The Sealed Soil

Set in pre-revolution Iran, this drama follows a young woman living in a small village who struggles to balance her desire for autonomy with the strict expectations of her community. Because she rejects marriage offers and removes her head covering, her relatives believe she is possessed by demons and bring in an exorcist to treat her.

Written, produced, and directed by Marva Nabili, the film was shot secretly in 1977 during the rise of the Khomeini regime. Nabili smuggled a rough cut of the movie into the United States inside a suitcase with a false bottom to finish the editing process. While it was completed abroad, the film has never been screened in Iran.

The movie was released on May 30, 2025, with a total runtime of 90 minutes. On IMDb, it holds a rating of 6.8/10 based on 213 votes.