Where Is the Friend's House?
As a young protagonist embarks on a humble quest, a beautiful allegory of friendship and morality is revealed. The first film in Kiarostami's Koker trilogy, Where is the Friend's Home? is a unique mélange of poetry, documentary and fiction, that cherishes the everyday in all its abundance.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Where Is the Friend's House? (1987) showcases meticulously timed dramatic framework, characteristic of Abbas Kiarostami's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 23 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The classroom in Koker village: the strict teacher Mr. Khojaste lectures students about discipline while a door bangs in the wind, establishing the rigid institutional world that governs these children's lives.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 10 minutes when Ahmad discovers he has accidentally taken Mohammad Reza's notebook home with his own. Realizing his friend will be expelled if he cannot complete his homework, Ahmad's world is thrown into crisis.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 21 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Ahmad makes the courageous choice to disobey his mother and sets off alone on the long journey to Poshteh to find Mohammad Reza's house and return the notebook, crossing into an unfamiliar world., moving from reaction to action.
At 42 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Ahmad finally locates what he believes is Nematzadeh's house, only to discover it's the wrong family. His false victory collapses as he realizes the search is far from over, and time is running out., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 62 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Night has fallen completely. Ahmad, exhausted and alone, must abandon his search and return home without finding Mohammad Reza. His mission appears to have failed utterly; his friend seems doomed., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 66 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Ahmad makes a crucial decision: he will stay up all night and do Mohammad Reza's homework himself, copying it into the correct notebook in his own hand. He synthesizes his journey's failure into selfless action., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Where Is the Friend's House?'s emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping Where Is the Friend's House? against these established plot points, we can identify how Abbas Kiarostami utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Where Is the Friend's House? within the adventure genre.
Abbas Kiarostami's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Abbas Kiarostami films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Where Is the Friend's House? takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Abbas Kiarostami filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include The Black Stallion, The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots. For more Abbas Kiarostami analyses, see Certified Copy, Taste of Cherry.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The classroom in Koker village: the strict teacher Mr. Khojaste lectures students about discipline while a door bangs in the wind, establishing the rigid institutional world that governs these children's lives.
Theme
The teacher harshly warns Mohammad Reza that if he fails to do his homework in the proper notebook one more time, he will be expelled. This articulates the theme: in a world of arbitrary adult rules, what responsibility do we bear for one another?
Worldbuilding
The rural Iranian school environment is established: the authoritarian teacher, the submissive students, the hierarchical classroom dynamics, and the neighboring villages of Koker and Poshteh separated by winding hillside paths.
Disruption
Ahmad discovers he has accidentally taken Mohammad Reza's notebook home with his own. Realizing his friend will be expelled if he cannot complete his homework, Ahmad's world is thrown into crisis.
Resistance
Ahmad tries to explain the urgency to his mother, who dismisses him and orders him to do his own homework. He debates what to do, caught between obedience to his mother and loyalty to his friend. His pleas fall on deaf ears.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Ahmad makes the courageous choice to disobey his mother and sets off alone on the long journey to Poshteh to find Mohammad Reza's house and return the notebook, crossing into an unfamiliar world.
Mirror World
Ahmad arrives in Poshteh and begins asking villagers for directions to Nematzadeh's house. Each encounter reflects the theme: adults who are too busy, dismissive, or unhelpful, contrasting with Ahmad's pure determination.
Premise
Ahmad wanders through the labyrinthine streets and alleys of Poshteh, asking directions from various adults. He climbs stairs, enters wrong houses, and navigates a confusing village where no one seems able to help him find his friend.
Midpoint
Ahmad finally locates what he believes is Nematzadeh's house, only to discover it's the wrong family. His false victory collapses as he realizes the search is far from over, and time is running out.
Opposition
Ahmad's quest becomes increasingly desperate. He encounters more unhelpful adults, gets misdirected repeatedly, and the evening grows darker. An elderly door-maker briefly accompanies him but leads him astray.
Collapse
Night has fallen completely. Ahmad, exhausted and alone, must abandon his search and return home without finding Mohammad Reza. His mission appears to have failed utterly; his friend seems doomed.
Crisis
Ahmad trudges home in the dark, defeated. He faces the crushing weight of having failed his friend despite his best efforts. The journey back is somber, filled with the despair of inadequacy.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Ahmad makes a crucial decision: he will stay up all night and do Mohammad Reza's homework himself, copying it into the correct notebook in his own hand. He synthesizes his journey's failure into selfless action.
Synthesis
The next morning in school, the teacher inspects notebooks. Ahmad passes Mohammad Reza his notebook with the completed homework. The teacher examines it, and though suspicious, accepts it. The friend is saved.
Transformation
The teacher opens the notebook and finds a small pressed flower that the elderly door-maker had given Ahmad. This delicate image—beauty preserved within the rigid institutional object—shows Ahmad's journey has transformed a cold system with an act of grace.