Director: Masud Kimiai
Cast: Fariborz Arabnia, Behzad Khodaveisi, Parsa Pirouzfar, Ramin Parchami, Hassan Joharchi
Ziafat is a 1996 Iranian action-drama film directed by Masud Kimiai, following a tight-knit group of seven old friends whose long-awaited reunion unravels into a tense crisis when one of them surfaces as a man on the run, forcing the others to choose between loyalty and law.
What is Ziafat about?
Years ago, seven young men made a pact to gather again at a fixed point in the future. When that day arrives, six of them show up — but Ramin, who has built a career in corporate law, is conspicuously absent. Word reaches the group that he is in serious danger and has gone into hiding at an undisclosed location, sending his wife in his place to keep up the appearance of normalcy. Among those present is Ali, now a police officer, who finds himself caught between his professional duty and his bond with a childhood friend. As old loyalties are tested against present-day obligations, the reunion transforms into an urgent, covert operation to protect one of their own.
Cast & crew
Masud Kimiai, one of Iranian cinema's most enduring figures and a key voice of the pre- and post-revolution era, directs. The ensemble includes Fariborz Arabnia and Parsa Pirouzfar alongside Behzad Khodaveisi, Ramin Parchami, Hassan Joharchi, Yadollah Rezvani, Jalal Pishvaian, and Mehdi Khayyami — a strong gathering of mid-1990s Iranian screen talent.
Context & significance
Masud Kimiai has long been associated with stories of male camaraderie under pressure — films where friendship, honour, and survival collide in urban Iranian settings. Ziafat fits squarely within that tradition. Released in 1996, it reflects a post-war Iranian society still negotiating the meaning of loyalty and justice in everyday life. For diaspora viewers, the film offers a window into a specific cultural register: the close male friendship networks that defined a generation of Iranians, and the moral weight those bonds carried when institutions demanded something different. The thriller structure keeps the pace tight, while Kimiai's characteristic focus on character over spectacle gives the film its emotional grounding.
Where & how to watch
Ziafat is available to stream on K-Time in its original Persian audio. Watch on the web, your TV, or your phone — no VPN required, no geo-blocking, no extra download needed. Start watching with a K-Time subscription and cancel anytime.