TEHRAN – The Iranian short drama “Katvoman” has won the audience award for best short fiction at the 10th edition of the Amnesty International France’s Cinema for Human Rights Festival.

Written and directed by Hadi Sheibani, the film shows a mom and son playing dressed up as Batman and Catwoman before dad returns for dinner. Through the play, the child discovers a difficult truth about his parents.

The film has been screened at numerous international events and has won several awards, including the award for best fiction at the Festival International du Film Amateur de Kelibia – FIFAK in Tunisia. 

The Amnesty International France’s Cinema for Human Rights Festival announced winners on Sunday. Films in this festival are judged by a jury from the audience.

The young audience prize was given to “Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo”, an animated feature film co-directed by André Kadi and Marya Zarif.

In this movie co-produced by France and Canada, with a few nigella seeds tucked in the palm of her hand, six-year-old Dounia leaves Aleppo with the Princess of Aleppo’s help and travels towards a new world.

“It Rains” by Carolina Corral and Magali Rocha Donnadieu from Mexico won the audience award for best short documentary.

The animated documentary tells the story of Maria, a mother who discovers that the Morelos prosecutor’s office buried her son and 115 other bodies in an irregular hidden grave. Maria and her sister ask the government to open the grave and manage to get it to remove the buried people from it. Maria is always guided by the rain; when it rains it means her son Oliver is sending her signs that she is on the right track in her fight for the return of the missing to their homes.

“Les a Perdues”, a film by Stéphane Malterre and Garance Le Caisne from France, was given the audience award for best feature documentary.

Photo: A scene from “Katvoman” by Iranian director Hadi Sheibani.

MMS/YAW