A House Built on Water

The narrative unfolds in contemporary Iran during the early 2000s, a period when modern medicine intersected with social taboos. It juxtaposes clinical scenes with broader societal pressures, including addiction and disease, to explore moral limits. The film's festival recognition at the 2002 Fajr Film Festival anchors its temporal and cultural moment.

Set in Tehran, Iran, the film presents a modern Iranian city at the crossroads of medicine and social strain. Much of the drama unfolds inside hospital corridors and urban neighborhoods, grounding the story in tangible reality. The backdrop engages with contemporary issues such as narcotics, prostitution, and AIDS, reflecting real-world concerns of early 2000s Iran.

🩺 Medicine & Morality

A physician's kindness is tested by past mistakes, with consequences spilling into patient care. Dr. Sepidbakht grapples with guilt after harming his secretary-lover's fertility, complicating his duties as a healer. The story uses medical scenes to probe accountability, trust, and the limits of healing.

🕊️ Faith & Fate

A boy memorizes the Quran and falls into a coma, prompting questions about destiny and belief. The film ties spirituality to medicine, showing how faith can both comfort and complicate treatment. It suggests that fate may guide more than cures, shaping how characters navigate illness and mortality.

🏚️ Societal Shadows

The story casts a critical eye on narcotics among youths, prostitution, and AIDS, illustrating a society under strain. Through the doctor's interactions with patients and loved ones, it reveals how social ills infiltrate intimate lives. The film uses gritty realism to question institutions and collective responsibility.