Iranian judoka Leila and her coach Maryam are delegated to the judo world championships in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. Leila is seen as one of the big contenders for the title, but that chance seems lost when the Iranian authorities order her to fake an injury or lose deliberately. Because if she were to go through, she might face an Israeli opponent. Should she ignore the authorities, not only is her own freedom at stake, her family's safety is also jeopardized. Maryam begs her to obey.

This intense political thriller, shot in black-and-white and based on true events, is the result of the remarkable collaboration between an Israeli and an Iranian director: Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi respectively. The latter is best known as an actress, including in the critically acclaimed Holy Spider. In Tatami, her directorial debut, she plays the role of judo coach Maryam. Nattiv, who already has an Oscar to his name, co-wrote the screenplay.