One-of-a-kind Djinn horror by the first female director from the United Arab Emirates.

A boy suffers a mental health crisis that Western medicine can’t seem to cure. In desperation, his mother seeks help from an Islamic Djinn specialist, which results in a clash between two systems and cultures.  

Three, the feature debut of Nayla al Khaja – the first female director from the United Arab Emirates! – handles the subject of exorcism from an Islamic perspective with grace. Leaning more towards psychological thriller than traditional horror film (although it does have a few effective jump scares), this nail-biter is truly every mother’s nightmare. The contradictions between Western and Islamic ethics are played out delicately, without ever becoming either too preachy or overly rational. Al Khaja doesn’t offer any easy solutions or answers either: she skilfully leaves it up to the viewer to decide which belief system holds the truth. 



Friday 25 October: Mezrab Storytellers on Djinn - Sarah Montazeri (Iran) 


Five of our Djinn shows will be accompanied by a Djinn story told by a Mezrab, House of Stories storyteller. The Friday 25 October screening of Three will be introduced by Iranian-Dutch actress and theatre maker Sarah Montazeri. Sarah believes theatre holds the power to invoke emotions, to connect people and to make the world a better place. She's a true storyteller, able to both entertain and move an audience. Her charisma and versatility bring her historical and fictitious characters to life. She knows how to create the right mood and emotion with her performances, leaving a lasting impression.  


Mythos: Djinn Stories


Sarah's story will be connected to the four other Djinn stories told at Imagine for a special programme at Mezrab in Amsterdam titled Mythos: Djinn Stories. This event will take place on Tuesday 29 October from 20.00 till 22.30.

Drama, Horror, Thriller
93 minutes
United Arab Emirates
2023
English, Arabic
English
Nayla Al Khaja