Abbas Kiarostami's Where is the Friend's House? -- What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 126) 

This film triggered some very old memories from when I was a kid. Growing up in Morocco, we also had those abusive teachers. Waking up in the morning and realizing that I forgot to do my homework was my worst nightmare, so during the entire trip to school I would hope that the teacher would die or that an asteroid would hit the earth. Those thoughts seem silly and laughable now because I have more serious troubles to deal with (hence why the adults were ignoring the kid), but back then they felt very crucial. Abbas managed to portray that dichotomy perfectly

as a turkish i really related to persian culture and ahmed's position. unlike everyone else i think it's a heartwarming story thanks to kiarostami's choice of not puting anything brutal in scenario, he could've shown us how ahmed got beaten by his dad and the teacher and old man who makes old doors could've been portrayed completely different. i think film isn't about adults who don't care about kids, i think it's about adults who have zero empathy for one another and trying to turning younger generations into themselves. because adults do not care about other adults either they just pretend they do in order to get what they want (man who makes steel doors only cares about earning money -he was speaking turkish to the old man btw- and ahmed's grandmother only cares about people taking their shoes off before going upstairs which made me laugh) or in order to have a ego satisfaction (ahmed's grandfather's stupid lecture and the old man who made the old doors and windows for instance) and i think ahmed broke the chain of ignorance -considering the door scene while he was doing homework at home- so i think it was a great movie full of hope❤️ -sorry for the long comment-

We had to be home before dark. So as the movie progresses, by the end when he is late and lost, the fear that his parents might loose temper and punish him was so intense. I was like go home asap!

Kiarostami faced censorship and limitations following the Iranian revolution of 1979. However, instead of complaining or giving up, he decided to work with what was possible and speak in metaphors. This movie can be interpreted on so many different levels, but if you look closely (and as you pointed out in your video), it’s an ode to progressive thinking.

This is the first movie that broke my throat and made me take a break to dry up my tears. Very strong portrayal of how children are treated In society reminds me of stolen freedom in the name of ethics and culture back In my childhood. Simply this 8y/o kid makes this movie more than special✌️

Thank you for your in-depth discussion of this wonderful movie. I saw "Where is the Friend's House?" yesterday for the first time and was so moved by it. By the time I got home from the theater, my legs were aching after running along with the protagonist 😆The very last shot brought tears to my eyes. I'm glad I didn't see your commentary before watching the movie, but really appreciate seeing it now, after I've had time to reflect on the film. I'm a 66-yr-old woman from the US but still have vivid memories of making a similar journey to a classmate's home to deliver a homework assignment when he was ill when I was about the same age as this Iranian boy, but my trip only required my parents to drive me to the friend's house (they were NOT happy that I'd offered to take the assignment to his home!). The feeling of the stress of being a responsible child and wanting to please authority figures remains resonant decades later.

“Where is the friend’s house” is also the title of a famous poem by Sohrab Sepehri, who is a famous Iranian poet. Here’s the poem: "Where is the friend's house?" The rider asked in the twilight. Heaven paused; The passerby bestowed the bough of light on his lips to darkness of sands And pointed to a poplar and said: "Near the tree Is a garden-alley greener than God's dream Where love is as blue as the feathers of honesty; Walk to the end of the alley, which emerges from behind puberty, Then turn towards the flower of solitude Two steps to the flower Stay by the eternal mythological fountain of the earth, where a transparent fear will visit you; In the flowing intimacy of the space you will hear a rustling sound, You will see a child Who has ascended a tall pine tree to pick up chickens from the nest of light, Ask him, Where is the friend's house?

I cried a lot to watching this movie. He is just eight and no one was helping him, except the old man at the end. No one was even listening to him like that iron door maker gave me such an anxiety, i thought he was about to run off with his book. I totally understand why they say that it's a masterpiece

I didn't think foreign people fully get this movie. You did great!

I have a feeling this could be an interesting double feature with Truffaut's "the 400 blows"

You're right, it is like a homework nightmare! I actually watched this trilogy at your recommendation about a year ago. I was aware of it but it jumped to the top of the list - so thank you. All three are excellent.

