YALDA, A Night for Forgiveness
YALDA© Somaye Jafari-JBA Production
YALDA, A NIGHT FOR FORGIVENESS
a film by Massoud Bakhshi
World Premiere: Sundance Film Festival
European Premiere: Berlin International Film Festival
France/Germany/Switzerland/Luxembourg 2019 // color // 89min // dolby digital
Synopsis
Maryam, a young Iranian woman, has been sentenced to death for accidentally killing her husband, Nasser, a 65 years-old man. Iranian law allows for the victim’s family to forgive her and spare her life. Maryam’s fate will be decided by Nasser’s daughter, Mona, on the country’s most popular televised reality show, “Joy of Forgiveness”. In front of millions of viewers during Yalda, the winter solstice celebration, Maryam’s daughter-in-law can convert her impending execution into a prison sentence. On TV, the two women discover that forgiveness can be difficult as they are forced to relive the past.
| Written and directed by | Massoud Bakhshi |
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| DOP | Julian Atanassov |
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| Editor | Jacques Comets |
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| Sound | Dana Farzanehpour, Denis Sechaud |
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| Art Directors | Mahmoud Bakhshi, Leila Naghdi Pari |
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| Light | Helder Loureiro da Silva |
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| Costume Design | Raana Amini |
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| With | Sadaf Asgari, Behnaz Jafari, Babak Karimi, Fereshteh Sadre Orafaee, Forough Ghojabagli, Arman Darvish, Fereshteh Hosseini |
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| Producers | Jacques Bidou, Marianne Dumoulin |
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| Co-Producers | Nicole Gerhards, Joëlle Bertossa, Flavia Zanon, Bady Minck, Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, Georges Schoucair, Fred Premel, Ali Mosaffa |
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| Production | JBA Production, Niko Film, Close up Films, AMOUR FOU Luxembourg, Shortcut Films, TITA B Productions, Ali Mosaffa Productions |
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| With the support of | EURIMAGES, CNC, Film Fund Luxembourg, Pictanovo, Région Hauts-de-France, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenbourg Filmfärderungsanstalt, OFC, NORDMEDIA, Région Bretagne, CINEFOROM, Breizh Film Fund, Torinofilmlab, Coopération Belge au Développement, SUNDANCE, BON GAH, ANGOA |
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| Distribution Austria | Filmladen |
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| Distribution Belgium | Panaché |
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| Distribution Germany | Little Dream Pictures |
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| Distribution France | Pyramide |
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| Distribution Iran | Bon Gah |
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| Distribution Luxembourg | AMOUR FOU Luxembourg |
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| Distribution Switzerland | Sister |
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| Worldsales | Pyramide International |
Awards & Nominations
World Cinema Grand Jury Prize @ Sundance Film Festival 2020
Special Mention for best screenplay @ Sofia International Film Festival 2020
Festivals
Teheran Film Festival, 2019
Sundance Film Festival, 2020
Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival, 2020
Luxembourg-city Film Festival, 2020
Genève Film Festival, 2020
Karlovy Vary FF, 2020
Sofia International Film Festival, 2020