A film by two Iranian administrators presently going through a journey ban is in competitors for the highest prize on the Berlin Film Festival, or Berlinale, which is because of be held from Feb. 15 to 24 within the German capital.
“My Favorite Cake” is co-directed by Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam. The movie is an Iranian-French-German-Swedish coproduction and stars veteran Iranian actors Lily Farhadpour and Esmail Mehrabi. It tells the story of a 70-year-old lady who courageously pursues her goals in a rustic that severely curtails ladies’s rights.
Enlarge
The journey bans on Sanaeeha and Moghaddam prompted many worldwide artwork and cultural establishments and a number of other distinguished figures within the international movie business to concern a press release on Dec. 19 urging Iran to carry all bans on Iranian artists and activists.
“We consider that the folks of Iran, together with residents world wide, ought to have the chance to create and watch works equivalent to Sanaeeha and Moghaddam’s movies in addition to these of Saeed Roustayi, learn Narges Mohammadi’s reporting, take heed to the music of Saman Yasin, and savor the performances of gifted Iranian actors, even when they don’t comply with put on headscarves,” the assertion added.
International movie festivals have prominently showcased Iranian movies in recent times and solely refused state-sanctioned movies submitted during times of elevated censorship or the brutal crackdown of protests in Iran.
However, in such cases, Iranian filmmakers residing overseas have efficiently entered their works in varied classes in worldwide movie festivals.
“Festivals present an area for creative expression and allow peaceable dialogue. They are locations of encounter and trade and contribute to worldwide understanding,” stated Carlo Chatrian, the creative director of the Berlin Festival, at a Jan. 23 press convention, as he introduced that “My Favorite Cake” was within the competitors.
Seated subsequent to Mariette Rissenbeek, the competition’s government director, Chatrian stated the actress Lily Farhadpour “performs the function of an older lady who decides to alter elements of her life and do the issues that individuals did earlier than the 1979 Revolution in Iran.”
Still images of “My Favorite Cake” seem to point out the character performed by Lily Farhadpour with out the hijab, which is necessary in Iran.
Sanaeeha and Moghaddam’s earlier movie, “Ballad of a White Cow” – which is banned in Iran — was screened on the 2021 Berlinale. It acquired award nominations at a number of worldwide movie festivals.
According to the Berlinale program, 20 function movies will compete for this 12 months’s high prize, the Golden Bear. Moghaddam is considered one of 9 ladies administrators whose movies will probably be screened at this 12 months’s competition. There are movies from 30 international locations within the varied competitors classes.
“My Favorite Cake” will probably be competing towards works by famend worldwide administrators equivalent to Olivier Assayas (French), Bruno Dumont (French), Abderrahmane Sissako (Mauritanian-born Malian), Mati Diop (French-Senegalese), Alonso Ruizpalacios (Mexican), and Hong Sang-soo (South Korean).
Alonso Ruizpalacios and Hong Sang-soo have twice received the competition’s Silver Bear.