Where is the Friend's Home? - A multi-layered masterpiece
Master of minimalism Abbas Kiarostami is one the greatest craftsmen to have ever helmed the affairs behind the camera. Where is the Friend's Home? is the Iranian auteur's first in a string of movies to have received global acclaim. In this film, the first of what is called the Koker Trilogy (the other ones are Life, and Nothing More...& Through the Olive Trees), an eight-year-old boy (Ahmed) mistakenly brings home from school his friend's notebook. He must give it back to his friend, who lives in a neighbouring village, otherwise the poor boy will be expelled from class by their hyper-strict teacher. Ahmed's predicament is he doesn't know 'where is the friend's home.' Ahmed's altruistic pursuit leads him to comeacrsoss a bunch of adults, most of whom are indifferent and apathetic towards his concern and often misguide him in his quest. As our protagonist zigzags between the two villages -- Koker and Posteh -- unrelentingly, the film exposes us to...