Portuguese MOTELX screening Iran’s ‘Zalava’

The MOTELX - Lisbon International Horror Film Festival in Portugal has been hosting 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 the key roles.

‘Zalava’ was premiered at the 39th 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 International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherland, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Film Festival in the US, the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea, the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival in Belgium, 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.

The 16th edition of the MOTELX opened on Tuesday and will run until September 12 with a program full of films, workshops, masterclasses and many activities for the younger audience.

The MOTELX is the only Portuguese festival member of the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) and of Europe For Festivals, Festivals For Europe (EFFE).

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