Tehran – The 2024 Iranian drama romance television miniseries “The End of the Night,” directed by director Idapanahande, won two awards from Cinema Jove, the 40th Valencia International Film Festival, held in Spain from June 19th to 28th.
The Iranian series, which won the award for Best Direct, the second international presence after the Series Mania Festival held in France in March, was selected for the official series section of the festival, with the ju judges mentioned for the best actors and best actresses of Palsa Pirouzfa and Hoda Zai Nora Bedin, respectively.
Written and produced by the real-life creative couple Panahande and Arsaran Amiri, the nine-episode series delicately and skillfully analyses the separation of couples shattered by the disillusionment of social situations.
After a decade of economic austerity, middle-class couples were able to buy apartments in the suburbs of Tehran, but financial problems and traps of married life caught them, and they now have to face the consequences of their separation: divorce, and everything that means.
The Iranian miniseries is a powerful and intense reflection on sacrificing lives together, and stands out with its deep, authentic characters and the extraordinary performances of two lead actors, Parsa Pirouzfar and Hoda Zeinolabedin.
Other cast members include Rayan Sarlak, Alireza Davoudnezhad, Reza Beboudi, Ehteram Boroumand, Siamak Safari, Kazem Hajirazad, and Nahid Moslemi.
Parsa Pirouzfar, 52, is an actor, theater director, painter, playwright and translator. He has received a variety of acclaim, including Crystal Simoog and three Hafez Award nominations, as well as Best Actor Award at the Asian Film Festival in India and the Iran Film Festival award.
A graduate of painting at the University of Tehran, he made his film debut in 1994 with a brief role in Dariush Mehrjui’s “Pari.”
He has performed in over 40 movies, plays and television series. His most famous films include Sheida, Mum’s Guest, Mask, Here Without Me, Titi and Intoxicated By Love. He is also known for his “eye of the Wind”, “Rebel”, “Under Your Protection”, “In My Heart”, and “A Green Journey”.
Pirouzfar made his directional debut in theater in 2001 with Yasmina Reza’s play “Art.” In 2015 he directed “Matrioshka,” a Persian satire based on Anton Chekhov’s selected short stories. Matrioshka first premiered at Theatre West in Los Angeles. A solo performance, the play features over 30 characters, all performed by Pirouzfar in a theatre production. The Matrioshka ran for two years in 2015 and 2016 in Los Angeles, San Diego, Berkeley, Berkeley, Berkeley and Berkeley, Canada. And finally, after multiple performances due to its enormous popularity, he finished staging in Tehran, Iran in 2017.
“Matryoshka” won Pirouzfar’s Best Actor Award at the 35th Annual Celebration of the Fajr International Theater Festival in Tehran in 2017.
Hoda Zeinolabedin, 36, is an Iranian actress. She has received a variety of acclaim, including the Hafez Award, in addition to nominations for the two Crystal Simouz and the Iranian Film Critics Association Award.
Zeinolabedin has performed in 23 films and series over the past 13 years. She has appeared in Ida Panahandeh’s film “Esrafil” and Soheil Beyraqi’s “Cold Sweat.” She also appeared in Mehdi Golestane’s TV series “Dance on Glass” and Kiarash Asadzade’s “Rhinoceros.” She also works as a photographer.
Valencia International Film Festival – Cinema Jove is the annual festival held in Valencia in June. Certified by FIAPF in the “Specialized Competition Festival” category.
The festival is a forum for young international filmmakers to meet, and its profession is to showcase the best international cinemas directed by young people.
Photo: Hoda Zeinolabedin (L) and Parsa Pirouzfar from the scene from “The End of the Night”
SS/SAB