TEHRAN, Aug. 30 (ISNA)-Venice international film festival presented "Glory to the Filmmaker" award to Iranian prominent filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami for "Shirin." Shirin was displayed at Out of Competition section of the 65th edition of Venice film festival.

Abbas Kiarostami (file photo)

The award was presented to Kiarostami by Japanese director Takeshi Kitano and is named after the film Glory to the Filmmaker by Kitano.

Venice festival also hosts another Iranian film named "Khastegi (Tedium)" by director Bahman Motamedian which was screened at competitive section.

"Khastegi" depicts lives of 7 transsexuals in Iran who are engaged with identity problem and the question that whether they should undergo a sex change operation. Its characters are also involved with a more important problem and that is family acceptance.

Motamedian says the problem is a universal one and all transsexuals face the same identity problem and family acceptance issue across the world.

The film aims to make families aware of different aspects of the issue, he said.

The film's characters are played by transsexuals, not professional actors. Motamedian explained the reason was to convey the sense of hiding.

... Payvand News - 08/30/08 ... --