TEHRAN-The Iranian film “The Great Yawn of History” written, directed, and produced by Aliyar Rasti won the Special Jury Award of the Encounters Competition Section of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, jointly with “Some Rain Must Fall” by Qiu Yang from China on February 24.

It was a big win for Rasti’s debut feature film, which had its world premiere at the Berlinale 2024 too, ISNA reported.

The 93-minute film tells the story of a man who dreams of a box of gold waiting for him at the end of a cave. Curbed by his religious belief that it’s not permissible to go after it himself, he employs the assistance of a non-believer. Together they embark on a long journey across the Iranian landscape in pursuit of a miracle. But their treasure hunt soon turns tempting also for those they meet along the way.

The cast includes Mohammad Aghebati, Amirhossein Hosseini, Saber Abar, Mahin Sadri, and Mehrdad Ziaei.

Rasti’s excellent feature debut wrestles with faith and disillusionment during a woebegone treasure hunt. Pious, middle-aged Beitollah (Mohammad Aghebati) believes his recurring dreams of finding gold coins at the end of a dark cave. But since picking up lost money is haram — or religiously forbidden in Islam — he employs a world-weary young agnostic, Shoja (Amirhossein Hosseini), to accompany him on his journey, resulting in a tale that’s as mysterious and melancholy as it is wryly funny.

The film is sold first and foremost by its precise performances. Both leading men appear to conform to specific types, between the overbearing Aghebati’s sharp, to-the-point delivery and Hosseini’s worn-out demeanor, burdened posture, and sunken eyes. The contrasting energies they bring to the screen imbue their trip from Tehran to the rural landscape with withheld, sardonic wit, but Rasti never loses sight of the spiritual questions in the characters’ peripheries. Bit by bit, both actors unpack more complex layers to their characters, between Beitollah’s lingering doubts about his own convictions and Shoja’s detachment from the modern world, as a young man so desperate for work he’s willing to go along with this superstitious scheme.

Born in Tehran, Rasti, 35, began his career in photography, video, and video installations before gradually moving towards his true passion of filmmaking. He has made more than ten music videos for independent Iranian bands which have screened at various festivals. His first short film “In Between” won the short film award at the Tehran International Short Film Festival and the Best Debut Film award at the 2018 Tirana International Film Festival. It was followed by his second short “America” in 2022.

The Athens-based boutique production and sales company Heretic has acquired world sales rights to “The Great Yawn of History”.

Heretic’s head of sales and acquisitions, Ioanna Stais, has praised the first-time director’s film for how it deftly transforms into an intricate game of hide-and-seek between faith and human frailty.

“From road trip to allegory, Aliyar’s poetic commentary hits in all the right places,” said Stais. “It was an instant match for the Heretic slate and we can’t wait to get it out there.”

SS/SAB