''The Cyclist'' ( fa, بايسيكلران ''Bicycleran'') is a 1987

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

ian sports-drama film written and directed by

Mohsen Makhmalbaf Mohsen Makhmalbaf ( fa, محسن مخملباف, ''Mohsen Makhmalbaaf''; born May 29, 1957) is an Iranian film director, writer, film editor, and producer. He has made more than 20 feature films, won some 50 awards and been a juror in more than 1 ...

, starring Moharram Zaynalzadeh as Abu Ahmed.

Plot

Nasim, a poor

Afghan refugee Afghan refugees are citizens of Afghanistan who were compelled to abandon their country as a result of major wars, persecution, torture or genocide. The 1978 Saur Revolution followed by the 1979 Soviet invasion marked the first wave of inter ...

in Pakistan, gives a demonstration in his town's square where he rides his bicycle without stopping for seven days and seven nights, with the aim of raising money for life-saving surgery for his dying wife. In the end, even after seven days, he continues to pedal endlessly, too fatigued to hear his son's and the crowd's pleas to get off his bicycle. One scholar analyses the film as an

allegory As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...

which parallels the exploitation that Afghan refugees suffer from in Iran and from which they are unable to escape.

Accolades

In 1991 the film won the best narrative film award in the

Hawaii International Film Festival The Hawai'i International Film Festival (HIFF) is an annual film festival held in the United States state of Hawaii. HIFF has a focus on Asian-Pacific cinema, education, and the work of new and emerging filmmakers. HIFF’s primary festival is h ...

.Hawaii International Film Festival (1991) - IMDb
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References

External links

* 1987 films 1980s sports drama films Films set in Iran Iranian drama films 1980s Persian-language films Films directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf Cycling films Films whose director won the Best Directing Crystal Simorgh 1987 drama films Films whose writer won the Best Screenplay Crystal Simorgh {{1980s-drama-film-stub