Iranian officials salute Farhadi’s Oscar win

TEHRAN,Feb.29(MNA) -- Delighted Iranian officials praised Iran’s first Oscar, pouring in messages of congratulations to director Asghar Farhadi for winning the foreign-language film Oscar. Farhadi’s “A Separation” received the award at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, California on Sunday. Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini called winning the award a great success and hoped such honors would continue for the cinema of Iran, “I hope our artists can help introduce the true image and high spirits of our people to the world.” The director of the Iran Cinema Organization congratulated Farhadi in a message published by several Persian news outlets on Monday. This award is another sign that a new season in Iranian cinema is beginning, Javad Shamaqdari said. “The American judgment bowed before the Iranian culture and Oscar voters showed a different reaction to the Zionist lobby, which is escalating war,” he added. Farabi Cinematic Foundation International Department Director Amir Esfandiari regarded the award a significant event for Iranian cinema and said, “I congratulate Farhadi as the creator of the movie, the individual who has remembered his country in his acceptance speech by offering the award to the people of his country. Culture Ministry Supervision and Evaluation Office (SEO) Director Alireza Sajjadpur said that the success belongs to the entire cinema of Iran. “The movie was highly acclaimed inside the country and won several awards at the Fajr International Film Festival,” he added. Premiered in Iran with the title “Nader and Simin, a Separation”, the film won Crystal Simorghs in five categories at the Fajr festival, including the best director and best screenwriter awards. It also won a Crystal Simorgh as the audience favorite at the event. Farabi Cinematic Foundation director, Ahmad Miralaii, in his message congratulated Farhadi and the cast and crew. “We are happy Iran’s cinema has received one of the world’s most important awards. The movie proved it is a fine representative for the cinema of our country and opened new windows towards Iran’s cinema,” he said. Secretary of Fajr Film Festival Mohammad Khazaei also called it a great success and said in his message, “And once again, the name of Iran, once again the culture and civilization of Iran, and once again the national pride, and once again Farhadi; this time, it is a great national honor in the most important cultural event of the world.” The Documentary and Experimental Film Center Director Shafi Aqamohammadian also called the success a golden link in the chain of success of Iranian artists. The messages of congratulations were also received from cineastes and musicians including filmmakers Rakhshan Bani-Etemad and Ahmadreza Darvish, actor Ezzatollah Entezami, film critic Ali Moallem and vocalist Homayun Shajarian.