‘Holy Spider’ Actress Zar Amir, Jonathan Pryce and Amir El-Masry Lead Cast of Thriller ‘Keep Her Quiet’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Iranian-French actress Zar Amir, who won Cannes’ best actress award for “Holy Spider,” leads the cast of investigative thriller “Keep Her Quiet,” alongside British actor Jonathan Pryce, an Oscar nominee with “The Two Popes,” and rising Egyptian-British actor Amir El-Masry, who starred in “Limbo” and “Giant.”

Also in the cast are Uyghur actress Bahargul Basco, the U.K.’s Hiftu Quasem, and Canada’s Eleanor Matsuura.

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The film is directed by Franz Böhm, who won a BAFTA for short film “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” and is co-directed by Uyghur filmmaker Suli Kurban. The screenplay is written by Samuel Gheist, Kurban and Böhm.

Based on a true story, the film follows a Washington, D.C.-based journalist whose investigation into unexplained disappearances in Western China puts her and her family in danger.

Principal photography recently wrapped across locations in Germany’s Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, as well as Washington, D.C.

The film is produced by the German-Austrian production outfit Schubert, led by Johannes Schubert. Production partners include Switzerland’s Stefan Eichenberger of Contrast Film, Sweden’s Erik Hemmendorff (“Triangle of Sadness,” “The Square”) of Plattform Produktion, and Austria’s David Bohun and Lixi Frank of Panama Film.

The executive producers are Malte Grunert, producer of the Academy Award-winning “All Quiet on the Western Front,” Anita Gou (“The Farewell”) and Caroline Clark of Kindred Spirit, as well as Kristina Börjeson of Film i Väst.

Theatrical distribution in German-speaking territories will be handled by Pandora Film (Germany), Filmladen Filmverleih (Austria), and Filmcoopi Zürich (Switzerland).

The production is a collaboration with a public broadcaster alliance led by Germany’s SWR, alongside BR and ARTE, as well as Austria’s ORF and Switzerland’s SRF. Support comes from MFG Film Fund Baden-Württemberg, FilmFernsehFonds Bavaria, Bayerischer Bankenfonds, Hessen Film & Medien, German Federal Film Board (FFA), Austrian Film Institute, Vienna Film Fund, Federal Office of Culture (BAK) and Zurich Film Fund.