Getting an Oscar nomination is quite rare for countries outside the US and Europe. So, it’s a testament to the power of Iranian cinema that this year two films from the country were nominated. Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig competed as one of the best five nominees for Best International Feature Film before losing to I’m Still Here from Brazil. But Iranians were not to go home empty-handed.
The Oscar for Best Animated Short Film went to In The Shadow of the Cypress by Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi, getting a historic third Oscar for the country after two previous wins by Asghar Farhadi in 2012 and 2017. (Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi also won an Oscar in 2019 for a short documentary.)
The two films were both made in Iran by Iranian filmmakers but with an important distinction. While Sohani and Molayemi live in Iran, and their film was produced by a state-owned artistic institution, Rasoulof has been hounded out of the country and lives in exile in Germany. His film, which was shot clandestinely in Iran, officially represented Germany at the Oscars.
In effect, they represent two branches of Iranian cinema: Iran’s official and underground cinemas. There is also a third branch, films made outside the country by the Iranian diaspora, such as Holy Spider by Copenhagen-based Ali Abbasi, which was chosen as the Danish entry for the 2023 Oscars and made the shortlist.
But just because a film is produced inside the country, or even by state-owned institutions, doesn’t mean that it is government propaganda. Far from it, Iranian filmmakers have long made an art out of using the limited freedom of speech available in their country to tell humanistic tales, often with universal themes, which can connect with audiences both at home and abroad.
Sohani and Molayemi’s film is in this very tradition, depicting the soulful life of an old man and his daughter in a southern coastal Iranian city. The film is without any dialogue, but its sensibility remains unmistakably Iranian, linked to the country’s poetic heritage. Its story of a family dealing with traumas of war is both universal and quite suited to Iran, which suffered an eight-year-long war with Iraq in the 1980s.
Upon accepting their award, Sohani and Molayemi spoke of the many “sufferings” of their fellow Iranians and likened their win to a “miracle”. It indeed felt like one.
Not only had they not had the chance to be present in the US to campaign for their film, they got their visa so late that they were able to make it to Los Angeles only a few hours before the ceremony. By the time they drove across LA’s traffic to the Dolby Theatre, most nominees were already seated.
Their visa difficulties pale next to all that Iranian authorities have done to Rasoulof in recent years. Having been arrested and banned from filmmaking several times, the director stubbornly continued to make his films in secret, still winning awards from top festivals such as Cannes and Berlinale.
Last year, after being sentenced to eight years in prison, he finally fled Iran. His The Seed of the Sacred Fig revolves around the story of a few young women during the mass anti-regime protests of 2022-2023. Its bold and politically unapologetic portrayal of the events has impressed audiences around the world. But the government in Tehran has brought down the axe. The film's female lead, Soheila Golestani, has been charged with “propaganda against the regime and spreading immorality”.
She is currently barred from leaving the country, which means she couldn’t be at the Oscars or at the Rotterdam Film Festival, where she had been picked to be on the jury. A similar treatment was meted out to Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghadam, directors of My Favorite Cake, another clandestine Iranian film which premiered at Berlinale last year.
It’s unfortunate that this support sometimes also includes disregarding films made legally in Iran
On Sunday, just as the Oscars got under way, a court in Tehran started trying the two directors as well as four other members of the cast and crew. They are charged with “producing obscene content and hurting public morale and decency”.
This might shock those who got to see the film, which tells the sweet story, a meet-cute, of a man and a woman in their seventies. There is nothing explicit in the film. It doesn’t even show a kiss. But just because the female lead has her head uncovered, thus portraying how millions of Iranians actually live, Tehran has treated it harshly.
Faced with the Iranian government’s repression of filmmakers, the global cinematic community has naturally warmed up to Iran’s underground cinema. The Seed of the Sacred Fig and My Favorite Cake have collected awards from festivals around the word, lauded by several critics. Conversely, even many of Iran’s own filmmakers didn’t take part in the annual state-sanctioned Fajr Film Festival of Tehran last month.
But it’s unfortunate that this support sometimes also includes disregarding films made legally in Iran. These days, such films can hardly be found on the festival circuit. Even when Leila’s Brothers by Saeed Roustayi made it to the Cannes’ official competition in 2022, it couldn’t find proper distribution in the West.
Some have come to taint films made in Iran as somehow associated with the Iranian government. The legendary Farhadi was publicly attacked by Rasoulof in 2021, because one of his actors had played in regime-sanctioned films. Such zealotry would exclude most films made in Iran.
It would be unfortunate if this bifurcation, between official and underground cinema, develops into enmity. It is encouraging to see Rasoulof congratulate Sohani and Molayemi after posting a picture with them. He noted that they had travelled “a long, difficult and turbulent path” to the Oscars.
If this touching Oscars’ night story shows anything, it is that festivals and audiences abroad would do well to promote both – films legally made and shown inside Iran and those that come out of its burgeoning underground scene.
From an artistic point of view, it should also be noted that some of the best traditions of Iranian cinema are lost in the overt on-the-nose didacticism shown in The Seed of the Sacred Fig or some other clandestine films such as Jafar Panahi’s 3 Faces.
What made filmmakers like Abbas Kiarostami and Asghar Farhadi global cinematic legends was their offering of humane stories that, by their very focus on real lives, stayed away from the state-sanctioned ideologies. An oppositional cinema that forces its politics on the audience deserves applause for courage but it won’t be an artistic step forward.
Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m, Winner: Zalman, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Qader, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
8pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nayslayer, Bernardo Pinheiro, Jaber Ramadhan
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
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- Financial well-being incentives
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
RESULT
Arsenal 2
Sokratis Papastathopoulos 45 4'
Eddie Ntkeiah 51'
Portsmouth 0
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
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Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The view from The National
