Window Horses (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

After Mehran was arrested in Iran and his passport was revoked, he asked Rosie to come live with him in Iran. Rosie's grandparents, fearing losing their granddaughter and believing Mehran's return would only bring more tragedy, refused and told Rosie a false tale that her father had abandoned the family. They kept Mehran's letters to Rosie hidden, perpetuating this lie for years.

Foreshadowing: The grandparents' initial opposition to Rosie's Iran trip hints at their deeper fear of losing her to her father's side.

• grandparents
• lie
• abandonment
• family secrets
• Rosie Ming

In Iran, a woman singing in public can be seen as provocative due to cultural and religious norms. When Rosie performed her poem by singing it during an early competition, the judges gave her poor scores. This contrasted with the more traditional recitations expected at the festival.

• singing
• poem
• scores
• Iran
• festival
• cultural

Mehran returned to Iran to see his dying mother despite being a political exile. Because he had deserted from the military during the Iran-Iraq War and had been living abroad, authorities arrested him upon arrival and revoked his passport, preventing him from leaving the country.

Foreshadowing: Earlier details about Mehran's military desertion foreshadow the consequences he faces.

• Mehran
• arrest
• passport
• war
• desertion
• Iran

Caroline drove carelessly and was killed in a car accident. This happened after Mehran was arrested in Iran and his passport was revoked, causing her great grief and emotional distress. The timeline suggests her reckless driving was a result of her emotional state following these events.

Foreshadowing: The buildup of family tragedies throughout the film creates emotional weight for this moment.

• Caroline
• accident
• death
• car
• grief
• Mehran

Mehran originally trained as a fighter pilot during the Shah's era. After the Revolution, his ties to the Shah led to his removal from the Air Force, though he later became a teacher of poetry and literature. When the government asked him to pilot again during the Iran-Iraq War, he chose to desert rather than continue fighting, and fled to Turkey.

• Mehran
• desertion
• war
• fighter pilot
• Iran-Iraq War
• Revolution

Gloria was firmly opposed to Rosie traveling to Iran, fearing for her safety and worrying about cultural clashes in a country unfamiliar to Rosie. She had concerns about Rosie going alone and about the political and social situation in Iran, reflecting her protective nature as Rosie's caretaker.

Foreshadowing: Gloria's strong reaction hints at deeper family tensions surrounding Iran and Mehran.

• Gloria
• grandmother
• oppose
• travel
• Iran
• fear

Mehrnaz took Rosie to the tomb of Shiraz's famed poet Hafez for inspiration. A traditional consultation with Hafez's poems, where one randomly selects a verse for guidance, led Mehrnaz to assign Rosie the task of translating Di Di's poem into English for the festival's finale. This became a turning point in Rosie's journey, connecting her personal growth with the festival's cultural exchange.

Foreshadowing: The Hafez consultation sets up the climactic translation task that leads to Rosie's breakthrough.

• Hafez
• poems
• consultation
• Shiraz
• tomb
• translation
• Mehrnaz

The grandparents kept Mehran's letters hidden because they had told Rosie a false story that her father had abandoned her. They wanted to prevent Rosie from seeking out her father or learning the truth about his circumstances. The letters, which Mehran had written to Rosie over the years, represented evidence that contradicted the narrative they had constructed.

• letters
• hidden
• grandparents
• Mehran
• family secrets

When Mehran was hospitalized with pneumonia, Rosie rushed to the hospital only to discover he had already checked out. A doctor provided her with Mehran's home address, and his relatives welcomed her, sharing the letters Mehran had written to her over the years that her grandparents had kept hidden. This led her to learn he had been waiting at the festival for a reunion.

• Rosie
• Mehran
• hospital
• address
• festival
• reunion

Di Di is a Chinese poet who is a political exile. She spent time in the United Kingdom during the Beijing massacre (the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests) and has refused to return to China since. When Rosie is tasked with translating Di Di's poem, Di Di urges her to make the translation her own, embracing its political edge.

• Di Di
• political exile
• China
• Beijing massacre
• poet
• translation

Rosie's relatives replaced her black chador with a headscarf and more casual attire so she could perform at the festival's finale. The chador had puzzled festival guests since Rosie is not a devout Muslim. The more relaxed headscarf allowed her to feel comfortable performing while still respecting local customs.

• chador
• headscarf
• performance
• attire
• Iran
• festival

Mehran came from a prominent Shiraz family and originally trained in the United States to be a fighter pilot during the Shah's era. After the Islamic Revolution, his ties to the Shah led to his removal from the Air Force. He then became a teacher of poetry and literature, a profession that aligned with his intellectual interests and was more compatible with the new regime.

• Mehran
• pilot
• poetry teacher
• Shah
• Revolution
• career