Fish and Puddle

There is a quote stating that “If people aren’t laughing at your dreams, your dreams aren’t big enough.”This quote reminded me of the story that we are about to feature today. A story of a young boy and his brilliant mind and how life has played tricks on him, or probably the other way around. This movie flew me to the beautiful country of the Islamic Republic of Iran, where it highlighted the true-to-life story based on a young boy named Ali Yazdani. A film written and directed by Ali Barati titled ” Fish and Puddle.”

To give you a little glimpse of this wonderful family film, Fish and Puddle tells a coming-of-age story of a young boy named Ali Yazdani. Ali is a boy with brilliant capabilities. Brilliant in a  way that his ideas were often neglected or laughed at by those who think he is simply a foolish little boy.

Ali has an inventive way of thinking which was very advanced for his age, however, his physical appearance is quite not like the boys of his age. He is small, thin, and looks kind of feeble but looks can be deceiving and Ali has his rascal and creative little ways of overcoming his weakness. Growing up, he was raised by his loving parents, a supportive mother, and a very critical father. He had some unfortunate troubles at school and got kicked out and was forced to transfer to a less competitive school for boys. Along Ali’s journey in growing up, he met a lot of people that significantly made his life not just filled with awesome inventions but with colors and fun challenges.

As interesting as it may seem, Ali suffered the downside of being brilliant. From being a gifted rascal inventive boy to an ingenious innovative young man, he is often misunderstood and neglected by people who don’t know him. They thought of him as a young fool who more often than not messes up the situation. However, Ali is not the type to give up easily, and with the crazy challenges of introducing his inventions out in the world, one including creating a Gyroplane, together with his supportive family and friends, they make his dreams possible.

Watching Fish and Puddle was a fun lovely experience. This family film has immediately captured my heart. Having children of my own, this film made me realize the importance of family support to every child’s special capabilities no matter how foolish it may seem or how other people perceive it. Aside from that, it was very entertaining and the cast was superb. I had a great time watching it. I had some awesome laughs and teary moments. Fish and Puddle offered a lot of life lessons for parents, children, and the community. Definitely the kind of movie I’d advocate for.

This is an impressively complete package for a movie. I couldn’t ask for more. Cheers and congratulations to its brilliant director Ali Barati, its superbly talented cast, and all of the people who made this possible! This is not just a must-see but unquestionably an award-winning caliber!

~ Review by Helena Zurc, Utah Film Festival Screener