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) reveals deliberately positioned story structure, characteristic of Abbas Kiarostami's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-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 Opening image of the classroom. Ahmad sits among his classmates as the strict teacher berates Nematzadeh for not doing homework in his notebook. The teacher threatens expulsion if it happens again. Ahmad's ordinary world is one of rigid authority and childhood powerlessness.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 9 minutes when Ahmad discovers he has accidentally taken Nematzadeh's notebook home in his bag instead of his own. He realizes his friend will be expelled tomorrow if he doesn't return it. The stakes are established and the status quo is disrupted—Ahmad must act.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
At 41 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat False defeat: Ahmad thinks he's found Nematzadeh's house after a long search, but it turns out to be the wrong family. The stakes raise—time is passing, darkness is coming, and he's no closer to his goal. His quest seems increasingly futile. The midpoint revelation: this may be impossible., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 58 minutes (70% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Ahmad returns home in the dark, having failed to find Nematzadeh's house. He is defeated, exhausted. His friend will be expelled tomorrow and it will be his fault. The "whiff of death": the death of his quest, the death of his friend's educational future, the death of his ability to make things right., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 65 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 78% of the runtime. Ahmad carefully completes the homework assignments in Nematzadeh's notebook while doing his own. He works diligently through the night, taking responsibility in the only way he can. The next morning, he goes to school early and quietly slips the notebook to Nematzadeh before class, saving him from expulsion. The teacher checks and approves the homework., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Where Is the Friend's House?'s emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. 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 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Bad Guys and Zoom. For more Abbas Kiarostami analyses, see Taste of Cherry, Certified Copy.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Opening image of the classroom. Ahmad sits among his classmates as the strict teacher berates Nematzadeh for not doing homework in his notebook. The teacher threatens expulsion if it happens again. Ahmad's ordinary world is one of rigid authority and childhood powerlessness.
Theme
The teacher states: "If you don't bring your homework in your notebook tomorrow, I'll expel you." This establishes the film's thematic core: the weight of responsibility, the rigidity of adult rules, and the moral imperative to help others despite obstacles.
Worldbuilding
Ahmad returns home to his cramped house. We see his daily routine: caring for his baby sibling, his mother doing chores, his grandfather's presence. The household is busy, chaotic, and no one has time to listen to children. This establishes the obstacles Ahmad will face: adult indifference and the low status of children's concerns.
Disruption
Ahmad discovers he has accidentally taken Nematzadeh's notebook home in his bag instead of his own. He realizes his friend will be expelled tomorrow if he doesn't return it. The stakes are established and the status quo is disrupted—Ahmad must act.
Resistance
Ahmad tries repeatedly to tell his mother about the problem, but she is too busy and dismisses him. He attempts to explain the urgency, but adults don't listen. His grandfather is preoccupied. Ahmad debates whether to disobey and leave the house to find Nematzadeh in the neighboring village of Poshteh. He doesn't know exactly where his friend lives.
Act II
ConfrontationMirror World
Ahmad encounters an old man at a crossroads who talks about doors, windows, and the difficulty of finding specific houses in Poshteh. This character embodies the film's theme: the world is structured to confuse and obstruct, yet one must persist with integrity. The old man represents a philosophical mirror to Ahmad's quest.
Premise
The "promise of the premise": Ahmad's odyssey through Poshteh. He climbs endless staircases, knocks on doors, asks strangers for help. He encounters various adults—some indifferent, some helpful, some hostile. The winding paths and repetitive architecture create a maze. This section delivers the contemplative, neorealist exploration of a child navigating an adult world.
Midpoint
False defeat: Ahmad thinks he's found Nematzadeh's house after a long search, but it turns out to be the wrong family. The stakes raise—time is passing, darkness is coming, and he's no closer to his goal. His quest seems increasingly futile. The midpoint revelation: this may be impossible.
Opposition
Ahmad's situation worsens. His grandfather finds him and forces him to accompany him on errands, further delaying the quest. The old man is oblivious to Ahmad's urgency. Ahmad must carry heavy doors through the village. Adults continue to ignore or obstruct him. The sun sets. Opposition intensifies from both circumstance and adult authority.
Collapse
Ahmad returns home in the dark, having failed to find Nematzadeh's house. He is defeated, exhausted. His friend will be expelled tomorrow and it will be his fault. The "whiff of death": the death of his quest, the death of his friend's educational future, the death of his ability to make things right.
Crisis
Ahmad sits alone with the notebook. He experiences his dark night—processing his failure, the weight of responsibility, the indifference of the adult world. In this silence, he makes a decision. The camera lingers on his face as he contemplates what to do.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Ahmad carefully completes the homework assignments in Nematzadeh's notebook while doing his own. He works diligently through the night, taking responsibility in the only way he can. The next morning, he goes to school early and quietly slips the notebook to Nematzadeh before class, saving him from expulsion. The teacher checks and approves the homework.