People's Children (Persian: بچه مردم, romanized: Bache-ye Mardom) is a 2025 Iranian drama film directed by Mahmoud Karimi in his feature directorial debut. Written by Karimi and Faezeh Yarmohammadi and produced by Seyyed Ali Ahmadi.
The film premiered at the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival on 1 February 2025, where it received multiple nominations and won the Crystal Simorgh for Best Screenplay, as well as the Crystal Simorgh for Best First Director and the Crystal Simorgh for Best Editing. It was released theatrically in Iran on 22 October 2025 before becoming available for online streaming on FilmNet on 12 May 2026.
Synopsis
A newborn baby is abandoned outside the entrance of an orphanage, where he grows up alongside several other children. Raised without knowledge of their biological families, the children spend their early years searching for a sense of belonging while confronting loneliness and social isolation.
As they reach adolescence and adulthood, each leaves the orphanage to pursue a different path in life. Against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution of 1979, they encounter personal, emotional, and economic hardships while attempting to establish independent lives.
With the outbreak of the Iran–Iraq War, some of the former orphans volunteer for military service, and the conflict profoundly affects their futures. As their lives diverge, they continue to grapple with questions of identity, family, and belonging shaped by both their upbringing and the turbulent events surrounding them.
Cast
Gohar Kheirandish as Mahin Reza Kianian Hassan Majooni Behrouz Shoeibi Siamak Safari Siavash Cheraghipour Omid Roohani Zahra Davoudnejad Javad Yahyavi Venus Kanli Kambiz Amini Mahbod Jahannoush Siamak Adib Zari Karimi Siavash Jame Ehsan Ahmadi Farzin Falsafin Ilya Yaghoubi Mania Azizi
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result 2025 43rd Fajr International Film Festival Best Film Seyyed Ali Ahmadi Best Director Mahmoud Karimi Best Actor Mahbod Jahannoush Best Supporting Actor Reza Kianian Best Screenplay Mahmoud KarimiFaezeh Yarmohammadi Best Cinematography Milad PartoviHonorary Diploma Best Editing Emad Khodabakhsh Best Original Score Christophe Rezai Best Sound Parviz Abnar Best Makeup Ehsan Ronasi Best Costume Design Nazanin Khazaei Best Production Design Babak Karimi Best First Feature Seyyed Ali Ahmadi Best First Director Mahmoud Karimi Audience Award Seyyed Ali Ahmadi
References