The Ministry of Culture has revoked the distribution certificate for a film by an Iranian director about a religious fanatic who killed sex workers.

The Ministry of Culture has revoked the distribution certificate for the film “The Sacred Spider Killer,” which was directed by an Iranian director.
Ali Abbasi. this with reference to the film distributor in Russia, Exponenta Film. reports Interfax

The agency's interlocutor did not specify what was the reason for revoking the license. The film began showing in Russian cinemas on May 11, during which time the film collected 1.49 million rubles.

The film tells the story of a religious fanatic from Iran who lived in Mashhad and killed local sex workers to cleanse the city of "filth." According to the plot, a local journalist is investigating the man’s crimes in order to write an article about him. At the end, a man is sentenced to death for the murder of 16 women.

The film won the 2022 Cannes Film Festival award for Best Actress. Among other things, the film raises the issue of the position of Iranian women in society and their discrimination. The director of the film, Ali Abbasi , said that the Iranian authorities did not allow him to film in Mashhad; as a result, the filming location was found in Jordan.