Torino Underground awards Iranian-Turkish ‘Silence Tree’

The 8th edition of the Torino Underground Cinefest in Italy has awarded Iranian-Turkish production ‘Silence Tree’.

Directed by Faysal Soysal from Turkey and produced by Ali Nouri-Oskouee from Iran, the co-production won the awards for best film and best editing. Iranian editor Mostafa Kherqepoush received the award for best editing.

‘Silence Tree’ tells the story of Hayati, a writer whose talent as well as his married life is going from bad to worse.

He is deeply obsessed with reviving a dried walnut tree at his father’s house. The more he tries to dig into his father’s past and death, the more confused and lost he gets.

Finding out about his wife’s scandal is a terrible bluster, but his apparently weak character does not let him to react properly.

While struggling to get rid of his hellish life, he meets his best friend’s fiancée, who looks so much like his own ex-girlfriend, and inspires him to write again. Surprisingly, the walnut tree starts budding, too.

Just as hope flares up inside him, his mother dies and his wife runs off with her lover. He can no longer stand the situation and leaves the town.

A couple of days later, the police discover the burned body of a woman. Hayati is arrested and accused of the murder. Though innocent, he pleads guilty.

‘Silence Tree’ was initially named ‘Walnut Tree’, but it was renamed due the similarity of the title to an Iranian movie with the same title by Mohammad-Hossein Mahdavian.

The 8th Torino Underground Cinefest also awarded Iranian actress Sousan Parvar for her role in ‘Botox’ by Kaveh Mazaheri.

The Torino Underground Cinefest’s main goal is to be a showcase for independent films. Its mission is to ensure the visibility to the many small and big movies that are produced in the world.

The 8th edition of the Torino event was held on September 2-9, 2021.

MG/MG