THE GIRL IN THE SNEAKERS

Schoolgirl Tadayi, almost 16 years old, has been meeting a handsome, dreamy older boy named Aideen in the park for the past 11 days, where he speaks of marriage, escape and the concept of humans mystically achieving flight, as in Carlos Casteneda's writings. Only this, for 11 days. But in modern-day Iran, that is enough; the couple is arrested and remanded to their respective, outraged parents, who order them never to see each other again. Tadayi refuses to be controlled any longer. The next day, when she's supposed to report for class, the strong-willed girl bolts instead, becoming a teenage runaway. Loose on the streets of Tehran, the girl in the sneakers is both frightened and exhilerated at her sudden liberty. But is she free? You may have seen Iran on film before, but not as director Rassul Sadr Ameli depicts it, as an urban society whose alleys, markets and shantytowns hold as much danger for a lost, vulnerable girl as does any western slum. Desperately trying to reconnect with Aideen, Tadayi finds herself amidst predators and unlikely protectors, a harrowing personal odyssey that leaves her permanently changed – and will touch you as well. (In Farsi with English subtitles)