Abbas, known as "Abbas Chakhan," is a driver’s apprentice who is alone and has a stutter, constantly weaving tall tales. One night, he accidentally meets Banafsheh, who has ended up in a notorious neighborhood in search of her dreams, yet she is still determined to free herself from that place and have a home of her own. Abbas promises Banafsheh that he will help her. After she learns that Abbas has been imprisoned due to a small debt, she borrows money from a loan shark named Mohammad, known as "Mohammad the Dagger," to free Abbas.
Acting
Behrouz Vossoughi's stutter is devastatingly specific, never showy.
Direction
Gole shoots Tehran's shadows like they're swallowing people whole.
Writing
Abbas's lies accumulate like interest on a debt he can't pay.
Director
Fereydoun Gole
Behrouz Vossoughi
Abbas Haj-Ebram
Forouzan
Banafsheh
Hosein Gil
Mohammad "Mammad" Deshneh (The Dagger)
Ebrahim Naderi
Ahmad Beidagh
Jalal Pishvaian
Gholam Zanjir
Yadi
Ghasem
Hassan Rezai
Mammad Alaki
Reza Hajian
Reza
Hossein Shahab
Hossein
Farhad Hamidi
Snitch
Nariman Shirifard
Gholam's Friend
Esmail Shirazi
Gholamreza
Giti Forouhar
Abbas' Aunt
Gholam-Reza Sarkoob
Abdollah
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Pre-revolution Iranian cinema often used melodrama to smuggle class critique past censors; this was Gole's third collaboration with Vossoughi, the era's biggest star.
The 'notorious neighborhood' was filmed in southern Tehran's actual red-light district, since demolished—making this unintentional documentary footage.
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