An Iranian refugee uses wrestling to pursue security in Sweden while the hidden truth behind his escape gradually comes to light.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Exile And Reinvention
Iman and his family begin a refugee life in Sweden. His wrestling background becomes a possible route toward a faster asylum decision.
Key Events
Family Moves To Sweden — Iman, Maryam, Asal, and Sahar relocate to Sweden as refugees. Characters: Iman, Maryam, Asal, SaharLocation: Sweden
Iman's Wrestling Past — Iman is established as a former national-level wrestler in Iran. Characters: ImanLocation: Iran
Life In Exile — The family copes with refugee life and cultural displacement. Characters: Iman, Maryam, Asal, SaharLocation: Sweden
Asylum Application Pressure — The family's uncertain asylum application shapes their future. Characters: Iman, Maryam, Asal, SaharLocation: Sweden
Return To Wrestling — Iman decides to return to wrestling after leaving the sport in Iran. Characters: ImanLocation: Sweden
Training For Selection — Iman trains with the goal of trying out for Sweden's national team. Characters: ImanLocation: Sweden
The Sporting Opportunity
Iman returns to wrestling and trains for the Swedish national team. Maryam supports his ambitions while the family continues facing displacement and asylum uncertainty.
Key Events
Training For Selection — Iman trains with the goal of trying out for Sweden's national team. Characters: ImanLocation: Sweden
A Family Under Strain — The family continues adapting while Iman pursues a risky opportunity. Characters: Iman, Maryam, Asal, SaharLocation: Sweden
National Team Tryout — Iman tries out for the Swedish national wrestling team. Characters: ImanLocation: Sweden
Sport Asylum Strategy — Iman hopes national-team selection will speed up his asylum application. Characters: Iman, MaryamLocation: Sweden
Maryam Encourages Iman — Maryam supports Iman's wrestling ambitions despite refugee pressures. Characters: Iman, MaryamLocation: Sweden
A Hidden Identity — The story establishes that Iman has concealed his homosexuality. Characters: ImanLocation: Iran
A Concealed Past
The story shifts from Iman's public sporting goal to the private identity he has concealed. The role of a former teammate becomes central to understanding his flight.
Key Events
A Hidden Identity — The story establishes that Iman has concealed his homosexuality. Characters: ImanLocation: Iran
The Former Teammate — A former teammate is identified as the person who exposed Iman. Characters: ImanLocation: Iran
Exposure To The Community — Iman's former teammate outed him to the surrounding community. Characters: ImanLocation: Iran
The Real Reason For Flight — The film reveals that Iman's sexuality was the actual reason he fled Iran. Characters: ImanLocation: Iran
Threat Of Execution — The revelation carries the stated threat of execution in Iran. Characters: ImanLocation: Iran
The Cost Of Truth
The film reveals that Iman was outed to his community and that his homosexuality was the real reason he left Iran. The stated penalty of execution gives the revelation its extreme stakes.
Key Events
Threat Of Execution — The revelation carries the stated threat of execution in Iran. Characters: ImanLocation: Iran
Asylum Stakes Reframed — Iman's asylum struggle is reframed by the danger behind his escape. Characters: Iman, MaryamLocation: Sweden
Family Displacement — The family's displacement is connected to Iman's concealed past. Characters: Iman, Maryam, Asal, SaharLocation: Sweden
Wrestling And Secrecy — Iman's public sporting ambition contrasts with his concealed identity. Characters: ImanLocation: Sweden
Truth Behind The Refugee — The truth behind Iman's refugee status becomes central to the family story. Characters: Iman, MaryamLocation: Sweden
Revelation Of The Past — The story culminates in the revelation of why Iman had to flee Iran. Characters: Iman, Maryam, Asal, SaharLocation: Sweden
Story Breakdown
Refugee Family — Iman, Maryam, and their daughters begin a new life in Sweden as refugees.
Relocation To Sweden — The family moves to Sweden after leaving Iran.
Cultural Displacement — Asal and Sahar adapt to displacement and asylum uncertainty.
Asylum Pressure — The family's uncertain asylum application creates pressure for Iman to find a faster route to security.
Delayed Application — The asylum process remains a central family concern.
Search For Leverage — Iman looks for a way to improve his asylum prospects.
Wrestling Return — Iman revives his former athletic career in Sweden.
Former Wrestler — Iman previously competed at a national level in Iran.
Training Again — He trains for a place on the Swedish national team.
National Team Goal — Sport becomes Iman's public strategy for accelerating his asylum application.
Selection Tryout — Iman tries out for the Swedish national wrestling team.
Maryam Supports — Maryam encourages his wrestling ambitions.
Hidden Sexuality — Iman's concealed homosexuality changes the meaning of his refugee story.
Concealed Identity — Iman has hidden his sexuality while building a new life.
Private Fear — The hidden identity remains connected to the danger he escaped.
Exposure And Flight — The final revelation connects a former teammate's disclosure to Iman's escape from Iran.
Community Outing — A former teammate exposed Iman to the community.
Execution Threat — The plot states that homosexuality carries the penalty of execution in Iran.
In the aftermath of a devastating rumor, Iman and his family have been forced to flee Iran. As refugees, they end up in a run-down hotel in northern Sweden. Despite feeling powerless, Iman tries to maintain his role as the family patriarch. To increase their chances of asylum, he breaks a promise to his wife and joins the local wrestling club. As the rumors start to resurface, Iman’s fear and desperation begin to take a hold.
