The River Course

Mahmoud stumbles upon a corpse in his humble home. He takes the body to the forest to hang it, but a man named Jabbar shows up and, threatening Mahmoud, takes him to a farm, introducing him as Farhad, the lost son of the farm owner. Mahmoud, who has fallen for Nahid, the landlord's daughter, reveals the truth, and Nahid, thinking Mahmoud intends to deceive her father, pushes him away. Mahmoud reads in the newspaper that the police have found a corpse in the forest that had previously been stolen from the morgue. Mahmoud breaks off his partnership with Jabbar, but Jabbar takes him to Sohrab Khan's estate and shows him Farhad. Sohrab locks Mahmoud in a small room. Farhad rescues Mahmoud, and Mahmoud takes Farhad to his real father and marries Nahid.

Directed by Saber Rahbar, The River Course leans on a strong ensemble — Mohamad Ali Fardin, Farideh Nasiri, Akbar Khajavi — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1964.