Where
Is the Friend's House? (1987)
Directed
by: Abbas Kiarostami.
Written
by: Abbas Kiarostami.
Starring:
Babek Ahmed Poor (Ahmed), Ahmed Ahmed Poor (Mohamed
Reda Nematzadeh), Khodabakhsh Defaei (Teacher), Iran Outari (Mother), Ait
Ansari (Father), Sadika Taohidi (Perzian Neighbour), Biman Mouafi (Ali, a neighbor), Ali Djamali (Grandfather's
Friend), Aziz Babai (Waiter), Nader Ghoulami (Property Owner), Akbar Mouradi (Old
Man from Azerbaidjan).
There
is a simplicity to Where is the Friend’s House which only adds to its emotional
power. Directed by Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami – who would go on to make
far more complex films, with different layers of reality layered throughout –
from Close-Up to The Taste of Cherry to Certified Copy and many others – Where
is the Friend’s House doesn’t get that complex. It is a simple, straight
forward story – the type of thing that people who were fans of the Italian
Neo-Realists would recognize. And it is a heartbreaking film in the way it
builds its simple acts of kindness.
The
narrative begins at school – where Ahmed (Babek Ahmed) is seated next to his
friend Mohamed (Ahmed Ahmed) – when the teacher comes around to check their
homework – berating poor Mohamed for once again not doing his homework in his
workbook – and telling him if it happens again, he will be expelled from
school. Keep in mind these kids are about 8 years old, but education isn’t
quite a right here – and its notable, but never noted in the film, that only
the boys are being educated at all. It isn’t until Ahmed gets home that night
that he realizes that he has made a purely innocent mistake – taking not just
his own workbook, but Mohamed’s as well. He knows the implications of this –
but no one else seems to care that much. He tries to explain the situation to
his mother – again and again – but she doesn’t want to hear it, just wants him
to finish his homework, and then go buy bread – he can just give the book back
tomorrow. Adding to the difficulty is that Ahmed lives in Koker, and Mohamed
lives in the nearby, neighboring village of Potesh. Both villages are a maze of
narrow streets, seemingly identical buildings, and confusing directions. When
Ahmed does get to Potesh, he still isn’t able to find his friend’s house – and
keeps being given bad directions. He finds families with similar names, or
people who just saw him and his father – but they just left for Koker. He runs
around – and is stymied at every stop. His grandfather berates him – and wants
him to give up his quest and go get his cigarettes – we then stay with the
grandfather, who details his own childhood for a few minutes, before Ahmed
comes back – and is able to go on his quest again. This all culminates with a
lengthy sequence where Ahmed meets an elderly man, who says he can walk with
him to his friend’s house – although once again, the end result isn’t what he
expected.
The
film is deceptively simple. The narrative really is simple of course – it’s the
story a boy trying to correct his innocent mistake, and going to great lengths
to do just that. But the power of the story only slowly reveals itself – and
the implications of it. Yes, the film takes on the appearance of a Neo-Realist
film – but it isn’t quite that simple either. Kiarostami is painting a portrait
of this community, about childhood innocence, but doing the right thing – and a
portrait of rural Iranians. It is a quest narrative – and at that a very simple
one. But its implications are profound. Kiarostami would return to this area –
these characters – twice more (I will review those two films, Life and Nothing
More and Through the Olive Trees as well) – and with each passing film, he
complicates the relationship between actor and character, director and
narrative, etc. But here, he has made a simple story – with the profundity of a
parable – one you will not forget.
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