“Rona, Azim’s Mother” wins UNESCO Cultural Diversity Award at APSA

TEHRAN –(Iranart)- “Rona, Azim’s Mother”, a co-production between Afghanistan and Iran by Tehran-based Afghan brothers Jamshid and Navid Mahmudi, won the Cultural Diversity Award under the Patronage of UNESCO at the 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Brisbane, Australia, the organizers announced on Thursday.

Starring Iranian actors Mohsen Tanabandeh and Mojtaba Pirzadeh, the film is about Azim, an Afghan refugee who works as a janitor in Tehran. While helping his mother and his brother’s family plan to smuggle themselves into Germany, he feels betrayed by his brother when he abandons their mother.

The film has received several awards in Iranian and international events, including the Kim Ji-seok Award at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival in October 2018 and best film award at the Sharm el-Sheikh Asian Film Festival in Egypt last March. 

“Rona, Azim’s Mother” was Afghanistan’s submission to the 91st Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category in 2018, however, it did not make the shortlist.

The film’s star Tanabandeh also received a nomination in the best actor category at the APSA, but Manoj Bajpayee from India won the award for his role in Devashish Makhija’s movie, “Bhonsle”. 

The Korean Palme d’Or-winning film “Parasite” by Joon-ho Bong was selected as best film, while the jury’s grand prize was awarded to “It Must Be Heaven” by Palestinian director Elia Suleiman. 

“Buoyancy” by Rodd Rathjen from Australia won the best youth film award, while the best animation award went to “Weathering with You” by Makoto Shinkai from Japan. 

source: Tehran Times