Iraq’s Duhok filmfest awards 3 Iranian titles

The 7th edition of the Duhok International Film Festival in Iraq has awarded Iranian titles ‘Gold Runner’ (Gold Carrier), ‘Truck’, and ‘At Dawn’.

Made by Kambouzia Partovi, ‘Truck’ grabbed the FIPRESCI Award for the Best Kurdish Feature Film and its star Saeed Aqakhani won best actor award.

‘Truck’ was premiered at the 36th Fajr Film Festival in the Iranian capital city of Tehran.

The movie recounts the story of a woman who becomes homeless after an Iraqi ethnic and religious minority is attacked by Daesh forces.

In addition to Aqakhani, Niki Karimi, Nasrin Moradi and Ramin Rastad have starred in the film.

Directed by Touraj Aslani, ‘Gold Runner’ received the New Talent Award for World Cinema at the Iraqi event.

The 85-minute flick chronicles Reza, a gold carrier who is couriering gold and jewelry from workshops to stores.

Delivering the gold as usual one day, he is held up by a group of gang members who hit him and steal the gold pieces.

The owner of the retail business demands repayment, but Reza has no way to pay him back.

Hearing from his friend Louie that there is an expensive jewel somewhere in the floor of a traditional toilet in the workshop, Reza uses the money from the aid group to bid on the workshop at an auction.

Hossein Ahmadinia, Saeed Aqakhani, Lotfollah Seyfi and Jaleh Sameti are among the ‘Gold Carrier’ cast.

Moreover, Minou Sharifipour was selected as best actress for her appearance in Iranian director Salem Salavati’s movie ‘At Dawn’.

The film tells the story of Shakhawan whose sister has been killed by a young boy.

The killer’s retaliation has been postponed twice due to the gathering of the villagers and their request for Shakhawan and his family’s forgiveness.

The Duhok is an annual film festival held in Duhok, Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Each year the Duhok presents new and exciting cinema from the Kurdish Cinema and beyond.

Iranian director Ida Panahandeh who won the New Talent Award for World Cinema at the 6th Duhok was on the jury panel of the event.

The 7th Duhok International Film Festival was held on September 9-16, 2019.

MG/MG