Iranian drama is film to beat at Berlin festival
Iranian drama "Nader and Simin: A Separation" is the title to beat as this year's Berlin film festival heads toward the closing ceremony on Saturday where the coveted Golden Bear for best picture is handed out.
A subtle and gripping examination of Iran's social divide, religious traditions and justice system, Asghar Farhadi's portrayal of the break-up of a marriage has won almost universal praise from critics at the annual cinema showcase.
What critics say and judges decide often differ, however, making it an unpredictable event often full of surprises.
In Nader and Simin, one family is pitted against another in a gripping legal tussle which Farhadi said underscored the gap between middle class "intellectuals" and poorer, traditional Iranians whose religious beliefs tended to be more entrenched.
"One (undercurrent in Iranian society) is the struggle between the classes -- between the poor, who are more traditional and religious, and the other class which wants to live according to modern rules," he said in Berlin.
"It's a somewhat hidden struggle between the old and new in our society. It will cost our society dear."
While many of the 16 films in the main competition line-up were seen as forgettable, it only takes one or two strong contenders to light up a festival like Berlin, and Nader and Simin provided that spark.
It also fits in neatly with what some German media have dubbed an "Iranian Berlinale," after the festival opened with calls for Iran to allow director Jafar Panahi to travel to Berlin and accept his invitation to sit on the jury.
伊朗電影《內(nèi)達和西敏:一次別離》成為第61屆柏林電影節(jié)頒獎禮上最大贏家,不僅奪得最佳影片“金熊獎”,它的5名主演還共同拿下最佳男演員和最佳女演員兩個“銀熊獎”。
伊朗電影《內(nèi)達和西敏:一次別離》講述了兩個普通家庭由于一場沖突而導致困境的故事,關(guān)注的是伊朗社會的現(xiàn)實。該片在柏林電影節(jié)公映后立即獲得一邊倒的好評,獲得金熊獎,可謂是眾望所歸。令人感到意外的是,該片中的全部演員憑借出色的群戲發(fā)揮,分別將最佳男演員獎和最佳女演員收入囊中。一部影片的幾乎所有主要演員都獲大獎,這在柏林電影節(jié)史上并不多見。
今年華語電影集體缺席柏林電影節(jié)主競賽單元。此前入圍“新生代單元”的《山楂樹之戀》也不敵美國影片《在冰上》,無緣“新生代單元”水晶熊獎。