The Cow (Persian: گاو, Gāv, Gaav, or Gav) is a 1969 Iranian film directed by Dariush Mehrjui, written by Gholam-Hossein Saedi based on his own play and novel, and starring Ezzatolah Entezami as Masht Hassan.

[1][2][3] The story begins by showcasing the close relationship between a middle-aged Iranian villager Masht Hassan and his beloved cow.

[5] The movie depicts a very superstitious society in which people believe in an ultimate ultra-mundane power which will save them from the devil, the eternal enemy of mankind.

In such a society, women have no significant role apart from being good wives and mothers who are expected to follow the social norm and be a typical Iranian woman.

[5] Reviewing the film as part of a 1998 retrospective of the director's work, the New York Times called it a "dazzling achievement" and "the most impressive of Mr. Mehrjui's pre-Revolutionary features".