What Ali Taught Me - Reflections on Wins and Losses From the Movie "Children of Heaven"

Have you ever thought of a situation where a win actually becomes a loss? Majid Majidi’s poignant film, 'Children of Heaven,' masterfully explores this paradox through the story of two siblings in Tehran, Iran. As we delve into their journey, we discover that sometimes, the most unexpected outcomes can lead to deep lessons.

The Oscar-nominated Iranian family drama, ‘Children of Heaven,directed by Majid Majidi, opens with Ali returning with a pair of mended shoes from a cobbler. The shoes belonged to his little sister Zehra. Ali and Zehra were from a poor family in Iran who struggled for a square meal.

Source - Prime Video

Unfortunately, Ali loses the shoes in a market, and the rest of the story focuses on Ali’s quest for the shoes and the journey he embarks on for finding the shoes.

Even after lots and lots of searching, Ali is not able to find the shoes. So he gives Zehra his pair of shoes, which are in really bad condition. Due to this, Ali becomes late daily for school as he needs Zehra to come back from school and return his shoes.

One day Ali gets informed of a marathon competition in which the third prize is a week-long trip and a pair of shoes. Ali becomes really joyful, hoping that he could finally provide Zehra with a pair of shoes.

But as fate stepped in, in unfortunate events, Ali could only finish in the first place and couldn't get the shoes. The movie ends with a dejected Ali, whose legs are wounded and foot blistered from the race, looking sadly into a pond.

Ali’s happiness becomes short-lived even if he could win the race. Thus the win becomes a loss for him.

The movie explores the themes of sacrifice, brotherhood, compassion, disappointment, loneliness, and poverty in a very detailed manner. The movie contains lessons that are universal.

Let's discuss some of the main takeaways Ali gifts us-

1. Keeping Promises

Ali stands firm when it comes to keeping promises. He promises his sister Zehra a new pair of shoes, and he endures a hard path as a result. He goes to very extreme lengths for his goals and never looks back. This can be a great quality that can be incorporated into our lives. Promises should be kept.

2. Dealing With Disappointment

In the movie, it can be seen that Ali faces a lot of disappointments. At first, he loses his sister's shoes. Even after lots of searching, he couldn't find it. But he didn't lose hope. He kept looking for opportunities.He went to the marathon in hope of getting shoes. Even though his legs became wounded and his foot blistered, he continued running. This shows that Ali has a strong and powerful mind. We should learn to move on and find new paths rather than lamenting the past.

3. Responsibility

Ali takes the responsibility of Zehra’s lost shoes.He could have simply used silly excuses to trick Zehra. But he tells her about the true incident, thereby being responsible for his actions. In a society where people elope from their moral and familial responsibilities, Ali becomes a true role model for us. We should always take our responsibilities seriously. Be it studying effectively, managing the family, or doing the job correctly, responsibilities should be dealt with with a full mind.

4. Selflessness

Ali becomes a pillar of selflessness.He puts his sister Zahra before himself.He gives his own shoes to Zahra even if he knows that he will get to school later. He makes a sacrifice for the happiness of Zahra.With a blistered foot, he runs fast in the marathon race in the hope of getting shoes for Zahra. Sometimes in our life, it becomes essential that we prioritize the happiness of our loved ones before ourselves. The sacrifices we make for sending them happy and joyful are the real wins we can be proud of.

5. Compassion

Ali is described as a compassionate boy in the movie.When the movie progresses, there is this instant when he finds his sister's shoes on the foot of a little girl whose father is a blind man living in extreme poverty. Seeing their pitiful condition and struggle, Ali decides on not asking the blind man about the shoes. This shows deep compassion and empathy for others.Ali understands the plight of others and cares for them.

The movie is a must-watch for those who are living in the midst of a lack of compassion and care for others. It sends us to the terrains of poor people living in Iran and their plight.Above all, it teaches us this supreme thing: sometimes wins actually become losses. We should learn to cope with losses and move on.

Written By Irene Elina Eldhose

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