Kiumars Pourahmad for Night Bus (Autobus-E Shab)
Nomination Details
Nomination Detail
Winner, Jury Grand Prize, 2007
Night Bus, a black-and-white war drama, travels back to the Iran-Iraq conflict of the mid-1980’s, when a young private is forced to transport 38 Iraqi prisoners-of-war to their home base in a half dilapidated bus.
The obstinate and slightly irascible driver must pilot the vehicle through a dangerous lay of land, packed with mortar shells and explosive mines. Uninterested with wartime heroics, the film denounces the senselessness of the conflict, which pitted ordinary men from two closely related nations against each other at the behest of fanatical leaders.
Jury President Shabana Azmi said:
“This in an initiative whose time has come, politically and culturally. Many countries in the region have their own national awards but now they have an award that affords the highest honour to filmmakers in over 70 countries. The Jury Grant Prize to NIGHT BUS acknowledges the extraordinary achievements of Iran in filmmaking and the particular finesse that the writer and director, Kiumars Pourhamad, and his fine ensemble cast have brought to their craft.”
Trailer
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