TEHRAN -- William Shakespeare’s masterpiece “Hamlet” staged by renowned German director Thomas Ostermeier won the grand prix of the international competition at the 34th Fajr International Theater Festival in Tehran on Monday.

The play produced by the Schaubühne company was performed three times at Vahdat Hall during the festival.

The play’s star, Lars Eidinger, received the best actor award for playing the role of Hamlet.

Earlier last week, Ostermeier, who has staged “Hamlet” in several countries, said that the play underwent massive changes to be performed in Iran.

Hosting Ostermeier’s troupe has cost the festival €75,000, half of which will be covered by the German Embassy in Tehran, the Persian service of MNA announced quoting an organizer of the event.

The jury special award went to Iranian director Shahab Aagaahi for staging Henrik Ibsen’s “When We Dead Awaken”.

Vahdat Hall hosted the closing ceremony, which began with a speech by the Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Ali Jannati who said that theater is one of Iranian government’s main priorities.

Iman Afsharian from Iran won the award for best director for an adaptation of Russian novelist Feodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”, which also brought the best actress award to Sudeh Sharhi.

Makeup artist Maria Hajiha also was honored for her collaboration in the production.

The award for best playwright was presented to Amin Ebrahimi from Iran for “A Song for You”.

Best set designer award went to Reza Guran for Norwegian dramatist Jon Fosse’s “Nightsongs” (“Natta syng sine songar”) from Iran while Ehsan Falahatpisheh won the best costume designer award for “Journey to Far End”.

The best composer award went to Ahmad Hamidian for his collaboration in “The Scene of Sacrificing Sanmar”.

Performances in the international competition were judged by a jury composed of Stefan Schmid from Germany, Jerzy Limon from Poland, Oleg Loevski from Russia, and Masud Delkhah and Farrindokht Zahedi from Iran.

The winners in the national completion were also announced at the ceremony.

Shahbeddin Hosseinpur was picked as best director for “The Lady’s Pistol” while writer/director Sanaz Bayan won the award for best dramatist for “Deliberately, Romantically, Ruthlessly”.

Fariba Motakhasses received the best actress award for her collaboration in “The Lady’s Pistol” and “There Was No One to Awaken Us”. The best actor award went to Mohammadreza Solati for “Darkness” and “Cold Fever on a Hot Forehead”.

Reza Mehdizadeh won the best set designer award for “Terror” and “There Was No One to Awaken Us”.

“There Was No One to Awaken Us” and “The Lady’s Pistol” won Paridokht Abedin-nejad the award for best costume designer and “Terror” brought Saeid Zehni the best composer award.

Samin Salek won the best makeup artist award for “The Stories of Mianrudan”.

Photo: A scene from “Hamlet”

MMS/YAW
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