Berlinale Ecumenical Jury Prize goes to Iranian dissident film
Director Mohammad Rasoulof refused permission to travel to Berlin
The Ecumenical Jury at the 70th Berlinale film festival has awarded the prize for the best film in the International Competition to an Iranian film which “reflects upon the importance of moral conscience” and whose director was not allowed to travel to the film festival.
The Ecumenical Jury appointed by the Protestant INTERFILM organisation and Catholic SIGNIS, awarded its prize in the International Competition of Berlinale 2020 to the film Sheytan vojud nadaradad (There is no Evil) directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran, 2020.
“The movie reflects upon the importance of moral conscience in four episodes, telling the stories of four men who are confronted with carrying out death penalties and the people surrounding them,” the laudatio on the film read.
The jury report said that the film
“shows an impressive fundamental critique of the death penalty in general and especially of the oppressive system in Iran by means of outstanding storytelling and cinematography and the intense acting. In this the film is a strong statement of…
