Director: Parviz Shahbazi
Cast: Negar Javaherian, Houman Seyedi, Tannaz Tabatabaie, Hoda Zeynolabedin, Mehrdad Sedighiyan
Tala is a 2020 Iranian drama film directed by Parviz Shahbazi, running 83 minutes. Set against the pressures of everyday life in Tehran, it follows Mansour, a man navigating financial ambition, family ties, and the moral tensions that arise when opportunity and obligation collide.
What is Tala about?
Mansour is at a crossroads. Drawn into a business arrangement with three other individuals, he finds himself pulled between his own aspirations and the claims others make on his time, loyalty, and conscience. A visit to his brother's daughter — and the weight of family expectations — complicates every calculation he tries to make. As the plan unfolds, the gap between what Mansour hoped for and what he must confront grows wider. Shahbazi keeps the focus intimate, letting the drama breathe through small interactions and loaded silences rather than dramatic confrontation. The film examines how ordinary people become entangled in arrangements they did not fully anticipate, and what it costs them to stay the course.
Cast & crew
Director Parviz Shahbazi is a respected voice in Iranian independent cinema, known for grounded social dramas. Negar Javaherian leads the cast alongside Houman Seyedi, Tannaz Tabatabaie, Hoda Zeynolabedin, Mehrdad Sedighiyan, and Ehteram Broumand — an ensemble with deep roots in both theatre and Iranian film and television.
Context & significance
Iranian social dramas of the 2010s and early 2020s built a distinctive tradition around characters caught between collective duty and individual desire — a tension that resonates strongly with diaspora viewers who have navigated similar pressures across cultures. Tala sits in this lineage: a Tehran-set story about money, family, and the quiet weight of obligation. For Persian-speaking audiences abroad, this kind of everyday realism offers both familiarity and perspective, a mirror held up to a world they know intimately even from a distance. Shahbazi's restrained directorial style invites viewers to read between the lines, which rewards patient, attentive watching.
Where & how to watch
Tala is available to watch on K-Time with original Persian audio. Stream it on your TV, phone, or in your browser — no extra download or VPN required. Start a subscription and cancel anytime.