Director: Mostafa Kiyai
Cast: Parviz Parastoi, Mohsen Kiyai, Elnaz Shakerdoust, Mehran Ahmadi, Ayeshegol Joushkan
Motreb is a 2020 Iranian comedy film directed by Mostafa Kiyai, starring Parviz Parastoi as a traditional street entertainer — a motreb — whose old-world charm collides with the demands and absurdities of modern Iranian life in a warmly comedic road adventure.
What is Motreb about?
A weathered motreb — a wandering Persian singer and entertainer — receives an unexpected invitation to perform at a large family gathering far from his city. The journey to get there becomes the real story: misunderstandings pile up, colorful strangers cross his path, and the gap between his nostalgic world and the pace of contemporary life grows wider with every stop. Along the way, the troupe must improvise, haggle, and charm their way through a series of comic predicaments, each one revealing something honest about community, belonging, and what it means to keep a dying art alive in a changed world. The film builds its laughs through character rather than plot mechanics, letting the ensemble breathe and surprise.
Cast & crew
Director Mostafa Kiyai also appears as an actor alongside his celebrated lead Parviz Parastoi, one of Iran's most beloved comic and dramatic performers, known for his ability to play warmth and melancholy simultaneously. Elnaz Shakerdoust and Mehran Ahmadi round out the ensemble, both experienced Iranian screen veterans who bring crisp timing to the comedy.
Context & significance
The motreb — an itinerant entertainer rooted in pre-modern Persian culture — is a figure carrying deep nostalgia for Iranians of all generations. For the diaspora, this archetype connects to a pre-revolution world many families remember through stories, cassette tapes, and faded photographs. Motreb the film uses this figure not as a museum piece but as a living comic device, staging collisions between old sensibilities and new realities that feel both funny and bittersweet. Iranian comedies in this vein — road films built on character ensemble and regional color — have a strong tradition, and Kiyai's entry sits comfortably in that lineage while finding its own gentle rhythm.
Where & how to watch
Motreb is available on K-Time in its original Persian audio. Watch it on your browser, Android TV, or phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and no extra download required. Subscription is flexible; cancel anytime.