Canada: Friday, June 25, 2021
Strand Releasing
SUN CHILDREN is the story of 12-year-old ALI and his three friends. Together they work hard to survive and support their families, doing small jobs in a garage and committing petty crimes to make fast money. In a turn of events that seems miraculous, 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.
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Gregory M. - Rated it 3 out of 5
"Sun Children" "Sun Children" is the story of 12-year-old Ali (Roohollah Zamani) and his three friends Zahra (Shamilla Shirzad), Reza (Mani Ghatoon) and Mamad (Mohammed Mousavifar). Together they work hard to survive and support their families, doing small jobs in a garage and committing petty crimes to make fast money. In a turn of events that seems miraculous, 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. Zahra and her brother Aboulfazl (Alboulfazi Shirzad) are real street children. Zahra is like a light, so self-assured, with a natural charisma. Ali is pure, with a raw energy. He has such an intensity, such a desire to get the lead, much like the character in the movie, so determined to find the treasure. They're 'Afghan' immigrants on screen but also in real life. They live with their parents and just like in the film, they split their days between working in the streets or subway and attending a school for child workers. Much of the film is shot in on location as well as public spaces. The movie feels seamless, not like a fiction but more like a documentary. Some of these, like the subway, has redictions. One very important location is the tunnel. Every part of this tunnel is built separately to accommodate the characters movements and to allow the camera to film from different angles. In the subway, regular traffic not stop. The entire scene is shot with the actors and without the cameras. The emotional moments are the most difficult ones and the film captures them in two takes. There's no.control over the scene of the conversation between Ali and Zahra. They get off a real train with the camera following them and Zahra keeps in mind that she could be sent to a camp and then deported with her whole family. Zahra delivers naturally but powerfully. It might look cruel at the first sight, but this statement is a relief for her, a weight she takes off her. It gives her pride to express this injustice. These enterprising boys are given a task, with challenges and dangers. The drama is both enjoyable and touching, and occasionally tense. It's a film with humor, thrills and sincerity. It's not an earnest polemic about child labour. The film shows how capable, resourceful and resilient these children really are. It's clear how astute the kids are about relationships. They've to be shrewd about adults and sensitive with each other. They're extremely observant, wise even. All these elements make our fundamental argument for their rights even stronger. To embark on dark subjects such as child labour, you need to bring empathy and humor and the film creates a dangerous adventure in search of a treasure. The word treasure excites everyone. The elderly school janitor immediately follows Ali. Treasure means something different for everybody as it’s an unexpected hope to find something special, magic. One of the characters during this adventure finds the treasure is actually him "Sun Children".is the story of children who must work to support their families. To this date, there are 152 million children in this situation. International organizations are waging a desperate fight to support these young people who are subjected to abuse and deprived of their human right to education. The message of "Sun Children" is that we're all responsible to these children, many of whom are extremely talented and all of whom are precious. It's simply not tolerable that their social and economic status consign them to a future of limited opportunities and poor prospects. The film demonstrates the abilities and humanity of these children. The main juvenile actors are all child labourers and all proved to be astonishing and extremely intelligent performers. We've been always excited by the surprising world of children. It has an irrefutable authenticity and it helps audiences relate, of course, but it’s not just a simple device for us. We're attracted by kids. We're inspired by them; their passion, originality, imagination and the freedom that allows them to participate in adventures. They see what adults can no longer see and they demonstrate a courage that adults do not have. Their sensitivity and delicacy in relationships lead us to respect them simply. Usually, you get much more from them when you ask them to do what's close to their hearts. Their truth and sense of realism is stunning when you trust them and become their friend and accomplice. The school offers them something other than the treasure they seek beneath it. It's a lovely juxtaposition. The real treasure is these kids and their potential. Education is their inalienable right and it's the key to their futures. Of course, not all children are natural scholars, and many don’t like sitting in a classroom, but it gives them time to breathe and to grow and to discover themselves and others around them. It’s a chance all kids need. The juxtaposition of the school and the treasure creates a metaphor to highlight the importance of education and the need to dig inside yourself to find your treasure. This movie will help to create awareness and trigger initiatives. A film which reaches the audience’s heart and conscience can create awareness without lecturing. Younger audiences will see these children facing huge challenges, trying and then succeeding, even with unlikely, far-fetched dreams. We're all responsible for all children, and we should create a safe and secure society for them. According to the statistics of world children rights organizations, such as 'UNICEF' and 'ILO', there are 250 000 000 across the globe out of which 152 000 000 child labourers in dangerous conditions. Even though it has been decreasing constantly, thanks to world institutions and numerous associations in 190 countries, it's still a very shocking number. We should see the whole world as a family and these kids as members of this family, our family. If any of these kids are misled, or get involved in criminal gangs, drug dealing or theft, all of the family, our world community, suffers. We're deeply committed to children rights. Children should not be deprived from their childhood and miss their development. Children deserve to be treated with more protection, dignity and justice. written by Gregory Mann