Saar Amir, the French and Iranian star of Ali Abbasi’s “The Holy Spider,” will be awarded at the Metrograph Theater in New York with a special tribute, including a screening of Oscar-eligible short film “Two Swapping Two.”
Amir will star alongside Luana Bajrami (“Portrait of a Burning Woman”) in a dystopian short directed by Natalie Masteata and Alexandre Singh. The film, which is eligible to participate in the Oscar race, premiered in Telluride and won an award at the AFI Fest in 2024.
The title, “Zero Compromise: The Movie of Zaramir,” will begin on September 27th at the Metrograph Theater.
Tehran-born Amir, who won Cannes’ best actress in 2022 for her performance in Abbasi’s thriller “Holy Spider,” is also a filmmaker. She oversaw her first short “Khat” when she was 18 and has since established herself as a politically involved artist who rebelled against Iran’s oppressive regime. Her recent acting credits include “Shaida,” a sundance film by Nura Niasari, representing Australia at last year’s Oscar race.
Both “Holy Spider” and “Shada” will be screened above “Tatami” as part of the tribute. She co-directed with Gainattiff and premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and Mehrantta Madon’s documentary, My Worst Enemy. In the latter, she is featured as one of the exiled Iranians invited to interrogate the superintendent, as if he were an agent of the Islamic Republic.
Amir is on the ground for a New York event and participates in several conversations. In particular, they will be taking part in the Q&A alongside the film-making duo behind Mastia and Singh, who are “Two Who Swap Saliva Exchanges.”
Narrated by Vicky Krieps and shot in black and white, “Two People Exchange Saliva” unfolds in a world where kisses are punished by death and slaps in the face. Amir stars as an unfortunate married Anjin, obsessed with sales girl mal horse (bajrami), threatening to put both of them in danger of terrible retaliation.
As part of the program, other Q&As will bring together filmmakers and talents such as Charlotte Wells and Krieps.
Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata (Copyright: Tudor Cucu)
