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Asghar Farhadi, Shahab Hosseini Awarded at Cannes Film Festival

Iranian Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi and actor Shahab Hosseini won the rewards for the best screenplay and the best actor at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, respectively.

Iranian actor Shahab Hosseini (C) celebrates with Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (2ndR) after being awarded with the Best Actor prize during the closing ceremony of the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 22, 2016. (photos by AFP)

The Salesman received the Best Screenplay award during the 69th edition of the festival on Sunday May 22, and also brought the Iranian superstar Shahab Hosseini the prize for Best Actor.

Iranian actress Taraneh Alidousti was also present at the closing ceremony of the festival in the southern French city.

(From L) actress Taraneh Alidousti, director Asghar Farhadi and actor Shahab Hosseini pose as they arrive for the closing ceremony.

Premiered on Saturday, the movie (Forushande in Persian) portrays Ra’ana (Alidousti) and Emad (Hosseini), a couple who are acting in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.

Press TV: Shot in the capital Tehran, it deals with the husband’s situation after an attack on his wife.

After receiving the award, Farhadi wished that these prizes would make the Iranian nation, at least part of them, happy.

Hosseini also said, “This prize belongs to my people, so I give it to them.”

The 42-year-old actor won the Silver Bear for Best Actor as well as Fajr Film Festival’s Crystal Simorgh for Best Actor for another film by Farhadi, A Separation, in 2011.

The movie [A Separation] grabbed global attention as it became the first Iranian film to win an Oscar, the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards, also bagging the Golden Globe Award for best international film.

In Cannes 2013, Farhadi’s The Past (Le Passé) was nominated for the Palme d’Or, and brought its famous French actress Bérénice Bejo the Best Actress award.

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