The Runner

Trailer

Play Dates

NEW RESTORATION AND SUBTITLES

May 17 & 20 Pleasantville, NY JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER

Illustration by Keiko Kimura

Featured Quote

“A GEM OF THE IRANIAN NEW WAVE…
CRISPLY RESTORED WITH IMPROVED SUBTITLES…
Admirably lean and remarkably well-constructed…
The light is often dazzling; the array of bottles floating in the harbor is bewitching…
Has a subtle fairy tale quality."
— J. Hoberman, The New York Times

About

Iran, 1984
Director: Amir Naderi
Producer: Ali Reza Zarrin
Cast: Madjid Niroumand, Moussa Torkizadeh, Abbas Nazeri
Screenwriter: Amir Naderi, Behrouz Gharibpour
Cinematography: Firouz Malekzadeh
Genre: Drama
Color
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Language: Farsi with English subtitles
Running Time: 91 minutes

Synopsis:
Amiro, an illiterate 11-year-old orphan living alone in an abandoned tanker in the Iranian port city of Abadan, survives by shining shoes, selling water, and diving for deposit bottles, while being bullied by both adults and competing older kids. But he finds solace by dreaming about departing cargo ships and airplanes and by running...seemingly to nowhere.

Restored from the original negative in 2K by Cineric.

Featured Quote 2

"“A WORK OF ASTONISHING POWER AND SIMPLICITY...
REMINISCENT OF THE FINEST NEO-REALIST FILMS...
MADJID NIROUMAND’S PORTRAYAL RANKS AMONG
THE FINEST EVER GIVEN BY A CHILD.”
— Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

Reviews and Quotes 2

"Like Buñuel, Naderi shows a keen understanding of children's
camaraderie and determination"
— Ted Shen, Chicago Reader

"A SMALL JEWEL YOU MUST TRY TO SEE."
— Derek Malcolm, The Guardian

"The Runner hovers somewhere
between poetry and documentary."
— Hal Hinson, The Washington Post