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Seeing life differently
I
n the fi lm Th e Colour of Paradise, Iranian
director and screenwriter Majid Majidi
introduces us to Mohammad, a delightful and
sensitive eight-year-old boy. Every summer, he
excitedly leaves Tehran’s Blind Institute in order
to spend his holiday at home with his father and
grandmother. Due to his inability to physically see,
Mohammad has developed the capacity to look
at life through the eyes of his heart. As someone
who is fi lled with life, he is continually exploring
that which is going on around him. Mohammad
is treasured by his grandmother, but not by his
father. During a summer that should have seen
Mohammad fl ourishing in the countryside around
his home he is sadly taken away and placed as
an apprentice to a blind carpenter. Mohammad’s
father, whose marriage is fast approaching, sees
his son as an obstacle and is keen to offl oad him
as quickly as possible. Despite being the father of
a child who is caught up in the awe and wonder of
that which surrounds him, Mohammad’s father
is a man who cannot see the treasure in front of
his own eyes. Th ere is incredible power in being
thankful. What psychology teaches us is that
opening your eyes to the many good things that
surround you and then savouring them gives you
the capacity to nourish your soul and develop your
happiness muscles.