Where Is the Friend's House? (1987) review

Elementary school student Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh (Ahmed Ahmadpour) gets reprimanded by his teacher for not having his notebook - and even threatened with expulsion - so when his classmate Ahmad (Babak Ahmadpour) goes home and realizes he has the item in question, he sets out on a long journey to return it to him.  As the first part of what's been referred to as Kiarostami's "Koker Trilogy," this is a quiet and very simple film that shows how children can have a sense of ethics and morality as Ahmad sneaks away from his family to "do the right thing" - it also serves as a reminder of the difficulties of being a kid and trying to get adults to take you seriously.  For parents attempting to introduce their own offspring to world cinema - and have them think about the "less fortunate" around the globe - it's a good place to start ... but the adult in me wished it wasn't quite so redundant.