A landmark Iranian film has been restored, with an exclusive trailer now available for The Sealed Soil.

      No distributor in North America enriches film culture quite like Arbelos, whose ongoing series of restorations continues with The Sealed Soil. Marva Nabili’s 1977 film holds the distinction of being the earliest surviving feature directed by an Iranian woman, making it a work at risk of fading into obscurity. However, thanks to the UCLA Film & Television Archive's preservation efforts, it was showcased at last year's Il Cinema Ritrovato (which our recap noted as a “popular ‘best in fest'”) and the New York Film Festival. Arbelos is set to launch a theatrical run on May 30 at BAM in New York, followed by a nationwide rollout, and we are excited to present the trailer.

      Here’s the synopsis: “The earliest complete surviving feature film directed by an Iranian woman, Marva Nabili’s The Sealed Soil tells the story of a young woman (Flora Shabavis) who resists an impending forced marriage, a defiance that her family quickly misinterprets as demonic possession. Stunning in its directorial restraint and unwavering in its critique of institutionalized misogyny, this film is a masterpiece of world cinema that has been unfairly overlooked for too long.”

      Watch the preview below: