About Elly (2009) 2015

As the sun dips into the Caspian Sea, a tight-knit group of Iranian friends - Sepideh, her husband Amir, their precocious daughter, and Shohreh with her family, including their rambunctious son Arash - converge for a three-day retreat. The get-together is orchestrated by Sepideh, who has meticulously planned the excursion to include her daughter’s kindergarten teacher, Elly, in an effort to facilitate a reunion with Ahmad, a divorced friend visiting from Germany.

Upon arrival at the seaside mansion booked by Sepideh, the group is greeted by the enigmatic woman in charge, who presents them with an unexpected proposition: they can stay instead in a secluded beachfront villa. Sepideh, ever the mastermind, fabricates a narrative about Elly and Ahmad’s relationship, portraying them as newlyweds on their honeymoon.

Elly, initially hesitant, begins to warm up to Ahmad’s charming affections. As she confides with her mother over the phone, she concocts an elaborate tale about being part of a work retreat at a seaside resort, assuring her that she’ll return to Tehran the following day as planned. Sepideh, meanwhile, has other plans and secretly hides Elly’s luggage before departing for a solo errand.

As the group’s dynamics become increasingly complex, Arash is found floating in the sea while Elly is nowhere to be found. The authorities are summoned, and the group launches a frantic search for Elly, their suspicions and recriminations swirling like the waves crashing against the shore. As panic sets in, fingers begin to point at each other, and the group’s harmony unravels under the weight of uncertainty. Has Elly met an untimely demise or simply slipped away unnoticed? The truth remains shrouded in mystery as the group’s collective guilt and fear simmer like a pot about to boil over.

As the seemingly idyllic excursion unfolds, a web of deceit begins to unravel, revealing that Sepideh had been concealing a crucial truth from her friend Elly (character name). It transpires that Elly was, in fact, already committed to marry Alireza, but her reluctance to tie the knot prompted Sepideh to orchestrate the trip as a means of introducing her to Ahmad. Despite initial reservations, Elly’s resolve eventually crumbled under the relentless pressure from Sepideh, and she reluctantly agreed to join the getaway. However, just as the group is settling in for an unforgettable adventure, Alireza arrives on the scene, his presence marked by a sudden and violent outburst directed at Ahmad. In the aftermath of this tumultuous episode, Alireza turns his attention to Sepideh, inquiring about Elly’s response to her invitation to join them on holiday. Faced with the weight of responsibility for protecting Elly’s honor, Sepideh finds herself torn between truth and loyalty, ultimately choosing to perpetuate the lie to avoid inciting further hostility from the others who feel threatened by Alireza’s presence. Meanwhile, a gruesome discovery is made in the water, and Alireza’s world is forever shattered when he identifies the lifeless body as Elly’s in the mortuary, his anguish and despair evident as tears stream down his face.