Critical Zone(HKAFF2023)

Golden Leopard for Best Film, Locarno Film Festival
Busan International Film Festival

Taking place in a single night, this exhilarating thriller follows Amir, a Tehran taxi driver who’s really a drug dealer – a profession warranting the death penalty in Iran. But this isn’t about the money. Amir chooses to deal drugs in defiance of the authorities, bringing escape or joy to a varied cast of unique characters. His customers include the elderly and many women oppressed by Iran’s draconian society, and the drugs represent freedom from theocracy or oppression. Subversive and transgressive, this vital ode to rebellion was shot on location without permission from the Iran government, echoing Amir’s rebellious ethos at its very core.