Director: Jafar Panahi

Cast: Jafar Panahi, Vahid Mobasseri, Bakhtiyar Panjeei

Khers is a 2020 Iranian drama-romance film directed by Jafar Panahi, running 106 minutes. The film presents two separate love stories unfolding under the weight of circumstance, social convention, and forces that resist the characters' desires. It was made in Iran and carries an IMDb rating of 7.3.

What is Khers about?

The film follows two distinct romantic storylines, each shaped by its own set of hidden barriers. In the first, a couple's bond is tested by deeply ingrained superstition that neither fully understands nor can easily set aside. In the second, the structure of power itself — the unspoken rules that govern relationships and decisions — stands between two people. Neither story resolves through simple confrontation; instead, the film observes how quiet, almost invisible forces determine the outcomes of personal lives. The characters navigate their situations with patience, uncertainty, and restraint, and the camera stays close to their hesitations and silences.

Cast & crew

Khers is directed by Jafar Panahi, one of Iran's most internationally recognized filmmakers, known for a body of work that operates within close observation of everyday Iranian life. The film features Vahid Mobasseri and Bakhtiyar Panjeei in leading roles alongside Panahi himself, who appears on screen. The three performers ground the film's two storylines in naturalistic, understated performances.

Context & significance

For Iranian diaspora viewers, Panahi's films carry particular weight — his work has consistently focused on the textures of ordinary life in Iran, especially the lives of women, families, and people caught between personal feeling and structural constraint. Khers continues this approach in its genre of quiet, observational drama. Viewers familiar with Iranian cinema's tradition of realist storytelling will recognize the pacing and visual restraint. The film's dual-narrative structure invites comparison with other Iranian productions that use parallel plots to illuminate broader social dynamics, making it a thoughtful entry point for those exploring contemporary Persian-language cinema.

Where & how to watch

Khers is available to stream on K-Time with original Persian audio and subtitles. You can watch on the web, your TV, or your phone — no VPN required, no geo-blocking, and cancel anytime. No extra download is needed to get started.