ScreenDaily broke the news last week that Celluloid Dreams acquired international rights to Tunisian director Abdelhamid Bouchnak’s horror picture Dachra ahead of its world premiere as the closing night film of Venice Critics’ Week, running Aug 29 to Sept 8 this year. Now, ahead of the premiere comes the film’s international trailer that thankfully includes English subtitles.

In the film: “Set against the backdrop of contemporary Tunisia, the feature revolves around female journalism student Yasmin and two male classmates who set out on a university assignment to solve the cold case of Mongia, a woman found mutilated 25 years ago and now imprisoned in an asylum, suspected of witchcraft.

“As they pursue their investigation, the three friends stumble into the archaic and ominous world of Dachra, an isolated countryside compound filled with goats, silent women, mysterious drying meat and steaming pots, which is home to a cult.

“When the cult’s jovial but menacing leader invites them to stay overnight, Yasmin is drawn into Dachra’s dark secrets and a desperate attempt to escape alive.”

“Witchcraft has always been my biggest fear and with Dachra I wanted to show how dark the human soul can be,” Bouchnak explains.

Bouchnak plays with the contrast between Tunisia’s image as one of the most liberal and modern countries in the Arab world and deeper primitive fears of witchcraft and cannibalism.

As well as directing, Bouchnak also wrote, edited and produced Dachra with Omar Ben Ali on board as co-producer.

The young cast features Yassmine Dimassi, Aziz Jebali and Bilel Slatnia in the co-starring roles. Hatem Nechi is the director of photography and Fatma Madani, the set designer.