15 Nov 2017
Director: Babak Anvari
UK/Jordan/Qatar
2016
84 min
Focusing on a mother and daughter besieged by forces both worldly and otherwise in a Tehran apartment block, Under the Shadow presents a gripping portrait of an independently spirited woman shackled by sharia law. She becomes more scared of the demonic forces tormenting her daughter than of the lashes threatened by her rulers or of fire falling from the sky. A very impressive feature debut by Iranian director, Babak Anvari, this is thoughtful, provocative and increasingly scary fare which succeeds equally as feminist fable, fractured family drama and full-on fright-fest.
BAFTA Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer in 2017