Immortal (2015 film)

Immortal (translit. Mamiro) is a 2015 Iranian film directed by Seyed Hadi Mohaghegh. The second feature film by Mohaghegh, it tells the story of an old man who tries to end his life repeatedly from guilt over the loss of his family in a tragic accident. World premiered at the 20th Busan International Film Festival in 2015 and described by the jury Sylvia Chang as "an extraordinary feat of visual storytelling, filled with emotion," it won the top prize for the New Currents competition section, as well as the FIPRESCI award.[1][2]

Immortal
Directed bySeyed Hadi Mohaghegh
Produced byReza Mohaghegh
Majid Barzegar
Written bySeyed Hadi Mohaghegh
StarringYadolah Shadmani
Meysam Farhomand
CinematographyRozbeh Raiga
Edited byMajid Barzegar
Production
company
Majid Barzegar Productions
Release date
  • October 2015 (2015-10) (BIFF)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryIran
LanguagePersian

Synopsis

Ayaz (Yadolah Shadmani) is filled with grief and guilt over the loss of his family. A few years ago, he had driven the mini-bus that killed all his family when returning from a wedding party. Since then, he attempts to end his life time after time but is saved by his grandson, Ebrahim (Meysam Farhomand), who tries furiously to help him overcome his insufferable misery.[3][4][5]

Cast
  • Yadolah Shadmani as Ayaz
  • Meysam Farhomand as Ebrahim
  • Fatemeh Bahador as Narges
  • Parisa Viseli
  • Mahyar Abravan
  • Tolo Jahanbazi

Reception

BIFF's jury Sylvia Chang: "Immortal is an extraordinary feat of visual storytelling, filled with emotion. It is partly about how to die, but mostly about how to live, and how to keep our dignity as human beings. It is a beautiful film."[4]

BIFF's Kim Ji-seok: "...It is hard to find a film such as this one that is so thoroughly able to deliver to the audience the pain of a being human."[6]

FIPRESCI's Hiroaki Saito: "Why do humans continue to live and why do humans die? Audiences from different cultures can universally identify their own end of life with the theme. The film has a magical power and can let everyone can share in it."[7]

NETPAC Asia's Andreas Ungerböck: "The decision to give the NETPAC Award at the 14th Pacific Meridian Film Festival in Vladivostok to Hadi Mohaghegh's film Immortal was surprisingly easy and was made quite fast. This Iranian film is outstanding in the true sense of the word, both visually and in regard to its narrative and its storytelling...Twenty-nine-year-old Iranian director Hadi Mohaghegh whose second film has already gathered several awards (in Busan 2015, among others) is clearly a filmmaker to watch – and so is his director of photography, Rozbeh Raiga. Together they have created a stunning and extraordinary film which deserves all the attention it can get."[3]

FIPRESCI's Mo Abdi: "Mamiroo is a great experience from a young filmmaker (after his first feature, Bardou), who is walking on the edge in this film and is not scared to create a visual structure to build an experience."[8]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Recipient Result
201520th Busan International Film Festival[2]New Currents AwardImmortalWon
FIPRESCI AwardWon
201614th Pune International Film FestivalBest FilmWon
13th Yerevan International Film Festival[9]Silver Apricot for Feature FilmWon
Ecumenical Jury AwardWon
14th Pacific Meridian Film Festival[3]NETPAC AwardWon

References
  1. Kil, Sonia (9 October 2015). "Busan: Immortal, Walnut Tree Share Top Prizes". Variety. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  2. Shackleton, Liz (12 October 2015). "Immortal, Walnut Tree win at Busan film festival". Screen International. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  3. Ungerböck, Andreas (4 October 2016). "Immortal Film Review". NETPAC Asia. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  4. Medhat, Noha (13 October 2015). "Iranian film Immortal wins at Asia's biggest film festival". stepfeed.com. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  5. Kerr, Elizabeth (5 October 2015). "'Immortal': Busan Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  6. "20th BIFF (2015) - Immortal". BIFF. October 2015. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  7. Saito, Hiroaki. "What is Film? (in 20th Busan International Film Festival)". FIPRESCI. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  8. Abdi, Mo. ""Mamiroo": Being Naked in Front of The Death". FIPRESCI. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  9. "Immortal Wins Silver Apricot Prize at Armenian Film Festival". ifpnews.com. 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
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