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A House Built on Water (2002) movie poster

Plot Summary

A House Built on Water (2002) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2002 · 111 mins · Persian
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Directed by
Bahman Farmanara
Starring
Behnaz Jafari, Ezzatollah Entezami, Mohsen Ghazi Moradi, Mehran Rajabi, Reza Kianian, Bita Farrahi

After a long exile, Bahman Farmanara offers a drama about Dr. Reza Sepidbakht, a Tehran gynecologist who thinks he strikes an angel on a night drive with call girl. The next day he meets a comatose boy who memorized the Qur’an, prompting Reza to rethink strained ties with aging father, wayward son and women he has wronged, seeking guidance when the boy awakens.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in A House Built on Water: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of A House Built on Water (2002) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Dr. Sepidbakht, Reza Kianian, is a middle-aged gynecologist whose life blends warmth with fault lines, a portrait of a man who embodies both kindness and error. From the outset, the film sets a tone that brushes against the surreal and the spiritual, yet more than 90% of the story unfolds in clear, tangible reality. Early on, he accidentally injures a young angel on a road, a moment that signals the film’s attraction to mystery while keeping its feet firmly planted in real-world detail.

A pivotal turn comes when he encounters an eight-year-old boy who has memorized the entire text of the Quran and then suddenly slips into a coma. This extraordinary encounter anchors the narrative in questions about fate, faith, and the limits of medical science. The title’s history adds another layer: the film’s first name was Coma, and director Farman-Ara described the future iterations of the project as “the history of society in collective coma.”

The doctor’s personal arc is defined by a fall from grace rooted in past mistakes and lingering loneliness. He once caused infertility to his secretary-lover, a hurtful act that she cannot forgive, shaping his sense of responsibility and remorse. Against this backdrop, the film casts a broader social gaze, spotlighting troubling currents such as narcotics among youths, prostitution, and the spread of AIDS. In one bruising exchange, the doctor responds to a caller who calls him his last hope with a stark line that crystallizes his mood: > "(So) We are in a shit world, when I am someone's last hope."

Throughout the drama, the doctor remains capable of tenderness toward several people who cross his path. He remembers an ex-beloved who is now a head-nurse undergoing chemotherapy for a serious illness, he shows sympathy for a young girl who learns she is living with AIDS, and he cares for his son, who struggles with narcotic addiction. These relationships ground the film in human connection even as it scrutinizes a society under strain.

The film earned strong recognition at Tehran’s International Fajr Film Festival in 2002, earning the prize for Best Iranian Film and elevating Reza Kianian to Best Actor for his portrayal of Dr. Sepidbakht. The achievement underscored the work’s thoughtful social portrait—an examination of flawed individuals striving to do right amid a troubled world. The story’s father figure—Dr. Sepidbakht’s father—appears as a weighty presence in the drama, brought to life by Ezzatollah Entezami, lending a sense of lineage and gravity to the narrative.

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:53

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Plot questions answered

A House Built on Water Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about A House Built on Water (2002): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Dr. Sepidbakht feel so much guilt throughout the film?

Dr. Sepidbakht's guilt stems from a past mistake in which he inadvertently caused infertility in his secretary-lover, a hurtful act she cannot forgive. This wound haunts him and drives much of his desire to make amends with the people in his life. His guilt also extends to his strained relationships with his aging father and his wayward, drug-addicted son.

  • guilt
  • infertility
  • remorse
  • secretary-lover
  • doctor
Q2

What is the significance of the angel Dr. Sepidbakht hits on the road?

The road incident, occurring early in the film, signals the narrative's blend of the surreal and the real. While over 90% of the story unfolds in tangible reality, this moment introduces a spiritual or mystical element. It sets the tone for the film by suggesting fate's reach into ordinary life and raises questions about responsibility for the inexplicable.

  • angel
  • road accident
  • mystical
  • surreal
  • fate
Q3

Why is the comatose boy who memorized the Quran so important to the story?

The eight-year-old boy who has memorized the entire Quran anchors the narrative in questions about fate, faith, and the limits of medical science. His sudden coma triggers the doctor's existential reckoning, forcing him to confront questions of life, death, and spiritual meaning. The boy's presence also connects to the film's original title 'Coma' and its meditation on collective consciousness.

  • Quran
  • coma
  • boy
  • faith
  • spiritual
  • memorization
Q4

What happened between the doctor and his secretary that he cannot undo?

The doctor caused his secretary-lover to become infertile, a devastating consequence of their relationship that she cannot forgive. This act represents his deepest personal failure and fuels his ongoing sense of remorse. The wound remains open throughout the film as he tries to atone for past harm while seeking connection with others.

  • infertility
  • secretary
  • mistake
  • forgiveness
  • relationship
Q5

Why does Dr. Sepidbakht show special compassion for patients with AIDS?

The doctor treats a young girl living with AIDS with humanity and care, despite the stigma surrounding the disease. This compassion reflects his broader commitment to caring for marginalized patients and his attempt to redeem himself through acts of kindness. The AIDS subplot also connects to the film's examination of social problems in Iranian society.

  • AIDS
  • compassion
  • patient
  • stigma
  • care
Q6

How does Dr. Sepidbakht handle his son's drug addiction?

