Under the Shadow

Tehran, 1988. The Iran-Iraqi war is coming to an end, but for Shideh the situation is still critical. Her background as an activist is keeping her banned from the university, and she has a five year old daughter to raise and is married to a doctor who is drafted. That leaves the frustrated mother alone with her daughter in the apartment. One day a missile falls through the roof, and her daughter's doll disappears. Shideh blows it off as something that must've happened in all the mess, but it soon becomes apparent that the case is far from that easy. Under the Shadow should satisfy both the horror fans and those who appreciate more "serious film". It uses classic horror conventions and is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine, but it is also a sharp metaphorical comment on the situation in Iran and the terror that haunted all of them in the 80's. Babak Anvari was born and raised in Iran, but educated in London. His childhood was shaped by the conflict that forms the basis for Under the Shadow. It is his debut film, and got rave reviews during it's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January.