Director: Amir Sadeghi
Cast: Alireza Nasiri, Habib Tajmiri, Iran Masoudi, Mahdi Fathi, Masoumeh Alijani
Anja is a 2021 Iranian drama directed by Amir Sadeghi, set among the Bakhtiari people of Iran's Zagros highlands. Running 70 minutes, the film turns the camera on everyday acts of courage among ordinary men and women whose lives are shaped by a land with a long memory of endurance.
What is Anja about?
In the rugged valleys of the Bakhtiari homeland, life moves to rhythms older than any road or power line. The film follows a group of men and women whose fates are quietly bound together by loyalty, hardship, and the unspoken codes of their community. When circumstances press in from outside, each character is tested in a different way — not through dramatic confrontation, but through small choices that reveal who they truly are. Sadeghi keeps the camera close and observational, letting moments breathe rather than forcing resolution. The result is an intimate portrait of a resilient people holding on to their sense of dignity across generations.
Cast & crew
Director Amir Sadeghi leads an ensemble of largely non-star performers rooted in social-realist tradition. Alireza Nasiri and Habib Tajmiri anchor the male roles, while Iran Masoudi and Masoumeh Alijani carry the emotional weight on the women's side. Mozhgan Mahmoudian and Yousef Safrabakhtiari round out a cast that reads as genuinely communal rather than individually spotlit.
Context & significance
The Bakhtiari are one of Iran's great nomadic confederacies, famed across Persian literature and oral history for a warrior ethos and a deep bond with the landscape of the Zagros mountains. Films made within — or about — this community occupy a distinct corner of Iranian cinema, one that values observation over spectacle. For diaspora viewers who grew up on stories of Iran's tribal regions, Anja offers a rare chance to see that world rendered on screen with care. The 70-minute runtime keeps things focused, making it an accessible entry point even for viewers unfamiliar with the Bakhtiari tradition.
Where & how to watch
Anja is available now on K-Time in its original Persian audio — no dubbing, no subtitles required for Persian-speaking viewers. Watch on your browser, smart TV, or phone with no VPN and no geo-blocking. One subscription covers your whole household; cancel anytime.