The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents
THE RUNNER
- Leave it. - It's mine.
It's mine, you took it.
How white! How beautiful.
Amiro, where have you been? What's wrong?
- Nothing can be found. - Told you, let's gather bottles.
Shall I bring the goods for you?
- How many bottles? - 22.
- What about the others? - They're swimming.
- I don't have inner tire. - I'll arrange it.
How much does it cost?
One trip to sea to collect bottles, will pay it.
I want to know how much it costs.
Just come. I'll arrange it.
Maybe the boys won't let me collect bottles.
The foreigners throw the bottles and we go and gather them.
Are there always bottles?
If there's no storm, there's bottles.
Ever been on one of those ships?
No, I've boarded a boat.
Those boats are nothing compared to these. These are great.
I'd like to know where they come from.
Surely they go somewhere.
My brother is on the water for month at a stretch.
- What's your brother's job? - He's the boat's cook.
- Why don't you go with him? - He wants to take me.
I'd like to.
Hurry up! They're coming.
Go... They're coming.
- How much? - 7 Rials.
- I brought the bread myself. - Then 5 Rials.
Here's 5 Rials.
Can you say how much is this?
2 Rials. It's flattened.
It's mine.
I saw it first.
I won't just let you have it! It's mine. Leave it!
I saw it. You're lying.
Wait, I'll show you outside. Whoever has seen it, it's his.
How many bottles did you bring?
- How many? - 11.
Congratulations!
4, 5, 6, 7, 8... and this is 12.
Why you're pushing him?
They're mine.
Give it back.
They're mine.
- What's going on? - Give me my bottles...
I saw 'em first.
He has my bottles.
I saw them earlier.
You just came today. You have to give them to him.
- I won't. - You have to.
Hey! Let him go.
You're killing him. How many against one?
Well, you take 3 bottles.
They're mine, I won't give them.
Since he's your pal, I'll take 2 more and see what can you do.
They're mine, I won't give them.
How bold, he just came today.
He's our pal. So what, if he's new then you have to take his bottles?
Let him be your pal. He came just today.
You have to jump at him just because it's his first day?
I won't give 'em. I picked them.
You're just in time. Bring your bottles.
- How many? - And this 18.
- 351. - And this 3, 354 and 3 more.
Run Amiro. What's the matter with you today?
His bottles are not included.
Be quick. He wants to go.
- How many are there? - 12.
Why so few?
Take it. 2... 4...
What's with you today?
This 6, this 8...
This 10 and this 12.
Just give me my money. I want to go.
Wait boy, let us do our work.
It was 357 and 12, 369.
God bless you.
This is your money.
- Shall I come on Wednesday? - Drop in.
Good bye.
Give me my money. I want to go.
What's the matter with you? Have patience one moment.
Why did you bring such few bottles?
The other boys brought twice that.
That way you must return to garbage picking.
I had. They took them away by force.
You should have taken them back.
Couldn't you talk? It seems you couldn't manage them.
We had no previous account?
You have 12 bottles.
Take it.
Didn't you want money? Well, take it.
Don't touch them. Go away.
What's up? Eat, eat.
Amiro! Amiro!
I was eating. Come up have some.
We're going to hire bicycles.
- Can you ride bicycles? - Yeah! Perfectly.
- Then let's go. - Come on.
- I'm 1st. - I'm 2nd.
I'm 1st.
Boys! Shark! Shark!
Ice water!
Cool your liver! Ice water!
- Are these for sale? - Which?
These magazines.
They are expensive.
Don't you have cheaper ones?
See if you can use these.
Don't upset them. Hurry up.
These are expensive for me.
Take it to the laundry to wash and iron it.
If you think you have overpaid, come back here and I'll refund you.
- Good day. - How are you?
- What would you like? - I want big white bulb.
- Which bulb? - That white one which is big.
I don't remember where I've put it. Give me a glass of water.
I don't know where it is.
- This one? - That's it. How much?
- What do you want it for? - I need it.
- 4 Rials. - ls it burnt out?
If it wasn't it would cost a lot.
This is 3 Rials. 1 Reals for the water.
I must go. Good bye.
Strange times!
Ice water. Cool your liver.
Give me a glass of water.
1 Rial for your water!
1 Rial for your water.
Take me with you!
Ice water.
Where have you been?
The boys have been asking about you.
I'm here.
Since you don't come to collect bottles what do you do?
Nothing. I'm looking for a job around here.
It's so beautiful here. It would be good to find a job here.
Do you know someone here?
Ramezan the drink seller is my brother's friend.
