The Nordic & Baltic Oscar Contenders series at Scandinavia House returns this season with screenings of films chosen by the Nordic & Baltic countries to compete for the Oscar nomination for the Best International Feature Film! On December 10, see Denmark’s official nomination for the 95th Academy Awards, Holy Spider (dir. Ali Abbasi, Denmark/Germany/Sweden/France, 2022).

Female journalist Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer who believes he is doing the work of God, cleansing the streets of sinners by murdering sex workers. As the body count mounts, and Rahimi draws closer to exposing his crimes, the opportunity for justice grows harder to attain as the ‘Spider Killer’ is embraced by many as a hero. Based on the horrific true story of serial killer Saeed Hanaei, acclaimed writer-director Ali Abbasi (Border) unveils a gripping crime thriller, and a daring indictment of a society in which rough justice is routinely a fact of life.

“A crisp, engrossing, and disturbing crime thriller”—The Observer

“Powerful and precise, commendably lacking the sensationalistic tone of some serial killer movies”—RogerEbert.com

This screening will take place in-person at Scandinavia House in Victor Borge Hall.

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