Walnut Tree (2020) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A father endures war, repeated bereavement, and lifelong separation after a chemical attack destroys his family.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

The Village Before The Blast

Qader lives with his pregnant wife and three children in a Kurdish border village. Their ordinary family life is destroyed when a returning fighter drops its last bomb.

Key Events

• A Family in Kurdistan — Qader lives with his pregnant wife and three children in a border village. Characters: Qader Location: Border village in Kurdistan
• The Fighter Returns — An Iraqi fighter drops its last bomb while returning from the chemical bombing of Sardasht. Characters: Qader Location: The village
• The Village Is Struck — The bombing injures Qader's family and other villagers. Characters: Qader Location: Border village in Kurdistan
• Qader Reaches His Family — Qader arrives and takes his wife and children toward the hospital. Characters: Qader Location: The village

A Family Under Exposure

Qader brings his injured family to the hospital, but his pregnant wife cannot be moved. The children are transferred elsewhere, and Qader struggles against the effects of their exposure.

Key Events

• Pregnancy Prevents Transfer — Qader's eight-month-pregnant wife cannot be moved, while the children are sent elsewhere. Characters: Qader Location: Hospital
• Children Are Separated — The three children, all about seven or eight, are moved to other cities. Characters: Qader Location: Hospital
• Qader Fights For Survival — Qader struggles to keep his three children alive after their severe exposure. Characters: Qader Location: Hospital
• The First Child Dies — One child dies from the effects of the exposure. Characters: Qader Location: Hospital
• More Children Are Lost — Qader loses the remaining children one by one. Characters: Qader Location: Hospital

Birth And Irreversible Loss

The children die one by one while Qader hides the truth from his wife. The baby is born, but the mother dies during delivery, leaving Qader overwhelmed by grief and anger.

Key Events

• Qader Hides The Deaths — Qader conceals the children's deaths so his wife can give birth without grief. Characters: Qader Location: Hospital
• The Baby Is Born — The baby is delivered, but Qader's wife dies during childbirth. Characters: Qader Location: Hospital
• Qader Breaks Down — Qader explodes in grief and blames the doctor for his wife's death. Characters: Qader Location: Hospital
• The Pregnancy Is Questioned — Qader reproaches the doctor for not ending the pregnancy to protect the mother. Characters: Qader Location: Hospital
• Burial Beneath The Walnut — Qader buries his wife beside the children beneath a walnut tree. Characters: Qader Location: The village

The Sacrifice Beneath The Tree

Qader buries his wife and children beneath a walnut tree. He then learns that his wife understood the danger and deliberately sacrificed herself to give him the baby.

Key Events

• A Sacrifice Is Revealed — The doctor reveals that Qader's wife knew the danger and chose childbirth. Characters: Qader Location: The village
• The Hidden Truth Emerges — Qader learns that his wife knew the children had died and sacrificed herself for the baby. Characters: Qader Location: The village

The Child Who Vanished

Hospital disorder causes the newborn to be transferred away, and Qader loses his last child. His later testimony and lifelong search cannot overcome the separation.

Key Events

• The Last Child Disappears — Because of poor hospital conditions, newborns are transferred elsewhere, and Qader loses the baby. Characters: Qader Location: Hospital
• Testimony At The Hague — Years later, Qader testifies about the use of weapons of mass destruction. Characters: Qader Location: The Hague court
• A Lifelong Search — Qader searches everywhere for the lost child and tries to make his voice heard. Characters: Qader Location: Various places
• Death In The Snow — Qader dies in the winter of 2016 without seeing the child again. Characters: Qader Location: A snowy winter landscape

Story Breakdown

• Village Family Life — Qader begins in a Kurdish border village with his pregnant wife and three children.
  • Pregnant Household — Qader lives with his wife and three children before the attack.
  • Border Village Setting — The family lives in a village in Kurdistan near the conflict.
• The Bombing — A returning Iraqi fighter drops its last bomb on the village.
  • Returning Fighter — The fighter returns after the chemical bombing of Sardasht.
  • Village Injuries — The bomb injures Qader's family and other villagers.
• Hospital Struggle — Qader tries to protect his family while medical conditions separate them.
  • Restricted Movement — The pregnant wife cannot be moved because of her condition.
  • Children Transferred — The three children are moved to other cities for treatment.
• Loss Of The Children — Severe exposure kills the children one by one while Qader hides the truth.
  • Deaths In Sequence — Qader loses each of the three children over time.
  • Protective Silence — He conceals their deaths so his wife can give birth without grief.
• Birth And Sacrifice — The birth becomes both a moment of hope and the cause of further devastation.
  • Maternal Death — Qader's wife dies during delivery after choosing to continue the pregnancy.
  • Walnut Tree Burial — Qader buries his wife beside the children beneath a walnut tree.
• Endless Separation — The newborn is lost through hospital disorder, leading Qader into a lifelong search.
  • Hospital Transfer — Newborns are transferred because of the hospital's improper condition.
  • Final Winter — Qader dies in snowy 2016 without seeing the lost child.

Directed by

Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian

Key Cast

• Payman Maadi — Qader
• Mina Sadati — Homa
• Mehran Modiri — Doctor Ahmad
• Minoo Sharifi — Maryam
• Zhina Zahedi