[caption id="attachment_30255" align="alignright" width="300"] The Argentine-French actress Bérénice Bejo (L) and Iranian actor Ali Mosaffa in a screen shot of The Past[/caption]
Academy Award-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadis smash hit drama The Past has won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (prix du Jury cuménique) was conferred on Farhadi for his films moral values, according to the statement of the jury.
Established in 1974, the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury is an independent film award for feature films at the Cannes Film Festival that was created by Christian film makers, film critics and other film professionals.
The award is dedicated to "honor works of artistic quality which witnesses to the power of film to reveal the mysterious depths of human beings through what concerns them, their hurts and failings as well as their hopes."
Farhadis Paris-set tale film The Past has taken part in the Competition section of the 66th Cannes Film Festival to contend for this years Palm D'Or.
The movie has received warm critical acclaim by both French movie goers during its short public screening in the countrys movie theaters (since last week) and those ones who followed the film in its premier at Cannes film festival.
Farhadis immigrant romantic drama depicts the story of an Iranian man who deserts his French wife and two children to return to his homeland. When he comes back to Paris upon his wife's request for a divorce encounters with a complicated situation of the family there.
The Artists Argentine-French actress Bérénice Bejo who replaced former candidate Marion Cotillard along with the French actor of Algerian origin, Tahar Rahim and the acclaimed Iranian actor Ali Mosaffa star in the movie.
The Past is Farhadis sixth directorial experience and first one in a foreign country that was shot in the French capital, Paris.
After screening in Cannes film festival, the movie has been invited to be showcased during a particular program at the 2013 Sidney International Film festival in Australia.
The Past, which shares some similarities with Farhadis Oscar-winning picture A Separation, is currently being prepared for presenting with Persian subtitle to hit the Iranian movie theaters in next two weeks.