Reza Mirkarimi is not an unfamiliar face in Moscow Film Festival and he has not been either in the event’s 38th edition held June 23-30. His ‘Daughter’ is a great hit with audience, scoring modest 7.3 out of possible 10 which is the highest score among all competition films. The film received standing ovation and no seat was left unclaimed during the screening of ‘Daughter,’ which is symptomatic of a single or few main section awards for Mirkarimi.
Highly admired appearance by Farhad Aslani makes him also of great chance for receiving the trophy. Screened in the main hall of the festival, ‘Daughter’ was competing with a Russian film in keeping the audience pinned down to their seats in a hall of 1600 seats. 4.55 out of 5 is score people lavished on the film which was also highest in its kind.
Russian critics of MIFF Daily also welcomed the film with admiring commentary. One such critic is Igor Savelyev who believed that Reza Mirkarimi used facial features to create a psychological atmosphere typical of Iranian settings where the fight for control the social affairs of families has been unremittingly present in the film; “It seems as though Reza Mirkarimi is first and foremost a physiognomist. And curiously enough, the real protagonist of his film raising the topic of women’s rights is not young Setareh, but her father Ahmad (played by Farhad Aslani). Seemingly a simple, narrow-minded man, he does everything “right” (everything a strict Muslim father is “supposed to do”), but it is his face that gives away his genuine confusion,” he wrote.
Reza Mirkarimi had participated in MIFF several time and won the Golden St. George for his ‘As Simply as That’ 8 years ago and won Critics’ Awards as well. His ‘Under Moonlight,’ ‘A Cube of Sugar,’ and 'Farthest and Nearest' (in Russian dubbing) had been screened in a tour of Russian cities, with ‘A Cube of Sugar’ crowned in Kazan Festival for Best Cinematography and Best Actress awards.
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