Under the Shadow (2016) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A mother and daughter endure wartime isolation while a supernatural threat turns grief, fear, and cherished objects against them.

Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases

A City Refusing To Empty

Shideh loses the right to resume her medical studies while war spreads across Tehran. Although Iraj urges her to leave, she stays with Dorsa and accepts the risks of remaining in the city.

Key Events

• Shideh Loses Her Studies — Shideh is barred from resuming medical studies because of her leftist affiliations. Characters: Shideh Location: Tehran
• The Mother’s Physiology Book — Shideh discards her textbooks but keeps a physiology book from her deceased mother. Characters: Shideh Location: Shideh's home
• Iraj Receives Military Orders — Iraj is called into military service as the war intensifies. Characters: Shideh, Iraj, Dorsa Location: Shideh's home
• The Safety Argument — Iraj urges Shideh to leave Tehran, but she chooses to stay with Dorsa. Characters: Shideh, Iraj, Dorsa Location: Shideh's home
• Kimia’s Protective Promise — Iraj promises Dorsa that her favorite doll Kimia will protect her. Characters: Iraj, Dorsa, Shideh Location: Shideh's home

The Legend Enters Home

A bereaved boy gives Dorsa a charm and whispers about evil spirits. After a missile strike makes Kimia disappear, Dorsa's fear begins to reshape the apartment around them.

Key Events

• The Orphaned Cousin Arrives — A boy whose parents died in an attack moves in with his cousins. Characters: Dorsa, Shideh, Mrs. Ebrahimi Location: The neighboring apartment
• The Charm Changes Hands — During shelling, the boy whispers to Dorsa and gives her a charm against evil spirits. Characters: Dorsa, Shideh Location: The apartment building
• The Djinn Legend — Dorsa reports the Djinn legend, and Mrs. Ebrahimi explains the boy's muteness. Characters: Dorsa, Shideh, Mrs. Ebrahimi Location: Mrs. Ebrahimi's apartment
• The Missile Strike — A missile strikes the building, and Kimia disappears during the chaos. Characters: Shideh, Dorsa Location: The apartment building
• Dorsa Senses a Presence — Dorsa becomes disturbed and insists that a strange presence is inside the home. Characters: Dorsa, Shideh Location: The apartment

Alone Beneath The Chador

The neighbors evacuate, and Mrs. Ebrahimi warns Shideh about djinns stealing cherished objects. Shideh's visions intensify as she searches for Kimia and tries to protect Dorsa.

Key Events

• The Search Above — Dorsa tries to reach the upper floor because she believes Kimia is there. Characters: Dorsa, Shideh Location: The upper floor
• Mrs. Ebrahimi’s Warning — Mrs. Ebrahimi warns that djinns possess people and steal cherished personal objects. Characters: Shideh, Mrs. Ebrahimi Location: The apartment building
• The Neighbors Evacuate — The neighbors leave to escape the fighting, leaving Shideh and Dorsa alone. Characters: Shideh, Dorsa, Mrs. Ebrahimi Location: The apartment building
• The Moving Chador — Shideh's nightmares escalate into visions of a chador moving like a ghost. Characters: Shideh Location: The apartment
• The Mutilated Doll — Shideh finds Kimia mutilated and repairs the doll with tape after Dorsa becomes upset. Characters: Shideh, Dorsa Location: The apartment

Escape With An Ominous Cost

An air raid separates appearance from reality when Shideh encounters an apparition of Dorsa. Mother and daughter escape the attack, but the missing doll head and physiology book suggest the danger remains.

Key Events

• The Second Air Raid — An air raid siren sounds just as Shideh and Dorsa prepare to leave. Characters: Shideh, Dorsa Location: The apartment building
• The False Dorsa — Shideh hears Dorsa scream, returns home, and discovers that the Dorsa under the bed is an apparition. Characters: Shideh, Dorsa Location: The stairwell and apartment
• Escape To The Shelter — Shideh escapes to the shelter and finds the real Dorsa there. Characters: Shideh, Dorsa Location: The bomb shelter
• The Chador Attack — The chador apparition attacks them, and they escape to the car. Characters: Shideh, Dorsa Location: The bomb shelter and car
• Flight To Iraj’s Parents — Shideh drives Dorsa away from Tehran toward Iraj's parents. Characters: Shideh, Dorsa Location: The road to Iraj's parents
• The Ominous Missing Pieces — Kimia's detached head and Shideh's missing physiology book imply that the haunting may continue. Characters: Shideh, Dorsa Location: Iraj's parents' home

Story Breakdown

• Shideh’s Forced Stagnation — Shideh loses her academic path and faces the pressure of a society transformed by war.
  • Studies Denied — Shideh is barred from resuming medical studies because of her involvement with leftist groups.
  • Mother’s Book — She discards her medical textbooks but keeps a physiology book from her deceased mother.
• A Family Divided — Iraj's military service separates the household and creates a dispute over where Shideh and Dorsa should live.
  • Military Departure — Iraj is called into military service as the war intensifies.
  • Staying In Tehran — Shideh refuses Iraj's request to move to his parents' safer area.
• The Djinn Legend — A bereaved boy's warning introduces a supernatural explanation for the family's growing terror.
  • The Protective Charm — The boy gives Dorsa a charm intended to ward off evil spirits.
  • Mrs. Ebrahimi Warns — Mrs. Ebrahimi explains that djinns can possess people and steal beloved objects.
• The Building Empties — A missile strike and escalating attacks transform the apartment building into an isolated, threatening space.
  • Kimia Disappears — Kimia goes missing when a missile strikes the building.
  • Neighbors Evacuate — The Ebrahimi family and other neighbors leave to escape the fighting.
• Mother Versus Apparitions — Shideh tries to protect Dorsa while visions and duplications undermine her trust in what she sees.
  • The Moving Chador — Shideh experiences nightmares and visions involving a chador that moves like a ghost.
  • The False Dorsa — Shideh discovers that the Dorsa under the bed is an apparition rather than her real daughter.
• Flight And Lingering Threat — Shideh and Dorsa escape the building, but the final objects left behind imply that the danger has not ended.
  • Shelter Attack — The chador apparition attacks Shideh and Dorsa as they flee toward the car.
  • The Ominous Remnants — Kimia's detached head and Shideh's missing physiology book suggest continued harassment.

Directed by

Babak Anvari

Key Cast

• Narges Rashidi — Shideh
• Avin Manshadi — Dorsa
• Bobby Naderi — Iraj
• Ray Haratian — Mr. Ebrahimi
• Hamid Djavadan — Mr. Fakur