Buoyed by an extraordinary performance from Majid Nirumand, “Runner” is an evocative, memorable slice of life drama about an orphaned street kid who lives alone on a beached boat on the edge of the Persian Gulf and who, as the film progresses, attempts a variety of jobs to survive. The first post-revolution Iranian film to be released internationally, Naderi’s film is a beautifully photographed, deceptively simple film which is decidedly sophisticated in the ways it changes mood. Raw in parts, upbeat in others, Runner brilliantly uses striking images and sound to take you right into Amiro’s world. Winner of the International Critics Prize at the Melbourne Film Festival.