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"Little Shoes" is the representative work of Iranian director Majid Majidi, the English translation is "Children of Heaven", the children of heaven.
"Paradise" is clearly not referring to the living conditions of Ali and his sister Sarah. Ali's family was poor, his father served tea and water in the office, and took the burden of the family of five people alone. They rented a small room in the courtyard of the Iranian slums and packed five people, but still Worry about not being able to pay the rent every month.
Director Majidi said in an interview that he wanted to tell about the lives of the children of the poor at the bottom, so he started careful research for several months and kept going back and forth in the streets. He recorded the details of the children's lives with his eyes and memory . . Language and words are difficult to convey one thousandth of what people want to express, and the deep memory left by continuous observation is presented again through the lens. "Children of Heaven" has been internalized into Majidi's personal expression.
He said, "The real art is not to say that you have grief in your heart, and I will add more trouble to you to create grief. It is to pull you out of your grief and liberate you. This is called art."
"Little Shoes" does not have the misery, depravity and despair of the bottom life, but shows us the nobility of life.
01 Kindness
If you need it more than I do, let you have it.
Sarah's only pair of shoes was lost when Ali sent it in for repairs. Ali didn't want Sarah to tell her father that her mother hurt her waist by washing the felt, and the family couldn't afford the extra money to buy Sarah's shoes. He offered to let Sarah wear her sneakers to school, and when she was out of school, they swapped shoes in the alley and Ali went to school.
After school every day, Sarah dashed to the appointed place immediately, but she was still late. Ali was found by the dean of school because he was too late to arrive at the school many times and asked him to drop out.
One day, Sarah found her shoes on the feet of a female classmate. She pulled Ali and excitedly found the little girl's house and wanted to return the shoes, but found that the girl's father was blind. So, they went home.
Kindness comes from sympathy and understanding. When they saw the girl and her blind father, Ali and Sarah thought that their father was also working hard for life, and they couldn't bear to get their shoes back.
"That's the only little shoe I have, but if you need it more than I do, let's have it."
Sympathy and understanding keep us on the alert for harm. When we know what pain is and have compassion for harm, we will no longer easily hurt others.
02 Honesty
If it's not mine, I can't take a cent.
Ali and his father went to the wealthy area to do gardening to support the family. Looking at the gorgeous courtyard in front of him, it was an unimaginable life for him. He was stunned for a moment, and then played with the little master Ellie. Before leaving, Ali picked up the doll on the ground and placed it beside the sleeping Avery.
"A person who is completely honest never faces a choice. The road will always be clearly presented to him. It has nothing to do with longing. It is like an apple tree, longing for oranges, but honestly producing Like an apple."
In order not to add an extra financial burden to the family, Ali and his sister secretly concealed the loss of their small shoes. The two ran fast on the streets and exchanged their only pair of sneakers to school. When Ali saw the gorgeous courtyard of the rich, he undoubtedly longed for it, but he was also completely honest. grateful.
People can't help but think of this year's Oscar's best movie "Parasite". The Ki-woo family living "semi-underground" also saw the luxurious residence of President Park's house. Their unavoidable jealousy over the lives of the rich, "parasitic" to President Park's house step by step, wantonly enjoying the owner's belongings... This kind of jealousy gradually accumulates, develops to jealousy, to hatred, and finally to the crazy outbreak of the birthday party, using Death quells hatred.
The huge contradiction between the rich and the poor, "Parasite" chose to expose it bloody in front of people's eyes, while "Little Shoes" chose to respond in a "paradise" way, which is the nobility of life that director Machidi showed to the audience.
03 Commitment
Championship means nothing to me if I don't do what I promised you.
Ali represented the school to participate in the race held in the city. The competition prizes were rich, among which the third runner-up could get a pair of sneakers. Before the game, he promised his sister that he would get the third place.
During the game, Ali constantly surpassed the people around him. He thought of running to his Sarah every day after school. As long as he won the third place and won the sneakers, his sister would not have to run anymore. He ran with all his strength.
As he crossed the finish line, the teacher excitedly carried him on his shoulders, "Ali, you are the champion!" Ali was instantly discouraged after hearing this. He lowered his head and took a photo with the mayor. When asked to raise his head, his face was covered in tears. Championship means nothing to me if I don't do what I promised you.
Ali came home, took off his rotten sneakers, and soaked his blistered feet in a goldfish pool
The New Testament of Matthew says, "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have more; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away." When I first read it, I was very confused, the rich get richer , The poor are getting poorer and the gap between the rich and the poor in society is constantly widening. Is it God's meaning?
After thinking about it, maybe the more you don't have it, the more people will know how to cherish it; the more you lack, the more noble your life will be.
Ali's family mirror was poor and could not afford extra money to buy a pair of shoes. Instead, Ali and Sarah cherished the only pair of sneakers they had. The more difficult life is, the more it shows the integrity and kindness of Ali and Sarah. At the moment, material needs are greatly satisfied. People who step on AJ can't imagine that someone needs to run so hard for a pair of shoes.
Perhaps the more we gain, the more we lose.
Text/Wing Xinmiao
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