20 FINGERS (BEEST ANGOSHT) International Feature Competition

Demonstrating the abilities that mark the development of a remarkable cineaste, Mania Akbari’s 20 FINGERS was the winner of the Best Film Cinema Digitale at this year’s Venice Film Festival.

A story told in several episodes, producer/actor Bijan Daneshmand and director/actor Mania Akbari expose some of the issues of men and women within the confines of tradition and family life in Iran. Each episode is devoted to typical daily scenarios in order to highlighting a different form of male/female interaction. Often the actors are in a moving vehicle or against a moving backdrop, signifying movement of life despite all obstacles in the way. The film deals with the roots of dependency, limitations and power struggles-all familiar themes couples in the Middle East. The staccato, restless cinematography perfectly captures the characters’ freeform lives.

Blaring onto the big screen, 20 FINGERS announces the presence of two daring new talents, Akbari and Daneshmand. Awash with sound and sensory manipulation that documents the look and feel of modern Tehran, the images remain with us long after the film ends.