ETERNAL KIDS
Iran, 2007, 118 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Puran Derakhshande.
Eternal Kids is a moving film about a Down’s Syndrome boy. The film initially focuses on his older brother who has looked after him all his life and his plans to get married. He eventually reveals the truth about his brother to his fiancée who is able to cope. However, her parents are quite opposed. Meantime the mother of the two boys is ill and eventually has to go to hospital.
The film shows the Down’s Syndrome boy, the details of his life, his attitudes, behaviour? The film highlights his relationship to his brother and the suspicions about his fiancée? However, the fiancée is very good with the boy and they become friends. When the mother is ill, the boy has to be put into an institution. It is traumatic for him and he runs away. While alone in the city, his comes across drug dealers who use him but then threaten to kill him. He then wanders the city until he is knocked down in a street accident.
The film is highly emotional but not sentimental. In the latter part of the film it borrows themes from Oliver Twist where the boy is exploited and eventually is saved by the compassionate woman.
The performance of the boy is extraordinary and seems entirely authentic. The film highlights the emotional impact of caring for a Down’s Syndrome child, of the emotional demands, of the compassion for human life. The writer, producer and director of the film has made many documentaries. She also made Borderless Love, shot in the United States, as well as A Candle in the Wind.
1.The impact of the drama? Humane? Sentiment? A portrait of a Down’s Syndrome boy? The response of the family? The wariness of others? Institutions and their treatment?
2.The Tehran setting, the city itself, the streets, the wealthy homes, the hospitals, institutions, the dingier side of the city? The musical score?
3.The title? The boy who was to be always a child?
4.The opening of the film, the focus on Saeed and Negar, their discussion about life, design and meaning? The early evening, Negar upset, trying to explain things to her father? Saeed and his phone call, Negar and her trying to get work? Their discussion, going to visit his mother, the warm reception, his taking her to see Ali? The cut to her return home, her dismay, the explanation to her parents, the fact that Saeed had not told them? The hostility of the parents?
5.The focus on Ali, his age, ten years younger than his brother? Their father’s death? Saeed and his sense of obligation for his brother? Caring for him, loving him? The later videos and the boys together? Ali and his mother, her kindness and care? His games, his relationship with Negar, suspicious? Going to the fun fair, his demand for the photos? The framing, his tearing up the photo of Saeed and Negar? Yet Negar adapting to him, his learning to like her, the xylophone and their playing? Eating the spaghetti and the competition and his winning? The possibilities of a future? His being prepared for the visits of Negar’s parents?
6.Negar’s parents, the awkwardness of the visit, the silences, their obvious disdain? Their leaving? The father and his comments to Negar? Saeed and his visit, the explanations? The later visit to the office, his not wanting his only daughter to be involved? The unreasonableness of their attitudes? And yet the basis and their fears?
7.Saeed, a good young man, earnest, in love with Negar? The preparations for the marriage? Trying to be honest about his brother? His concern about his mother and her illness? Her going to hospital? The decision to take the boy to the institution? The reception, the director giving back the toys because the other children could not afford them? His feelings?
8.Ali in the institution, going off, playing with the children, the slippery dip? Saeed watching him? The dormitory, unable to sleep, the boy helping him to pray? The other boy screaming and being sedated? The effect on Ali, his running away?
9.The effect of his running away on Saeed? Going to the police, putting the photo in the paper? Driving around and their concern? The mother and her sense that her boy was lost?
10.Ali, wandering around, the compassionate woman giving him some bread? The bewilderment of being lost? Calling out for his brother? In the park, the woman with the drugs, her idea, bringing him home? Her relationship with the addict, his friends coming round? Her using Ali, taking him to apartments, to the park, putting the drugs in his pocket, the others putting the money? The police not suspecting? His sitting in the park, saluting the police? At home with the woman, her care for him? The spaghetti and his teaching her how to eat it with a fork as Negar taught him? His being at home with her? Her getting him some food, overhearing the plan to kill him, getting him out of the house, his banging on the door? Her sending him away? Her sitting and weeping?
11.Ali and his wandering, walking through the tunnel, the traffic, eventually the hit-run?
12.Saeed and Negar, the search, Saeed driving around? In vain? The mother returning home?
13.Ali in hospital, the visit? Negar and talking about the fun fair, his touching his nose in the gesture for competition with her?
14.The happy ending? Saeed and Negar with their child, with Uncle Ali? The camera rising to the heavens and showing the tableau of the happy family?
15.The opening credits and the end credits, the sketches? As visions of Ali’s world? (And the teacher having explained to Negar the differences in his drawings when he came to accept her?) A hopeful ending?
