TEHRAN 17 February 2020 (GNP) : “Rona, Azim’s Mother”, a co-production between Afghanistan and Iran, was screened in a special session at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris last Thursday.
The screening was organized to mark the film’s win at the 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) in Brisbane, Australia, last November.
Directed by Tehran-based Afghan brothers Jamshid and Navid Mahmudi, the film was honored with the Cultural Diversity Award, which is presented by UNESCO at the APSA.
Jamshid also was in Paris to receive the award after attending a Q&A session following the screening that was arranged in the context of the 13th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee.
The film tells the story of Azim, an Afghan refugee living in Tehran with his family and facing a grave decision regarding his very ill mother. The film provides an illuminating picture of family tensions and bureaucratic frustrations in a displaced community confronted by daily challenges.
“Rona, Azim’s Mother” has been honored with several awards in Iranian and international events, including the Kim Ji-seok Award at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival in October 2018 and best film award at the Sharm el-Sheikh Asian Film Festival in Egypt last March.
It was Afghanistan’s submission to the 91st Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category in 2018, however, it did not make the shortlist.
Mohsen Tanabandeh, the Iranian star of the film, also received a nomination in the best actor category at the APSA, but Manoj Bajpayee from India won the award for his role in Devashish Makhija’s movie, “Bhonsle”. (GNP)