He used to work with my brother on the boat.
What job do you want?
I like it here. It's not like anywhere else.
All the things to one side and these magazines on the other.
You're here again. Go away.
Do you know the language?
We can't read our own, not to mention these.
- I'll be 1st today. - You? I'll be 1st.
You don't come to get bottles any more. You scared?
I'm scared of losing a leg.
- What are you doing now? - He's going to get a job.
I want to be first and catch the train.
You want to be 1st? Am I dead then?
- My leg hurts. - Don't run then.
I'll run as far as I can.
Abed has also come.
You are always late. If you can't don't come.
I'm 1st!
Where are you going?
- Come back. - I won.
I got 1st. Why did keep running?
He got 1st.
I wanted to know how far I could run.
What do you want?
- Just wait and see what I'll do with you! - Don't you want the ice?
Come and take it.
- How are you? - Fine.
- I'm going to Ramezan. - I'll come now.
- How amazing that you come! - What is this game?
I want to go in the air.
The waiters don't bother you?
While Ramezan is here nobody bothers me.
Who will bother you if you pay us the money?
It doesn't make any difference to me. I take my share.
If not Amiro, someone else.
Because you're his pal, I let him work here...
...otherwise these waiters don't let anybody work here.
Enough, don't make it so important.
- Well, you're here... - I love Ramezan so much!
Polish!
- I'm going to sea with my brother. - Really?
- When you go I'll miss you. - Same with me.
How beautiful! I've never been here before.
You haven't seen everything. These are the foreigners houses.
Wait. That's so beautiful.
- It's theirs. - Let's sit on it a little bit.
How beautiful.
Go. Go.
- What a big ship. - So is that one.
Don't know where's it from.
It's too bad you're leaving or we could go to the cinema.
- Cinema? I love it. - I love it too.
Want me to yell like Tarzan?
Here's your money.
This shirt is for you. I must go.
- How much is this? - 5 Rials each.
What do you want? I'll get it for you.
That red airplane. What do you want? I'll get it for you.
That red airplane.
That's 5 Rials too.
- Which one? - The red airplane.
That yellow one too.
That orange airplane.
So many foreign magazines! You know foreign language?
No. I buy it for pictures.
That's 2 Tomans.
If you want to read, I also have Farsi. It's cheaper.
I can't read.
All boys your age can read.
I must read. I must write. Why can't I?
Hey boy, throw that ball.
What do you want?
- That's him. - What do you want?
Come here.
Good day sir. I've come to register my name for school.
This time of the year you've come to register?
- For which class? - I've just come to register.
Haven't been to school at all?
No sir.
Where were you till now?
I only worked.
I had no one to put me to school and now I came myself.
You have no one?
And now that you have come...
...you are over age for the 1st grade.
I know sir, but I must learn. I have no choice.
Wait a moment.
I phoned, beside being late first term, you are too old.
You can't study in the morning classes.
You must join literacy classes, OK?
I'll do anything.
Alef, be, pe, te, se, jim, ohe,..
...he, khe, dal, zal, re, ze, zhe, sin,"
...shin, sad, zad, ta, za, eyn,..
...geyn, fe, qaf, kaf, gaf,..
...lam, mim, noon, vav, he, ye.
The Farsi language is consisted of 32 letters.
I polished two big boots.
I know.
Polish. Mister, polish.
Give me a drink.
Come here.
That shoe-shine was here.
- Come here. - I'll just come.
What happened to this gentleman's lighter?
- Let's see your pockets. - I'm not a thief.
Ramezan, come here.
I'm not a thief. I didn't take it.
He's not a thief.
Hey mister, I didn't take it.
Hey mister, I come to tell you that I didn't take your lighter.
I'm not a thief.
I didn't take your lighter. Maybe they took it.
Why you're pushing me?
You'll break my box.
Hey mister. Come on. You want to hit me?
Come now. Hit again. Hurry up.
Amiro run, run!
How are you, guys? I missed you a lot.
We also missed you.
Amiro has become a shoe-shine.
My leg still hurts.
Tomorrow we have a competition. Ready?
Whatever the competition I'm in.
If Moussa was here he could kill himself for it.
I'm ready for any competition.
- Tomorrow afternoon by the tires. - Whenever, I'll come.
Shin, shin, small shin, capital Shin...
Writer and Director: Amir Naderi
Director of Photography: F. Malekzadeh
Edit: Bahram Beizai
Sound: N. Kiaie
Photographers: B. Erfanian A. Baghery
Assistant Director: M. Hassanzadeh
Cast: Majid Niroumand