HEAVEN IS HERE

Iran, 2011, 84 minutes, Colour.

1. A film for a family audience? For children? For an Iranian audience? Beyond Iran?

2. The religious dimensions of the film, explicit? Simplicity, faith, the role of God and prayer, miracles, self-sacrifice?

3. The title, the focus on the village, the forests and the mountains?

4. The village, homes, the hospital, forests, the cabin in the forest? The musical score?

5. The children’s world: school, fights and bullying, play, being scared, dares, in the forest and collecting berries, fear of the rumours of the old man and abductions, the little girl, her blindness? Friendship, pets, gifts, love?

6. Ali and his dead father, a sailor, drowned? Missing his father? The bonds with his mother? Her being a nurse? Fighting at school, bullying? The various boys, daring him to go to the forest and collect berries? His doing this, his fear, losing the boy’s hat? Seeing the grandfather and the blind girl? Hiding, the boys and their reaction? His return, tripping, the grandfather and his care, taking him home? Meeting Angel, sharing with her, understanding, reading? The story of Santa Claus? His illness, the pet duck, his care for it, the boys playing and teasing him, the disappearance of the duck, everybody searching? The children and their gifts of other ducks? The grandfather as Santa Claus, getting the duck, visiting Ali? The boy and his fascination with Santa Claus, offering up the duck for Angel’s sight?

7. The mother, nice, her concern, Ali missing? Her work? The old lady at the home, her care for Ali?

8. The grandfather, living in the forest, his encounter with Ali, his love for his granddaughter, welcoming Ali and his visits, looking after him when sick, talking, the Santa Claus story, the gift of the duck, his going into his own space to contemplate? His religious attitude?

9. Angel, her age, blindness, the shock that caused it, at home, the solitude, meeting Ali, sharing with him, Santa Claus, the sadness, Ali and his illness and his absence? Her going into the room, her experience, seeing?

10. The medical background, doctors and nurses, the explanation of Angel’s situation?

11. The themes of prayer, faith, belief in miracles?

12. The Santa Claus story, the references to Christmas, in the Muslim context? Possibilities for dialogue?

13. The simplicity of the approach of the film? For a young children’s audience? Enabling them to learn about values, love and friendship, self-sacrifice?