"Sun Children" and Iran's Oscar History

by Nathaniel R

Iran is sending their favourite filmmaking son to the Oscars again. Sixty-one year old prolific filmmaker Majid Majidi brought Iran the first of their three Oscar nominations with his fifth film Children of Heaven (1998); they've submitted him almost every time he's made a feature since. This year his latest film Sun Children, which you'll recall won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor at Venice this year, about poverty stricken chilldren trying to support their families, will compete for the coveted Best International Feature Film Oscar prize. 

After the jump key Iranian submissions over the years and Oscar trivia...

IRAN'S OSCAR STATS
Submitting since 1977
26 Total Submissions 
3 Nominations
2 Wins 

KEY SUBMISSIONS

Iran's first Oscar nominee

• Through the Olive Trees (1994) The only time Iran submitted Abbas Kiarostami. Oscar passed.
• The White Balloon (1995) One of the most celebrated Iranian films of all times. Oscar passed. An arthouse success in the US
• Children of Heaven (1998) Nominee  from Iran's most often submitted director Majid Majidi. An arthouse success in the US
• The Color of Paradise (1999) Majid Majidi's family drama was the most successful pre-Farhadi Iranian arthouse hit in the US. Oscar passed.
• A Time for Drunken Horses (2000) won the Camera d'Or at Cannes. Oscar passed. This is one of the rare times Iran sent a non-Persian language film. It's in Kurdish.
• About Elly (2009) the first submission from Asghar Farhadi, the Iranian director Oscar loves most. But they passed the first time.
• A Separation (2011) Winner  Farhadi's masterpiece is the most successful Iranian film ever in international release with $22 million globally.
• The Past (2013) The only time they've submitted a movie not in either Persian or Kurdish. This Farhadi movie was in French and managed a Golden Globe nomination but Oscar passed.
• The Salesman (2016) Winner 

Most Oscar-Honored Iranian Artists

1. Asghar Farhadi (3 nominations* one for screenplay and two for Best International Film which both won)
2. Ray Aghayan (3 nominations in Costume Design in the 1970s - officially the most nominated Iranian of all time)
3. Habib Zargapour (2 nominations in Visual Effects: Twister and The Perfect Storm)
4. Rayka Zehtabchi (1 nomination/1 win in Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence) Several other Iranians have received a single nomination but Iranian-American Zehtabchi is technically the only Iranian to ever be rewarded an Oscar (since Farhadi's wins officially belong to Iran the country)

* we realize directors aren't the official nominees or winners... BUT THEY ARE TO US!

Most Frequently Submitted Directors in Best International Film 

Majidi on the set

1. Majid Majidi (6 submissions - 1 nomination plus 1 pending right now...) 
2. Asghar Farhadi (4 submissions - 2 nominations films, which both won)
3. Reza Mirkarimi (2 + submissions, neither nominated. He had been selected for a third submission in 2012 but Iran opted to boycott the Oscars that year so he didn't actually get that third try.)
4. Bahman Ghobadi (2 submissions, neither nominated.)

OSCAR PREDICTIONS
OSCAR SUBMISSIONS

Comments

[Amirfarhang]

Majidi is not a bad director but we can’t deny the fact that his close relationship with Iranian goverment is the main reason his films are always submitted!
And we all know what “having a close relationship with a dictator government” means!

[harmodio]

The White Balloon is a wonderful movie. I think it was the first Iranian movie that I have seen.
After seeing it I went to Imdb to see more information and I saw that almost for the entire cast it was their only film and I must admit that I asked myself the question: What would have happened to such an actor? I hope they are well.

[Edward L.]

Nathaniel, you are surpassing even your own high standards with your coverage of this category this year. Thank you!

[Ian]

Shohreh Aghdashloo was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for House of Sand and Fog in 2003.

[Matthew UK]

Ian, I saw her on the London stage in The House of Bernarda Alba and she was incredible.

[Cafg]

It's really sad that Jafar Panahi movies don't get the support from the Iranian industry for political reasons

[cal roth]

I had to check this and I am shocked that Darius Khondji was nominated only once! He should have won multiples times like Lubezki or Richardson, since he is their equal.

[Kenny]

*clears throat* Shoreh Aghdashloo

[whunk]

Highly underrated: 2004's submission, Turtles Can Fly (dir. Bahman Ghobadi)

[Nathaniel R]

Kenny and Ian — I was only listing people with multiple nominations. Shohreh only received one.

[ken s]

I second whunk. Turtles Can Fly is a very special movie. A Separation is one of the titanic achievements of film history, one of the best winners ever of Best Foreign Film. Through the Olive Trees and Time for Drunken Horses are also among the great masterpieces of all time - and not even nominated!

Jafar Panahi almost got a nomination - for Best Documentary. I was so excited when This Is Not a Film made the final round of 10 for documentaries in 2012. Then came the disappointment of nomination announcement morning.

[A.D.]

Thank you for the great International Oscar coverage!

Reza Mirkarimi deserves to be listed in third place because although his films were only “submitted” twice, he was “selected” three times. “A Cube of Sugar” was selected by the Iranian Oscar committee in 2012 prior to their ridiculous decision to boycott the Oscars over a YouTube video (which had nothing whatsoever to do with the Oscars).

“White Balloon” and “Colour of Paradise” were beautiful films that were richly deserving of nominations, more so than “The Salesman” (which was good) and “Children of Heaven” (not my favorite Majidi).