Children of Heaven takes place in Iran. One day, Ali (Amir Farrokh Hashemian) is out running errands for his sick mother. He picks up the shoes that were being fixed for his sister and grabs a few other items before stopping to get potatoes. He sets down the bags for just a moment and during that moment, a blind beggar comes to collect the stores garbage. He accidentally grabs the shoes. When Ali returns to his begs he notices the missing shoes. He desperately looks everywhere but they are no where to be found.
He goes home but is too afraid to tell his parents about the missing shoes knowing that they don't have enough money to get another pair. He tells his sister Zahra (Bahare Seddiqi) and although she is quite upset she agrees to keep her brother's secret, but doesn't know how she is going to be able to go to school. They decide to share his pair of beat up sneakers. She will use them in the morning while she is at school then they will switch in the afternoon before he goes to school.
At first it is difficult. Zahra is ashamed of the shoes appearance and Ali can't seem to make it on time to school. If it wasn't for his good grades he would have not been allowed in due to tardiness. One day Zahra sees her shoes on another girl at school. She follows her to her house and finds out that she is the blind mans daughter. She feels for the girl and decides to let her keep the shoes.
Meanwhile, Ali's father struggles to find work. One day they travel to a nice neighborhood and go door to door asking if anyone would need a Gardener for the day. Just when they start to give up, a young boy bored and alone gets his grandpa to invite them in and put Ali's father to work. The one day of work gave the father more money than he makes at the tea shop all week. Ali tells him that he should use the money to buy Zahra some new shoes. But on the way home the brakes on the bicycle give out while going down a step hill and they get in an accident.
Just when it seems like nothing can go right, Ali learns for a long distance race. The third place prize is a new pair of sneakers. After pleading his teacher to get him into the race, he promises his sister that he will come in third. At the race he breaks away from the pack and runs along with the leaders. When the end gets closer he maneuvers himself into third place but a young kid comes up from behind and trips him. He doesn't let that stop him though. He gets back up and races along. He joins a pack of five that are all neck and neck toward the finish line. He can't tell exactly what place he is when he crosses the finish line and collapses on the ground. His coach picks him up as cameras start snapping his picture. But he didn't come in third. He came in first place.
He is devastated and returns home empty handed. His sister goes to take care of the baby while he soaks his blistered feet. Little do they know, that their father is one his way home with not one but with two pairs of shoes. But the movie ends before they know this.
The kids in this movie were amazing. They had me hooked within the first five minutes of the movie. And I was with them the whole time. To the point where I was ready to send Iran some of my old shoes that are still in good shape, but I wouldn't even know how to do that. And I'm just going to say this. You can feel free to disagree, but the only reason I am not giving this movie 5 stars is because you never get to see them get the new shoes. I watched them suffer quietly for that long and I never get to see the joy on their face over these shoes?! C'mon!
Rating: ****
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