Iran reports “In the arms of a tree”

Iran has chosen In the arms of a tree as a candidate for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.

Iran’s Farabi Cinema Foundation made the announcement this morning. IRNA, the country’s English-language news agency, said the selection was made after a “10-day review process.”

IRNA said a “nine-person selection committee” selected the film from a final selection process that included two other finalists. These films Isatisdirected by Alireza Dehghan and The Silent Citydirected by Ahmad Bahrami.

Directed by: Babak Lotfi Khajepasha, In the arms of a tree screened at the Shanghai International TV Festival and Fajr Film Festival. The official synopsis of the film is: In the arms of a tree tells the story of the complicated life crisis of Kimia and Farid, who have been married for twelve years and are destroying the beautiful world of their children, children who know nothing in life but simplicity and kindness.

The International Feature Film category has seen a surge in entries in the past week, with many countries announcing their picks. Last week, France submitted a Spanish-language musical by Jacques Audiard Emilia Perez. In the drama, Karla Sofía Gascón plays cartel leader Emilia, who enlists the help of underappreciated lawyer Rita (Saldaña) to fake her death so she can live authentically as her true self. It premiered at Cannes, where the four actresses – Gascón, Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz – shared the Best Actress prize and also won the Jury Prize.

Norway has chosen Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel Armandstarring Renata Reinsve. The drama was selected from a shortlist of three films, which also included Erik Poppe’s psychological drama Quisling – The Last Days and the black comedy of Dag Johan Haugerud Sex. Armand is the first feature film by Ullmann Tøndel, grandson of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman. It had its world premiere at Cannes this year with Un Certain Regard, becoming the first Norwegian film to win the Camera d’Or for best debut in the official selection and parallel sections.

Significantly, Germany chose the drama by Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof Sacred Fig Seeds as his application. The decision was made by an independent jury of experts appointed by German Films, which reviewed 13 films submitted for consideration. Rasoulof has been living in Germany since his dramatic escape from his native Iran in May, facing new threats of flogging and imprisonment from the authoritarian regime of the Islamic Republic.

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