Baran Rasoulof and producers Kaveh Farnam and Farzad Pak accept the Golden Bear for Best Film for “There Is No Evil” during the awards ceremony at the 70th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 29, 2020. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
BERLIN (Reuters) – A study of capital punishment filmed in secret in defiance of Iranian government censorship by director Mohammad Rasoulof won the Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear Award, jury president Jeremy Irons said on Saturday.
Rasoulof, whose “There Is No Evil” explores the impact of capital punishment on four people lined up to carry out executions and the moral choices they make, was not allowed to leave the country to collect the award. His daughter Baran, who also starred in the film, collected the award on his behalf.
“I’m very overwhelmed and happy about this award but at the same time I’m sad because this is for a film-maker who couldn’t be here tonight, so on behalf of all the team I say: ‘This is for him’,” she said.
Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Andrew Heavens