Academy Award® nominee Majid Majidi, already nominated for "Boys from Heaven", go behind the camera to tell a new and exciting children's story. The film "Sons of the Sun" was presented in competition at the 77ª International Venice Film Festival, where the young protagonist Rouhollah Zamani was awarded the Marcello Mastroianni Prize 2020, and was selected to represent Iran in the Best International Film category at the Oscars® 2021.

At the center of the plot is the exciting story of twelve-year-old Ali and his three friends who, in order to find an ancient treasure, will have to… back to school! Between chores and petty thefts, the group of kids try to make ends meet in the outskirts of Tehran. With an almost miraculous twist, Ali is given the task of recovering a treasure hidden underground. The boy thus recruits his gang, but to gain access to the tunnel, children will have to enroll in the Sun School, a charity aimed at training street children and working children, located near the hidden treasure. A film acclaimed by international critics, which speaks of friendship and adventure, hope and desire for redemption, addressing highly topical issues.

"I have always been enthusiastic about the amazing world of children" – explains director Majid Majidi – “As a director, I am genuinely attracted to young people, they are my inspiration: their passion, originality, imagination and freedom, which allows them to embark on their adventures. (…) I didn't want to make a serious controversy about child labor. I wanted to make a fun movie, energetic, joyful, full of adventure and courage, that would show how capable they are, resourceful and resilient these children. To address dark issues such as child labor, you need empathy and humor, that's why I decided to create a dangerous adventure in search of a treasure. The word “treasure” thrills everyone and means something different for everyone, because it is an unexpected hope of finding something special, of magic. "

So we had in fact written in the daily report from Venice:

From Iran comes a shock for the viewer with KHORSHID (SUN CHILDREN) by MAJID MAJIDI - It is a film of the neorealism of this country still under the yoke of the nepotism of the state religion and the conditions of poverty in the country. In fact, the film tells the story of 12-year-old Ali and his three friends who try to survive and support their families with petty crimes to raise money early.. To do this, they must enroll in the Scuola del Sole: a charity that seeks to educate children living on the street that is close to the place where the treasure is located. There is talk of child exploitation that as the director explains to date they are 152 millions to find themselves in this situation. It is intolerable that their social and economic condition consign them to a future of few opportunities and few hopes. Khorshid reveals the abilities and humanity of these young people: our protagonists were all child workers and proved to be exceptional and extremely intelligent actors.