Iraqi fest hosting ‘Sunless Shadows’

Iranian documentary ‘Sunless Shadows’ has been competing at the 5th edition of the Slemani International Film Festival in Iraq.

Made by Mehrdad Oskouee, the documentary narrates the story of five young women who are jailed in a small juvenile detention center for murder.

Through breathtaking monologues, the women clarify the circumstances of the murders and even their motives.

Occasionally, the documentarian leaves the women alone with the camera, allowing it to become a tool for them to address both their victims in the afterlife and their accomplices.

‘Sunless Shadows’ was named the Opening Film at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in the Netherlands, which was the film’s international premiere and brought the festival’s best director award to Oskouee.

The Iranian doc also opened the Middle East Now festival in Italy and grabbed the Silver Horn award for the Best Director and the Student Jury Award at the Krakow Film Festival in Poland.

The 74-minute documentary has also gone on screen at some global events, including the Millennium Festival in Belgium, the Munich International Documentary Film Festival in Germany, the Cannes online Film Market in France, and the Big Sky International Film Festival in the US, where it received the Special Jury Award.

The Slemani International Film Festival hosts films with different genres from around the world.

The current edition of the event is being held on December 17-23, 2021.

PR/MG