TEHRAN – The cast and crew of the play “Concerns of the Hedge” were at their happiest on Monday during the second edition of the Sarv Theater Awards after winning prizes in several categories, including best director and actor.

The Association of Revolution and Sacred Defense Theater and the Revayat Cultural Foundation launched the awards in 2020 to honor theatrical works on revolution and resistance and stage artists working on these subjects.

Mehrdad Rayani-Makhsus was chosen as best director for the teleplay, which tells a story from the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, which is called “Sacred Defense” in Iran.

After accepting his award at the Mehr Hall of the Art Bureau of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization, Rayani-Makhsus said that he has been under a storm of criticism following his return from England in 2014.

“Over the past eight years, I have staged fives plays, four of which have been about the Sacred Defense,” he stated.

“Many people asked me why I had left Iran and many others asked me why I returned. I was hurt by swords of criticism over these years and go walking in the mountains to heal my wounds. I want to say that I am staying here and will never go anywhere else,” he added

In “Concerns of the Hedge”, an Iranian commander captures a member of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), a few days before the launch of the counter-offensive Operation Mersad against the MKO militants, who, with the help of Saddam Hussein, carried out an attack in the summer of 1988 to capture the western Iranian city of Kermanshah. The member reveals useful information about the attack.

Jahangir Almasi received the Sarv Award for best actor, while Anahita Javaherchi won the award for best set designer for the play.

“Concerns of the Hedge” also brought Mahmud Noruzi the best cameraman award.

Bijan Samsami was given the best TV director award for “Concerns of the Hedge” and “Silence”.
 
The award for best playwright also went to Rayani-Makhsus for “Silence” directed by Nima Dehqan.

The jury gave its special award to “What Journeys We’ve Gone on” by Saber Mohammadi.

The jury didn’t choose a winner in the best actress category, while Mohaddeseh Rezai was awarded an honorable mention for her role in “Killing the Nightmares”.

Photo: Mehrdad Rayani-Makhsus accepts the best director prize for “Concerns of the Hedge” during the Sarv Theater Awards at the Mehr Hall of the Art Bureau on February 28, 2022. (Theater.ir)

MMS/YAW