Two Iranian films receive awards at Italy’s Religion Today

Iranian films ‘Driving Lessons’ and ‘Beloved’ have bagged awards at the 22nd Religion Today Film Festival in Italy.

‘Driving Lessons’, directed by Marzieh Riahi, received the Best Film award, according to Iranian media outlets.

The film is about Bahareh, who must have her traditional chauvinistic husband accompany her during driving lessons so that she and her instructor are not left together without a third party’s presence.

‘Driving Lessons’ is starring Linda Kiani, Alireza Sanifar, Salar Khamseh, and Sanaz Mesbah.

Meanwhile, Iranian documentary ‘Beloved’ won the award related to women’s perspective section.

Directed by Yasser Talebi, the documentary is about the difficult but favorable life of an 83-year-old mother named Firouzeh who runs a unique life in the Alborz Mountains in northern Iran.

Firouzeh hikes across the rugged landscape carrying bundles of wood. When she was a young girl, a marriage was arranged for her with an older man, with whom she had 11 children. Now, none of her children come to visit her and her attempts to get closer to them remain futile.

Founded in 1997, the Religion Today Film Festival was “the first event of its kind dedicated to dialogue between cinema and religions”, according the gala’s website.

The 22nd Religion Today Film Festival has been slated for October 2-10, 2019.

SQ/MG