Director: Roghaye Tavakkoli
Cast: Sara Bahrami, Sajjad Esmaeili, Jamal Dehghan, Morteza Nasimsobhan
To Faghat Madare Man Bash is a 2016 Iranian short drama directed by Roghaye Tavakkoli, running just sixteen minutes but carrying the full emotional weight of a feature. The film centers on a mother standing at a crossroads between her role as a parent and her desire for a new life.
What is To Faghat Madare Man Bash about?
Sarah has moved on after her marriage ended, building a life alongside a new partner. But her young son refuses to accept this man in their home, viewing every moment shared between his mother and her companion as a betrayal. Torn between the love she carries for her child and the connection she has found for herself, Sarah faces an impossible choice. The film unfolds almost entirely in the quiet spaces of a small apartment, where glances, silences, and small gestures carry more weight than any spoken argument. Tavakkoli strips the story down to its emotional core, asking what a mother owes to herself when her child's happiness demands she give that self up.
Cast & crew
Roghaye Tavakkoli directs with restraint and confidence rare for a short-form work. Sara Bahrami, one of contemporary Iranian cinema's most versatile performers, anchors the film as Sarah, conveying vulnerability and determination in equal measure. Sajjad Esmaeili plays the son, and Jamal Dehghan and Morteza Nasimsobhan round out the cast in supporting roles.
Context & significance
Iranian short films rarely reach diaspora audiences, yet they often distill the tensions of modern Persian life more honestly than longer commercial productions. To Faghat Madare Man Bash speaks directly to women navigating the competing expectations placed on them as mothers, partners, and individuals — a dynamic familiar to Iranian families whether they live in Tehran or Toronto. The film belongs to a strand of quiet, domestic Iranian drama that draws its power from what is left unsaid, trusting the viewer to read emotion through performance rather than dialogue. For diaspora viewers who grew up watching the friction between tradition and personal longing play out inside their own homes, this sixteen-minute film will feel much larger than its runtime.
Where & how to watch
To Faghat Madare Man Bash is available on K-Time with original Persian audio. Stream it on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no extra download required, and no geo-blocking for viewers outside Iran. Cancel anytime.