Kiseye Berendj

Jairan’s family is short of money. The young child lives with her parents and sisters in a humble courtyard apartment in Tehran. Her elderly neighbour also counts every rial. So, despite being extremely near-sighted, she sets off into the city to collect rice using a coupon that her son neglected to redeem – and Jairan gets to go along! This odd couple seems rather lost on the busy streets and byways, facing a host of hurdles. But with the help of strangers, including a mother and son, a busload of women, a group of schoolchildren, and a motorcycle rider, they manage to overcome them all. Back home, the two cook up a pot of rice after a day rich in adventure … Influenced by the spare cinema of Pier Paolo Pasolini and Robert Bresson, Bag of Rice is a big city odyssey anchored in social realism. But this childlike heroines’ journey sparks with comical moments. A decisive factor in the film’s charm is the authenticity of the amateur child lead, whose mien ranges from delightfully cute to annoying and back again. Director Mohammad-Ali Talebi said that he wants to get genuineness out of everyone, that he doesn’t want actors, he just wants amateurs.