Iran picks taut moral drama ‘The Salesman’ for Oscar film entry
Film by Asghar Farhad premiered in Iran on August 31 and bagged a rare two awards at Cannes earlier this year
Iran on Saturday chose Oscar-winning Asghar Farhadi's “The Salesman” as its entry for Best Foreign Language film at this year's Academy Awards.
“After long deliberations on the five shortlisted films, a strong majority of the board picked ‘The Salesman ‘ to compete on behalf of our country, “ the spokesman for the Iranian film selection committee Amir Esfandiari announced.
Cannes awards
‘The Salesman’, which premiered in Iran on August 31, bagged a rare two awards in the Cannes film festival earlier this year.
Leading protagonist Shahab Hosseini clinched best actor and Farhadi himself scooped the best screenplay prize.
‘The Salesman’ is a taut moral drama about a married couple thrown into turmoil after the wife is attacked in their home.
It has grossed 55 billion rials ($1.5 million) in 41 cinemas across Iran since opening.
Farhadi, whose 2011 ‘A Separation’ won the Oscar for best foreign film – Iran’s first ever -- was also the first Iranian filmmaker to receive a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award.
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