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

DOP

Julian Atanassov

Editor

Jacques Comets

Sound

Dana Farzanehpour, Denis Sechaud

Art Directors

Mahmoud Bakhshi, Leila Naghdi Pari

Light

Helder Loureiro da Silva

Costume Design

Raana Amini

With

Sadaf Asgari, Behnaz Jafari, Babak Karimi, Fereshteh Sadre Orafaee, Forough Ghojabagli, Arman Darvish, Fereshteh Hosseini

Producers

Jacques Bidou, Marianne Dumoulin

Co-Producers

Nicole Gerhards, Joëlle Bertossa, Flavia Zanon, Bady Minck, Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, Georges Schoucair, Fred Premel, Ali Mosaffa

Production

JBA Production, Niko Film, Close up Films, AMOUR FOU Luxembourg, Shortcut Films, TITA B Productions, Ali Mosaffa Productions

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

Distribution Austria

Filmladen

Distribution Belgium

Panaché

Distribution Germany

Little Dream Pictures

Distribution France

Pyramide

Distribution Iran

Bon Gah

Distribution Luxembourg

AMOUR FOU Luxembourg

Distribution Switzerland

Sister

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