Director: Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian
Cast: Saed Soheili, hadi hejazifar, Hamid Farokhnezhad, Nader Soleymani
Lottery is a 2018 Iranian drama film directed by Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian, following two young Iranians whose plans for a shared future abroad unravel when fate intervenes in ways neither of them anticipated. The film runs 114 minutes and blends romantic drama with social commentary.
What is Lottery about?
Two young people — a man and a woman — share a dream that many Iranians recognize: building a life outside their country, together. They make plans, nurture hopes, and prepare for departure. But before those plans can take root, a series of unexpected events disrupts the woman's path in a way that casts doubt over everything. The film follows both characters as they grapple with the gap between what they imagined their futures would look like and what actually unfolds. Mahdavian keeps the focus intimate, grounding the story in the texture of everyday Iranian urban life rather than grand dramatic gesture.
Cast & crew
Director Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian is an Iranian filmmaker known for grounded, character-driven work. The lead cast includes Saed Soheili, Hadi Hejazifar, Hamid Farokhnezhad, and Nader Soleymani — all established names in Iranian cinema whose presence gives the film a recognizable ensemble weight.
Context & significance
Stories about young Iranians navigating the desire to emigrate have a particular resonance for diaspora audiences who have lived exactly that crossroads — or watched siblings and friends face it. Lottery taps into that shared emotional memory: the paperwork, the waiting, the relationships strained by uncertainty about which direction life will go. Iranian drama of this era often uses emigration as a lens to examine what people leave behind, what they carry with them, and whether the destination ever fully delivers on its promise. For Persian-speaking viewers outside Iran, this kind of domestic social drama can feel both like looking back at a familiar world and forward at how their own story diverged from the one on screen.
Where & how to watch
Lottery is available on K-Time in its original Persian audio. Watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, no extra download required. Subscription is flexible; cancel anytime.