On the streets of Kabul, a child dreams of making it big. Will a chance encounter with a foreigner bring his shot at stardom closer?

Spirited nine-year-old Hewad yearns to become a movie star or filmmaker. He practises his craft whenever he can, auditioning and directing other kids in his spare moments between peddling pomegranates and amulets to support his family. As their sole breadwinner following the martyrdom of his father and older brother, Hewad takes his adult responsibilities seriously – but when he meets an Australian photographer who gifts him a camera, it may just be the turning point he needs.

Based on a true story and filmed on location in Kabul, When Pomengranates Howl is the poignant and compassionate new feature from the Iranian-Australian writer/director of My Tehran for Sale. Here, Granaz Moussavi elicits remarkable performances from her young, non-professional cast – particularly Arafat Faiz in the role of Hewad – while the gorgeous lensing by Behrouz Badrouj lends this touching, shattering film a radiant vitality.

“Poetically-inflected … It left many of us in the audience stunned.” – Senses of Cinema