Cinema Trust Zahra Nora Najafi wrote in the Etemad newspaper: It was short, in the short animation of “In the Shadow of Cedar”; The first Iranian cinema animation won the Academy Award. At the 90th Oscars, Shirin Sohani and Hossein Malayimi, the young directors of the short animated “In the Shadow of Cedar” won the Academy Award for Best Animation, and in the history of Iranian cinema won the third Oscars (after “Rare Separation from Simin” and “Seller” directed by Asghar Farhadi.
The short animation whose competitors were well -known directors of the world with a number of international awards from Japan, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom. Animations that may have been more beneficial for advertising opportunities and even easy to obtain a US visa, but did not deal with the issue that was as deep as “in the shadow of cedar”. The subject that made Indy wire wrote: “In the shadow of cedar” reflects the power of Iranian animation cinema that has a profound impact with strong storytelling and beautiful images, and the Hollywood Reporter admires it; “In the shadow of cedar” is a short Iranian animation that fascinate audiences with a deep story and stunning images.
The award was in the hands of Shirin Sohani and Hussein Malaimi, with many thought that the next Oscar for Iranian cinema would be influenced by the political atmosphere in the film “Figs of the Temples” in the hands of Mohammad Rasulov. According to the Oscar -in -chief critics, everything was ready for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, an underground film about social events related to “Woman, Life, Freedom” and the film’s director who has fled the country, so why shouldn’t the Academy Award?! Perhaps this is why these suspicious critics who do not bother to watch “in the shadow” in the shadow of cedar are questioning the award and say they have unveiled the award they have given them.
It is as if the politicized atmosphere has taken so much authority from our eyes and ears that we can predict the unseen, and we do not need to go to the facts that are available instead of judging. “In the shadow of cedar” an old man who reminds us of the people of our south has suffered post -war disorder, after war. A war that took his beloved wife. The war that has been over for years, but in the mind of the old man’s captain, the story of the story is still ongoing. He still hears the sound of the bullets. He still remembers how he couldn’t save his wife. He still remembers and cannot look at himself in the mirror. “In the shadow of Cedar” is about a girl who saw the death of her mother during the war, but she has lost both her father and her mother in the war.
His father is alive but as if he is no longer alive. “In the shadow of Cedar” is about a whale who comes to the beach for suicide and the girl fights to save him. “In the shadow of cedar” is about all the destruction that the war leaves and brings happiness with it. When you look at the competitors of “in the shadow of the cedar”, you will find that they may not be technically behind this short animation, but they cannot pass “in the shadow of the cedar in terms of directing and storytelling and concept. There is no dialogue in the shadow of the cedar, but it has a universal story that anyone can afford anywhere in the world.
That is why Variety writes in its admiration: “This animation provides a unique experience for viewers using innovative techniques and emotional narrative.” But again, we can’t get away from the politicized atmosphere of society, the most important story we hear about “in the shadow of cedar” is that its directors fought for the US visa and attend the Oscars until the last few minutes, and the Iranian media still looks at the Iranian media. The main question is whether the policies of the country’s cultural authorities, whether those who have seats in the Ministry of Culture and Guidance, whether they are remotely monitored by the Ministry of Culture and Guidance, and those who can affect the cultural flow of the country without a particular position, are the best Iranian cinema talents and funds?
The talents that emerge in the most difficult conditions; “In the shadow of cedar” is the result of an effort to a group of thirteen people who have worked hard for six years. The group that was able to provide the Academy Award for their efforts. Honestly, it seems that the artistic talent in Iran has not yet emerged to persuade cultural authorities to support its international achievements. Suppose the French short animation “Yuk!), Which is the first kiss of a teenage girl and boy, was a representative of Iranian cinema or, for example, the Belgian Short Animation” Beautiful Men “, which criticized the beauty of the world, was a representative of Iranian cinema, then the filmmaker and the Iranian filmmaker. The war -torn captain of the short animation “in the shadow of cedar” eventually surrendered and decided to drown his old broken ship with him because of his daughter to save him by dragging the whale into the sea. The whale was a symbol of the old man’s soul that eventually came to peace. “In the shadow of Cedar”, with this impressive and profound story, he recorded the third Oscar of Iranian Cinema and the first Iranian Animation Oscar. Perhaps in the hope that one day we can, like the war -torn old man, will throw this politicization into the sea and celebrate and celebrate our achievements.