“Iqbal: Tale of a Fearless Child” is an animated feature film loosely based on the worldwide bestseller “Iqbal” by Francesco D’Adamo, first published in Italy by EL Einaudi, then all around the world, including the whole Europe, North and Latin America, Korea, China and Japan. The screening at the Tirgan Nowruz Festival 2018 is the North American premiere of this film.

The movie is the main part of a big trans-media project about child labor and consequent early school leaving. Many side-projects will be developed for different media: from art to new media through games and education. The Fearless Child project is developed in partnership with international institutions in order to make everyone aware of the huge social topics that the movie deals with.

Synopsis:
Iqbal is a good, talented ten-year old boy who lives in Kardù, a small village somewhere in the world. The adventure of Iqbal starts the day when the doctor prescribes some expensive medicines for Aziz, his elder brother who suffers from pneumonia. Because there is no money, Iqbal decides to go to the market in Mapur to sell some of his beloved little goats. In Mapur he meets Hakeem, a treacherous but kind swindler, who offers to buy the medicines for Aziz: in return Iqbal will have to work in his friend Guzman’s rugs factory. How long will Iqbal have to work? We don’t know the answer. As Guzman becomes aware of Iqbal’s skills,the little child is forced to live in a dirty and cold warehouse and work hard to create a precious Blue Bangapur. Here Iqbal meets a group of young workers: Fatima, Emerson, Maria, Ben, Salman and Karim, All of whom have similar stories caused by poverty. Iqbal has no choice but to start weaving his rug while thinking about how to get out of this terrible situation. After a natural initial mistrust, Iqbal’s relationship with his companions becomes friendlier and the group of children becomes aware of their condition of “forever slaves”. When Iqbal comes to understand that his debt will never, ever be paid off, he starts planning a way to set himself and his friends free and go back home…

Crew:
Direction: Michel Fuzellier and Babak Payami
Screenplay: Paolo Bonaldi, Lara Fremder, Michel Fuzellier, Babak Payami
Production: Gertie srl, 2d3D Animantion, Montparnasse Productions
Executive Producer: Franco Serra
Producer: Franco Serra, Fulvia Serra, Florent Mounier, Malika Brahmi, Renaud Delourme
Music: Patrizio Fariselli. The final song “Efstratios” is sung by Petra Magoni
Characters: Michel Fuzellier and Chiara Molinari