Overview
A touching tale of sibling love and sacrifice unfolds in a bustling city.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- gentle
- anxious
- sincere
- family movie night
- quiet afternoon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an exceptionally pure, compassionate, and emotionally effective children’s drama with strong performances and understated storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The missing shoes shape Ali and Zahra’s daily choices, school routines, and escalating anxiety despite the modest scale of the problem.
Ali and Zahra secretly share one pair of shoes and protect each other from the consequences of the loss.
The children’s errands, school journeys, family home, and foot race turn familiar routines into grounded cinematic drama.
Zahra’s missing shoes and Ali’s single replacement pair drive the film’s central plan and suspense.
Films like Children of Heaven, and why
Bicycle Thieves
Shares an intimate neorealist drama style, child-centered poverty, and compassionate focus on family hardship.
The 400 Blows
Shares a gentle, emotionally sincere children’s drama centered on friendship, resourcefulness, and economic struggle.
The Little Princess
Shares a warm child-centered story in which ordinary family pressures create suspense and deep emotional investment.
Movie Details
- Director
- Majid Majidi
- Release Date
- 1997-08-01
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (753)
Cast
- Amir Farrokh Hashemian
- Bahare Seddiqi
- Nafise Jafar-Mohammadi
- Reza Naji
- Fereshte Sarabandi
- Kamal Mirkarimi
- Behzad Rafi
- Dariush Mokhtari
- Mohammad-Hasan Hosseinian
- Masume Dair
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Children of Heaven about?
- Two impoverished Tehran siblings secretly share one pair of shoes, turning an everyday loss into a tender test of loyalty, ingenuity, and hope.
- What is Children of Heaven like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Children of Heaven as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Children of Heaven violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Children of Heaven.
- What did critics think of Children of Heaven?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an exceptionally pure, compassionate, and emotionally effective children’s drama with strong performances and understated storytelling.
- Which films are like Children of Heaven?
- Films with a similar feel include Bicycle Thieves, The 400 Blows, and The Little Princess.
- How long is Children of Heaven?
- Children of Heaven runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Children of Heaven?
- In United States, Children of Heaven is available to rent or buy from JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
