Director: Shapoor Gharib

Cast: Googoosh, Behrouz Vossoughi, Hamide Kheyrabadi, Asghar Semsarzade

Mamal Amrikaiy is a 1975 Iranian drama-comedy film directed by Shapoor Gharib, starring two of pre-revolution Persian cinema's biggest names — Behrouz Vossoughi and Googoosh. Running 75 minutes, it follows a restless young man whose obsession with emigrating to America pulls him into a series of comic and bittersweet misadventures.

What is Mamal Amrikaiy about?

A restless young man in Tehran is consumed by one dream: making it to America. With no legitimate path to the funds he needs, he turns to petty theft, scraping together whatever he can while dodging the consequences of his choices. His plans begin to shift when he crosses paths with a wealthy young woman whose world seems to be everything he has been chasing from a distance. The encounter forces him to weigh what he truly wants — the fantasy of a faraway life or a connection that is right in front of him. The film keeps the tone light on the surface while letting deeper questions about aspiration, class, and belonging simmer underneath.

Cast & crew

Behrouz Vossoughi, one of the defining actors of Iranian golden-age cinema, carries the lead with his signature blend of earnest charm and working-class grit. Googoosh, already a household name across Iran as a singer and actress, brings warmth and poise to the wealthy love interest. Supporting roles are filled by Hamide Kheyrabadi and Asghar Semsarzade, familiar faces of the 1970s Iranian screen.

Context & significance

Made in 1975, just a few years before the revolution reshaped Iranian society, Mamal Amrikaiy captures a cultural moment when the idea of emigrating to the West — and to America in particular — was a potent fantasy for many young Iranians. The film plays that longing for gentle laughs, but underneath the comedy sits a portrait of class tension and unfulfilled ambition that still resonates with diaspora viewers. For Iranians who eventually did make that journey abroad, the film reads as both nostalgia and irony — a reminder of how large America loomed in the imagination long before the political ruptures that would make migration a necessity for so many families.

Where & how to watch

Mamal Amrikaiy is available on K-Time in its original Persian audio. You can watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and no extra download required. Start or cancel your subscription anytime.