| Director | Abbas Kiarostami |
|---|
Impoverished print shop worker and cinephile Hossain Sabzian is riding a bus with a copy of the published screenplay of The Cyclist by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, an acclaimed director he admires. A woman sitting next to him, Mrs. Ahankhah, reveals that she is a fan of the film and her sons are interested in cinema. Sabzian declares himself Makhmalbaf, gifts the woman the screenplay, and obtains her contact information.
Posing as Makhmalbaf, Sabzian visits the Ahankhah family several times over the next two weeks. He flatters them by suggesting that their house be used for his next film and their sons as actors. He also borrows 1,900 tomans from one of the sons for cab fare. The father, Mr. Ahankhah, starts to suspect that he is an imposter trying to rob them, particularly after the supposed director appears unaware that he had recently won an award at an Italian festival. Journalist Hossain Farazmand is invited to the house, where he confirms that Sabzian is indeed an impostor. The police arrest Sabzian, and Farazmand takes several pictures for his upcoming article for the magazine Sorush, to be titled "Bogus Makhmalbaf Arrested".
Kiarostami visits Sabzian in prison and helps advance the date of his trial, in addition to securing permission from the judge to film the proceedings. At Sabzian's trial on charges of fraud and attempted fraud, he states that he posed as Makhmalbaf out of his deep love for the man's film and cinema as art, and that he feels seen in his own suffering through these films. Ahankhah's son recounts Sabzian's visits as the family's suspicions grew. Given that Sabzian is a young father with no prior record and expresses remorse for his actions, the judge asks the family if they would be willing to pardon Sabzian, allowing for a reduction of his sentence. They agree in exchange for Sabzian's commitment to become a productive member of society.
Upon Sabzian's release, he is surprised by the real Makhmalbaf and given a ride to the Ahankhahs' house, stopping to purchase flowers. He smiles when Mr. Ahankhah says of him, "I hope he'll be good now and make us proud of him."