Critical Zone

In present-day Tehran, Amir earns his living as a drug dealer. He lives alone in an apartment with his affectionate bulldog Mr. Fred. After returning home from the tunnel system of the city's ring roads with a bag containing, among other things, marijuana, hashish and opium, he sorts the drugs and bakes two trays full of hash cookies. He then gets into his car and meets his customers, to whom he provides relief "like a modern prophet." He is guided through the nighttime city by the female voice of his GPS navigation system, which also warns Amir about roadblocks, speed traps and other dangers. In addition to seemingly lost young men on the side of the road, his customers also include a young yoga teacher for children and an old palliative care patient in a hospital, whom he and a nurse feed the hash cookies to. Amir also supplies a few prostitutes, including a trans man, with drugs for free, while he helps a widow save her son from the throes of addiction by prescribing him a mixture of pills and opium tea. He receives drugs and beer from an Iranian flight attendant coming from Amsterdam in exchange for opium. Amir and the stewardess snort cocaine together and become intimate. Meanwhile, the pair are pursued by unnamed assailants and a car chase ensues. ==Cast==

Critical Zone is the fourth feature film by Iranian director, screenwriter, producer and editor Ali Ahmadzadeh. In a director's note to the Locarno Film Festival, he explained that he "worked with real people" instead of professional actors. It was shot in secret without the normally required permission from Iranian authorities. produced Critical Zone along with Ahmadzadeh. The film was edited by Ahmadzadeh himself. Abbas Rahimi served as director of photography and Milad Movahedi contributed the film score. ==Release==

It was reported on 10 May 2023 that Paris-based Luxbox acquired the international sales rights to the film and would present it at the Marché du Film in Cannes. On 5 July 2023, Critical Zone was announced as a selection for the Concorso internazionale (international competition) at the 76th Locarno Film Festival. Two days later, Ali Ahmadzadeh was interrogated by the Ministry of Security and accused of shooting a pornographic film. He was pressured by the Iranian authorities to withdraw the film from the Locarno competition and was not allowed to travel to the festival. As a result of the film being shot without government permission, his visa to leave the country was revoked. According to Ataeian Dena, Ahmadzadeh has resisted the attempts to pressure him and even refused to appear for questioning. Ataeian Dena said, "He doesn't believe in the censorship rules, he stands up for freedom of speech and art. Like many others, he has given up his fear and is part of the protest movement". In addition, Ahmadzadeh is said to have been banned from working for a long time. The Locarno Film Festival, under artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, unsuccessfully called on the Iranian government to immediately release Ahmadzadeh. Ataeian Dena expressed fear that the filmmaker could be arrested after the festival. The film had its world premiere at Locarno on 10 August 2023. ==Reception==

Critical response German-language film critics praised Critical Zone after its premiere and largely saw it as a deserving festival winner. Swiss journalist Michael Sennhauser evaluated it as a leisurely film that presents its central metaphor in variations. Sennhauser writes that Ahmadzadeh shows "an alternative form of social life in Iran [...] a depiction of a life that cannot be endured sober." The jury was chaired by the French actor Lambert Wilson. Since Ahmadzadeh was unable to travel, Ataeian Dena accepted the prize alone at the award ceremony. Michael Ranze of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung viewed the Golden Leopard win as simultaneously an "artistic recognition and a sign of solidarity with the filmmakers in Iran". The film's co-producer Sina Ataeian Dena, who had earlier expressed concerns for Ahmadzadeh's safety due to the inclusion of Critical Zone at Locarno, predicted that winning the Golden Leopard could potentially protect the director: "Experience shows that the more you are in the spotlight, the safer you are in Iran". ==References==