Thanks for this lovely review. I need to comment something for you and your audience: in Iran kids being lost and stolen is statistically less. In snall town and villages, it's almost none. Because those people have been there for thousands of years. So, everyone knows everyone and their history 😂. Growing up in iran in 80th, like the time of this movie, i would play in the streets or bike from my house alone or with friends to anywhere, we liked without any parental supervision. All we needed to know: don't get into a car accident, come home before sunset. In the bigger cities, over parenting was common. But in Iranian towns, kids had immense freedom to explore. So, when you see the kid moving alone to another village or adults don't look concerned LoL 😂 about it, it's not they are mean or Kiarostami wanted to inject of stress into audience. There was ZERO danger and thus no logical reason to give the kids freedom. Over parenting and policing the kids started in 90s to this date, due to safety concerns, few kids, more for parents to not allow the kids to explore, and parents loneliness (using your kids as your buddies 😂 because you have no friends like what you see in the movie). In the movie, you see the elders gathering and chatting or neighbors interactions. No individualistic life style. Community and respect for it, gave them a sense of safety. The kid here is feeling safe and confident in spite it seems abusive the way he is treated. I'm one of those kids. I have never ever heard that we were abused and have mental trauma because everyone was like that and everyone in their mindset back then (you can judge it based on your value system today), assumed this teacher is bad teacher. He would be considered a good teacher indeed by parents and school and society and thus the kid or i wasn't feeling he is monster. Did he do the right thing? No! But i and my generation just laugh about it and never felt we are victims. So, we need to be mindful of how we see or feel things when judging about certain behaviors in another culture and another time and generation. Thanks 😊

One of my favorite movies. wish i could watch it for the first time again

I was 4th grade when our teacher took all of us, kids to cinema we watched this movie. Doing homework school assignments has always been one of our stressors as kids, especially for those of us were born in 80s. Abbas Kiarostami was one of very unique all time Iranian cinema history, a very visionary and realistic director who would show the true aspects of lives of Iranians from traditional villager family, to an urban or city living family. He had passion for Japan cinema too.

one thing i noticed about this film is that the sound people were credited before the cinematographer and the director in the opening titles, It's very intriguing and I can say that sound helped carry the narrative of this film in a way that is very inspiring

This trilogy is just magical

“Where is the friend’s house” is also the title of a famous poem by Sohrab Sepehri, who is a famous Iranian poet. Here’s the poem: Where is the friend’s house?”It was dawn when the rider asked. The sky paused. The passerby bestowed the ray of light between his lips onto the darkness of sands. And pointing his finger to a poplar tree, he said”. “Not far from the tree There is an alley greener than the slumber of God, Where love is as blue as the feathers of Honesty. Walk to the end of the alley emerging from beyond Maturity. Take a turn towards the flower of solitude. Two steps to the flower, stay at the foot of eternal fountain of the earth’s myths. Then a transparent fear will encompass you. In the flowing sincerity of space, you will hear a rustle: You will behold a child on a tall plane tree picking a young bird from the nest of light. Ask him Where the friend’s house is.

A director I am just getting into. Thanks for making me like him more now 😀

Thanks for helping me clutch up my final grade in this film class

This is my all-time favorite movie

Started to appreciate this movie more through this video. Thank you.

A great way to honor a man who died too soon! Thanks for bringing us all of these eastern classics!

Finally got around to seeing the trilogy. This is easily the best of the three. Such a great flick.

I am excited that you are making videos on kiarostami. Looking forward for your videos on through the olive tree and taste of cherry.

These children tell you a greater story. Gone are the days when good cinema was a western phenomenon, it's all around the globle. Just a click away from a pair of subtitles.

You should check out Satyajit Ray's Filmography. He was a good friend of Abba K. and Akira Kurosawa. Even Martin Scorsese is a big fan of him. He inspired Millions including Me. ❤ He's actually my All Time Favorite Director. 😁

Tommorrw is my exam of film studies. It helped me so much

An absolute classic. Such simplicity, yet it is so powerful.

Does anyone know towards the end why he didn't knock on his door but instead hid the book under his shirt?

This movie is just different from all my favourites, very very dear and close to me. And, I can't find any whereabout of this great kid actor? Is he still alive! Why there isn't any other information about him????

Super movie!

dimana saya bisa melihat film ini?

Mi favourite movie from the trilogy...an horror movie in its own right

10 out of 10

It is a good movie.

I am trying to get into Iranian cinema. I dont know much about it and want to explore. I have been watching films of Jean luc Goddard recently. He is hailed as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time but I haven't liked any of his films so far. His work seems incomprehensible to me. I know he revolutionized film making techniques like Jump cuts but I am not able to connect to his films. They seem abstract, emotionless and empty to me. How to approach his films?

One question: why didn't the main character give the notebook once arrived to his friend's house?

Poshteh?