Killing the Eunuch Khan () is a 2021 Iranian sci-fi - crime film directed by Abed Abest and produced by Shahrzad Seifi. The film set in 1980s in the backdrop of Iran–Iraq War follows a serial killer, who uses his victims to kill more victims. It was premiered in the 25th edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (2021). It was also selected to compete in ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal at the 52nd International Film Festival of India, where it was screened in November 2021. It also premiered in Slamdance Film Festival in January 2022, and was chosen as the Grand Jury Winner of the Breakouts Features.
Production Killing the Eunuch Khan is Abest's second feature.
Accolades YearCountryCityFestivalSectionNominatedResultEvent date 2021 Estonia Tallinn (World Premiere) Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival Best Film-Official Selection Abed Abest 12-28 Nov 2021 2021 India Panaji International Film Festival of India ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal Abed Abest 20-28 Nov 2021 2022 USA Park City, Utah Slamdance Film Festival Grand Jury Award-Breakouts Section Abed Abest 27 Jan – 6 Feb 2022 2022 India Thiruvananthapuram International Film Festival of Kerala World Cinema non-competitive 18–22 March 2022 2022 Taiwan Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards (TGHFF) The Fantasy of the Year non-competitive 8–17 April 2022 2022 Brazil Porto Alegre International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre (FANTASPOA) Best Film Abed Abest 15 April – 1 May 2022 2022 Romania Cluj-Napoca Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) No Limit non-competitive 17 – 26 June 2022 2022 Australia Perth Revelation Perth International Film Festival Feature Narrative 7–17 July 2022
Reception The film received very positive reviews.
FilmThreat, for example, found that, "The film is an artistic extravaganza with a genre-bending structure and breathtaking imagery. Seldom have the horrors of war have been so well shown in such a spectacularly surreal way." This artistic surreal imagery was also noted in a review in Dmovies but with a more nuanced assessment: "The eventual question is whether Abest is pushing at the boundaries to expand the potential of the film form, or has he been seduced by the dream aesthetic to his detriment? The beauty of David Lynch’s surreal, dreamlike and puzzle box films, is that there were ideas and themes, but here there seems to be none. It’s a dream that could only seem real if we were the dreamer, but we’re not. A deeply subjective work, Killing the Eunuch Khan in moments showcases a seductive aesthetic, but its lack of substance leaves it a challenging film to engage with, beyond superficial admiration."
See also 52nd International Film Festival of India
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