It’s Persian New Year, and seven-year-old Razieh begs her mother for money to buy a lucky goldfish. This simple task proves less easy than it would seem, however, as Razieh wanders the streets of Tehran, she repeatedly loses her funds and finds misadventures.

Winner of the Caméra d’Or in 1995, Jafar Panahi’s debut feature is a testament to his humanistic filmmaking approach. Written by Abbas Kiarostami, The White Balloon is enchantingly simple and poetic—with a delicate touch of humour. This is an essential watch for fans of Iranian cinema.