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Poster for The Song of Sparrows

The Song of Sparrows

Chasing dreams. Finding hope.

2008 · 1h 36m · PG Drama
Directed by Majid Majidi

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Overview

When an ostrich-rancher focuses on replacing his daughter's hearing aid, which breaks right before crucial exams, everything changes for a struggling rural family in Iran. Karim motorbikes into a world alien to him - incredibly hectic Tehran, where sudden opportunities for independence, thrill and challenge him. But his honor and honesty, plus traditional authority over his inventive clan, are tested, as he stumbles among vast cultural and economic gaps between his village nestled in the desert, and a throbbing international metropolis.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
98%
Tomatometer
Fresh

At times funny, sad, poignant and suspenseful, Sparrows is a showcase for Majidi's masterful storytelling -- and Naji's superb acting.

Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle
Fresh

At times tedious but ultimately beguiling, Song of Sparrows morphs from a sly dramedy about running a household into a fable about two ways of life (urban and rural) that can't coexist.

Dan Zak, Washington Post
Fresh

The images in The Song of Sparrows have a poetic grace that's to be desired in storytelling.

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
Fresh

It is somehow congenial to feel that we are watching a tale that could have been told elsewhere.

Stanley Kauffmann, The New Republic
Fresh

Delicate and sturdy.

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

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