The Cyclist poster

The Cyclist

6.7(36)19891h 19m1

The wife of Nasim, an Afghan immigrant in Iran, is gravely ill. He needs money to pay for her care, but his day labor digging wells does not pay enough. A friend connects Nasim to a two-bit promoter who sells tickets to watch Nasim ride a bicycle continuously for a week. The promoter brings in sick and aged spectators, haranguing them to find hope in Nasim's strength. Aided by his son, who feeds him as he rides, Nasim grinds out the days and shivering nights. Local officials believe this may be a plot and Nasim may be a spy; they try to sabotage him as do those who bet he won't finish the week. Will desperation alone get Nasim the money? Is any triumph an illusion?

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Status
Released
Budget
—
Box office
—
Language
Persian
  • immigrant
  • afghanistan
  • motorcycle

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Produced in

Iran

Gallery

Still from The Cyclist

Videos

No extra videos are listed for this title yet.

Release dates

  • IranIR

    • PremiereFajr Film Festival1 Feb 1989

Frequently asked questions

The Cyclist was released on 1 February 1989.

Audience reviews

1
  • C

    CRCulver

    9/8/2018

    7/10

    In the aftermath of the Soviet invasion and civil war, hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled across the border with Iran. There they struggled to survive, offering themselves as day labourers at exploitative wages, harassed by officials and just ignored by the bulk of Iranian society. Mohsen Makhmalbaf's 1987 film <i>The Cyclist</i> is an allegory for the Afghan refugee experience, Nasim (Moharram Zaynalzadeh) mu…

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