Sun Children

"Energetic and heartfelt, tipping towards tragedy, Sun Children crawls through the mud and emerges all the stronger. The quest is a red herring; the real treasure is the film." —Xan Brooks, The Guardian

"A tidal wave of compassion and empathy that crests into rage and sorrow—all of it provoked by the plight of Iran’s child laborers." —Roxana Hadadi, The AV Club

Sun Children is the story of 12-year-old Ali and his three friends who work hard to survive and support their families, taking up small jobs in a garage and committing petty crimes to make fast money. In a miraculous turn of events, Ali is entrusted to find a hidden treasure underground. He recruits his gang, but first, to gain access to the tunnel, the children must enroll at the Sun School, a charitable institution that tries to educate street kids and child laborers, close to where the treasure is located. The latest from Iranian director Majid Majidi, whose Oscar-nominated Children of Heaven also followed the plight of Iran's youth, is a paean to the millions of children across the world who toil day in and day out for their families. Sun Children premiered at the 77th Venice International film Festival where lead actor Rouhollah Zamani - himself an actual child labourer - won the Marcello Mastroianni Award and went on to be shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Film in 2021.

Tickets to these screenings are $12.75 and under. Cinema members pay only $8.

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