ملا خدیجه و بچهها Directed by Ebrahim Mokhtari • 1996 • Iran When the sun is high in the sky and summer unfolds in Mehriz, a village Southeast of Teheran, a group of children attends a summer school class by the elder Mrs. Khadijeh. This dedicated teacher manages to put timid children at ease, console a crying girl and quiet down pestering brats. ‘Be nice to each other,‘ she often repeats. She shows her affection by handing out sweets when one of the girls has learned to read the first lines from the Koran. During the break, she even climbs a tree to pick some figs, and the children tumble over each other to get hold of one. When a boy pays her a visit, she friendly yet coercively asks him to keep her company; she appears to need the children just as badly as they need her.