Under the Skin of the City

Tooba's life centers on scarce resources while she endures long hours at a textile factory. The family's finances depend on her labor, and the house is crowded and tense as they stretch every riyal. The bond with neighbor Maryam hints at support but does not erase the strain they live under.

Ali, the youngest, grows curious about the country's politics and joins in campaigns during the sixth House of Representatives elections. His activities lead to repeated detentions by the police for participating in demonstrations. The political climate exerts pressure on the family and foregrounds the risks of civic engagement.

Abbas works in a clothing shop to support the family and dreams of saving enough to travel to Japan someday. He longs for the affection of a local girl who works nearby, hoping such a connection would bring happiness amid hardship. His practical ambitions are tempered by economic reality.

The elder daughter comes back home pregnant after enduring abuse from her husband. Tooba urges her to stay with the family, even as her children worry about the stability this could bring. The situation deepens the family’s strain and tests their unity.

Without Tooba present to intervene, Abbas and his father transfer the house deed to an architect who has been pressing to buy the property. This move seeds anxiety about losing their home and foreshadows further conflicts with outsiders seeking their assets. The family becomes more vulnerable to manipulation.

Masoumeh leaves home after abuse, and Mahboubeh goes looking for her in Mellat Park. On leaving the park, Mahboubeh is seized by the police, underscoring how danger can intrude on public spaces and ripple through the family. The girls' troubles escalate alongside the patriarch's worries.

News of Mahboubeh's arrest pushes Tooba toward a desperate plan: pawning the house deed to secure her daughter's release. The deed has vanished from their home, and an encounter with the architect hints that someone may have misled them. The family is forced to improvise under pressure.

Abbas spends his Japan fund to bail out his sister, hoping to restore balance. When he returns to the visa office, he finds the building empty and learns the operation to obtain visas was illegitimate. The dream of outward mobility clashes with coercive realities of the system.

Desperate, Abbas accepts work with a local drug trafficker who pays for smuggling narcotics into the city. He delivers clothes embedded with drugs to Orumieh, chasing quick cash to salvage the family finances. The plan puts everyone at risk and blurs the line between crime and survival.

Ali secretly hides in the back of the drug-laden truck out of concern for his safety, and Abbas discovers him and beats him for meddling. The brothers' dangerous choices collide with family bonds and moral boundaries, highlighting the costs of desperation. The trafficker and his men close in as the operation stumbles.

With the route blocked and the boss closing in, Tooba visits Abbas in hiding and gives him the remaining family savings, urging him to flee. The two rely on each other under pressure while the criminal network intensifies its pursuit. The mother’s risk underscores her willingness to sacrifice for her children.

On Election Day, Tooba speaks to documentarians, reflecting on choosing to reveal their family's truth. She explains that capturing a video from inside her heart is more powerful than any outside recording. The film closes on a note of personal sacrifice and the cost of political engagement in Tehran.