Award-winning ‘Zalava’ to vie in Hong Kong

The 2021 edition of the Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum (HAF) has been set to screen Iranian feature ‘Zalava’.

The Iranian title will go on screen at the selected projects (Documentary) section of the 19th HAF.

Directed by Arsalan Amiri, the film narrates an imaginary story in an imaginary land with imaginary people in the 70s.

The inter-genre film narrates the tale of people’s fear of an unknown phenomenon and their efforts to bring back security to the region.

A tagline on the movie reads, “When a village claims to be cursed by a demon, a gendarmerie sergeant attempts to denounce the exorcist in charge, whom he believes is nothing but a fraud.”

In 1978, in a small village called Zalava, some inhabitants claim there is a demon among them. Masoud, a young gendarmerie sergeant, goes to investigate. He encounters an exorcist attempting to rid the village of the demon. He arrests the exorcist on charges of fraud, but he finds himself stuck in a cursed house with his lover. The villagers, who believe they are both possessed by the demon, decide to burn down the house,” its synopsis reads.

Navid Pour-Faraj, Pouria Rahimi-Sam and Hoda Zeinolabedin have played key roles in the film.

‘Zalava’ was premiered at the 39th edition of the Fajr Film Festival in Iran, where it won two awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Rahimi-Sam) and Best Screenplay (Amiri, Ida Panahandeh and Tahmineh Bahram).

Established in 2000, the HAF is a leading film project market in Asia. It brings Asian filmmakers with upcoming film projects to Hong Kong for co-production ventures with top film financiers, producers, bankers, distributors and buyers.

The 19th HAF will take place on March 15-17, 2021 on HAF Online platform, together with the 25th Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART).

Read more:

Fajr Festival ‘Zalava’ releases official poster

2021 Fajr Film Festival announces winners

MG/AG