“Yalda” receives nomination in France’s Lumière awards

TEHRAN –(Iranart)- Iranian drama “Yalda: A Night for Forgiveness” by Masud Bakhshi has received a nomination in the 26th edition of France’s Lumière awards.

The awards, which are voted on by some 130 international correspondents hailing from 40 countries, are France’s equivalent of the Golden Globes.

The film has been nominated in the Best international Co-production category along with “Abou Leila” by Amin Sidi-Boumédiène (Algeria, France), “Adam” by Maryam Touzani (Morocco), “A Son” by Mehdi M. Barsaoui (Tunisia), “The Man Who Sold His Skin” by Kaouther Ben Hania (France, Tunisia, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia), “La Llorona” by Jayro Bustamante (Guatemala), and “You Will Die At 20” by Amjad Abu Alala (Sudan).

As a co-production between Iran and Norway, “Yalda: A Night for Forgiveness” is about Maryam, a young woman who has been sentenced to death for murdering her husband, Nasser. Iranian law allows the victim’s family to forgive her and spare her life, so Maryam’s fate will be decided by Nasser’s daughter, Mona, on the country’s most popular televised reality show. In front of millions of viewers during Yalda, the winter solstice celebration, Maryam and Mona discover that forgiveness can be difficult as they relive the past.

The film also won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic section of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in February.

The film has also won a special commendation from the 34th Annual Washington DC International Film Festival in October.

In addition, Masud Bakhshi was crowned best director at the 57th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in Turkey for his “Yalda: A Night for Forgiveness” in October.

Italian director Filippo Meneghetti’s debut feature “Two of Us” leads the nominations in the 26th edition of Lumière awards.

In spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has delayed numerous releases this year, the awards ceremony will take place on January 19, 2021, in line with previous years.

source: Tehran Times