7.8/10
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35 user 27 critic

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 7 photos »
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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:

$474,047
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

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 »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The Guardian has listed this film as one of the 50 best family films of all time. See more »

Quotes

Shop Owner: Time to go home now.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Sodankylä ikuisesti: Valon draama (2010) See more »

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User Reviews

 
The quest of a little girl to buy a goldfish, and the swindlers in her way who try to take advantage of her innocence.
29 June 2007 | by Evil_baron – See all my reviews

It was my big sister's turn to pick a film to go to when we were gorging ourselves in what the Reykjavik cinema festival had to offer back in the days. Didn't expect anything but mushy boredom for an hour and a half. Instead of the sentimental torture I had braced myself for, I became spellbound by this beautiful story that totally held me captivated right from the beginning to the end. The little girl, Aida who plays the protagonist, was ever so sincere and true in her role that you forgot you were watching a film, and even I felt a couple of masculine tears running down my cheeks. The White Balloon is simply a gorgeous film and it's out of the blue quirky humor elevates it even further. Even with the wet towel slap in the end, I truly loved the whole of this Persian confect buffet down to it's last bit, ... and still do!
15 of 17 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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