Iran, 1969. Aqa Jaan's family has lived in the house of the mosque for eight centuries. The house is teeming with life, played out under the watchful eyes of the storks that nest on the minarets above. But this family will experience upheaval unknown to previous generations. For in Iran, political unrest is brewing. The shah is losing his hold on power; the ayatollah incites rebellion from his exile in France; and one day the ayatollah returns. The consequences will be felt in every corner of Aqa Jaan's family.

The film is based on the bestseller by Kader Abdolah. Since its publication in 2005 over 300.000 copies have been sold. The novel has received critical acclaim and it was voted second best Dutch novel ever.
The novel was sold in over 20 countries including Norway, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, Turkey, United Kingdom, Greece, Romania, Iceland, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Serbia, Latvia, Slovakia, Hungary, Bosnia and Croatia.