Under the Shadow

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Synopsis

Shideh and her family are living in Tehran amongst the chaos of the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. Having begun her medical training, Shideh is not allowed to return to her studies after being accused of political activism in the past. When her husband is drafted to the frontline Shideh is left alone with her young daughter Dorsa. A mysterious, seemingly mute boy moves in next door, convincing Dorsa that their building is haunted by a supernatural creature known as a djinn. This seemingly fantastical proposition gains credence after an unexploded missile hits their building, killing one of its elderly residents. A gripping, deeply unsettling horror film, all the more chilling because of its focus on character, as well as a subtext around women living under sharia law.