Directed by Mahmoud Ghaffari (Iran, 2022, 80 min.).

Far from their home village in the mountains of Iran, a boy named Saeed and his family are starting over in the city. Saeed’s father makes a living selling apples from his truck, while his mother runs a laundry business out of their small apartment. On the first day of school, Saeed’s little brother is tasked with bringing enough apples for his entire class, an assignment that becomes difficult when the family truck is stolen, causing Saeed’s father to lose his job. With themes of morality under poverty reminiscent of De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters, Ghaffari’s film is a sympathetic look at the hardships of a family who never gives up hope—or gives up on each other.

“A worthy tribute to [De Sica and Karostami] but also to Iran’s struggling working class, revealed through artful touches. . . . There is a thread of decency and hope in this simple yet very clever tale.” —Le News

Watch the trailer.