TEHRAN- Iranian filmmaker Babak Khajehpasha’s “Land of Angels” received the Grand Prix for Best Feature Film at the 22nd Altyn Minbar Kazan International Film Festival, during the closing ceremony of the event in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan on Thursday. 

The film, which focuses on the plight of children in Gaza amid the ongoing war, was also recognized in two other major categories at the festival, IRNA reported. 

Syrian actress Sulaf Fawakherji won the award for Best Actress for her performance in the movie, while Iranian cinematographer Alireza Barazandeh received the award for Best Cinematography for a feature fiction film, the report added. 

The awards were presented during the closing ceremony of the festival at the Galiaskar Kamal Theater in Kazan.

Khajehpasha received the festival’s top prize from renowned Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, who headed the jury of the main competition.

In a brief speech after receiving the award, Khajehpasha referred to the children who have lost their lives in Palestine and said that if he were to stand before God one day and be asked what he had done for the Palestinian children, he could present the film as the least thing he could have done for them.

The film tells the story of the suffering of children in Gaza and portrays the human consequences of war through the experiences of a woman who struggles to survive while protecting a group of innocent children from the horrors of conflict.

“Land of Angels” was written and directed by Khajehpasha and produced by Manouchehr Mohammadi. The production was jointly undertaken by the Tasvir-e Shahr Institute and the Soureh Cinema Center.

The film features Arab actors and centers on the lives, dreams and struggles of children against the backdrop of the war in Palestine. Rather than presenting the conflict solely through political or military events, the film approaches it from the perspective of civilians, particularly children whose lives have been profoundly affected by the violence.

The production was filmed in Tehran over a period of one and a half years. The film’s international screenings began with its participation in the Kazan festival, following its successful national festival run in Iran. 

Prior to its appearance in Kazan, “Land of Angels” was the most decorated film at Iran’s 44th Fajr International Film Festival, where it received five Crystal Simorgh awards and eight honorary diplomas in February.

Among its Fajr honors, Khajehpasha received the jury’s special prize for directing, while Fawakherji was honored for her performance. The film also received awards for set design, visual effects and other categories, establishing it as one of the major productions of the festival’s 44th edition. 

The 22nd Altyn Minbar Kazan International Film Festival was held from September 4 to 8 in Kazan. The festival received a record 1,030 submissions from 66 countries, with 146 films selected for its competition and non-competition programs. 

The event is one of Russia’s established film festivals focusing on human, cultural, social and spiritual themes and has been held since 2005. This year’s edition was particularly significant as Kazan has been designated the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World, making the festival one of the major cultural events associated with the designation. 

The festival’s main competition brought together films from different parts of the world, with the jury headed by Majidi. In addition to “Land of Angels”, the jury recognized films and filmmakers from countries including Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and India.

The Kazan festival also introduced a new “Spirituality in Cinema” award this year, following a proposal by Sheikh Rawil Gaynetdin, Grand Mufti of Russia. The inaugural award went to the Russian-Uzbek film “The Teacher”, which portrays the life of Shihabuddin Marjani, a prominent Tatar scholar who lived during the Russian Empire. 

Photo: Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi (C) presents the Grand Prix of the 22nd Altyn Minbar Kazan International Film Festival to fellow Iranian director Babak Khajehpasha (R) for his film “Land of Angels” in Kazan, Russia.

SAB/