Greek fest honors Iran ‘White Bridge’

The 20th edition of the Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People in Greece has honored Iranian feature ‘White Bridge’.

Directed by Ali Qavitan, the film won the Award of the Hellenic National Committee for UNICEF as well as a Special Mention at the Greek event, the organizers announced on Tuesday.

Admiring ‘White Bridge’, the festival’s website wrote 'Economy in cinema is not a small budget, but an asperity of narrative. Ali Qavitan’s film achieves it in every level. His drive was to cinematically portray the hardship of a child who is targeted as a scapegoat. But solidarity is stronger.'

The 80-minute flick stars Bahareh Norouzi, Sediqeh Norouzian as well as the director Qavitan.

It tells the story of a school-girl, Bahareh, who gets disabled in an accident just a few months after the start of the school year. According to the Ministry of Education, she must continue her education in special school.

But Bahareh refuses to go to special school and tries to convince her former school to accept her. However, it seems impossible for her to return to the regular school and she remains suspended. Bahareh and her mother have to fight to overcome the situation.

Also, ‘White Bridge’ is simultaneously competing at the 22nd edition of the Kerala International Film Festival in India.

The 20th Olympia was held on December 2-9, 2017, in the Greek capital of Athens.

MG/MF