Director: Bayram Fazli
Cast: Nurgul Yesilcay, Farhad Aslani, Moharam Zeynalzadeh, Leila Zare, Leila Mousavi
Jenne Ziba is a 2020 Iranian drama and romance film directed by Bayram Fazli, exploring loneliness, compassion, and unexpected human connection through the story of a psychiatric hospital worker who finds purpose again by helping a forgotten patient reunite with her child.
What is Jenne Ziba about?
Yadollah, a middle-aged man employed at a psychiatric facility, is quietly rebuilding his life after the death of his wife. Returning each evening to an empty house full of old memories, he moves through his days with little sense of direction. Everything changes when he encounters Delaram, a woman in the ward whose singular wish is to see her only child one more time. Something in her quiet persistence moves him, and he begins quietly working to make her wish possible — a decision that will challenge what he believes about care, duty, and human connection.
Cast & crew
Farhad Aslani, one of Iran's most respected dramatic actors, brings understated gravity to the role of Yadollah. Nurgul Yesilcay, known across the region for powerful emotional performances, plays Delaram with restraint and depth. The supporting ensemble — including Leila Zare, Leila Mousavi, Ali Jafari, Meysam Pouyanfar, and Ghazal Farid — rounds out the film's intimate world.
Context & significance
Films set inside Iran's mental health institutions have long served as a mirror for broader social silences — loneliness, the way modern life severs family ties, and the invisibility of the elderly and forgotten. Jenne Ziba (literally 'Beautiful Genie') sits within a tradition of quiet Iranian social dramas that favor stillness and earned emotion over plot machinery. For diaspora viewers, the film speaks to themes of displacement and unfinished relationships that resonate across borders. Director Bayram Fazli brings a careful, observational approach, allowing mood and setting to carry as much weight as dialogue.
Where & how to watch
Jenne Ziba is available on K-Time with original Persian audio. No VPN is needed and there is no geo-blocking — watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone. Subscription includes the full K-Time catalog; cancel anytime.