The White Balloon
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Jafar Panahi
Aida Mohammadkhani
Mohsen Kafili
Fereshteh Sadr Orafai
Anna Borkowska
Mohammad Shahani
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Set in downtown Tehran on March 21st, New Year's Day, the story follows the adventures of Razieh, a self-reliant 7-year-old whose heart is set on buying a particular plump, multi-finned goldfish for her family's New Year's celebration. Razieh's mother reluctantly relinquishes her last bank note for the extravagant purchase, instructing the child to return with plenty of change. Razieh ventures alone to the hectic marketplace to buy her special goldfish, but a pair of crafty snake charmers promptly swindle her out of her bank note. She recovers her cash only to lose it again before reaching the pet shop. At the shop, a kind eldery woman helps the desperate child retrace her steps until she locates the money in an unreachable spot beneath a curbside cellar gate. As the surrounding vendors and merchants close shop for the long holiday weekend, Razieh tries to enlist the assistance of several adults, none of whom seem to take seriously the magnitude of her predicament.
Director
Jafar Panahi
Cast
Aida Mohammadkhani
Mohsen Kafili
Fereshteh Sadr Orafai
Anna Borkowska
Mohammad Shahani
Mohammad Bahktiari
Crew
Sa'ied Ahmadi
Mehdi Dejbodi
Mahmoud Heydari
Farzad Jodat
Farzad Judat
Abbas Kiarostami
Kurosh Mazkouri
Mojtaba Mortazavi
Jafar Panahi
Jafar Panahi
Jafar Panahi
Mehran Rassam
Behrouz Hamed Saberi
Behrouz Hamed Saberi
Parviz Shahbazi
Parviz Shahbazi
Fatemeh Tamidi
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Winner of the 1996 award for Best Foreign Language Film from the New York Film Critics Circle.
Winner of the Camera d'Or for Best First Feature at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.
Released in United States Winter January 24, 1996
Released in United States January 31, 1996
Expanded Release in United States March 1, 1996
Expanded Release in United States March 8, 1996
Expanded Release in United States March 15, 1996
Expanded Release in United States April 9, 1996
Expanded Release in United States May 3, 1996
Expanded Release in United States June 14, 1996
Released in United States on Video January 17, 1997
Released in United States 1995
Released in United States August 1995
Released in United States September 1995
Released in United States November 1995
Released in United States January 1996
Released in United States November 1996
Shown at Montreal World Film Festival August 24 - September 4, 1995.
Shown at New York Film Festival September 29 - October 15, 1995.
Shown at Sao Paulo Film Festival October 20 - November 3, 1995.
Shown at Tokyo International Film Festival (Young Cinema Competition) September 22 - October 1, 1995.
Shown at Locarno International Film Festival August 3-13, 1995.
Shown at London Film Festival November 2-19, 1995.
Shown at International Festival of Young Cinema in Turin, Italy November 10-18, 1995.
Shown at Nortel Palm Springs International Film Festival in Palm Springs, California January 5-21, 1996.
Shown at Kobe Film Festival (Humanism Film Festival) in Japan November 1-30, 1996.
Feature directorial debut for Jafar Panahi. Born on July 11, 1960 in Mianeh (Iran), Panahi is a graduate of "Film Directing" from the College of Cinema & TV. He has made several short films for Iranian TV and acted as assistant director for Kambuzia Partovi and Abbas Kiarostami.
Released in United States Winter January 24, 1996
Released in United States January 31, 1996 (Los Angeles)
Expanded Release in United States March 1, 1996
Expanded Release in United States March 8, 1996
Expanded Release in United States March 15, 1996
Expanded Release in United States April 9, 1996
Expanded Release in United States May 3, 1996
Expanded Release in United States June 14, 1996
Released in United States on Video January 17, 1997
Released in United States 1995 (Shown at Montreal World Film Festival August 24 - September 4, 1995.)
Released in United States 1995 (Shown at New York Film Festival September 29 - October 15, 1995.)
Released in United States 1995 (Shown at Sao Paulo Film Festival October 20 - November 3, 1995.)
Released in United States November 1995 (Shown at International Festival of Young Cinema in Turin, Italy November 10-18, 1995.)
Released in United States November 1996 (Shown at Kobe Film Festival (Humanism Film Festival) in Japan November 1-30, 1996.)
Released in United States 1995 (Shown at Tokyo International Film Festival (Young Cinema Competition) September 22 - October 1, 1995.)
Released in United States January 1996 (Shown at Nortel Palm Springs International Film Festival in Palm Springs, California January 5-21, 1996.)
Released in United States January 1996 (Shown at Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema) in Park City, Utah January 18-28, 1996.)
Released in United States August 1995 (Shown at Locarno International Film Festival August 3-13, 1995.)
Released in United States September 1995 (Shown at Telluride Film Festival September 1-4, 1995.)
Released in United States November 1995 (Shown at London Film Festival November 2-19, 1995.)
