The White Balloon

On the eve of the Iranian New Year, Razieh and her mother shop in a bustling Tehran market as color and noise fill the air. Razieh spots a goldfish and begs for it, hoping to celebrate Nowruz with a special gift. The scene also foreshadows several major characters who will appear later in the story.

Back home, Razieh's plea for the goldfish clashes with her mother's resolve. Ali returns from a shopping errand, adding to the household tension. The mother hands Razieh the family's last 500 tomans and sends her to fetch the change, setting the quest in motion.

Razieh sets off toward the fish shop with an empty jar, determined to secure the goldfish. The route passes familiar market corners and a courtyard where crowds gather for other New Year entertainments. Her mission is simple in intent but fragile in execution.

On the way, Razieh loses the money during an encounter with a snake charmer, the coins slipping from her grip into the unpredictable crowd. The innocent mishap underlines the precariousness of a child's holiday wish. She presses on with renewed urgency.

As she nears her goal, Razieh drops the money through the grate of a shop closed for the New Year. Razieh and Ali frantically search the grate, hoping to retrieve the note. The bustling street around them continues, indifferent to their misfortune.

The siblings' attempts to recover the money bring them into contact with a kind older woman at the fish shop, nearby shopkeepers, and even an Iranian soldier. Each interaction adds texture to the film's portrayal of a community rallying around a child's quest. The money remains just out of reach.

A young Afghan street vendor arrives with a three-balloon stick, offering help despite his own precarious position. His appearance introduces a hopeful thread into the otherwise tense scavenger hunt. The balloons symbolize the festive spirit of Nowruz.

The group devises a plan to attach chewing gum to the bottom of the balloon stick to retrieve the money from the grate. It marks a turning point from frustration to a clever improvisation born from shared effort. The sense of teamwork grows as the idea takes shape.

Ali leaves to buy gum but returns empty-handed, while the Afghan boy briefly steps away and then returns with his stick and a pack of gum. The group’s plan begins to gain momentum as they align their resources. The atmosphere shifts from desperation to cautious optimism.

With gum attached to the end of the stick, Razieh, Ali, and the Afghan boy reach through the grate and pull the money back up. The immediate crisis is resolved and the siblings can turn toward the next step of their plan. The moment underscores the power of cooperation in a community.

Having retrieved the money, the siblings head toward the fish shop to complete the Nowruz gift. Their small victory is tempered by the film's broader focus on kindness and shared fortune.

The film ends with a still image of the Afghan boy sitting by the grate, watching Razieh and Ali depart with the fish. The scene lingers as Nowruz 1374 begins, and the boy eventually rises and walks away, leaving the viewer with a quiet sense of possibility.