Chaired by Paolo Sorrentino, the jury of the 19e edition of the event rewarded the first feature film by the filmmaker, who dedicated his prize “to the young generation who risk their lives for freedom”.
The young Iranian director Emad Aleebrahim Dehkordi won the Golden Star, the supreme award of the Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM), on Saturday evening with his film Black Knightdedicating its award to “all the women of Iran”.
«I want to pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives fighting to regain the freedom to be themselvessaid the filmmaker, referring to the revolt in Iran that erupted more than two months ago after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurd who died on September 16 after her arrest for not wearing the veil. “I dedicate my award to all the women of Iran and the young generation who risk their lives for freedom,” added the 43-year-old director.
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Iran has been facing a wave of protests since the death of the young woman on September 16, which sparked unprecedented protests against the strict dress code imposed by the Islamic Republic. At least 378 people were killed in the repression of the demonstrations, according to a new report released on Saturday by the NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway. Black Knight (2022), the first feature film by Emad Aleebrahim Dehkordi, explores the life of a young Iranian, living in Shemroon, north of Tehran, who switches to the dark side while trying to make easy money.
Chaired by Italian director Paolo Sorrentino and made up of French actor Tahar Rahim, Lebanese director Nadine Labaki and German-American actress Diane Kruger, the FIFM jury awarded the prize for directing to drama Lightning (2022), by Swiss filmmaker Carmen Jaquier.
The jury prize was awarded ex-aequo to two directors: Moroccan Maryam Touzani for The Blue of the Caftan on a couple whose man hides his homosexuality and representing Morocco at the Oscars, and the Portuguese Cristèle Alves Meira for Living Soul where a little girl’s vacation is shattered by the death of her beloved grandmother.
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Korean actress Choi Seung-yoon won the Best Actress award for her role as a courageous single mother in Riceboy Sleeps by Canadian director Anthony Shim. The story of a little South Korean boy’s quest for integration and identity who immigrated with his mother to Vancouver and is subject to mockery from his Canadian peers and an oppressive silence about his roots. The Best Actor Award went to Indonesian actor Arswendy Bening Swara for Autobiography of his compatriot Makbul Mubarak. The film follows a former junta general seeking an electoral mandate who recruits a young villager to play his role in a propaganda biopic.
An abundance of drama
«In the selection, there were only dramas, maybe the new directors are interested in dramatic subjects“, commented for AFP Paolo Sorrentino. In addition, during the closing night of the festival, a tribute was paid to the always daring actress-producer Tilda Swinton.
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“It is the chance of my life to have found the secret door to an existence where I make films alongside some of the greatest contemporary filmmakers. When you honor me, you honor my comrades”confided the actress, citing among others Pedro Almodóvar and Wes Anderson.
The Marrakech film festival was back from November 11-19 after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. The red carpet was rolled out there for big names in cinema such as Isabelle Huppert, Jim Jarmusch and Leos Carax.