Director: Mohammad Kasebi
Cast: Majid Majidi, Yahya Divani, Masoud Rahmani
Shena Dar Zemestan (Winter Swimming) is a 1989 Iranian social drama film directed and written by Mohammad Kasebi, featuring a cast that includes Majid Majidi, Yahya Divani, and Masoud Rahmani. The film offers an intimate look at working-class Iranian life through a distinctly humanist lens.
What is Shena Dar Zemestan about?
Set against the cold backdrop of an Iranian winter, the film follows characters whose lives intersect in unexpected ways, bound together by the pressures and quiet dignities of everyday survival. Mohammad Kasebi constructs a slow-burning narrative that foregrounds ordinary people navigating economic hardship, community bonds, and personal longing. The story unfolds with restraint, allowing gestures and silences to carry emotional weight rather than relying on dramatic confrontation. What emerges is a portrait of resilience — of people who keep moving forward even when the season, and life itself, turns harsh.
Cast & crew
The film features Majid Majidi — who would later become one of Iranian cinema's most internationally celebrated directors — in an early acting role. Alongside him, Yahya Divani and Masoud Rahmani contribute grounded, naturalistic performances. Director Mohammad Kasebi, who also authored the screenplay, brings a writer-director's control to the material, shaping performances with precision and empathy.
Context & significance
Shena Dar Zemestan belongs to the tradition of Iranian social realism that flourished in the late 1980s, a period when filmmakers were finding ways to examine everyday life with honesty and compassion. For diaspora viewers, these films carry a particular resonance — they preserve a texture of Iranian domestic life that many recognize from memory or family stories. The inclusion of Majid Majidi in the cast adds historical interest, offering a glimpse of a major figure before his rise as a director. Films from this era often prioritize emotional truth over plot mechanics, making them rewarding for patient, attentive viewers who appreciate character-driven storytelling.
Where & how to watch
Shena Dar Zemestan is available on K-Time with Persian audio. No VPN is required and there is no geo-blocking — stream directly on the web, your TV, or your phone. Subscription is flexible and you can cancel anytime.