Director: Reza Nejati

Cast: Hootan Shakiba, Siavash Cheraghipour

Erfagh is a 2021 Iranian short drama film directed by Reza Nejati, running seventeen minutes and centered on the tense, morally charged relationship between a student, his friend, and the math teacher they decide to act against. A compact portrait of classroom power and conscience.

What is Erfagh Short about?

Two students share a plan: they intend to work together against their math teacher, a figure of authority who looms large over their school lives. As the scheme unfolds across the film's brief runtime, the gap between youthful frustration and real consequence grows harder to ignore. Nejati keeps the camera close, letting small gestures and hesitations carry the moral weight that dialogue might otherwise spell out. The film resists easy conclusions, leaving the viewer to sit with the question of who, ultimately, carries the blame.

Cast & crew

Director Reza Nejati helms this short with a steady, observational hand. Lead actor Hootan Shakiba brings quiet intensity to the central student role, while Siavash Cheraghipour provides a grounded counterpoint as the companion drawn into the plan. Both performances are restrained, which suits the film's intimate, close-quarters tension.

Context & significance

Short films occupy a vital space in contemporary Iranian cinema — festivals at home and abroad have long recognized the country's short-form talent as a proving ground for emerging directors. Erfagh fits squarely in that tradition: a tight social drama that uses the school setting as a microcosm for examining authority, loyalty, and moral accountability. For diaspora audiences who grew up navigating similar institutional pressures, the dynamics on screen will feel immediately recognizable, even across cultural distance. At seventeen minutes, the film demands little time but rewards close attention, the kind of compact storytelling that Iranian short cinema has refined over decades.

Where & how to watch

Erfagh is available on K-Time with original Persian audio. No VPN is needed and there is no geo-blocking — you can watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone. Subscription plans include a cancel-anytime option.