IMDb 7.1 1970 HD

The Bread and Alley

The Bread and Alley

1970
Drama Family
12 min NR Iran
6.5 / 10
7.1 IMDB

After returning from an errand to get bread, a young boy encounters a dog that frightens him making the journey to get home more difficult than he could’ve…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Abbas Kiarostami / Arapik Baghdasarian
Starring
Reza Hashemi / Mehdi Shahravanfar

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

unnerving tense atmospheric poignant unsettling vulnerable suspenseful thoughtful stark effective challenging

Reviews

I
Isabelle Moreau
May 25, 2026
4.5 / 5
4.5

‘The Bread and Alley’ is a remarkably effective piece that distils the essence of childhood fear into a potent cinematic experience. The simple act of a boy retrieving bread becomes an epic struggle when a dog enters the…

A
Arthur Pendelton
May 25, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

This 1970s offering, 'The Bread and Alley', presents a focused, character-driven examination of fear. The story of a boy’s simple errand for bread becoming a source of intense distress after encountering a dog is handled with a deliberate…

G
Genevieve Dubois
May 25, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

‘The Bread and Alley’ is a masterclass in building suspense through minimal means. The narrative, centred on a young boy’s fraught trip for bread, is a testament to the power of atmosphere. The unexpected confrontation with a dog…

M
Marcus Bellweather
May 25, 2026
2.0 / 5
2.0

A deceptively simple premise, 'The Bread and Alley' attempts to mine profound unease from a child's fear of a dog. The journey for bread becomes an ordeal, and whilst the intention to create tension is clear, the execution…

E
Eleanor Vance
May 25, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

This starkly realised short film, 'The Bread and Alley', offers a potent exploration of childhood fear. The narrative, a simple errand gone awry due to an encounter with a dog, is elevated by a palpable sense of dread.…

FAQs

The film portrays the boy's journey as one that becomes significantly more difficult than anticipated. Initially a simple errand to procure bread, the encounter with a dog transforms the familiar path into a source of fear and struggle. This suggests a focus on the psychological impact of the event, emphasizing the boy's internal experience and the ways in which fear can alter perception.