Aida Mohammadkhani
Encyclopedia
Aida Mohammadkhani is an Iranian actress working in Persian
film. She is best known for her highly acclaimed portrayal of an innocent child who lost her money on the way to buy Gold Fish from the market in the film The White Balloon - 1995, directed by Jafar Panahi
.
Back home, Aida is upset about her mother's refusal to let her buy a new goldfish, but continues her campaign of nagging. Her older brother Ali, Mohsen Kafili returns from a shopping errand for their father who, although remains unseen has a tangible presence causing tension in the family. He complains that he asked Ali to buy shampoo, not soap, then throws the soap at him. Ali sets off to buy the shampoo and when he returns Aida enlists his help in changing her mother's mind about the goldfish, bribing him with a balloon. Insisting that she can buy the goldfish in the market for 100 tomans ("You're crazy," Ali tells her, remarking that he can see two films with that money), Aida finally gets her wish. Her mother gives her the family's last 500-toman banknote and asks her to bring back the change. Aida sets off with an empty glass jar to the fish shop a few blocks away.
Between their home and the fish store, Aida loses the money twice, first in an encounter with the snake charmer
, and then when she drops the money through the grate at the entrance of a store which has been closed for the New Year celebration.
Aida and Ali make several attempts to retrieve the money and receive assistance from many people, including the owners of nearby shops and an Iran
ian soldier
. The money, however, is always just out of reach. Finally, the siblings receive help from a young Afghan street vendor selling balloons. He carries all of his balloons on a wooden stick, and has only one balloon, a white one, left. The group attaches a piece of gum to one end of the balloon stick, and with it, they reach down through the grate and pull the money out.
The film ends, not with Ali and Aida, but with the young Afghan boy, who has become an important character only at the very end of the film.
at the age of seven years. After achieving huge successful in the movie The White Balloon, Aida again acted in the film Raaz Mina, directed by Abbas Rafei in 1996 and another film called Ebrahim directed by Hamidreza Mohseni in 1998.
Including the above film career, Aida also worked in Iranian Television serial name (Persian
: سرزمين سبز) and Street rain Persian
: کوچه های باران).
, Tehran
The White Balloon
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
film. She is best known for her highly acclaimed portrayal of an innocent child who lost her money on the way to buy Gold Fish from the market in the film The White Balloon - 1995, directed by Jafar Panahi
Jafar Panahi
Jafar Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker and is one of the most influential filmmakers in the Iranian New Wave movement. He has gained recognition from film theorists and critics worldwide and received numerous awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the...
.
The white Balloon - Synoposis
It is the eve of the Iranian New Year. The film opens in a Teheran market where seven year old Razieh Aida Mohammadkhani and her mother are shopping. Aida sees a goldfish in a shop and begins to nag her hurrying mother to buy it for the festivities instead of the skinny ones in her family's pond at home. Almost all of the film's major characters are briefly seen in this market scene, though they won't be introduced to the viewer until later. On their way home, mother and daughter pass a courtyard where a crowd of men has gathered to watch two snake charmers. Aida wants to see what is happening but her mother pulls her away, telling her that it is not good for her to watch those things.Back home, Aida is upset about her mother's refusal to let her buy a new goldfish, but continues her campaign of nagging. Her older brother Ali, Mohsen Kafili returns from a shopping errand for their father who, although remains unseen has a tangible presence causing tension in the family. He complains that he asked Ali to buy shampoo, not soap, then throws the soap at him. Ali sets off to buy the shampoo and when he returns Aida enlists his help in changing her mother's mind about the goldfish, bribing him with a balloon. Insisting that she can buy the goldfish in the market for 100 tomans ("You're crazy," Ali tells her, remarking that he can see two films with that money), Aida finally gets her wish. Her mother gives her the family's last 500-toman banknote and asks her to bring back the change. Aida sets off with an empty glass jar to the fish shop a few blocks away.
Between their home and the fish store, Aida loses the money twice, first in an encounter with the snake charmer
Snake Charmer
Snake charmer can mean:*Snake charming, the practice of "hypnotizing" snakes*Snake Charmer, a 1983 album by guitarist The Edge, bassist Jah Wobble, multi-instrumentalist Holger Czukay, drummer Jaki Liebezeit, and DJ/remixer François Kevorkian...
, and then when she drops the money through the grate at the entrance of a store which has been closed for the New Year celebration.
Aida and Ali make several attempts to retrieve the money and receive assistance from many people, including the owners of nearby shops and an Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
. The money, however, is always just out of reach. Finally, the siblings receive help from a young Afghan street vendor selling balloons. He carries all of his balloons on a wooden stick, and has only one balloon, a white one, left. The group attaches a piece of gum to one end of the balloon stick, and with it, they reach down through the grate and pull the money out.
The film ends, not with Ali and Aida, but with the young Afghan boy, who has become an important character only at the very end of the film.
Film & Television Career
In 1995 Aida made her acting debut in award winning film The White Balloon, playing the child protagonist Aida, a film by Jafar PanahiJafar Panahi
Jafar Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker and is one of the most influential filmmakers in the Iranian New Wave movement. He has gained recognition from film theorists and critics worldwide and received numerous awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the...
at the age of seven years. After achieving huge successful in the movie The White Balloon, Aida again acted in the film Raaz Mina, directed by Abbas Rafei in 1996 and another film called Ebrahim directed by Hamidreza Mohseni in 1998.
Including the above film career, Aida also worked in Iranian Television serial name (Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: سرزمين سبز) and Street rain Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: کوچه های باران).
Personal life
She is currently pursuing her master degree in Clinical Psychology at Alzahra UniversityAlzahra University
Alzahra University is a female-only state-run university in Vanak, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran.Founded in 1964 as a private institution under title of The Higher Educational Institute For Girls , it was renamed Farah Pahlavi University after empress Farah Pahlavi, the wife of Muhammad Reza Pahlavi...
, Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
Awards and Honours
- "The Golden Butterfly" award for Best Actress at Isfahan International Festival, Cinema of IranCinema of IranThe cinema of Iran is a flourishing film industry with a long history. Many popular commercial films are annually made in Iran, and Iranian art films win praise around the world....
. - Judge at Isfahan International Festival - (2002) with Baran KosariBaran KosariBaran Kosari is a Crystal Simorgh winning Iranian actress. She is the daughter of director Rakhshan Bani Etemad, and film producer Jahangir Kosari.-Biography:...
, Reza Davood Nejad, Shahed Ahmadloo, Mehdi Bagherbeigi - Judge at International Fair Festival Iran - (2009)
The White Balloon
- Caméra d'or - 1995 at Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
- Gold Award - 1995 at Tokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
- Best International Film - 1995 at Sudbury Cinéfest
- International Jury Award - 1995 at São Paulo International Film FestivalSão Paulo International Film FestivalThe São Paulo International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in São Paulo, Brazil since 1976. In 2004 Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami was a member of the jury.-International Jury Award:*2001: The New Country ...
External links
- Aida Mohammadkhani in facebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...