Sun Children (), also known as The Sun, is a 2020 Iranian drama film co-produced, co-written and directed by Majid Majidi. It was presented in competition at the 77th Venice International Film Festival, where child actor Rouhollah Zamani won the Marcello Mastroianni Award. It was selected as the Iranian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, making the shortlist of fifteen films.
Plot 12-year-old Ali and his three friends do small jobs and petty crimes to survive and support their families. In a timely turn of events, Ali is entrusted to find a hidden underground treasure. However, in order to gain access to the tunnel where the treasure is buried, Ali and his gang must first enroll at the near Sun School, a charitable institution that tries to educate street kids and child laborers.
Cast Rouhollah Zamani as Ali Javad Ezzati as School Vice Principal Shamila Shirzad as Zahra Ali Nassirian as Hashem Abolfazl Shirzad as Abolfazl Seyyed Mohammad Mehdi Mousavi Fard as Mamad Mani Ghafouri as Reza Safar Mohammadi as School Janitor Ali Ghabeshi as School Principal Tannaz Tabatabaei as Ali's mother (cameo).
Reception Critical response Overall, the film has received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . Metacritic, assigned the film a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Xan Brooks of The Guardian described it as "energetic and heartfelt." The film also received praise from Peter Debruge at Variety and Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter.
Accolades Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Fajr Film Festival 11 February 2020 Best Film Majid Majidi, Amir Banan Best Screenplay Majid Majidi, Nima Javidi Best Set Design Keyvan Moghaddam Venice International Film Festival 12 September 2020 Marcello Mastroianni Award Rouhollah Zamani Lanterna Magica Award Majid Majidi Miami International Film Festival 2021 Knight Marimbas Award Munich Film FestivalBest International FilmMoscow International Film FestivalNETPAC Jury PrizeFünf Seen Film Festival Audience AwardAsian Film Awards8 October 2021Best EditorHassan HassandoostBest NewcomerRouhollah ZamaniIran's Film Critics and Writers Association2022Best CinematographyHooman Behmanesh
See also List of submissions to the 93rd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film List of Iranian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
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