Synopsis
بایسیکل ران
The wife of Nasim, an Afghan immigrant in Iran, is gravely ill. He needs money to pay for her care, but his day labor digging wells does not pay enough. A friend connects Nasim to a two-bit promoter who sells tickets to watch Nasim ride a bicycle continuously for a week. The promoter brings in sick and aged spectators, haranguing them to find hope in Nasim's strength. Aided by his son, who feeds him as he rides, Nasim grinds out the days and shivering nights. Local officials believe this may be a plot and Nasim may be a spy; they try to sabotage him as do those who bet he won't finish the week. Will desperation alone get Nasim the money? Is any triumph an illusion?
The 1988–1990 Other Asia Window
In the crowded 1988-1990 Other Asia release window, The Cyclist sits at #8 of 10. The leaderboard below contextualises its neighbours.
The 1980s Other Asia Landscape
Catalog density by release year across the 1980s in Other Asia, 23 titles in total. Highlighted year (yellow) is when The Cyclist premiered alongside 3 others.
Position in Catalog
Released alongside 3 other Other Asia films in 1989.
The 56th Other Asia title from Other Asia we index (earliest catalogued entry: 1949).
Our Other Asia catalog contains 547 titles in total (522 films).
Audience Engagement
22 audience reviews — more than 65% of Other Asia films in our index.
Review volume (65th percentile) outruns trending popularity (41th) — a durable title with sustained audience attention.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #312 of 547 Other Asia films indexed here (43rd percentile by TMDB audience score).
Among Other Asia Drama productions specifically: #233 of 356 (top 65%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Other Asia |
|---|---|
| All Production Countries | Iran |
| Original Language | Persian |
| Production Companies | Bonyad Mostazafan |
| Runtime | 1h 22m |
| Release Date | February 1, 1989 |
| IMDb | tt0092651 |