Under the Shadow 2016

In the ravaged streets of 1980s Tehran, former medical student Shideh (character name) is forced to abandon her academic pursuits after being ostracized for her involvement with left-wing activist groups. As she navigates the treacherous landscape of war-torn Iran, Shideh clings to a symbolic connection to her mother’s legacy – a book of medical physiology – while struggling to come to terms with the harsh realities of their new reality.

As the conflict escalates, Shideh and her daughter Dorsa find themselves at odds with her husband Iraj (actor name), a doctor who is torn between his duty to serve in the military and his desire to keep his family safe. Despite his pleas for them to leave the city, Shideh refuses to abandon their home, driven by a determination to protect Dorsa from the war’s brutalities.

Meanwhile, a young boy whose parents were killed in an attack moves in with the Ebrahimi family next door, bringing with him whispers of ancient legends and mysterious charms. As the sounds of shelling grow louder, the boy shares his secrets with Dorsa, who is captivated by tales of the Djinn – mythical creatures said to possess humans and steal cherished possessions.

As Shideh struggles to cope with the trauma of living in a war zone, she begins to experience vivid nightmares that blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Her daughter’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic, and she insists on searching for her beloved doll Kimia, which has gone missing amidst the chaos.

The Ebrahimis, sensing the danger of staying in the city, begin to flee, leaving Shideh and Dorsa as the only remaining occupants of their building. As the air raid sirens wail louder, Shideh’s own possessions start to vanish, and her grip on reality begins to slip.

It is then that she receives a mysterious phone call, seemingly from Iraj, but instead finds herself berated for being an unfit mother. Desperate to regain control of her life, Shideh sets out to repair the mutilated Kimia, only to be confronted with another air raid siren as they prepare to leave their war-torn home behind.

As the threat of djinns and malevolent forces looms large, Shideh must confront the dark recesses of her own psyche and find a way to protect herself, Dorsa, and what’s left of their shattered lives.

As she descends into the depths of the shelter, a chilling cry pierces the air - Dorsa’s screams, echoing through her very being. Consumed by panic, Kimia (character) whips around, convinced that the Dorsa she had left behind was nothing more than a spectral apparition. With racing pulse, she reverses course and hurtles back home, only to stumble upon the real Dorsa lurking beneath their bed - but this time, it’s not the flesh-and-blood companion she knows, instead an unsettling, otherworldly presence that sends shivers down her spine.

Seizing the opportunity to escape the unholy scene, Kimia makes a break for the shelter once more, only to find the real Dorsa waiting for her. But their reunion is short-lived, as the pair is suddenly set upon by the vengeful chador apparition. In a desperate bid to flee, they make a mad dash for Shideh’s car and speed away from the chaos, with Iraj’s parents serving as their unlikely sanctuary.

However, in the aftermath of their harrowing escape, Kimia can’t shake the feeling that she may have left something crucial behind - namely, Dorsa’s detached head. And to compound her unease, Shideh’s medical textbook remains tantalizingly out of reach, nestled firmly in the djinn’s grasp. The unsettling implication: they may yet be stalked by the malevolent forces they thought had been vanquished.