TEHRAN-The Iranian short animated movie “In the Shadow of the Cypress,” co-directed by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani, won the 2025 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards, which was held on March 2 at the Dolby Theater at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood.

The 20-minute animation won the award competing with four other short animations including the Belgian-French-Dutch short “Beautiful Men,” “Magic Candies” from Japan, Dutch animation “Wander to Wonder,” and “Yuck!” from France, IRNA reported.

It was the second Iranian animated or live-action short film nominated at the Oscars and the first to win. Last year, the Iranian short animation “Our Uniform” by Yeganeh Moghaddam was vying for the Best Animated Short Film Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards, but it did not win the award.

In total, it was the third Oscar for Iran after Asghar Farhadi’s awards for “A Separation” and “The Salesman,” won in 2011 and 2016, respectively.

During their acceptance speech, the filmmakers Molayemi and Sohani said, “We dedicate our film and this special award to all those who are still fighting in their inner and outer battles, heroically, and nobody knows about that.”

 “It’s a miracle, and speaking in front of this expectant audience is very hard for us. Yes, if we preserve and remain faithful, miracles will happen,” Molayemi said.

A 2023 production of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (known as Kanoon), “In the Shadow of the Cypress” depicts a former captain suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who lives with his daughter in a humble house located by the sea. Together, they live isolated from the world and must confront the challenges of their situation. One morning, their lives change forever when an unforeseen event occurs.

Their tough and secluded life is pulled out of its isolation by the unexpected arrival of a stranded whale. As his daughter refuses to give up on the animal, the captain will face his own demons in this poignant universal story about resilience.

According to the directors, the film is, in a way, a homage to the veterans of the Iran-Iraq war, particularly those still suffering from PTSD.

The pair told Variety magazine in a previous interview that the short film took them six years to finish because it was entirely self-funded through development and production. They also said that they had been under sanctions for years, but things had gotten worse and “more complicated since President Trump’s time in office”.

Earlier, “In the Shadow of Cypress” earned major accolades at the LA Shorts International Film Festival, Lebu International Film Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival.

It also left quite an impression by bagging multiple nominations at the Venice International Film Festival, Annie Awards, Anency International Animation Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, and Clermond Ferrand International Film Festival.

SS/SAB