Iranian filmmaker Babak Hajjehpasheh won the Grand Prix for Best Feature Film at the 22nd 'Altin Minbar' International Film Festival in Kazan. The festival closing ceremony took place in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia, on Thursday.
The film, which addresses the difficult situation of children in Gaza amid the ongoing war, also received recognition in two other significant nominations. According to the IRNA agency, Syrian actress Sulaf Fahavardji was awarded for Best Actress, and Iranian cinematographer Alireza Barazandeh received the award for Best Cinematography in a feature film.
The awards were presented during the festival's closing ceremony at the Galiaskar Kamal Theater in Kazan. Hajjehpasheh accepted the main prize from renowned Iranian director Majid Majidi, who chaired the main competition jury.
Speaking after receiving the award, Hajjehpasheh addressed the children who lost their lives in Palestine, stating that if he stood before God, he could present this film as the smallest contribution to helping Palestinian children.
The film's plot narrates the suffering of children in Gaza and demonstrates the human consequences of war through the experience of a woman trying to survive while protecting a group of innocent children from the horrors of conflict. 'Land of Angels' was written and directed by Hajjehpasheh and produced by Manouchehr Mohammadi. The production was a joint project of the Tasvir-e Shahr Institute and the Sorekh Film Center.
The movie features Arab actors and focuses on the lives, dreams, and struggles of children against the backdrop of the war in Palestine. Instead of presenting the conflict solely through political or military events, the film examines it from the perspective of civilians, especially children whose lives have been severely affected by violence.
The filming process took place in Tehran over a year and a half. International screenings of the film began with its participation in the Kazan festival, following its successful national screening in Iran.
Before appearing in Kazan, 'Land of Angels' was the most acclaimed film at the 44th Fadr International Film Festival in Iran, where it received five 'Simorgh Crystal' awards and eight honorary diplomas in February. Among the Fadr awards, Hajjehpasheh received a special jury prize for directing, and Fahavardji was recognized for her acting. The film also received awards for set design, visual effects, and other categories, making it one of the highlights of the 44th edition of the festival.
The 22nd 'Altin Minbar' International Film Festival in Kazan ran from September 4 to 8. The festival received a record 1030 applications from 66 countries, of which 146 films were selected for the competitive and non-competitive programs.
This event is one of Russia's established film festivals dedicated to humanitarian, cultural, social, and spiritual themes, and has been held since 2005. This edition was particularly significant as Kazan was declared the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World, making the festival one of the major cultural events associated with this status.
The main competition featured films from various parts of the world, and the jury was headed by Majidi. In addition to 'Land of Angels', the jury recognized films and filmmakers from countries such as Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, and India.
This year, the Kazan festival also introduced a new award, 'Spirituality in Cinema,' at the suggestion of Sheikh Ravil Gainetdin, the Grand Mufti of Russia. The first award went to the Russian-Uzbek film 'The Teacher,' which depicts the life of Sheikh Habibuddin Marjani, a prominent Tatar scholar who lived during the Russian Empire.