Iranian drama is film to beat at Berlin festival

    Iranian drama "Nader and Simin: A Separation" is the title to beat as this year's Berlin film festival heads toward the closing ceremony on Saturday where the coveted Golden Bear for best picture is handed out.

    A subtle and gripping examination of Iran's social divide, religious traditions and justice system, Asghar Farhadi's portrayal of the break-up of a marriage has won almost universal praise from critics at the annual cinema showcase.

    What critics say and judges decide often differ, however, making it an unpredictable event often full of surprises.

    In Nader and Simin, one family is pitted against another in a gripping legal tussle which Farhadi said underscored the gap between middle class "intellectuals" and poorer, traditional Iranians whose religious beliefs tended to be more entrenched.

    "One (undercurrent in Iranian society) is the struggle between the classes -- between the poor, who are more traditional and religious, and the other class which wants to live according to modern rules," he said in Berlin.

    "It's a somewhat hidden struggle between the old and new in our society. It will cost our society dear."

    While many of the 16 films in the main competition line-up were seen as forgettable, it only takes one or two strong contenders to light up a festival like Berlin, and Nader and Simin provided that spark.

    It also fits in neatly with what some German media have dubbed an "Iranian Berlinale," after the festival opened with calls for Iran to allow director Jafar Panahi to travel to Berlin and accept his invitation to sit on the jury.

       伊朗电影《内达和西敏：一次别离》成为第61届柏林电影节颁奖礼上最大赢家，不仅夺得最佳影片“金熊奖”，它的5名主演还共同拿下最佳男演员和最佳女演员两个“银熊奖”。

　　伊朗电影《内达和西敏：一次别离》讲述了两个普通家庭由于一场冲突而导致困境的故事，关注的是伊朗社会的现实。该片在柏林电影节公映后立即获得一边倒的好评，获得金熊奖，可谓是众望所归。令人感到意外的是，该片中的全部演员凭借出色的群戏发挥，分别将最佳男演员奖和最佳女演员收入囊中。一部影片的几乎所有主要演员都获大奖，这在柏林电影节史上并不多见。

　　今年华语电影集体缺席柏林电影节主竞赛单元。此前入围“新生代单元”的《山楂树之恋》也不敌美国影片《在冰上》，无缘“新生代单元”水晶熊奖。