Holy Spider
The internationally acclaimed director of "Border" returns with a provocative, pitch black thriller.
Mashhad, Iran, a holy city home to the Imam Reza shrine, served, in 2001, as hunting ground for a serial killer known as The Spider. This man, eventually identified as Saeed Hanaei, believed he was acting in the service of God and his city by “cleansing” the streets of sex workers, 16 of whom he brutally murdered.
Directed by Ali Abbasi, actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi won the prestigious Best Actress award at Cannes for her leading role as Rahimi, a journalist returning to her hometown to help bring the killer to justice.
DDA Spotlight Award laureate.
Director
Ali Abbasi
Screenwriter
Ali Abbasi, Afshin Kamran Bahrami
Producer
Sol Bondy, Jacob Jarek
Cast
Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Mehdi Bajestani, Arash Ashtiani, Forouzan Jamshidnejad
Director of Photography
Nadim Carlsen
Editing
Olivia Neergaard-Holm
Composer
Martin Dirkov
Runtime
Language
Other festivals
Busan, Toronto, Cannes, London

Director
Ali Abbasi
Ali Abbasi (1981)
Filmography:
Shelley (2016), Gräns (Border, 2018), Holy Spider (2022)
Screenings
2nd Hall Apollo Kino Solaris
2nd Hall Apollo Kino Plaza
Chill-Hall Apollo Kino Plaza
3rd Hall Apollo Kino Lõunakeskus, Tartu
Trailer










