Iran’s ‘Zalava’ to go on screen at Rotterdam filmfest

The 2022 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in the Netherland has been set to screen Iranian feature ‘Zalava’.

Directed by Arsalan Amiri, the movie 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 synopsis for ‘Zalava’ 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, decided to burn down the house.”

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

‘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).

The movie has also gone on screen at some global events, including the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada, the Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum, the Fantastic Fest in the US, where it received the best film award, and the Venice International Film Critics’ Week in Italy, where it won the FIPRESCI International Award.

According to Variety, this year’s edition of the IFFR has been allowed to be held as an in-person event by the Dutch government.

This is while the Netherlands ’ government earlier announced that the country would extend COVID-19 restrictions through the end of the year amid a rise in infections.

Vanja Kaludjercic, the director of the IFFR, said the festival adapted its protocol “once again to fit the restrictions in place in the Netherlands.”

“We are happy to confirm the festival will take place physically, allowing us to give the stage to all the outstanding filmmakers who have trusted us to screen their work,” she added.

The upcoming edition of the IFFR will be held on January 26-February 6, 2022.

Read more:

Venice Film Critics’ Week awards Iranian ‘Zalava’

‘Zalava’ grabs award at the Fantastic Fest in US

Rotterdam festival to screen Iran’s ‘Hit the Road’

MG/AG