By: Claudio “Definitely an Ifrit” Cortés

Speaking from two years of experience, parenthood is scary, when the child arrives you are tasked with keeping the little fella alive and well adjusted. Your previously short temper needs to be lengthened and your ability to be patient in the face of an irrational little human is an absolute must, but somehow, for me, and most of our parents at least, one manages to learn. 

Today’s film explores this and adds some elements that raise the stakes in an already high stakes situation, imagine being a single mother raising a daughter in early post cultural revolution Tehran during the 8 year Iran-Iraq war while Saddam began his S.C.U.D. missile bombing campaign of your town….also your daughter has started communicating with a Djinn, who very much wants to possess her. Under the Shadow is a very well made film that very effectively encapsulates and presents the viewer with the anxiety of parenthood under these extraordinary circumstances. 

I chose to watch this film because I recently started listening to a very intriguing Podcast called Hidden Djinn (consider this a recommendation), in listening to it I  realized that I, like most americans had a very big Djinn shaped blind spot in my knowledge of all things that go bump in the night. What I knew basically amounted to The Genie from Aladdin, the Genie from Wishmaster, and that one sex scene from American Gods, like most interesting topics this lead me down a rabbit hole of Djinn Film’s, today’s pick is the result of that rabbit hole. 

You can watch Under The Shadow on Netflix, and I highly recommend that you do so.

It was rather hard to pick a song to accompany today’s film, but your homie managed to find something that fits perfectly. The song is an extremely vibey, extremely chair danceable, and features two of the best Female vocalists in rock and roll  Tehran 1979 – By Brian Reitzell, Debbie Harry, and Shirley Manson.

Keep up with the playlist as it builds Here

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