TEHRAN-Iranian actor Mostafa Zamani was honored at the closing ceremony of the 2nd Tunisian National Theater Festival for his performance in the Iranian series “Prophet Joseph”.

The festival, which was held in Tunis from November 7 to 14, honored Zamani for his role as Prophet Joseph in the historical drama series, ISNA reported on Friday.

Produced, written, and directed by Farajollah Salahshour, the series was first aired in 2008 in Iran. It is based on the Islamic account of Joseph from Quran and Islamic traditions. The series, dubbed in several languages such as English, Arabic, Urdu, and Turkish, is sometimes regarded as the world's most watched Iranian TV series.

The story of the series begins with Joseph’s father Prophet Jacob and follows prophet Joseph's journey from being sold by his brothers to Egypt, his trials in Potiphar's house, imprisonment, rise to power interpreting dreams, and reunion with his family after proving his brothers' remorse.

In a press conference held on the sidelines of the festival, Zamani voiced his sorrow over the ongoing violence against Palestinians in Gaza and Lebanon.

“Seeing the images of the brutal attacks by the Israeli regime on the defenseless people of Gaza and Lebanon is extremely distressing for me,” Zamani said.

Zamani highlighted the human toll of the violence, with houses, hospitals, and civilians—including women and children—becoming targets in Gaza. “The fact that homes, hospitals, and innocent people are being attacked in Gaza by the Zionist regime is, for me, truly heartbreaking,” he said.

He called for an immediate ceasefire, underscoring the urgent need for relief for civilians who have endured some of the most intense attacks over the past year.

“I believe the best step forward right now is to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, so the people, who have been under brutal assaults for over a year, can be spared further suffering,” he added.

Zamani also urged Arab nations to strengthen solidarity with Palestinians through symbolic acts, such as sharing images and videos of Gaza's resilience across social media.

“Sharing scenes of the Palestinian people's resistance on social networks will strengthen solidarity and help prevent the ethnic cleansing being waged by the Zionist regime from becoming acceptable,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, Zamani emphasized that Israel's goal in its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon over the past year appears to be aimed at dismantling resistance movements like Hamas and Hezbollah. However, he stressed that Israel would ultimately “fail to achieve its objectives”.

Born in Fereydunkenar, northern Iran, Zamani began his acting career with this role in 2008, which showcased his talent and launched his successful career.

Zamani, 42, has received various accolades, including a Hafez Award and two Iran Cinema Celebration Awards, in addition to nominations for a Crystal Simorgh at Fajr Film Festival, and an Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Award.

He is famous for many roles in Iran's film industry, but his memorable acting as Joseph in the TV series, “Prophet Joseph” was the beginning of his stardom. Since then, he has acted in several series, such as “In the Eye of the Storm” (2003–2009), “Shahrzad” (2015–2018) and “Amirli” (2024).

Zamani made his cinematic debut in 2010 with “Aal”. His other movies include “Farewell Baghdad” (2009), “Retribution” (2009), “Parya's Story” (2010), “Parinaz” (2010), “The Final Whistle” (2010), “A Simple Romance” (2011), “The Queen” (2011), “I'm Her Spouse” (2011), “Mirror and Candlestick” (2012) and “The Exclusive Line” (2013) among many others.

Photo: Mostafa Zamani (R) and General Director of the festival Moez Mrabet at the closing ceremony of the 2nd Tunisian National Theater Festival on November 14, 2024.

SS/SAB