Director: Dariush Mehrjui
Cast: Ezzatolah Entezami, Mehdi Asadi, Hamid Jebeli, Farzaneh Kaboli
Shirak is a 1988 Iranian drama film directed by Dariush Mehrjui, set in the agricultural heartland of rural Iran. Following a young boy forced into sudden manhood after a tragedy, the film weaves social observation with symbolic storytelling rooted in the rhythms of village life.
What is Shirak about?
In a small farming village surrounded by fields and wilderness, a pack of wild boars has become a persistent threat to crops and livelihoods. When the animals attack during harvest and the boy Shirak loses his father, the weight of the household falls entirely on his young shoulders. Refusing to surrender to fear or poverty, Shirak sets out on a patient, determined mission — working the date palms to earn enough to buy a guard dog from a neighbor. What follows is a quiet story of resilience: a boy and his dog standing between a fragile community and the dangers pressing in from the wild edge of their land.
Cast & crew
The film is directed by Dariush Mehrjui, one of the defining figures of Iranian New Wave cinema, whose socially conscious work gave Persian film a distinctive literary sensibility. Veteran actor Ezzatolah Entezami anchors the adult world of the village, while Mehdi Asadi, Hamid Jebeli, and Farzaneh Kaboli round out the ensemble cast.
Context & significance
Mehrjui's Shirak arrives near the end of a decade scarred by war and economic hardship, and the film carries that weight without ever turning didactic. For diaspora viewers, it offers an intimate portrait of rural Iranian life that feels simultaneously documentary and mythic — the kind of landscape their parents or grandparents would recognize. The story of a child absorbing adult burdens speaks to a broadly felt Iranian cultural experience: dignity maintained through work, community preserved through individual sacrifice. Watching Shirak is a way of reconnecting with an Iran that predates conflict, one defined by the slow seasons of farming villages rather than headlines.
Where & how to watch
Shirak is available to watch on K-Time in its original Persian audio. Stream on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and you can cancel anytime.