TEHRAN – Iranian films shined on Sunday during the 20th Dhaka International Film Festival by garnering three awards at the Bangladeshi event.

“Lady of the City”, also known as “Shahrbanoo”, was selected as the best feature film in the women filmmakers section.

Directed by Maryam Bahrololumi, the film follows Shahrbanoo, a woman who has been sentenced to life in prison for being a drug mule. After eleven years in jail, she is released from prison for a few days to attend her son’s wedding. The temporary freedom helps her see a new aspect of her life and that of her family before returning to prison.

“Holy Bread” by Rahim Zabihi won the award for best documentary in the Spiritual Film Section.

The film is about the hard life of people who smuggle goods in order to support their families. Because of this, they are forced to hike arduously in the mountains, putting their lives on the line. The father of a household may be swept to his death by an avalanche, or hit by a soldier’s bullets.

Susan Parvar, the star of the Iran-German co-production “Botox”, was named best actress in the Asian Film Competition Section.

She received the award for the portrayal of Akram, who along with her sister, Azar, lie about the disappearance of their brother by telling everyone he has fled to Germany. As time goes by, however, the “lie” turns into “reality” in Akram’s mind, so that she believes her brother will come back.

Parvar has earlier been crowned best actress at the 8th Torino Underground Cinefest in Italy for her role in the film directed by Kaven Mazaheri.

In the Asian film competition section, the best film award went to “Koozhangal” (“Pebbles”) by Indian director P. S. Vinothraj, while Sujit Bidari from Nepal was picked as best director for the film “Butterfly on the Windowpane”.

Iranian producer Elaheh Nobakht was a member of the jury for the Women Filmmakers Competition and her fellow Iranian filmmaker Negin Ahmadi was on the panel for the Interfaith Jury for the Spiritual Films Section.

Photo: Fereshteh Sadr-Orafai acts in a scene from “Lady of the City” by Maryam Bahrololumi.

MMS/YAW