Director: Ebrahim Hatamikia

Cast: Jalil Farjad, Reza Asadi, Ali Gholami

Hoviyat is a 1987 Iranian drama-war film directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia, running 92 minutes. Set against the backdrop of the Iran-Iraq War era, it follows one man's crisis of conscience and the unsettling loss of self after an ordinary road journey turns into something far beyond his control.

What is Hoviyat about?

Nasser Pooyan sets out on a casual trip to northern Iran with friends, but the carefree mood shatters when his motorcycle strikes a child. Haunted by guilt, he separates from the group and drives back toward Tehran alone. On that solitary return journey, a second accident claims his consciousness. When an ambulance crew responds, they transport him — by misdirection — to a field hospital treating war casualties. Nasser awakens unable to recall who he is. The medical staff, determined to restore his sense of self, work alongside the wounded soldiers surrounding him. Piece by piece, questions of identity, duty, and moral responsibility begin to surface in unexpected ways.

Cast & crew

The film is directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia, one of the most respected voices in Iranian war cinema, known for his morally probing approach to the genre. The cast features Jalil Farjad, Reza Asadi, and Ali Gholami — established figures in post-revolution Iranian film — who lend the story its grounded, intimate register.

Context & significance

Released in 1987 while the Iran-Iraq War was still ongoing, Hoviyat belongs to a generation of Iranian films that looked inward rather than outward — less concerned with battlefield spectacle than with psychological and ethical weight. Hatamikia would go on to define this introspective strand of war drama in Iranian cinema. For diaspora viewers, the film offers a window into how that period was processed artistically inside Iran, raising questions about memory, guilt, and belonging that carry meaning well beyond the historical moment.

Where & how to watch

Hoviyat is available to stream on K-Time. The film is in original Persian audio with no Persian dubbing. Watch on your browser, TV, or phone — no VPN required, no geo-blocking, cancel anytime.