Badkoobeh’s Dressage Recognized in Generation 14plus Section

TEHRAN.(Iranart) – F eature film ‘Dressage’ by Pooya Badkoobeh received Special Mention at the Generation 14plus section of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, Berlinale (February 15-25).

It competed with films from countries including Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Norway, Peru, the Netherlands, Sweden and Poland. Another Iranian competitor in the section was ‘Hendi & Hormuz’ by Abbas Amini.

“This film impressed us with its intelligent storytelling as well as its complex and unpredictable development of characters. The protagonist is uncompromising in her refusal to join the vicious cycle of corruption, lies, middle-class hypocrisy and false morality,” the jury commented on the film.

The section’s international jury members were Scottish curator and director of Adelaide Film Festival Amanda Duthie; Swedish film director, documentarian and screenwriter Sanna Lenken; and Spanish communication expert and filmmaker Carla Simon.

Badkoobeh’s film is a radical story about control, blackmail and the power of money. It holds an uncompromising mirror up to modern society in the country. On Friday it received the Special Mention of the festival, which is given “for outstanding achievements,” according to the website of the festival Berlinale.de.

Dressage tells the story of a young girl named Golsa who, motivated primarily by boredom rather than greed, robs a corner shop with her friends. But while sharing the booty, they realize that they forgot to bring along the security camera footage in the shop. One of them must return to the crime scene to get it.

Golsa and her friends cast lots to see who should go and get the security camera footage. The lot falls on Golsa who bravely completes the mission. However, her friends’ behaviors make her think again and keep the hard drive of the footages in some secret place. Her accomplices and their well-to-do families put more pressure on Golsa, worried about their social status if exposed.

Negar Moghaddam, Yasna Mirtahmasb, Baset Rezaei, Houshang Tavakoli, Ali Mosaffa, Shabnam Moghaddami, Beh Afarid Ghafarian, Shayan Fasihzadeh, Rambod Motalebi and Lotfollah Seifi are in the cast.

Founded in 1951, the Berlin International Film Festival is one of the world’s leading film events held annually in Germany in February.