances are all convincingly natural and the camera could easily not have been there. Babek Ahmed Poor's Ahmed naturally steals the film and, although he doesn't show a great range he is as natural and as likable as the film required him to be – you forget he is acting and this could easily be fly-on-the-wall stuff. Likewise, the support cast all come off the same albeit with less screen time – they provide an interesting view of the country and fill out the story with colour.

Overall then, not the film to watch if you are itching for the US to attack Iran, nor if you prefer more action and less talk; but it is an interesting and worthwhile film nonetheless. Despite feeling that some of it was lost on me, I still enjoyed the central theme of friendship and the

Fmovies: 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!

Abbas Kiarostami is a director from Iran. His movies are not shown in his native country. But elsewhere in the world he is a critically acclaimed director. His output in the 90's has been tremendously acclaimed and he is called the best or the most important director of the 90's.However before that came the beautiful " Where is the friend's home?" in 1987.

This movie is one of the most human movies I have ever seen. The story is quite simple. A little boy keeps forgetting to do his homework in the book and finally he is threatened with dire consequences. His friend has the book and must return it.

But the story has so much warmth and is shown with so much beauty that it is impossible not to like the film. The characters that we see throughout the movie are very nicely drawn out. Ahmed's interactions with the old man at the end are so beautiful and filled with emotion that I am brimming with joy just recalling those moments.

Akira Kurosawa said of his films, " When Satyajit Ray dies I was sad. But Abbas has taken his place"

Where is the Friend's Home? fmovies. This was my first Kiarostami's movie. There could not be a better one. Some trademarks of his movies are minimal dialogs, slow pace, purposeful and realistic acting. Many conversations happen during the ride on a car moving at gentle speed. A stark contrast of what we are used to. Yet, his movies touch you right in the heart. You get very involved with the characters. His movies never get overtly sentimental. He remarked in an interview that he doesn't like to cheat with the audiences.

"Where is the Friend's Home?" offers an insight into the simplistic and innocent world of childhood. Adults do not really see and appreciate that world. Watching this movie is a completely different experience. And writing a lot about this movie does not make a lot of sense. You can hardly wait to watch "And Life Goes on".

A must watch if you are into the art of beautiful cinema.

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.

A true masterpiece. When I watched it in 2015, 28 years after the movie was made, I am ashamed of my time wasted watching Hollywood movies, which had no substance. I watched movies when it was box office hits. This movie showed me what life is, what movie making is all about, how to tell a story. I felt human life to my bare bones. I feel I'm human again. The slow moving pace of the movie , is amazingly engaging, as I was absorbed in the child's journey as if it my own. I wish more parents, teachers and elders would watch it. In this age, we lack empathy, hence we lost touch with our human values. This movie is a masterpiece.