Director: Ashkan Masti
Cast: Setare Eskandari, Arya Tavassoli, Amir Ghasemi, Sheida Khaligh, Sina Karami
Chemical is a 2020 Iranian short drama film directed by Ashkan Masti, running approximately 26 minutes. Shot in Iran, the film examines the fluid boundaries between authority and service, staged as a tightly wound psychological study of identity, role-play, and the stories we tell ourselves to justify the positions we hold.
What is Chemical about?
The central character finds herself caught in a loop of self-questioning — was she first a boss who became a teacher, or a teacher who became a boss? This deceptively simple puzzle anchors a story that unsettles assumptions about power and personal narrative. As the protagonist wrestles with her own account of events, the line between what actually happened and what was chosen blurs. Masti frames this ambiguity not as a mystery to be solved but as a condition to be felt, building quiet tension through restraint and carefully controlled performance. The film refuses to offer easy resolution, leaving the central question open in ways that resonate long after the short ends.
Cast & crew
Director Ashkan Masti guides a compact ensemble anchored by Setare Eskandari in the central role, delivering a performance that carries much of the film's psychological weight. Arya Tavassoli, Amir Ghasemi, Sheida Khaligh, and Sina Karami round out the cast, each contributing precise, understated work that complements the film's spare, introspective register.
Context & significance
Iranian short films have long served as a laboratory for the country's most inventive filmmakers — the constraints of the format push directors toward economy and precision. Chemical sits in that tradition, drawing on the psychological drama lineage that has defined Iranian art cinema for decades. For diaspora viewers, short films like this offer a window into contemporary Iranian creative voices working outside the commercial mainstream. At 26 minutes, Chemical is an accessible entry point into serious Iranian cinema — demanding enough to reward attention, compact enough to watch in a single sitting without commitment.
Where & how to watch
Chemical is available on K-Time with original Persian audio. Watch on any web browser, Android TV, or Android phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, no extra download. Sign up once and cancel anytime.