Extended Abstract

Introduction: The horror genre, deeply rooted in myth, ritual, and collective memory, has long functioned as a cinematic expression of social anxiety and cultural trauma. In global cinema, localized versions of horror have emerged through creative adaptation of folklore, ritual practices, and geographical symbolism. In the Iranian context, however, the genre remains underexplored, often constrained by limited theoretical frameworks and the misconception of horror as mere entertainment. This study aims to develop an indigenous model for the horror genre in Iranian cinema by integrating global genre theory with cultural, mythological, and environmental codes specific to Khuzestan province — a region characterized by ethnic diversity, historical complexity, and strong ritual traditions.

The guiding question is how local myths, rituals, and climatic conditions can be reinterpreted within the narrative and aesthetic structures of cinematic horror. Sub-questions include identifying which folkloric elements best translate to cinematic form, how localized fears differ from universal archetypes, and what limitations exist within Iran’s cinematic system for developing a sustained horror genre.

Method: This research employs a qualitative analytical–documentary method, combining theoretical inquiry with cultural analysis. Data were drawn from two primary sources:

1. Written materials, including books, academic papers, and documented folklore on horror, mythology, and regional culture;

2. Non-written sources, such as oral narratives, ritual descriptions, and ethnographic records from Khuzestan collected through prior fieldwork and archival materials.

The analysis followed a three-step process: first, identifying recurrent motifs and mythic figures in the local cultural corpus; second, mapping these motifs onto the structural and aesthetic conventions of the global horror genre; and third, evaluating their cinematic adaptability in terms of narrative, mise-en-scène, and sound design.

The interpretive framework draws upon genre theory (Neale, Altman, Carroll), myth criticism (Eliade), and performance theory (Turner, Schechner) to examine the dialectic between ritualized fear and cinematic representation. By applying cross-cultural genre comparison, the study situates Iranian horror within the broader discourse of “folk horror” and “cultural horror,” genres that merge indigenous beliefs with modern cinematic forms.

Results: Findings reveal that Khuzestan’s local culture provides a multilayered reservoir of horror-inducing elements across mythic, ritual, and environmental dimensions:

1. Mythic and supernatural entities such as Al, Taptapo, and Umm al-Subyan reflect collective anxieties about motherhood, fertility, and liminality. Their symbolic richness offers potential for creating uniquely Iranian cinematic monsters.

2. Ritual and performative practices—including the Zār exorcism, mourning ceremonies, and protective rites for infants—contain embodied gestures and sonic patterns that parallel the rhythm and tension of cinematic horror.

3. Geographical–climatic spaces, from endless deserts to foggy wetlands and war-scarred towns, provide powerful visual and emotional atmospheres for horror storytelling. These landscapes, imbued with historical trauma and ecological extremity, naturally evoke isolation, dread, and the uncanny.

4. Audiovisual elements of southern Iran—such as lamentation songs (yazleh), drumming rituals, harsh contrasts of blinding daylight and dense night darkness, and the constant presence of wind and silence—constitute a distinctive sensory language that can define the tonal identity of an Iranian horror cinema.

Synthesizing these findings, the study identifies three transferable components essential to building a localized model of the horror genre:

1. Narrative–mythic structure (local legends, taboos, and transgressions);

2. Spatial–visual atmosphere (deserted villages, humid riversides, decaying architecture); and

3. Sonic–ritual design (ceremonial rhythms, chants, and silences that evoke unseen presence).

Together, these dimensions form the groundwork for a culturally embedded cinematic language of fear, distinct from Western tropes yet narratively coherent to global audiences.



Discussion: The study concludes that effective localization of the horror genre in Iranian cinema requires more than the substitution of global tropes with local symbols. Instead, it demands a structural synthesis—a creative dialogue between global genre frameworks and indigenous semiotic systems.

In the Iranian cultural context, horror arises not primarily from external monstrosity but from the disruption of sacred order, the breach of ritual boundaries, and the return of suppressed histories. This perspective redefines cinematic fear as a reflection of cultural tension between tradition and modernity, sacred and profane, human and supernatural.

Furthermore, Khuzestan’s mytho-ecological environment demonstrates that the aesthetic of horror can be both local and universal, grounded in lived experience while remaining accessible to international viewers. Integrating ritual soundscapes, regional dialects, and environmental realism could yield a distinctive cinematic form—one that embodies Iran’s cultural memory through visual and acoustic codes of fear.

The proposed model thus establishes a theoretical foundation for the indigenous development of horror cinema in Iran, offering filmmakers and scholars a framework to reimagine horror not as imitation but as cultural reinterpretation. Future research should expand comparative analyses across other Iranian regions to map diverse local expressions of fear and their cinematic potential.