Where is the Friend's Home? - 1986

Directed by Abbas Kiarostami

A young schoolboy mistakenly takes his friend's notebook and must return it before the next day of school or his friend will be expelled.

Color, 1 hour 23 minutes, Farsi

Original Title: Khaneh Doust Khojast

Trailer currently not available

Star Rating

Firouzan Rank # 18

Cast

Babak Ahmadpour Ahmad
Ahmad Ahmadpour Mohammad Reza Nehmatzadeh
Khodabakhsh Defaie Teacher
Iran Otari Mother
Ayat Ansari Father
Sedigheh Toehidi Old Lady Next Door
Peiyman Maafi Ali, The Neighbor's Son
Rafi Defaie Grandfather
Mohammad Hossein Roohi Old Carpenter

Crew

Writer Abbas Kiarostami
Director Abbas Kiarostami
Producer Ali Reza Zarrin
Director of Photography Farhad Saba
Sound Recordist Jahanghir Mirshekari
Asghar Shahvardi
Behrouz Maavian
Editor Abbas Kiarostami
Sound Mixer Hassan Zahedi
Music Aminollah Hossein

Pictures

Credits roll over the sound of an unruly classroom and the sight of its poorly hinged door.

Credits roll over the sound of an unruly classroom and the sight of its poorly hinged door.

The teacher, late as usual, tells the children to behave when he is not there.

The teacher, late as usual, tells the children to behave when he is not there.

Mohammad Reza (right) is scolded for failing to write his homework in a proper notebook.

Mohammad Reza (right) is scolded for failing to write his homework in a proper notebook.

Ahmad helps Mohammad Reza after he falls, unknowingly taking his notebook afterwards.

Ahmad helps Mohammad Reza after he falls, unknowingly taking his notebook afterwards.

Ahmad realizes his mistake.

Ahmad realizes his mistake.

Trademark Kiarostami as Ahmad runs to Poshteh - a long stationary shot on his subject and the path that must be traveled.

Trademark Kiarostami as Ahmad runs to Poshteh - a long stationary shot on his subject and the path that must be traveled.

Ahmad thinks he has found a clue as to the whereabouts of Mohammad Reza's house.

Ahmad thinks he has found a clue as to the whereabouts of Mohammad Reza's house.

Ahmad's grandfather speaks on the virtues of properly disciplining a child.

Ahmad's grandfather speaks on the virtues of properly disciplining a child.

An old craftsman helps Ahmad find his destination but is more interested in lecturing him on the makes of windows and doors.

An old craftsman helps Ahmad find his destination but is more interested in lecturing him on the makes of windows and doors.

Unaware of the trouble that has gone into this particular assignment, the teacher simply comments, 'Good Boy.'

Unaware of the trouble that has gone into this particular assignment, the teacher simply comments, "Good Boy."

DVD

This movie is currently only available on VHS

Where is the Friend's Home VHS Case

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External Reviews

By Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid

I highly recommend all of Abbas Kiarostami's films, but to start with I'd suggest "Where Is the Friend's Home?" (1987), the simplest and most moving of his films. In it, a young boy needs simply to return his cousin's composition book to him but doesn't know exactly where the cousin lives. In this film, as with his others, the journey itself, the time it takes, and the place we're in become more important than the actual destination. Seeing a Kiarostami film is as refreshing and exciting as discovering an Orson Welles or a Jean Renoir film for the first time. He's that good.

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