TEHRAN – The acclaimed Iranian drama “Scent of Wind” has won the Silver Balloon (Montgolfière d’Argent) award of the 44th edition of the Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, France.

The runner-up prize is sponsored by the Regional Council of Loire-Atlantique and the festival. 

Directed and written by Hadi Mohaqeq, the film’s story is set in a distant Iranian village where a paralyzed man collects herbal medicine in the mountains for making his living with his sick child. The electricity goes off in his house and an electrician comes to fix it. Unfortunately, the problem is bigger than what was anticipated and may take days to be resolved. When he sees the child on the sickbed, he feels committed to doing whatever he can to bring the electricity back. However, he has a tough job ahead with facing nature and some unexpected events.  

The jury appreciated “the greatness and tenderness of this philosophical fable that succeeds in embodying, with total freedom, the main character’s perseverance in the sumptuous yet perilous Iranian mountains.”

The jury composed of French directors Stéphane Batut and Axelle Ropert, Senegalese-Italian musician and actor Moustapha Mbengue, French producer Estelle Robin You and director of photography Renato Berta from Switzerland announced the winners in different categories on Sunday.

The Golden Balloon (Montgolfière d’Or) of the festival went to “Glorious Ashes” by Vietnamese director Chuyen Bui Thac.

Sponsored by the City of Nantes and the festival, the award is granted to the best film.

“We gave the award to this film for the poetic beauty of the world the film portrays, which is both shimmering and bewitching, as well as for the loving and very mischievous portrayal of its three heroines,” the jury said.

The jury granted special mentions to “Jet Lag” by Chinese director Xinyuan Zheng Lu and actress Sol Miranda for her role in “Rule 34” by Brazilian director Júlia Murat.

The Young Jury comprised of five students aged 17 to 21 living in the Nantes area gave their award to “Shivamma” by Indian director Jaishankar Aryar.

The audience award went to “The Winter Within” by Indian director Aamir Bashir.

Founded by Philippe and Alain Jalladeau in 1979, the Festival des 3 Continents is an annual film festival devoted to the cinemas of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Photo: “Scent of Wind” by Hadi Mohaqeq.

MMS/YAW