Moscow festival awards Iranian films

The 44th edition of the Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) in Russia has awarded two Iranian movies.

Iranian movie ‘No Prior Appointment’ won the Golden Saint George for best film and the Silver Saint George for best short went to Iran’s ‘Breeze’, the organizers announced on Friday.

Directed by Behrouz Shoeibi, ‘No Prior Appointment’ also received the Silver Saint George for best actress, which was presented to Pagah Ahangarani.

Ahangarani won the award for playing the role of Yasmin, a woman who was six, the same age as her son, when immigrated with her family to Berlin. Now she has to come back to Iran due to her father’s death.

Her son is suffering from autism, which makes it difficult for her to travel easily. She achieves a new understanding of humanity and death during her short travel to Iran.

Made by Hamid-Reza Qasemi, ‘Breeze’ follows an Iranian man who has grown up in a European country.

After the death of his parents, he travels to Iran, as it seems to be his homeland, but Iran turns out not to be the country he imagined, nor the one did his parents tell him about.

The jury of the 44th MIFF, headed by Russian actor Evgeny Mironov, was formed by Iranian director Rasoul Sadr-Ameli, Thandi Davids from South Africa, as well as Hayk Kirakosyan and Andrei Kravchuk from Russia.

The 44th edition of the MIFF opened on August 26 with a showing of the Russian historical drama ‘Land of Legends’ by Anton Megerdichev.

It wrapped up on September 2 with a showing of the Korean drama ‘Decision to Leave’ directed by Park Chan-wook.

Iranian film ‘The Son’ won the awards for best directing and best actor in a leading role at the 2021 edition of the MIFF.

MG/AG