The doctor cares for his son who struggles with narcotic addiction, a relationship that adds emotional weight to the narrative. Rather than rejecting his son, he maintains his paternal care despite the pain of watching him struggle. This dynamic grounds the film in family vulnerability and reflects the doctor's personal attempt to do right by those closest to him.

  • son
  • drug addiction
  • father
  • family
  • narcotics
Q7

Who is the ex-beloved undergoing chemotherapy that the doctor remembers?

The doctor recalls an ex-beloved who is now a head-nurse battling a serious illness and undergoing chemotherapy. This memory demonstrates his capacity for tenderness and deepens the film's exploration of loss and care. The relationship highlights how professional duty and personal warmth intertwine in his life.

  • ex-lover
  • nurse
  • chemotherapy
  • memory
  • illness
Q8

Why does the film focus on narcotics, prostitution, and AIDS in Iranian society?

The film uses these social issues to create a broader portrait of a troubled society, showing how illness and social ailments collide. narcotics among youths, prostitution, and the spread of AIDS represent the fragility of health and dignity in this world. These elements challenge characters and question what true care means in a flawed society.

  • narcotics
  • prostitution
  • AIDS
  • society
  • social problems
Q9

What does the doctor mean when he says he is someone's last hope?

When a caller tells him he is someone's last hope, the doctor responds with stark honesty, acknowledging they are in 'a shit world.' This exchange crystallizes his burden and marks a turning point in how he perceives his role. It captures the bleakness he navigates while still choosing to help others despite the overwhelming challenges.

  • last hope
  • phone call
  • burden
  • despair
Q10

What does the title 'A House Built on Water' mean in the context of the film?

The film's title, which was originally 'Coma,' carries thematic weight about instability and vulnerability. Director Farman-Ara described the project's evolution as 'the history of society in collective coma,' suggesting a metaphor for collective consciousness and social fragility. The image of a house on water implies something unstable, temporary, or perpetually at risk of being swept away.

  • title meaning
  • house
  • water
  • metaphor
  • society
  • collective coma
Q11

What role does Dr. Sepidbakht's father play in the story?

The elderly father figure appears as a weighty presence throughout the film, lending gravity and lineage to the narrative. His relationship with the doctor frames questions of legacy, authority, and guidance. The father's presence deepens the film's meditation on responsibility across generations and the weight of family expectations.

  • father
  • family
  • legacy
  • authority
  • generations
Q12

How does meeting the comatose boy lead the doctor to reconnect with his family?

The encounter with the Quran-memorizing boy prompts Dr. Sepidbakht to rethink his strained ties with his aging father and wayward son. The boy's near-death state and mysterious circumstances push the doctor to seek guidance and make amends. This spiritual awakening motivates his attempts to repair fractured family bonds and find redemption.

Foreshadowing: The road incident with the angel precedes and foreshadows this spiritual awakening.

  • father
  • son
  • family
  • reconciliation
  • redemption
  • spiritual

Movie threads

More Movies Like A House Built on Water, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes A House Built on Water tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Redemptive spiritual journeys like in A House Built on Water

Flawed characters find profound change after a mysterious spiritual event. Explore movies like A House Built on Water where characters on a path of self-destruction are confronted by a spiritual mystery, forcing them to seek redemption. These films share a heavy emotional weight, a melancholic tone, and a focus on personal transformation grounded in a recognizable world.

  • spiritual
  • contemplative
  • melancholic
  • redemptive
  • serious
  • mysterious
  • Tone: melancholic, reflective, spiritually ambiguous
  • Pacing: slow, contemplative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives typically follow a protagonist who is emotionally closed-off, morally compromised, or deeply lonely. A catalyst event—often a surreal encounter, a mysterious person, or an inexplicable phenomenon—disrupts their reality, sparking a slow-burn journey of self-confrontation. The plot focuses less on solving the mystery and more on the internal upheaval and gradual attempts to mend broken relationships.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared core of a secular character's collision with the spiritual, leading to a heavy, character-driven study of remorse and the possibility of change. They share a melancholic, reflective mood and prioritize emotional depth over plot speed.

Movies about urban loneliness like A House Built on Water

Slow, contemplative studies of isolation and regret within a city's landscape. Discover movies like A House Built on Water that capture the feeling of urban loneliness and a character's contemplative reckoning with their past. These slow-paced, serious dramas often focus on professionals navigating moral crises and strained relationships within a modern city setting.

  • lonely
  • melancholic
  • contemplative
  • urban
  • serious
  • reflective
  • Tone: melancholic, lonely, serious
  • Pacing: slow, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern is less about a traditional plot and more about an emotional and psychological landscape. A central character, often successful yet emotionally empty, moves through their city environment, which amplifies their sense of alienation. The story is built through vignettes and introspective sequences, examining the weight of their actions on themselves and those around them.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their pervasive mood of melancholy and their focus on loneliness as a central theme. They share a slow, observational pacing that allows the audience to feel the protagonist's isolation and a heavy emotional weight derived from themes of addiction, estrangement, and social decay.

Every angle

A House Built on Water (2002) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about A House Built on Water in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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