Director: Nima Javidi
Cast: Navid Mohammadzadeh, Parinaz Izadyar, Setareh Pesyani
Sorkhpost is a 2019 Iranian drama-mystery film directed by Nima Javidi, set almost entirely within the walls of an aging prison on the eve of its demolition. Running 87 minutes, it frames a procedural search for a missing inmate as an inquiry into institutional memory and the lives left behind.
What is Sorkhpost about?
An old prison is scheduled to be torn down to make way for an airport expansion. As officers under the command of Major Jahed work through the final transfer of inmates to a newer facility, a discrepancy surfaces: one prisoner cannot be accounted for. The search to locate this individual forces the staff to reckon with files, records, and histories accumulated over decades inside those walls. What begins as administrative procedure gradually reveals layers of forgotten stories, raising questions about who the missing man truly is and why he has disappeared on the very last night.
Cast & crew
Director Nima Javidi is known for his carefully constructed narratives and measured visual style. Lead actor Navid Mohammadzadeh, one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Iranian cinema, plays Major Jahed, anchoring the film's procedural tension. Parinaz Izadyar and Setareh Pesyani round out the principal cast, bringing texture to the human stories that emerge within the confined setting.
Context & significance
Sorkhpost belongs to a tradition of Iranian films that use a closed, institutional space — here, a prison — as both literal setting and metaphorical frame. For diaspora audiences familiar with Iranian cinema's tendency to work within constraint, the film's near-single-location structure and slow-burn pacing will feel recognizable. The story sits at the intersection of bureaucratic procedural and character study, genres that have historically found a receptive audience among Persian-speaking viewers who appreciate restraint over spectacle. The prison-demolition backdrop gives the narrative a built-in sense of finality and erasure that resonates beyond its immediate plot.
Where & how to watch
Sorkhpost is available to stream on K-Time with original Persian audio. Watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and no extra download required. Start or cancel anytime.