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Zalava

  • 2021
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
881
YOUR RATING
Zalava (2021)
DramaHorror

Investigating reports of demonic possessions in a remote village, a skeptical military officer finds his beliefs tested by an enigmatic exorcist.Investigating reports of demonic possessions in a remote village, a skeptical military officer finds his beliefs tested by an enigmatic exorcist.Investigating reports of demonic possessions in a remote village, a skeptical military officer finds his beliefs tested by an enigmatic exorcist.

  • Director
    • Arsalan Amiri
  • Writers
    • Arsalan Amiri
    • Tahmineh Bahramalian
    • Ida Panahandeh
  • Stars
    • Navid Pourfaraj
    • Pourya Rahimi Sam
    • Hoda Zeinolabedin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    881
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Arsalan Amiri
    • Writers
      • Arsalan Amiri
      • Tahmineh Bahramalian
      • Ida Panahandeh
    • Stars
      • Navid Pourfaraj
      • Pourya Rahimi Sam
      • Hoda Zeinolabedin
    • 12User reviews
    • 27Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 10 wins & 14 nominations total

    Photos29

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    Top cast21

    Edit
    Navid Pourfaraj
    • Masoud Ahmadi
    Pourya Rahimi Sam
    Pourya Rahimi Sam
    • Amardan
    Hoda Zeinolabedin
    Hoda Zeinolabedin
    • Malihe
    Baset Rezaei
    • Younes
    Mahsa Hejazi
    • Khalaj's daughter
    Fereydoun Hamedi
    • Amusa
    Shahoo Rostami
    • Khalaj
    Saleh Rahimi
    • Arahim
    Hadi Ahmadi
    Keyvan Sheykh Ahmadi
    Payam Bavili
    • Ali
    Masood Biglari
    Kordavan Boostan
    Sajjad Dolati
    • Navid
    Soraya Ebrahimi
    Azin Kananian
    Farhad Mohammadi
    Ali Nemati
    • Director
      • Arsalan Amiri
    • Writers
      • Arsalan Amiri
      • Tahmineh Bahramalian
      • Ida Panahandeh
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    6.1881
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    Featured reviews

    9EdgarST

    Poetry, Tragedy, and Cultural Demons

    There was a time when saying "Iranian cinema" meant Abbas Kiarostami's films and the countless movies with children as protagonists. I, at least, was left with that impression and that is why it was totally unexpected to find this drama about exorcism, set in the village of Zalava in the Iranian region of Kurdistan, where gypsies migrated in the 19th century, learned the customs of the region and brought with them fears that manifested themselves as demons.

    The film takes place in 1978. A young sergeant is dismissed from his post in the Zalava gendarmerie, when a possessed girl (by a demon or an ancestral fear...) dies accidentally. His father was unable to do what the "exorcist protocol" required, that is, shoot her in the leg, because the sergeant confiscated the rifles with which the inhabitants were also hunting illegally. On the verge of leaving the station, the sergeant decides to stay in Zalava to solve the new case of a demon in the town.

    «Zalava» is too subtle and elegant for the public that loves stuff like «The Substance.» The script and direction skillfully move between fright and culture, suspense and ethnography, and social drama and romantic melodrama, always keeping us attentive to the evolution of the characters and to the way in which the perception of the phenomena changes from one to another, until reaching the level of tragedy. The predominating point of view is the logic approach of the sergeant, a man raised in an orphanage, who was called Six Fingers. In love with the beautiful village doctor, he tells her how, after being rejected because of the superstition of what having a sixth finger meant, he learned to respect its space, to take care of it, until it disappeared alone and, from then on, he assumed everything in life from that perspective. He is a rationalist rather than a skeptic, and analyzes the facts coldly. This character is contrasted by the exorcist (Rahimi Sam), a serious man confident in his profession, who does not doubt his ability to control demons, while the doctor stays in the middle, open to all manifestations.

    A day after seeing it, "Zalava" is still a film that intrigues me, that awakens curiosity and reflection on themes such as faith and the unwavering adherence to the irrational. In addition, it is visually beautiful and an admirable first film. My only complaint is the abundance of dialogue in the final confrontation, but then I think that it may be a cultural trait, related to a certain gypsy verbosity, in a well-managed framework between professional actors and natural actors. The film won the Grand Prix of the International Association of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) at the Venice Film Festival, and the awards for Best First Film, Screenplay and Supporting Actor (Pourya Rahimi Sam) at the Fajr Film Festival. Highly recommended.
    10kosmasp

    (Ir)rational

    My absolute highlight of the Fantasy Filmfest so far (last day today). I just love it, when a movie engages with the viewer and knows that there are people who want to be challenged. Who want to think about things, who want the option to explain things themselves. What is real, what is actually happening? Do we see what we see or is there a different explanation? You can make your own mind up, what actually happens or happened.

    Also the power of certain movements. Group movements, societal angst, fear in general and what it can make you do ... power in groups and auhorities. Can everything be explained? And should we rather be on the safe side? There are no easy answers here ... especially because of the way things unfold.

    And by unfold I mean ... well you'll have to see. Althought even seeing, doesn't mean that what you saw is actually what happened. Can it be a coincidence if a glass breaks that is not supposed to break? Again this is so good because you can do things in your mind with it. And the way everyone is playing their character ... can there actually be a happy end? Really loved how "simple" this is on one hand, but how complex it is in the bigger scheme - making you think about it way after you've watched it.
    4Minnesota_Reid

    Mass hysteria and superstition

    This is a solid portrayal of a village's mass hysteria over a supposed demon that is blamed for any bit of bad luck that happens. This time, a local army sergeant wants to stop this nonsense, and the clash of cultures leads to an inevitable (but very predictable) tragedy.

    The three lead actors (the sergeant, the doctor, and the exorcist) were sound, but the rest of the cast were very amateurish.
    9PattonReviews

    Have you thinking long after you leave the theatre

    I have a feeling people who don't like this movie rate the Avengers movies pretty high. The movie broods but takes you on a journey that allows you to investigate your own relationship to the concepts of faith, fear, and motivation. Highly recommend.
    5mohamadyavari-91697

    have high expectations

    Before I saw the movie, I expected it to amaze me! After watching the movie, I realized that the story line was very disappointing. The actors did not sink into their roles as they should have. No fear was instilled in the viewer from the film, what was clear was that people are immersed in superstitions too much and it affects their lives and emotions. The atmosphere and environment were in line with the theme of the movie, and I didn't see any negative points from this point of view. On the other hand, using opinions and making movies based on this makes many things clear in the eyes of people. In general, the movie failed to impress me and I gave it 5 points, ignoring some things.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Zalava won the the Hong Kong Asia Financial Forum in 2019.

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    FAQ14

    • How long is Zalava?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 13, 2023 (Iran)
    • Country of origin
      • Iran
    • Official sites
      • Sevenartpedia
      • VOD Platform
    • Languages
      • Kurdish
      • Persian
    • Also known as
      • 잘라바
    • Filming locations
      • Kurdistan, Iran
    • Production company
      • Touba Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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