| Homayoun Ershadi | ... | Mr. Badii | |
| Abdolrahman Bagheri | ... | Mr. Bagheri | |
| Afshin Khorshid Bakhtiari | ... | Soldier | |
| Safar Ali Moradi | ... | The soldier | |
| Mir Hossein Noori | ... | The seminarian | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Ahmad Ansari | |||
Directed by | |||
| Abbas Kiarostami | |||
Writing credits(in alphabetical order) | ||
| Abbas Kiarostami | ||
Produced by | |||
| Abbas Kiarostami | .... | producer | |
Cinematography by | |||
| Homayun Payvar | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Abbas Kiarostami | |||
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Hassan Yektapanah | .... | first assistant director | |
Sound Department | |||
| Mohammad Reza Delpak | .... | sound designer | |
| Jahangir Mirshekari | .... | sound | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Alireza Ansarian | .... | camera operator | |
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| The Passenger | Baran | Persepolis | As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me | Turtles Can Fly |
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| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb Iran section |
I was prepared to dislike this film. Instead, I wound up fascinated. The state can't help Mr. Badii, the church can't help him...and even though nature, in the form of Mr. Bagheri, tries, we do not know if it succeeds. Absolutely fascinating. It shows that a director doesn't need $200,000,000 and a raft of special effects and explosions to make a good film.
As for the shot-on-video ending, it's entirely possible that it's there to appease the Iranian censors. "Look! Here's Mr. Badii! Alive and well. It's just a movie!" Another subtle commentary on the state of affairs in Iran today, I'll wager. At least, that's how I chose to see it.
It seems to me that the title reflects Douglas Adams' techniques for flying--fall, and then distract yourself so that you don't hit the ground. It's not that the taste of cherry makes life worth living, per se, it's that simple things can distract you from your cares.
This movie was well-shot, well-directed, well-acted, and well-written. Highly recommended.