The White Balloon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The White Balloon
Directed by	Jafar Panahi
Produced by	Kurosh Mazkouri
Written by	Abbas Kiarostami
Starring	Aida Mohammadkhani Mohsen Kafili Fereshteh Sadr Orfani
Cinematography	Farzad Jadat
Editing by	Jafar Panahi
Distributed by	October Films
Release date(s)	1995 (1995)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	Iran
Language	Persian

The White Balloon (Persian: بادکنک سفيد, Badkonake sefid) is a 1995 Iranian film. It was directed by Jafar Panahi, and the story was written by Abbas Kiarostami. This was Jafar Panahi's first movie as a director.

The film was very popular and won many awards around the world. It received the Prix de la Camera d'Or at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. The Guardian newspaper even called it one of the 50 best family films ever made. It's also on the BFI list of 50 films you should see by the age of 14.

The White Balloon was chosen to represent Iran for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This award is given to the best movie not made in English. However, the film was not chosen as a final nominee.

Story of the White Balloon

The movie takes place on the day before Nowruz, which is the Iranian New Year. The story begins in a busy market in Tehran, Iran's capital city. Seven-year-old Razieh (Aida Mohammadkhani) is shopping with her mother.

Razieh sees a beautiful goldfish in a shop. She really wants to buy it for the New Year celebrations. Her family already has fish, but Razieh thinks these new ones are much nicer. Her mother is in a hurry and tells her no.

As they walk home, Razieh and her mother pass a group of men watching snake charmers. Razieh wants to stop and watch, but her mother quickly pulls her away. She tells Razieh it's not good for her to see such things.

Razieh's Wish for a Goldfish

Back at home, Razieh is still upset about not getting the goldfish. She keeps asking her mother. Her older brother, Ali (Mohsen Kalifi), comes home. He has been running an errand for their father. Their father is never seen in the movie, but he is an important character. He causes some tension in the family.

Ali's father complains that Ali bought soap instead of shampoo. He even throws the soap at Ali. Ali then leaves to buy the correct shampoo. When he returns, Razieh asks him to help her convince their mother to buy the goldfish. She offers him a balloon as a bribe.

Razieh insists she can buy the goldfish for 100 tomans. Ali tells her she's "crazy" because that money could buy two movie tickets! Finally, Razieh's mother agrees. She gives Razieh their last 500-toman banknote. She asks Razieh to bring back the change. Razieh happily sets off with an empty glass jar to the fish shop. It's only a few blocks away.

Losing the Money

On her way to the fish store, Razieh loses the money two times. First, she meets the snake charmer again. She gets distracted and drops the money. Then, she drops the money through a grate at the entrance of a closed store. The store is closed for the New Year holiday.

Razieh and Ali try many times to get the money back. Many people try to help them. This includes the owners of nearby shops and an Iranian soldier. But the money is always just out of reach.

Getting the Money Back

Finally, a young boy helps them. He is an Afghan street vendor selling balloons. He carries all his balloons on a long wooden stick. He only has one balloon left, a white one.

The group comes up with a clever idea. They attach a piece of chewing gum to one end of the balloon stick. With the sticky end, they reach down through the grate. They are able to pull the money out!

The movie ends with the young Afghan boy. He becomes a very important character right at the end of the film.

Awards and Recognition

• Prix de la Camera d'Or, 1995 Cannes Film Festival
• Gold Award, Tokyo International Film Festival, 1995
• Best International Film, Sudbury Cinéfest, 1995
• International Jury Award, São Paulo International Film Festival, 1995

See also

In Spanish: El globo blanco para niños