“Radiograph of a Family”, a co-production of Norway, Iran, and Switzerland by Firuzeh Khosrovani won the IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary, in addition to an award for best creative use of the archive.
The IDFA Award for Best Children’s Documentary also went to Ako Salemi for “Shadegan”.
In addition, the IDFA Award for Best Directing went to Vitaly Mansky for “Gorbachev. Heaven”, a co-production of (Latvia and the Czech Republic.
“Radiography of a Family is literally an X-ray of a family,” reads the synopsis of the film.
“Shadegan” portrays 12-year-old Milad on a golden morning, while sailing out across the Shadegan Wetlands in Khuzestan, a province in southwestern Iran. He skillfully guides his slender boat over vast expanses of water, past untidy villages on the bank and swaying reeds. A dog ambles along the water’s edge, a cock crows in the distance.
“The Snow Calls” by Marjan Khosravi from Iran had its world premiere in the Student Documentary category, while “Shadegan” had its European premiere in the Kids & Docs category.
IDFA, which opened on November 18, will be running online until December 6.
Iranian cinema was praised at the 2019 edition of the IDFA with awards in three categories, including best director for Mehrdad Oskui.
Oskui received the award for his latest feature-length documentary, “Sunless Shadows”, in which he builds a remarkable relationship with a group of adolescent girls serving their sentences for the grave crime of murdering their father, their husband, or another male family member in an Iranian juvenile detention center.
The award for a best mid-length documentary also went also to “Anticlockwise” by Jalal Vafai from Iran. The film is about the life of Vafai’s father as a democratic reformist.
In addition, “Asho” by Jafar Najafi from Iran was selected as the best children’s documentary. It is about a shepherd boy who is obsessed with Hollywood movies and wants to become an actor.
Source: Tehran Times