World premiere of ‘Midday Meal’ dedicated to martyred Minab kids

Celebrated Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi has dedicated the world premiere of his latest movie ‘Midday Meal’ to the martyred kids of Minab and the brave people of Iran.

The world premiere took place at the main competition section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea on October 9.

“I would like to dedicate the screening of this film, on my own behalf, to the brave and courageous people of Iran and the martyred kids of Minab. As you have heard, 168 children were massacred on the first day of the war, yet the people continue to stand firm and resist,” Majidi said before the screening.

“We salute these courageous people who have not bowed their heads and will not. We will rebuild all that has been destroyed. The Iranian people are resilient; they stand against oppression and maintain their independence. The only crime of the Iranian people is that they wish to be independent,” he added.

‘Midday Meal’ (2026) is a 133-minute family social drama, which deals with children and human rights.

Funded by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, the film was shot in south of Iran and features an entirely local cast, with no established stars.

It is about a rural schoolteacher who loses sight of his own morality and sanity as he questions the divergent needs of his young (and old) charges as a slow-burning bonfire of moral vanities unfolding in a land beset by poverty and bureaucracy.

“In a parched badland village that looks like the end of the world, Solan is the only teacher. After years of enduring the poorly paid temporary job, he holds one modest dream - to become a full-time teacher and to live in a proper house with his mother. But everything begins to unravel with the death of the benefactor who had funded the school’s meal program. If the meals stop, most of the students will stop coming, and the school’s closure becomes inevitable. The education office offers no real help, only an order to keep the classes running. Desperate, Solan withdraws his rental deposit, moves into the school, and begins a precarious double life as a teacher by day and oil smuggler by night. And through it all, his mother stays by his side, quietly trusting him,” a synopsis for the movie reads.

On February 28, the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan Province, was struck by missiles as the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran.

Dozens of children aged 7 to 12, along with their teachers, were killed when the building collapsed, leaving 168 dead and at least 95 wounded.

This year's BIFF is the first since the International Federation of Film Producers Associations designated Busan as one of its 17 A-list festivals. The winner of the Busan Award for best film qualifies for submission to the Oscars for best international feature.

The Busan International Film Festival, held annually in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia.

Its main focus is to introduce new films and first-time directors, especially those from Asian countries. Another notable feature is the appeal of the festival to young people, both in terms of the large youthful audience it attracts and through its efforts to develop and promote young talent.

The 31st BIFF started on October 6 and will run until October 15.