TEHRAN – Iranian movies “The Apple Day” and “Deer” have been selected to compete in the Generation Kplus competition of the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.

Directed by Mahmud Ghaffari, the feature-length drama “The Apple Day” will have its world premiere at this festival, which will take place in the German capital from February 10 to 20.

When his father’s truck is stolen and with it, his livelihood as a mobile apple seller, his son Saeid cannot meet the demand of supplying a basket of apples to a school. A razor-sharp look at the age-old city versus the countryside shows a discrepancy that follows Saeid through the alleys and streets of a Tehran suburb as he searches for a solution.

The short movie “Deer” directed by Hadi Babaifar will also have its international premiere at the festival.

In quiet, poetic images of snow-covered, rural Iran, the film tells the story of a little boy who has to watch helplessly while his sick brother struggles to remain alive. When his parents take him away to relatives, Ehsan sets off for home again through the snowy night, to defend his brother against the angel of death.

The ten feature-length films and seven short films that have been selected for the Generation Kplus program thus far stand out for the unconventionality and willpower of their protagonists, the organizers have said.

In addition, “Subtotals”, a co-production between Iran and Poland by Mohammadreza Farzad, will also be screened in the 17th edition of the Forum Expanded section of the festival.

Photo: A scene from “Deer” directed by Hadi Babaifar.

MMS/YAW