If Children of Heaven from Iranian director Majid Majidi has touched you, most likely the director's latest work, The Song of Sparrows, would do the same.

The film is full of the director's usual keen observation and humorous interpretation of people living in the rural area. After being let go from an ostrich farm because of a runaway ostrich, our protagonist, Karim, ventures into Tehran and accidentally launches his new profession as a motorcycle taxi driver, ferrying people and goods, but unaware of how the big city will transform his way of living.

While I, as an audience, was absorbed in the stunning scenery and humorous storyline, the transformation of Karim almost seemed comical. It was only upon reflection that I realized the director has managed to produce an audience's experience that is quite comparable to Karim's. Therefore, when Karim rides his motorcycle to see the returned ostrich in the end of the film, the smile that comes to his face may be as a puzzlement to him as to the audience.

See also:

• Official Site (Farsi)
• Wisdom of 'The Song of Sparrows'