Baduk (film)

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Baduk

DVD cover, Taiwan release
Directed by Majid Majidi
Produced by Ardashir Iran-Nezhad Islamic Propagation Organization
Written by Seyed Mehdi Shojai
Starring Mohammad Kaesbi, Mehrolah Mararzehi, Norahmad Barahoi,

Hossein Haijar

Distributed by Central Motion Picture Corporation (Taiwan)
Release date(s) January 1, 1992 (Iran)
Running time 90 min.
Language Persian, Dari
IMDb profile

Baduk is a 1992 Iranian film. It was the debut feature of director Majid Majidi. The film deals with child slavery. The Persian term "baduk" refers to people who carry smuggled merchandise from the border on foot. Many of these baduki (plural) are children.

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[edit] Synopsis

Jafar and his sister Jamal are separated from their parents after their father is killed in a well cave-in. While walking along the road, the siblings are kidnapped and sold into slavery. Jamal is dressed in fancy silks, destined to be the playmate of a Saudi prince. Jafar is drafted into a band of child baduki, bringing goods across the border between Pakistan and Iran. Jafar escapes his captors, and engages the help of Noredin, a Pakistani baduk he has befriended. Together they work to free Jafar's sister, Jamal. The movie ends with a doomed act of bravery on the part of Jafar.

Mehrolah Mararzehi as Jafar
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Mehrolah Mararzehi as Jafar

[edit] Background and critical response

The film was shot in Sistan and Baluchestan, an arid province in southeast Iran. Baduk premiered in January of 1992, and was shown that February at the Tehran Fajr Film Festival. It was screened at the Director's Fortnight at Cannes in 1992, where it was considered a bold film from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Director Majidi ran into censorship problems after making this film.

[edit] Awards

[edit] Sources

  • Sons Against Fathers. Article by Massoud Mehrabi [1]
  • Synopsis from All Movie Guide, New York Times [2]
  • Synopsis, Associação Brasileira Mostra Internacional de Cinema [3]
  • Text within a review of Baran [4]
  • International Festival of Films for Children and Young Adults, Iran [5]