Director: Mahmoud Ahadinia
Cast: Naeim Bazrkar, Naseh Kamkar, Reza Amoozad, Shahnoosh Shahbazzadeh, Sima Khezr Abadi
Tatilat is a 2016 Iranian short film directed by Mahmoud Ahadinia, running approximately 25 minutes. It is a quiet domestic drama that centers on a family navigating the weight of financial necessity and the delicate art of protecting a loved one from painful truths.
What is Tatilat about?
A family faces an urgent medical situation: their son requires an operation, and the cost falls beyond their immediate reach. The only viable source of funds belongs to the mother of the household — yet her emotional state makes the truth a burden too heavy to place on her shoulders. The family must find a way to raise the money they need while carefully keeping the mother in the dark, managing her feelings and their own anxiety simultaneously. The story unfolds across ordinary domestic spaces, building quiet tension as each family member tries to hold things together without letting the facade crack.
Cast & crew
The film is directed by Mahmoud Ahadinia and features a cast of five performers: Naeim Bazrkar, Naseh Kamkar, Reza Amoozad, Shahnoosh Shahbazzadeh, and Sima Khezr Abadi. Together they portray a close-knit family unit under pressure, bringing understated, naturalistic performances to a story rooted in everyday Iranian domestic life.
Context & significance
Iranian short cinema has long served as a training ground for socially engaged storytelling, and Tatilat fits squarely within that tradition. The film speaks to a familiar tension in Iranian family culture: the instinct to shield elders from worry, even at personal cost. For diaspora viewers, this dynamic carries deep resonance — the unspoken agreements within families, the silent negotiations around money and illness, and the lengths people go to preserve a parent's peace of mind. At 25 minutes, the film achieves the economy of form that Iranian short filmmakers are known for: no wasted scene, every moment purposeful. It offers a window into a recognizable human situation refracted through a distinctly Iranian domestic lens.
Where & how to watch
Tatilat is available to watch on K-Time with original Persian audio — no extra download required, no VPN, no geo-blocking. Stream it on your TV, phone, or directly in your browser. A subscription gives you access to the full catalog; cancel anytime.