TEHRAN – The Oscar-winning drama “The Salesman” by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi was nominated in the not in the English language category at the British Academy Film Awards, the organizers announced on Tuesday.

A Memento production, “The Salesman” is about Emad and Rana who move into a new flat in the center of Tehran. An incident linked to the previous tenant dramatically changes the young couple’s life.

This film received the Oscar for best foreign-language film in 2017.

In 2016, Farhadi won the award for best screenplay for this movie at the 69th Cannes Film Festival. It also brought Shahab Hosseini the Palme d’Or for best actor.

At the British Academy Film Awards, which is presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the rape-revenge black comedy “Elle” by Paul Verhoeven from France will compete with “The Salesman”.

The French-Cambodian drama “First They Killed My Father” by Angelina Jolie, Korean psychological thriller “The Handmaiden” by Park Chan-wook and Russian drama “Loveless” by Andrey Zvyagintsev are other contenders in this category.

The 71st British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, will be held on 18 February 2018 at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

“Call Me by Your Name”, “Darkest Hour”, “Dunkirk”, “The Shape of Water” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” were nominated for the award for best film.

Photo: Shahab Hosseini (L) and Taraneh Alidoosti act in a scene from “The Salesman”.

MMS/YAW