TEHRAN-The Iranian TV series “Actor” written and directed by Nima Javidi won a prize at the 18th Seoul International Drama Awards (SDA), which was held from September 20 to 22 in South Korea.

Competing in the international category of the festival, the film grabbed the Best Screenwriter award Jointly with Aude Marcle for “The Fragile Colossus” from France, Saba reported on Thursday.

Blending drama, mystery and black comedy, the series is a dazzling story about two impecunious actors Ali and Morteza (played by Navid Mohammadzadeh and Ahmad Mehranfar respectively) who turn the world into their scene. The duo put their acting talents to original use, hopping from a staged marriage proposal to a graduation ceremony, via an array of receptions and functions. But things don’t always go as planned as they find themselves in increasingly daring and dangerous situations, while simultaneously trying to deal with the problems in their own lives.

The cast also includes Hasti Mahdavifar, Hanieh Tavassoli, Hooman Barghnavard, Gelareh Abbasi, Arash Falahatpisheh, Roya Javidnia, Mehraveh Sharifinia, and Farideh Sepahmansour among others.

“Actor” has so far received an honorable mention from Seriencamp Festival in Germany earlier this year in June and the grand prize of Series Mania Festival in France in March.

Inspired by Shakespeare

For writing the script, Javidi was inspired by the renowned English playwright and poet William Shakespeare, and learned from him how to write characters that are multi-dimensional and complicated.

“Shakespeare said that all the world’s a stage,” Javidi said. “And that all the men and women are merely players, assuming different roles depending on their situations and what they want to achieve. I thought it was fascinating to put performers in realistic roles and have them overcome obstacles, solve problems, and save themselves and others from difficulties using their acting abilities.”

“This kind of role-playing in real life could expand forever, assuming so many different forms,” he explained. “Unlike Sherlock Holmes, who uses his intelligence, or superheroes, who save people with their incredible strength, Ali and Morteza resolve their obstacles and accomplish their adventures by exercising their art. They act to save themselves and others from difficulties.”

“I take inspiration from the stage, from the actors themselves, and from the situations in which I find myself,” the director noted. “The further we go, the more we realize that all the characters are playing roles, and in my opinion, this is completely derived from reality. Now this story might be a bit more exaggerated than others, but in truth, everyone on this planet is playing a role.”  

International acclaim

Nima Javidi, 43, is best known for his films “Melbourne” (2014) and “The Warden” (2019). His first feature “Melbourne” (2014) has attended more than 90 festivals around the world and received 14 international awards from film festivals in Cairo, Stockholm, and Gijon among others.

His next feature “The Warden” has attended more than 27 festivals across the world. His next script which was written with famous Iranian director Majid Majidi was “Sun Children” (directed by Majidi). It was among the 15 movies shortlisted in the foreign language film category at the 93rd Academy awards. 

Moreover, Javidi is a member of Asia Pacific Academy Awards and has served as a member of jury in the Gijon film festival 2016, Tbilisi film festival 2018, and Dostluk film festival 2019.

At this year’s edition of Seoul International Drama Awards, a total of 344 works from 44 countries competed in different categories.

SDA is an annual award ceremony based in Seoul, South Korea, which honors excellence in television drama productions worldwide. It seeks to promote cultural exchange and for humanity through dramas.

SS/SAB