Director: Mohammadreza Yekani
Cast: حسین عابدینی، رایحه تیموری، بهنوش بختیاری، شیدا یوسفی، حشمت آرمیده، فاطمه شکری، اکرم علمدار، تیمور عباسی، متین مصطفوی، خسروشیری، شروان یکانی، مهرزاد نصیرزاده، کسری محمدی، مهسا مولائیان، مسعود براتی، مسعود شهری، شیما حکیم پور، سیامک سلطانی، علی اصغر ایزی،
Shahre Doodi is a 2020 Iranian drama film directed by Mohammadreza Yekani, running 104 minutes. Set in Tehran, it follows a grieving man from the provinces who arrives in the capital seeking work and unexpectedly finds himself at the center of new and life-altering circumstances.
What is Shahre Doodi about?
Mohsen, having lost his wife and child, leaves his hometown and travels to Tehran in search of employment and perhaps a new beginning. The crowded, smoke-filled city of the title stands in stark contrast to the quieter world he has left behind. In Tehran, Mohsen crosses paths with a young woman named Malina. What begins as an ordinary acquaintance gradually opens doors to a series of unforeseen developments that will challenge how Mohsen understands grief, belonging, and the possibility of moving forward. The film centers on character and atmosphere, tracing how one man navigates loss and connection in an unfamiliar urban landscape.
Cast & crew
Mohammadreza Yekani directs an ensemble that includes Hossein Abedini and Rayheh Teymouri in key roles, alongside Behnoush Bakhtiari, Shida Yousefi, Heshmat Armideh, Fatemeh Shokri, and Akram Alamdar. The production draws on a wide roster of Iranian performers, bringing varied textures to the social world the film depicts.
Context & significance
Iranian family dramas occupy an important place in Persian cinema, and Shahre Doodi falls within a tradition that examines how ordinary people cope with loss and displacement in Tehran's urban environment. For diaspora audiences who grew up watching stories of provincial characters arriving in the capital, this film resonates through its familiar emotional terrain — grief, solitude, and unexpected human connection. The title itself, meaning roughly 'smoky city', evokes Tehran's dense, layered atmosphere. Family drama as a genre in Iranian cinema often uses the city as a mirror for interior states, and this film follows that established approach, offering viewers a grounded, character-focused story set in a recognizable contemporary Iran.
Where & how to watch
Shahre Doodi is available on K-Time in its original Persian audio. Stream it on your web browser, TV, or phone with no VPN required and no geo-blocking. Create an account and cancel anytime.