Zar Amir, the Iranian French star of “Holy Spider” by Ali Abbasi, will be honored with the New York Theater Metrographer with a special tribute including a projection of the “Two People’s Oscars exchanging saliva”.
Amir plays alongside Luàna Bajrami (“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”) in the dystopian short film which is directed by Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh. The film, which qualified to participate in the Oscar race, was presented as a world premiere at Telluride and won a prize at the Fest AFI.
Entitled “Zero Compromis: The Films of Zar Amir”, the tribute will start on September 27 at the Metrographer Theater.
The Amir born in Tehran, who won the best actress in Cannes with her performance in the Abbasi thriller “Holy Spider” in 2022, is also a filmmaker. She directed her first short film, “Khat”, when she was only 18 years old, and has been established as a politically committed artist who rebelled against the oppressive regime of Iran. His recent actor credits include the film Sundance of Noora Niaasari “Shayda” which represented Australia in the Oscar race last year.
“Holy Spider” and “Shayda” will provide as part of the tribute, above “Tatami”, which she co-produced with Guy Nattiv and was presented at Venice Film Festival, and the documentary of Mehran Tamadon “My Pire Enemy”. In the latter, it is presented as one of the exile Iranians invited to question the director, as if he were an agent of the Islamic Republic.
Amir will be on the ground for the New York event and will participate in several conversations, including a Q&R alongside the cinema duo behind “Two People exchanging saliva”, Musteata and Singh, on September 27.
Reported by Vicky Krieps and shot in black and white, “two people exchanging saliva” take place in a world where kisses are punishable by death and slaps on the face are regularly part of social relationships. Amir embodies an unhappy married angina which is in love with the malaise of Salesgirl (Bajrami), threatening to put them both in danger of terrible reprisals.
As part of the program, other questions and answers will bring together filmmakers and talents, including Charlotte Wells and Krieps.
Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata (Copyright: Tudor Cucu)
