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Child labor drama “Sun Children” picked to represent Iran at Oscars

Child labor drama “Sun Children” picked to represent Iran at Oscars

TEHRAN –(Iranart)- Majid Majidi’s child labor drama “Sun Children” has been selected to represent Iran during the 93rd Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category.

Mohammad-Hossein Mahdavian’s war drama “Walnut Tree” and Masud Bakhshi’s drama “Yalda: A Night for Forgiveness” failed to convince the selecting committee that finally chose “Sun Children” for the Oscar race, the Farabi Cinema Foundation announced on Sunday.

The foundation’s committee has selected Iran’s submission to the Academy Awards since 1992.

Directors Mohammad-Ali Najafi, Kamal Tabrizi and Narges Abyar, producer Seyyed Jamal Sadatian, cinematographer Seyyed Mohammad Davudi, screenwriter Farhad Tohidi and critic Antonio Shoraka were the members of the committee this year.  

“Sun Children” tells the story of 12-year-old Ali and his three friends. Together, they work hard to survive and support their families, doing small jobs in a garage and committing petty crimes to make fast money. Everything changes, however, when Ali is entrusted to find a hidden treasure underground but must first enroll at the Sun School, a charitable institution that tries to educate street kids and child laborers.

The movie had its Iranian premiere during the 38th Fajr Film Festival in Tehran in February, garnering the Crystal Simorghs for best film, script and set design.

Numerous international events, including the 77th Venice Film Festival, have also screened the movie. The festival honored the film’s star Ruhollah Zamani with the Marcello Mastroianni Award. 

The 33rd International Film Festival for Children and Youth in Isfahan also awarded Majidi as best director and Zamani as best actor.

The 8th Ajyal Film Festival in the Qatari capital of Doha is scheduled to open with a screening of “Sun Children” on November 18.

Majid Majidi’s “Children of Heaven” received a nomination in the Oscars’ best foreign-language film category in 1996 and Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation” and “The Salesman” won Iran two Oscars in 2012 and 2017.

source: Tehran Times

majid Majidi Sun Children
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