KOCHI: The White Balloon by Jafar Panahi works like an Abbas Kiorastami movie ruminating on the themes of innocence and the ultimate futility of our actions which are unrewarded in a self-indulgent world. In its seamlessly slow-paced narrative (a fitting way to convey its reflective atmosphere), it explores a new year’s eve in Tehran, where Razieh the protagonist of the film, a girl who is stubborn and wants to have the plumpest goldfish in the market which her mother says is too expensive.
The story unfolds as Razieh gets the sum from her mother, losing it down a sewer grate, reclaiming it with the help of her brother and an Afghan kid after a series of empty conversations with the adults who were not helping.
The title of the movie might metaphorically stand for the ingratitude and loneliness faced by the Afghan kid with the white balloon tied to a twig, who helped the siblings get their money back. The contemplative mood offers the audience ample time to empathise with Razieh and to be in her shoes as a kid, without being judgemental of her predicament, which the adult bent of mind could easily brand as petty and inconsequential.
Reminding us of the 1956 Albert Lamorisse classic The Red Balloon in which an obstinate kid tries to be in the company of his red helium balloon against all odds, the film has portrayed a weary child’s obstinacy with the help of a variety of close-up shots and the ensuing reaction of the world to her actions.
The final pause with the Afghan kid standing alone holding the white balloon when the screen turns B/W, states the selfishness of humankind who would never truly empathise with the dispossessed unless it is of some use to them. A movie for all ages, The White Balloon offers a slice of life cinematic experience that is deeply thoughtful.