Zalava
Iran / 2021 / 93 min
In Kurdish and Persian with English subtitles
Grand Prize, Critics' Week, Venice Film Festival
Midnight Madness, Toronto International Film Festival
Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay & Best First Film Awards, Fajr Film Festival

An empty jar has never seemed more terrifying than in this rare horror film from Iran. In the mountains of northwest Iran, there is a village where its residents take extreme measures when they suspect someone is possessed by a demon. When the village chief’s daughter is accused of being possessed, a young sergeant tries to make cooler heads prevail. However, the town exorcist is determined to stoke the villagers’ fears. Part occult thriller and part survival horror, the film sees director Arsalan Amiri expertly ratcheting up the cinematic tension, while using the eternal philosophical battle between science and religion as a harsh reminder of similar debates happening around the world today.

DIR:
Arsalan Amiri
CAST:
Navid Pourfaraj
Pouria Rahimi Sam
Hoda Zeinolabedin
Baset Rezaei
Fereydoun Hamedi
Shaho Rostami
TIME & VENUE
28/10 8:00PM PALACE ifc
* 06/11 9:45PM Broadway Cinematheque
11/11 8:00PM PREMIERE ELEMENTS
19/11 9:45PM PREMIERE ELEMENTS
Buy
Ticket