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The White Balloon (1995)

Badkonake sefid (original title)
Unrated | | Drama, Family | 1995 (Iran)
The White Balloon Poster
Several people try to help a little girl to find the money her mom gave her to buy a goldfish with.

Director:

Jafar Panahi

Writers:

Abbas Kiarostami, Jafar Panahi (original idea) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Aida Mohammadkhani, Mohsen Kafili, Fereshteh Sadre Orafaiy | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
5 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

See all 31 photos »
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Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aida Mohammadkhani Aida Mohammadkhani ... Razieh
Mohsen Kafili Mohsen Kafili ... Ali
Fereshteh Sadre Orafaiy ... Mother
Anna Borkowska Anna Borkowska ... Old Lady
Mohammad Shahani Mohammad Shahani ... Soldier
Mohammed Bakhtiar Mohammed Bakhtiar ... Tailor
Aliasghar Smadi Aliasghar Smadi ... Balloon Seller
Hamidreza Tahery Hamidreza Tahery ... Reza
Asghar Barzegar Asghar Barzegar ... Pet Shop Manager
Hasan Neamatolahi Hasan Neamatolahi ... Snake Charmer
Bosnali Bahary Bosnali Bahary ... Snake Charmer
Mohammadreza Baryar Mohammadreza Baryar ... Client in Tailor's Shop
Shaker Hayely Shaker Hayely ... Tailor's Assistant
Homayoon Rokani Homayoon Rokani ... Street Singer / Dancer
Mohammad Farakani Mohammad Farakani ... Shop Keeper
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Razieh wants a fat goldfish for the Iranian New Years celebration instead of the skinny ones in her family's pond at home, because the fat fish looks like it's dancing when it swims. After many attempts she and her brother convince their mother to give them her last bit of money. Between their home and the fish store, Razieh loses the money.. She finds it, but it is temptingly just out of her reach. Written by Rudi Sahebi <rsahebi@voyager.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

money | little girl | shopkeeper | snake charmer | new year's day | See All (34) »

Genres:

Drama | Family

Certificate:

Unrated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

sourehcinema

Country:

Iran

Language:

Persian

Release Date:

1995 (Iran) See more »

Also Known As:

The White Balloon See more »

Filming Locations:

Kashan, Iran
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Box Office

Budget:

$150,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$924,940

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$924,940
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Farabi Cinema Foundation, Ferdos Films, I.R.I.B. Channel 2 See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Official submission of Iran for the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category of the 68th Academy Awards in 1996. See more »

Quotes

Shop Owner: Why did you make me come if you could do it yourselves?
See more »

Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: 25 Years of Margaret & David (2011) See more »

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User Reviews

The White Balloon is captivating!
9 September 1998 | by Penguin-7 – See all my reviews

I recently viewed this movie on Bravo TV and was absolutely spellbound. At first, the Farsi language threw me, but it was delightful after awhile in a melodic sort of way. Plus, the lead character is adorable. Her traumatic experience in buying the goldfish is heartrending and at the same time is enlightening. You will want to turn away for fear that she will not succeed and yet you watch because you know that she will. The movie also helps you to regain a faith in the common goodness of the human race.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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