In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the art of film, Asghar Farhadi was awarded the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo tonight at the National Theatre Sarajevo. Jovan Marjanović, the Director of the Sarajevo Film Festival, presented the award to one of Iran’s most acclaimed filmmakers.
“There are filmmakers who build their cinema around extraordinary events. Asghar Farhadi does something perhaps even more difficult. He finds extraordinary drama inside ordinary life. A marriage, a family, a misunderstanding, a decision that at first seems small, and suddenly we find ourselves in a situation where every choice has consequences, every person is understandable, and nobody is completely innocent,” said Marjanović, adding that Farhadi has created a unique body of work.
His films are incredibly precise, but they never feel constructed. They begin with people and their everyday lives and gradually open into much larger questions about truth, responsibility, dignity, family, and the choices we make when there is no perfect choice.
“A very particular way of making films has made you one of the defining filmmakers of contemporary world cinema. Your films have crossed languages, cultures and borders, while always remaining deeply rooted in the lives and societies from which they come. This year, through our Tribute To programme, we have had the privilege of looking back at this remarkable body of work with you here in Sarajevo. You already have a history with this Festival. You were President of our Jury for the Competition Programme – Narrative Feature Film in 2018, and it is wonderful to have you with us again. But tonight is about your films, and about what you have given to cinema. And rather than say more about them, let’s take a look. And now, please welcome to the stage, Asghar Farhadi. Asghar, this Heart recognises an extraordinary career, but also something that is much harder to measure: the way your films have made audiences around the world look at people, and perhaps at themselves, a little more carefully. It is my great honour to present you with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo,” concluded Marjanović.
Asghar Farhadi also addressed the audience at the National Theater. “It is a great moment for me to receive this career award. It is a meaningful award and I am grateful to the Sarajevo Film Festival to receive this award. It is my second time in the city of Sarajevo. Last time I was here I was a part of the jury. I like all of the atmosphere in the city here. I want to mention tonight that there is a huge number of audience that comes here. I had a screening here and thousands of people saw my film here. I was so happy to discover this Festival and I’m happy to see how the Sarajevo Film Festival has shaped itself over the past years: it’s a special cinematic identity”, said Farhadi.
Farhadi will hold a masterclass tomorrow morning at 10:00 am. at the Festival Center (Bosnian Cultural Center).
The evening concluded with a special screening of A SEPARATION, one of his most celebrated and award-winning masterpieces.
