Selfi Ba Rostam (Selfie with Rostam) is a 2018 Iranian comedy film written, directed, and produced by Hossein Zvanat. The film centers on the absurd encounter between an ordinary Iranian and the legendary mythological hero Rostam, mining that collision for laughs and cultural reflection.
What is Selfi Ba Rostam about?
When a modern, selfie-obsessed Iranian man somehow comes face to face with Rostam — the great warrior hero from the ancient Persian epic Shahnameh — chaos and comedy follow. The film plays the premise straight: a contemporary nobody meets a legendary giant, and neither quite knows what to do with the other. Misunderstandings pile up as ancient heroism collides with smartphone culture, leaving both the hero and the hapless modern man struggling to navigate a world neither fully recognizes. The story unfolds as a series of escalating comic situations rooted in the absurd gap between Iran's mythological past and its present-day everyday life.
Cast & crew
Hossein Zvanat serves as writer, director, and producer on this project, making it a deeply personal single-vision work. The brief does not list additional credited cast, but the film's comedic premise suggests strong central performances anchoring the contrast between ancient epic grandeur and modern mundane awkwardness.
Context & significance
For the Iranian diaspora, Rostam is far more than a fictional character — he is the heartbeat of Persian cultural identity, the invincible hero of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, a figure every Iranian child grows up knowing. A comedy that places this mythic giant inside contemporary Iran carries an immediate charge for Persian-speaking viewers wherever they live. The film taps into a rich tradition of Iranian comic storytelling that uses the clash between tradition and modernity as its engine. For diaspora audiences who hold both worlds simultaneously — the Iran of memory and the Iran of today — this premise lands with particular resonance, offering humor and a quiet ache of cultural recognition all at once.
Where & how to watch
Selfi Ba Rostam is available now on K-Time, the streaming platform built for the Iranian diaspora. Watch in the original Persian audio with Persian dubbing included. Stream on any web browser, connected TV, or phone — no VPN required, no geo-blocking, cancel anytime.