Director: Dariush Mehrjui
Cast: Nancy Kovack, Reza Fazelli, Taghi Zohuri, Marina Mater, Zackaria Hashemi
Almas 33 is a 1966 Iranian mystery-drama film directed by Dariush Mehrjui, one of the earliest entries in Iranian genre cinema. Set in Tehran, it follows an Interpol agent drawn into a dangerous investigation after a scientist is murdered for a formula that could transform crude oil into diamonds.
What is Almas 33 about?
When a Tehran professor is found dead, the secret he carried dies with him — or so his killers believe. The murdered scientist had quietly developed a revolutionary formula capable of synthesizing diamonds from petroleum, a discovery worth far more than its weight. Interpol dispatches the professor's own nephew, himself a trained operative, to the Iranian capital to recover the formula before it falls into the wrong hands. Navigating an unfamiliar city full of shadows, shifting loyalties, and suspects, the agent must piece together what happened while staying one step ahead of the people who arranged the murder. The film builds tension across Tehran's streets and interiors, weaving espionage procedural beats with a thriller's mounting dread.
Cast & crew
The film was directed by Dariush Mehrjui, who would later become one of the defining voices of the Iranian New Wave. The cast includes Reza Fazelli and Taghi Zohuri in pivotal roles alongside Nancy Kovack, Marina Mater, Zackaria Hashemi, Nersi Korkia, Katayun Amir Ebrahimi, and Hamide Kheyrabadi — a broad ensemble that grounds the intrigue in recognizable Iranian faces of the era.
Context & significance
Released in 1966, Almas 33 arrives at a fascinating crossroads in pre-revolution Iranian cinema, when genre filmmaking — spy thrillers, mysteries, action pictures — was beginning to assert itself alongside the literary drama tradition. For diaspora viewers, the film offers a vivid window into mid-century Tehran: its streets, its social fabric, and the geopolitical anxieties that made espionage stories resonate. Mehrjui, who would go on to direct the landmark Gav (The Cow) just three years later, displays an early command of suspense and atmosphere. Watching Almas 33 today is as much a historical experience as an entertainment one — a rare surviving artifact of the genre cinema Iran produced before the revolution reshaped everything.
Where & how to watch
Almas 33 is available on K-Time with original Persian audio. Watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and no extra download required. Start or cancel anytime.