Z. Amir Ebrahimi, M. Bajestani and A. Abbasi from HOLY SPIDER, enchant the red carpet at European Film Awards in Reykjavik
Abbasi said Bajestani was taking an enormous risk by playing the killer. Ebrahimi was initially involved in the film only as a casting director, but was cast as the journalist after an actor dropped out of the role. May 2022, the Cinema Organization of Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance issued a statement condemning the Cannes festival for awarding the film the Best Actress award, calling it “an insulting and politically-motivated move”. The statement compared the film to The Satanic Verses and said it “has insulted the beliefs of millions of Muslims and the huge Shiite population of the world”.
