In the shadows of Bad City, a girl wanders around. Dressed in a hijab and a striped t-shirt, dodging the street lights, she follows the local villagers. If necessary, she shows her vampire teeth. Maybe that’s just as well. Bad City isn’t called that for nothing. It is a lawless hellhole, inhabited by underworld figures, drug addicts and pimps. One night, on her way home alone, she meets Arash, an Iranian James Dean lookalike, complete with classic American car and cigarette in the corner of his mouth. There is an instant attraction. This is a film that cannot be described by a single genre: an attractive mix of spaghetti Western, vampire film, Lynch and graphic novels – and a film that shows a surprising combination of Iranian and American influences. The super-stylish black-and-white images are accompanied by fusion beats, underground Iranian rock, and every now and again a Western riff à la Morricone. An instant cult hit is born.
