The Traveler

Kiarostami’s first full-length feature (following the hour-long The Experience) depicts the adventures of a resourceful but amoral 10-year-old boy, Qasem, who will stop at nothing to see the Iranian national football team play an important match at a stadium in Tehran. By stealing money from his parents, swindling his schoolmates, and selling off his own football team’s gear, he manages to finance a ticket and traveling expenses. But the trip that ensues doesn’t quite go according to plan.

Screening with
Bread and Alley/Nanva kucheh
Abbas Kiarostami | 1970 | Iran | 35mm | 10m
In this wordless, Chaplin-esque Kiarostami short, a small boy makes his way home clutching a loaf of bread. In an alley, he finds a stray dog blocking his way. Stymied, the boy tries to follow an old man, who sets off in the wrong direction. So, the boy is forced to confront his canine antagonist.