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A House Built on Water (2002) movie poster

Timeline

A House Built on Water (2002) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

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.

Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

A House Built on Water Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of A House Built on Water (2002) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Introduction to Dr. Sepidbakht

    We are introduced to Dr. Sepidbakht, a middle-aged gynecologist whose warmth sits beside fault lines in his life. The film blends tenderness with a sense of personal error, setting a tone that is both intimate and slightly uncanny. This initial portrait grounds the viewer in the doctor's humanity before the plot unfolds.

    When
    Early in the film
    Where
    Clinic

  2. Injury on the road

    Early on, he accidentally injures a young angel on a road, signaling the film’s attraction to mystery while remaining anchored in real-world detail. The incident foreshadows fate’s reach into ordinary life and invites questions about responsibility. The road becomes a liminal space between the living and the inexplicable.

    When
    Early in the film
    Where
    Road

  3. The coma of the Quranic eight-year-old

    He encounters an eight-year-old boy who has memorized the entire Quran and suddenly slips into a coma. This extraordinary event anchors the narrative in questions about fate, faith, and the limits of medical science. It sets the stage for the doctor’s ethical and existential challenges.

    When
    Soon after the road incident
    Where
    Hospital room

  4. Coma and the idea of collective history

    The film’s title and concept derive from Coma, and director Farman-Ara described future iterations as 'the history of society in collective coma.' It frames the story as a meditation on collective consciousness and social vulnerability. The idea threads through the physician’s encounters and the broader social portrait.

    When
    Throughout the film
    Where
    Narrative concept

  5. Past infidelity and infertility

    The doctor’s past includes inflicting infertility on his secretary-lover, a hurtful act she cannot forgive. This act haunts his sense of responsibility and fuels ongoing remorse. It provides a personal lens on accountability within intimate relationships.

    When
    Past event
    Where
    Office/Home

  6. Remorse shapes his choices

    Past mistakes linger and shape his choices as he navigates a world that tests his compassion. The film tracks his efforts to do right despite guilt and loneliness. This tension between warmth and fault lines drives much of the drama.

    When
    Ongoing
    Where
    Clinic/Home

  7. Narcotics among youths

    Throughout, the film surveys troubling social currents such as narcotics among youths. The setting darkens with the presence of drugs in the city and the threat it poses to families. The doctor’s work intersects with these issues, highlighting how illness and social ills collide.

    When
    Ongoing
    Where
    City streets

  8. Prostitution and AIDS as undercurrents

    Prostitution and the spread of AIDS emerge as grim undercurrents within society. These realities challenge characters and illuminate the fragility of health and dignity. The narrative uses these pressures to question what care means in a troubled world.

    When
    Ongoing
    Where
    City

  9. A last-hope phone call

    In a bruising exchange, a caller tells him that he is someone's last hope, crystallizing the doctor’s sense of burden. He responds with stark honesty, acknowledging the bleakness of the world he must navigate. The line marks a turning point in how he perceives his role.

    When
    During crisis
    Where
    Phone/Clinic

  10. Tender memory of an ex-beloved nurse

    He remembers an ex-beloved who is now a head-nurse undergoing chemotherapy, demonstrating his capacity for tenderness. The memory grounds him and reframes professional duty within personal warmth. It also underscores how care threads through both life and loss.

    When
    During the drama
    Where
    Hospital

  11. Compassion for a girl with AIDS

    He shows sympathy for a young girl who learns she is living with AIDS, treating her with humanity despite stigma. This moment marks the film’s humane stance toward marginalized patients. It reinforces the doctor’s commitment to care amid social prejudice.

    When
    During the drama
    Where
    Clinic/Hospital

  12. Care for his drug-addicted son

    He cares for his son, who struggles with narcotic addiction, anchoring the drama in a vulnerable family relationship. The father-son dynamic adds emotional weight to the physician’s public battles. It also anchors the personal cost of living within a troubled society.

    When
    During the drama
    Where
    Home

  13. The father figure appears

    The father figure—Dr. Sepidbakht’s father—appears as a weighty presence, lending gravity and lineage to the drama. The elder character frames questions of legacy, authority, and guidance. His presence deepens the film’s meditation on responsibility.

    When
    Throughout/Flashback
    Where
    Home/Family setting

  14. Recognition at the Fajr Film Festival

    At Tehran’s Fajr Film Festival in 2002, the film won Best Iranian Film and earned Reza Kianian Best Actor for his portrayal of the doctor. The awards signal critical recognition of its social portrait and compassionate storytelling. The festival success helped elevate the film’s impact beyond its local setting.

    When
    2002
    Where
    Tehran

  15. Closing themes: care and resilience

    The closing arc emphasizes care, humanity, and the possibility of redemption within a flawed world. The film leaves viewers with a meditation on ongoing struggles and the doctor's ongoing attempt to do right. It reframes the story as an inquiry into how individuals endure amid collective strain.

    When
    Ending
    Where
    Ending scene

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:53

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Timeline questions answered

A House Built on Water Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of A House Built on Water (2002): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with 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.

Samsara movie poster

Samsara

2001
Silent Light movie poster

Silent Light

2009
Away From Here movie poster

Away From Here

2014
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Man of God

2021
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Secret Sunshine

2007
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

2004
Last Days in the Desert movie poster

Last Days in the Desert

2016
Diary of a Country Priest movie poster

Diary of a Country Priest

1951

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.

Alice in the Cities movie poster

Alice in the Cities

1974
Aloners movie poster

Aloners

2023
Tale of Cinema movie poster

Tale of Cinema

2005
Distant movie poster

Distant

2004
Taipei Story movie poster

Taipei Story

1985
Dark Illness movie poster

Dark Illness

1990
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Postcards from London

2018
Lisbon Story movie poster

Lisbon Story

1994

Every angle

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

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