TEHRAN – Totem Films, a Paris-based international sales and co-production company, has announced Friday that it has purchased the rights to sell Iran’s Berlin festival competition entry, “Ballad of a White Cow”.

“Ballad of a White Cow” co-directed by Behtash Sanaeiha and Maryam Moqaddam will go on screen in the official competition of the 71st Berlin International Film Festival.

Totem Films will bring the drama to the market at the European Film Market (EFM) in early March.

Launched in 2019 by Agathe Valentin, Laure Parleani and Berenice Vincent, Totem Films made waves at the Cannes Film Market last year, scoring vast international sales on “Gagarine” by Fanny Liatard and Jeremy Trouilh from Russia, one of the Cannes festival official selection’s biggest arthouse breakouts.

“Ballad of a White Cow” is about Mina, a young woman who lives alone with her deaf child while her husband had been executed for a murder charge a year ago. She tries to get her life together, take good care of her child and make both ends meet. However, her life gets more sorrowful when she finds out that her husband was innocent.

As Mina battles for a public apology from the judges who served her husband’s death sentence, a stranger, Reza, appears on her doorstep, explaining that he has come to repay a debt he owes to Babak. Mina gradually opens up to him, unaware of the terrible secret tying them together.

“Ballad of a White Cow” is the story of a woman’s struggle for justice, recognition and independence in the world of today.

After “Acid Rain,” Moqaddam and Sanaeiha co-wrote and co-directed 2018’s multi-prized doc feature, “The Invincible Diplomacy of Mr. Naderi”. 

“Ballad of a White Cow” is their second joint feature as co-directors. It is produced by Gholamreza Musavi and Etienne de Ricaud.

Iran has won Berlin’s top awards, the Golden Bear for best feature, more times in the last decade than any other country in the world.

Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation” won a Golden Bear for the best film at the Berlin Film Festival and its cast ensemble received best actor and actress Silver Bears at the event in 2011.

Photo: A scene from “Ballad of the White Cow” by Behtash Sanaeiha and Maryam Moqaddam.

RM/MMS/YAW