‘Lotus’ enters Winter Apricot Fest finals

Iranian film ‘Lotus’ directed by Mohammad-Reza Vatandoust has reached the finals of the 3rd edition of the Winter Apricots: Prilep International Film Festival in Prilep, Macedonia.

Nominated for Best Film, Best Idea, Best Picture, and Best Sound, the documentary is competing with 10 other films from Bulgaria, France, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Serbia, and Switzerland.

‘Lotus’ tells the story of an old woman, who as a result of the building of a dam, and the submergence of parts of the local village under 80 meters of water, is no longer able to visit the grave of her martyred son, who is buried in a piece of land now surrounded by water. The story depicts the 12-year suffering, struggles, and multiple failed attempts of the old mother who wishes to travel to the Island once again to visit her son’s grave.

'Lotus' experiences its 8th international appearance at the Winter Apricots Film Festival.

The film has been screened at numerous festivals worldwide, including the 24th LA Film Festival in the US, the 21st Cervino Cinemountain International Film Festival in Italy, the 6th Duhok International Film Festival in Iraq, the 22nd Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival in Czech Republic, as well as the 25th Sheffield International Documentary Festival, the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society (Poly), and the Kinofilm Manchester International Short Film Festival in the UK.

In its third year, the Winter Apricots: Prilep International Film Festival is a new up and coming independent film festival created through the encounter of a Macedonian architect and an Italian filmmaker, seeking to bring a quality film festival which gathers filmmakers as well as film lovers from around the world.

The festival is currently underway and will come to a close on December 15, 2018.

MB/MM