Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has added Iranian feature Bidad by Soheil Beiraghi as the 12th and final title for its main Crystal Globe Competition.
When Karlovy Vary unveiled its line-up in early June, it said would add an Iranian film to the competition but was keeping it secret till closer to the festival to protect the safety of the film’s delegation.
Bidad is the story of the young singer Seti who refuses to accept the fact that women in Iran are not allowed to perform in public. In defiance of her country’s religious laws, she decides to sing in the street. Her performances quickly gain in popularity, and Seti becomes a star for a young generation that no longer wants to be oppressed by the regime.
Bidad is Beiraghi’s fourth film as a director after 2016’s Me, 2018’s Cold Sweat and 2020’s Unpopular. It was made as an independent production; otherwise, it is unlikely it would have been approved by Iran’s censors because of its critical tone. Even so, Karlovy Vary said director Beiraghi was investigated by the Iranian authorities during filming.
The festival said it was necessary to withhold announcement of the film’s inclusion in the festival’s programme until Beiraghi and the members of his crew could safely travel out of Iran.
“A few days ago, the festival team was overjoyed to hear that they were on their way,” said Karlovy Vary in a statement.
Beiraghi will be on hand to present the world premiere of Bidad at the festival.
Festival guests
Meanwhile, Karlovy Vary has announced the recipients of career awards at this year’s festival.
Swedish film and theatre actor Stellan Skarsgård will be presented the Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema. He will also be on hand to present his new film Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier, which won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The KVIFF president’s award will be presented to actress Vicky Krieps, winner of a European Film Award for best actress for the biopic Corsage. She also stars in Anna Cazenave Cambet’s Love Me Tender, which played in Un Certain Regard at Cannes this year and will be shown at Karlovy Vary.
US actor Dakota Johnson will also be at Karlovy Vary to receive the KVIFF president’s award and to present her two latest films, Michael Angelo Covino’s Splitsville and Celine Song’s The Materialists.
Karlovy Vary will also present a KVIFF president’s award to US actor Peter Sarsgaard (September 5, Presumed Innocent), and will screen his journalism drama Shattered Glass (2003) in his honour.
International guests attending Karvloy Vary this year include French actress Camille Cottin, Hungarian director Bence Fliegauf, Icelandic director Hlynur Pálmason, Mexican director Michel Franco, Oscar winning Ukrainian filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov and Two Prosecutors director Sergei Loznitsa.
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