A young girl has a simple dream – she wants to go to school. Her way to school, however, proves to be long and strenuous. To begin with, she must get hold of a pencil and an exercise book. This, of course, requires money, but selling some eggs at the local market might suffice. The film is an affecting portrait of a child’s go-ahead spirit in a world of adversity. A sad and discouraging portrait in many ways, but also warm and with glimpses of hope and humour.

The film is nothing short of an achievement by debutant director Hana Makhmalbaf. It is of high technical quality despite being produced with minimal resources in Taliban Afghanistan, and the simple frame story encompasses a variety of topics. Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame is an elegant contribution to the growing number of films from Iran that forward social commentary indirectly through children. How do children take responsibility when they are left to themselves?

Ola Lund Renolen