TEHRAN-The Iranian feature film “In the Arms of the Tree” directed by Babak Khajehpasha won the Best World Cinema Feature Film Award at the 22nd Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF), which concluded on December 19 in Chennai, India.

Competing in the World Cinema Competition section of the festival with 11 other films, the Iranian family drama received the main award of the section, Mehr reported.

“In the Arms of the Tree” tells the story of Kimia and Farid, a couple married for 12 years, whose life crisis shatters their children’s world, children who know nothing but simplicity and kindness in life.

The film explores themes of familial relationships and emotional reconnections between parents and children. At the heart of the story is Kimia, a northern mother grappling with the trauma of past abuse and a debilitating fear of distance. Her husband, Farid, an Azeri father with a passion for travel and medicinal plants, adds to the tension as the couple prepares for a separation exercise.

Kimia is about to divorce Farid due to a strange illness, and this process has proceeded in mutual respect and both are finalizing the divorce. Their two sons, 11-year-old Taha and his five-year-old brother Alisan, unaware of their parents’ decision, live their normal lives and spend their days with great interest in each other until they face their parents' decision: now the father wants to take one of the sons and the mother wants to take the other one. They have to prepare the children for this separation and start to teach them to be away from each other. The children's perspective on the story of separation creates a new course in the life of this couple.

Taha, deeply caring and protective, is determined to shield Alisan from the fallout of their parents' crises. The boys' strong bond and friendship serve as a beacon of hope amid the tumult, highlighting the innocence of childhood and the power of familial love in the face of adversity.

The film captures the impact of marital discord on children, illustrating how their lives can be disturbed by their parents' struggles. Ultimately, it underscores the importance of love, connection, and the delicate balance needed to preserve a family in crisis.

Maral Baniadam, Javad Ghamati, Rouhollah Zamani, Ahoura Lotfi, and Rayan Lotfi are in the cast among others.

A production of 2023, the film won two Crystal Simorgh awards for Best First Film and Best Screenplay upon its premiere at the 41st Fajr Film Festival. 

Moreover, it was named the best film in the international section of the first edition of Iran’s Havva International Film Festival in 2023.

Recently it received the Special Jury Prize at the 10th Asian World Film Festival, which was held in California, the U.S., from November 13 to 21.

The movie has been screened in several international festivals in countries such as China, Switzerland, and the UAE. It also opened the Kazan International Film Festival Altyn Minbar in Russia in September

The Chennai International Film Festival provides a common platform for the film fraternity to show its expression through films; understand other cultures and project the excellence of this art form; contribute to the understanding and appreciation of film cultures of the different nations in the context of the social and cultural ethos; and promote friendship and cooperation among peoples of the world.

The festival has been organized since 2003. It showcases international as well as Indian feature films. In this year’s edition, a total of 123 films chosen from 50 countries were screened.

SS/