Daan

Jalili appears to be famous for finding stories more than writing them and Don (as it was called when I saw it) seems to be no exception. Apparently Jalili was at a garage when he saw a boy working there that would respond to several names from different people. Asking questions about this he found that the boy had no birth certificate because his parents had failed to get him one as they were both drug addicts and hence the boy had no education and no job prospects. Taking the boy away from his job, Jalili then fashioned a film out of this story using the boy himself.

The narrative was never going to be that dramatic nor have a particular direction (since it is real life) but it works because the story is engaging on an emotional level thanks to the fine performance drawn out of the lead actor. Jalili deserves as much credit as he draws natural performances from his stars and they are a big part of making the film as engaging as it is. It is interesting because I didn't understand that this problem exists nor appreciate the impact not having the certificate would have on the life of children coming up in challenging situations and the film does a good job of raising the issue while also keeping the story working as a personal one.

The direction is good and the hand-held approach of some scenes helps the natural feel of the material. Overall it is an interesting film that is worth seeing even if it never really gets up to full speed as a narrative work; the use of real people and real problems to form the film works well and the performances are a big factor in producing a film that engages and actually makes you care about the people involved – a rare thing for a child-led film in Hollywood but something that Jalili makes look easy here.