Tatami

Leila, an Iranian judoka, and her coach Maryam travel to the world championships with the hope of delivering Iran's first gold. Midway, authorities deliver a brutal choice: Leila must pretend to be injured and throw her match, or face accusations that would strip her and her family of freedom. The pressure threads through the arena, the coaching table, and a tense phone call from home as Maryam urges a compliance that would betray the sport's spirit. With personal risk and family safety on the line, Leila weighs loyalty against ambition, tradition against autonomy, and the price of standing up when a regime's gaze fixes on every move. The film tracks whether courage can outpace coercion under the glare of competition.

Directed by Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Tatami presents an original story from Elham Erfani, weaving a tense sport drama with a political edge that casts its action inside the world championship arena, where every decision carries broad consequences.

Box office numbers place Tatami at about 1.75 million worldwide, reflecting a modest release scale and audience reach for a thriller drama that blends sports competition with high stakes personal risk, drawing viewers who relish tense moral choices globally today.

Given its portrait of athletes operating under a coercive state, the film has sparked discussion about the limits of loyalty in sports and the cost of defying systemic pressure. It may influence conversations about women's roles in competitive arenas, the ethics of national glory, and the price of resistance today.

Critics praise the film for its lean pacing and moral ambiguity, focusing on Leila's choice between family safety and pursuing glory, while Maryam's position as mentor adds ethical tension. The story centers resilience, sacrifice, and the price of truth, with standout performances that anchor both personal and political stakes throughout.