TEHRAN – The Terni Film Festival in Italy has honored the Iranian movies “I Won’t Remain Alone” and “Badger”.

“I Won’t Remain Alone”, the best short documentary of the Religion Today Film Festival in Italy, has been named best short at the Terni festival, which ended last week.

In this documentary directed by Yaser Talebi, an elderly disabled couple living in a small village in the northern part of Iran, faces an unfathomable tragedy when their youngest son falls into a coma after an accident. Defying the Islamic traditions of burial, overcoming problems of red tape, and turning devastation into hope, the parents agree to donate their son’s organs. Five years after their brave decision, a film crew visits them and records their slow path of reconciliation with death – or rather, their acquaintance with eternal life.

Kazem Mollai won the award for best director for his drama “Badger”.

The movie is about Sudeh, a 40-year-old woman who faces a strange incident right before her second marriage. Sudeh and her son Matiar live in an old apartment. 

One day, she hires a pest control company to solve the termite problems in the apartment. While the pest control company is working, Matiar is recording the procedures, as this is his hobby. The next day, Matiar gets kidnapped after school, and the kidnapper asks Sudeh to pay 10 Bitcoins for her son. Tremendous pressure is put on Sudeh, but the truth hidden beneath will surprise everyone. 

The film has previously won awards in the best film and best screenplay categories at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival in Hollywood, California.

The Terni festival gave its award for best feature narrative to “Neighbors” by Mano Khalil from Switzerland, while the award for best documentary went to “The Hug” by Italian filmmaker Davide Lorenzano.

The grand jury prize was awarded “Mother of Apostles” by Zaza Buadze from Ukraine.

Photo: A scene from “I Won’t Remain Alone” by Yaser Talebi.

MMS/YAW