Iranian Film 'Lord' Wins Best Film in Un Certain Regard Section at Cannes

Iran's cinema achieved its second award at the Cannes Film Festival just one day before the conclusion of its 70th edition. The film 'Lord' by Mohammad Rasoulof won the award for Best Film in the Un Certain Regard section. This section is considered the second most important competitive section of the Cannes Film Festival after the main competition, with a separate jury, and its awards ceremony is held one day before the main competition awards. This year, the jury of the Un Certain Regard section, chaired by American actress Uma Thurman, awarded the Best Film prize to the Iranian film 'Lord' by Mohammad Rasoulof. The film 'Lord' has not yet been publicly screened in Iran, and the organizers of the Fajr Film Festival also refrained from showing it in their previous edition. The Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance's opposition to the film's screening occurred despite having previously granted permission for its production. 'Lord' tells the story of a man trying to lead his life away from the city's hustle and bustle, but a series of events stemming from corrupt power relations destroy his life. The theme and narrative style of 'Lord,' like Rasoulof's other works, is critical and sharp, depicting some of the corrupt practices in Iran's administrative affairs. The film also makes implicit references to the living conditions of Baha'is in Iran for the first time. The cast of 'Lord' includes Reza Akhlaghi Rad, Soudeh Beyzaei, and Nasim Adabi. Mohammad Rasoulof is considered one of the protest filmmakers in recent years in Iran, having experienced arrests and summons to security agencies. Several of his previous films, including 'Goodbye' and 'Manuscripts Don't Burn,' were not publicly screened in Iran despite being shown at various international festivals, including Cannes. Rasoulof was also arrested on set after the events of 2009 alongside Jafar Panahi for making a film related to those events. This year, 'Lord' competed for the award alongside 17 other films, including works by well-known filmmakers such as Taylor Sheridan, Sergio Castellitto, and Michel Franco. Iranian cinema also won a second award in the Cinéfondation section for student films at Cannes on Friday, with the film 'Animal' by Bahman and Bahram Ark receiving this award.