Donya

Donya

Year: 2002

Runtime: 108 mins

Language: Persian

Director: Manouchehr Mosayyeri

Drama

A young, attractive single woman returns to Tehran from abroad and asks Hadji Reza Enayat, the stern, conservative owner of a real‑estate agency, to find her a home. She charms him, and despite being married to a devout, loving wife, Hadji falls for her, proposes, and scrambles to hide the affair. The plot gradually reveals her hidden agenda, which only becomes clear near the film’s end, leading to awkward and humorous attempts at secrecy.

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Timeline & Setting – Donya (2002)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Donya (2002). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Post-1979 Iranian revolution era

The narrative unfolds in a contemporary Iranian context that carries the legacy of the revolution. It juxtaposes modern urban life with historical memories of property rights and family loyalties shaped by the past. A journey to Syria adds a temporal contrast, highlighting personal stakes across borders.

Location

Iran, Syria

The story centers around a large, aging house in Iran and the surrounding real estate setting. Scenes shift between the old house, an adjacent apartment, and the real estate office, with a pilgrimage trip to Syria playing a key role. The basement of the old house becomes a pivotal space where documents and memories surface, reframing the entire conflict over ownership.

🏚️ Old house 🏢 Real estate office 🇮🇷 Iran 🇸🇾 Syria

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:59

Main Characters – Donya (2002)

Meet the key characters of Donya (2002), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Donya Shadab

A young woman returning from abroad who becomes involved with Haj Enayat while considering the purchase of the old house. She is poised and calculating, using her charm to pursue ownership while remaining deeply attached to her family’s legacy. Her actions drive the central conflict and culminate in the revelation of her rightful claim to the house.

💖 Calculated 🧭 Determined 🗝️ Property-focused

Haj Enayat

A wealthy, middle-aged man who plans to sell the old house and uses his charm to win Donya’s affection. He demonstrates vanity and a willingness to manipulate appearances to secure both love and a prized property. His efforts unravel as his wife and Donya assert competing claims to the house.

💫 Manipulative 🧭 Ambitious 🏷️ Wealth-driven

Enayat's Wife

The wife of Haj Enayat who returns with their daughter, reminding him of his promise not to sell the house. She embodies a steady, domestic counterweight to Enayat’s schemes and intensifies the dispute over ownership.

💍 Loyal 🏡 Domestic 🧭 Family-centered

Mehran

An acquaintance of Enayat whose presence fuels jealousy and suspicion. He represents the social circle that complicates Enayat’s plan to marry Donya and secure the house.

🧩 Complicating 🕯️ Suspicious 🤝 Social circle

Donya's Aunt

A relative of Donya who provides a familial perspective on the dispute over ownership, reinforcing the idea that the house carries not only wealth but family history.

👵 Family 🗺️ Local knowledge 🧱 Grounded

Saler

The real estate agent who initiates the move into an apartment near the house and sets the stage for the complex interactions around the sale and ownership.

🏢 Real estate 🪪 Transactions 💼 Commercial

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:59

Major Themes – Donya (2002)

Explore the central themes of Donya (2002), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💖 Love and Ownership

Love and desire for social status are used as tools to secure property. Enayat’s pursuit of Donya blurs lines between affection and leverage, turning a romantic courtship into a financial gambit. The pursuit of a private home reveals how intimate feelings can become economic instruments.

🕵️ Truth and Identity

Donya’s true claim to the house reframes the relationship between appearance and reality. Enayat’s attempts to transform himself highlight how identity can be constructed to influence others. The final revelations force a reckoning between who people pretend to be and what they actually own.

🏛️ Wealth and Power

Property becomes a battleground where money and status dictate choices. The old house symbolizes memory, legitimacy, and control, around which family bonds and betrayals rotate. The story shows how ownership can redefine power within a household and a community.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 11:59

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Deceptive Affair Dramas with Hidden Agendas like Donya

Stories where a seemingly romantic entanglement masks a deeper, destructive purpose.If you liked Donya, explore movies like it where a seemingly romantic connection is actually a weapon. This thread features similar drama stories about forbidden love, betrayal, and characters whose hidden motives lead to tense and revelatory confrontations that dismantle lives.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a character drawn into an intense affair, only for the story to pivot on a reveal that recontextualizes the entire relationship. The emotional journey is one of escalating tension, followed by regret and the moral consequences of betrayal, often leading to a personal or familial collapse.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a focus on moral conflict, identity transformation, and the destructive power of secrets. They are grouped by their melancholic tone, steady pacing that builds to a dramatic reveal, and a narrative structure where the true plot is hidden beneath a surface romance.

Slow Burn Stories of Melancholy and Moral Downfall like Donya

Character-driven stories where a single mistake leads to a quiet, profound personal ruin.Find movies similar to Donya that share its steady, melancholic pace and focus on moral collapse. These character-driven dramas depict the quiet unraveling of a life due to betrayal and regret, offering a bittersweet and atmospheric viewing experience for fans of thoughtful, emotionally resonant stories.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread follow a character arc of downfall, often triggered by a moral lapse like infidelity or betrayal. The plot unfolds steadily, avoiding high drama for a more intimate focus on the psychological toll and the irreversible damage to relationships, culminating in a somber and reflective ending.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared atmospheric and melancholic mood, medium emotional weight, and a steady pacing that allows the gravity of the protagonist's choices to sink in. The unifying experience is watching a life dismantle itself not with a bang, but with a quiet, regretful whisper.

Unlock the Full Story of Donya

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Donya Summary

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Donya Summary

Donya Timeline

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Donya Timeline

Donya Spoiler-Free Summary

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Donya Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Donya

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