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Critical Zone

Together with his dog, Amir drives through Tehran at night. Not only to sell drugs, but also to take care of lost souls.

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Deze voorstelling maakt deel uit van Rialto Filmclub met als gastspreker deze maand Ernst-Jan Pfauth.

Critical Zone

Critical, independent filmmakers are having a hard time in present-day Iran, as well-known filmmakers such as Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof can confirm. Director Ali Ahmadzadeh has had to deal with the rigidity of the Iranian authorities as well: he was arrested in August 2022. Why exactly remains unclear, though it is suspected that the reason is Critical Zone, a film he made without obtaining a production license from the Cinematography Organization of the Ministry of Islamic Guidance. He was detained for five days.

Amir leads a lonely life. With his dog for sole company, he drives through Tehran at night dealing drugs, while also looking out for lost souls like a modern prophet. He drives through the streets of a city with no future, following the directions of his GPS. Should he flee this place or is there still a glimmer of resistance left in him? A film about a city as a bad trip.

Q&As with producer

Wed 23 Aug | 21:30 | De Balie
Thu 24 Aug | 21:45 | Rialto De Pijp

Ali AHMADZADEH (1986, Iran) has a degree in Architecture, studied Music in Tehran and Film Directing with the Iranian Young Cinema Society. His second film, Atomic Heart Mother (2015) was pulled from cinemas in Iran and in August 2022 he was arrested there and detained for five days. His latest film, Critical Zone, is selected for the 2023 Locarno Film Festival.