In the Iranian village of Zalava, demonic possession is a recurring event. Or so the villagers believe, and too often their exorcisms result in death. Masoud, a local police official, is a man of science, and when a local doctor is accused of being possessed, he must intervene, with potentially disastrous results.
When Masoud’s efforts fail, the locals become incensed, until a local shaman steps forward with a solution to rid the demons from the village forever. Can Masoud set aside his reason and trust this spiritual guide to stop full-scale violence? Set just prior to the Iranian Revolution in 1978, and based on stories told to him by his father, Arsalan Amiri’s Zalava is a brilliant examination of faith, science, and tradition, and a terrifying horror film.
Director Biography
Arsalan Amiri was born in Kurdistan, Iran. A graduate of the Art University of Tehran and the University of Tehran, he works closely with his wife, the writer-director Ida Panahandeh. Zalava (2021), based on stories from his father, is his debut feature.