The film tells the story of Jalal, who wants to overcome his own pain by donating money to a needy person. In a dramaturgic convincing manner the film interweaves the fate of three people living in the city of Teheran of the present day. The densely pictures show the conflicts and the suffering of the characters who try to face their sorrow with charity. With its pleading for compassion, charity and altruism against the background of an Islamic culture it shows the universality of human values and encourages interreligous dialogues to start with ethical questions, not with dogmatics. The jury notes the complex talent of Vahid Jalilvand, the good screenwriting and the impressive acting.
72nd International Film Festival Venice
02.09.2015 to 12.09.2015
Venice
INTERFILM Jury Venice 2015, from left: Thanat Pagliani, Jörg Herrmann, Brigitte Affolter
On September 2 the 72nd International Film Festival in Venice opened with the 3D production "Everest" by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur. The competition with 21 entries screened, among others, films by Marco Bellocchio, Atom Egoyan, Amos Gitai, and Alexander Sokurov, with his "Faust" winner of the Golden Lion in 2011. The INTERFILM Jury considers also films of the Orizzonti section for the 5th INTERFILM Award For Promoting Interreligious Dialogue. As winner the jury choose "Wednesday, May 9", directed by Vahid Jalilvand from Iran, an Orizzonti film reflecting on charity. The film was also awarded by the jury of the international film critics association FIPRESCI. At the award ceremony in the Sala Tropicana of the Excelsior Hotel at the Lido of Venice the jury also highlighted "Mountain" by Yaelle Kayam from Israel and "The Heart of a Dog" by Laurie Anderson from USA, both films being candidates for the award in the final jury discussion. The SIGNIS Jury awarded "Behemoth", a documentary about the mining industry in China borrowing from Dante's Divina commedia. The International Jury chaired by Alfonso Cuarón surprised many festival attendants by awarding the Golden Lion to "Desde allá" (From Afar) directed by Lorenzo Vigas, a coproduction from Venezuela and Mexico.
Link: Festival-Website
INTERFILM Award for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue
Wednesday, May 9
Directed by:
2015
