ForadCamp 2019 grants two awards to Iran movie

Iranian documentary feature film ‘Lotus’ has bagged two awards at the 8th edition of Nature and Cinema Exhibition ‘ForadCamp’ in Spain.

Directed by Mohammad-Reza Vatandoust, ‘Lotus’ succeeded to win the Best Documentary Jury Award of the 2019 edition of the Spanish film event.

As put by the festival’s organizers, the award was bestowed to Iran doc “for making a portrait of a person and a landscape, for the human and political dimensions of history, and for its great cinematic quality.”

ForadCamp Filmfest has also granted the Granollers Cultural Association Mention to ‘Lotus’ “for the excellent cinematic treatment, for the clarity of the message and for the emotiveness of his footage.”

Vatandoust’s documentary competed with 16 other titles from Argentina, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Netherlands, Romania, South Korea, Spain and Switzerland.

‘Lotus’ narrates the story of an old woman who has lost her son in war.

Her son’s grave gets buried under water because a dam is constructed in the area that is why she has never been able to see his gravestone.

After 12 years, the woman is in a boat to go and visit her son's graveyard which has now emerged out of the water in the form of a small island.

‘Lotus’ has previously attended the National competition section and the Shahid Avini Award Competition section of the 11th Iran International Documentary Film Festival of Cinema Verite, the 24th LA Film Festival in the US, the 21st Cervino Cinemountain International Film Festival in Italy, as well as the 25th Sheffield International Documentary Festival.

‘Lotus’ is also a recipient of Best Director Documentary award at the 18th Beirut International Film Festival in Lebanon, as well as the ‘Artistic Vision Award’ at the 16th Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in the US.

According to the official website of the 8th Nature and Cinema Exhibition – ForadCamp 2019, the festival seeks to link the natural environment with independent personal cinema made with an innovative spirit.

The event was held on October 19-20, 2019.

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