The Creators of the Film 'Guest' Awarded the 'Nice' Festival Prize to Nika Shakeri and Her Generation

The team behind the film 'Guest,' directed by Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Ravandi, awarded their prize from the Nice International Film Festival to Nika Shakeri and her generation, who lost their lives in the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement. 'Guest' won the Best Screenplay award for foreign language films at the Nice Festival. This award, given to Mohammad Ravandi and Mohammad Kermanshahi, is considered a significant achievement for this independent Iranian film. Diako Ravandi, a young actor in the film, dedicated the Best Screenplay award in a video message to Nika Shakeri and all of his classmates and peers who died in the pursuit of freedom and the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement in Iran. 'Guest' tells the romantic story of young people trying to adapt to a new society in a small border town. The film is about two teenage refugees who, in the absence of their parents, shelter a man who has illegally entered this border town from Belarus-Poland, where they reside. While dealing with their daily lives and adolescence, these two teenagers must take care of the newly arrived guest so that the neighbors do not notice his presence. 'Guest' narrates the story of people fleeing from a homeland that never flees from within them. The film was nominated in five categories at the Nice Festival, including Best Film, Direction, Cinematography, and Best Actor for Saber Tatari, whose performance was praised by film critics. Mohammad Ravandi, the writer, director, and producer, has a diverse background in producing television and cinematic works, including documentaries, series, and short and feature films. He began his professional career in 1989 in Iran but had to migrate to Turkey due to censorship and restrictions in the country. After collaborating with the 'Gem' network and creating series such as 'Uneven Land,' 'Piano Cafe,' and the film 'Anatolian Dream,' he migrated to Germany in 2018. In addition to receiving various awards, he has also served as a juror for several international festivals. 'Guest' is Mohammad Ravandi's second film in Germany after the documentary 'The Weather is Cloudy.' This film was recently screened for the first time at the 35th 'Girona' Festival in Spain.