The first film in Kiarostami’s trilogy set in the Northern Iranian village of Koker takes a simple premise — a boy searches for the home of his classmate whose notebook he has accidentally taken — and transforms it into a miraculous adventure of the everyday. As our young hero zigzags determinedly across two towns aided by those he encounters, his quest becomes both a revealing portrait of Iranian society and a touching parable about the meaning of personal responsibility. Shot through with all the wonder, beauty, tension, and mystery one day can contain, Where is the Friend’s House? established Kiarostami’s reputation as a sensitive and profound humanist.

Notes by David O’Mahony