Directed by
Ali Abbasi
Produced by
Sol Bondy, Jacob Jarek, Ali Abbasi
Written by
Ali Abbasi, Afshin Kamran Bahrami
Featuring
Mehdi Bajestani, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Arash Ashtiani, Forouzan Jamshidnejad
Sponsored by
2022 | Persian | Denmark/Germany/Sweden/France
Strong-willed female journalist Rahimi (Cannes Best Actress winner Zar Amir Ebrahimi) travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashad to investigate a serial killer targeting the city’s sex workers in the name of God. Her quest for justice is complicated when the fanatical “Spider Killer” is heralded by many as a hero. This expertly crafted crime thriller subverts and upends the genre with a tale that spins its own web of duplicity and bureaucracy within the frailty of human morality. Loosely based on a true story, HIFF alum Ali Abbasi’s HOLY SPIDER is both a psychological game of cat and mouse and an incisive critique of institutionalized systemic misogyny.
This Utopia release is Denmark’s official selection for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards.
