Zalava(HKAFF 2021)

An empty jar has never seemed more terrifying than in this rare horror film from Iran. In the mountains of northwest Iran, there is a village where its residents take extreme measures when they suspect someone is possessed by a demon. When the village chief’s daughter is accused of being possessed, a young sergeant tries to make cooler heads prevail. However, the town exorcist is determined to stoke the villagers’ fears. Part occult thriller and part survival horror, the film sees director Arsalan Amiri expertly ratcheting up the cinematic tension, while using the eternal philosophical battle between science and religion as a harsh reminder of similar debates happening around the world today.