Karim (Reza Naji) works in an ostrich farm and lives with his wife, two daughters and a son in a village close to Tehran.
Karim realises that his daughter needs a new hearing aid. Around the same time, he also loses his job when an ostrich escapes the farm.
Karim starts to commute everyday to Tehran on his motorbike and earn some money by transporting people and goods around the city.
In the Song of Sparrows, Majid Majidi captures the struggles of providing for a family. He portrays real human struggles through Karim’s life and a man’s unyielding efforts to make sure people around him are happy.
In the quest to make a living, Karim is also faced with moral conflicts – some options are easier, but not easy on his conscience. Cities present lucrative opportunities that are even more attractive to a man from a village. But in the end, how much worth do they have?
Majidi’s beautiful stroke to Karim’s life full of hard work is his son and his friends – a group of little boys who are obsessed with gold fish and they are convinced that they can become millionaires by selling them. One of the most touching scenes in the movie involve them and a broken tank of fish -- or dreams.
But life goes on. As it always does.
This movie is a spiritual journey that teaches value for hard work, human relationships and acceptance.