Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness (Persian: یلدا، شبی برای بخشش; original title: Yalda, Persian: یلدا) is a 2019 Iranian drama film directed by Massoud Bakhshi.
Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness | |
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Directed by | Massoud Bakhshi |
Screenplay by | Massoud Bakhshi |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Julian Atanassov |
Edited by | Jacques Comets |
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Distributed by |
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Release dates | |
Running time | 89 minutes |
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Language | Persian |
Box office | $354,395[citation needed] |
Plot
editThe storyline of is based on an actual top-rated Iranian reality television show. In this story, a young woman convicted of the murder of her much older husband faces the next-of-kin of the victim (his daughter), who has the power to grant her forgiveness and save the perpetrator from the death penalty. The young woman must plead for her life, while viewers can vote by sms to help avoid the penalty by getting the sponsors to pay for the blood money.[1][2]
The actual TV show Mah-e Asal (meaning “Honey Moon”), aired daily from 2007 to 2018 during the Islamic religious festival of Ramadan, and often collaborated with Iran’s judicial system, which is based on Islamic law and includes the "eye for an eye" principle. The film has been transposed to Yaldā Night, an Iranian festival celebrated on the night of the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.[1]
Cast
editRelease
editYalda premiered at the Fajr International Film Festival on 1 February 2019. It was selected for Sundance Film Festival in its 2020 edition.[citation needed]
The film was selected for the Adelaide Film Festival, Thalin International Film Festival, Warsaw International Film Festival, Brisbane International Film Festival, Lugano International Film Festival, Luxembourg International Film Festival, Helsinki International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, and Cork International Film Festival, among others.[3][2]
Awards
editThe film won the Grand Jury Prize for the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, it won also the Grand prix Cinéma award of ELLE magazine, Best director award of Antalya International Film Festival 2020, Best Screenplay at the Sofia International Film Festival, Best script in Barcelona International Film Festival, and the Circle Award in Washington DC Film Destival. It was also nominated for Lumières Award (equal to Golden Globe) in France, and in various categories at the Bergen International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, and the Pingyao International Film Festival.[4][better source needed]
References
edit- ^ a b Hadadi, Roxana (7 March 2020). "Performing Reality in the Iranian Courtroom-Style Drama Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness - Chaz's Journal". Roger Ebert. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Yalda, A Night for Forgiveness". Adelaide Film Festival. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ "Final days of Adelaide Film Festival serves up more winners". InDaily. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ "Yalda, A Night For Forgiveness (2019): Awards". IMDb.
External links
edit- Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness at IMDb
- Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness at Rotten Tomatoes
- Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness at Metacritic