Iranian director Asghar Farhadi is no stranger to success at the Cannes Film Festival. While the three films of his that have premiered at Cannes haven’t won the coveted Palme d’Or, two have won other prizes at the festival. In 2013, Berenice Bejo won the Best Actress Award for her performance in “The Past.” Three years later, Shahab Hosseini won the Best Actor Award for his role in “The Salesman,” while Farhadi won Best Screenplay.
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Now, Farhadi’s latest feature, “A Hero,” competes at Cannes this week. After 2018’s “Everybody Knows” departed to Madrid, “A Hero” brings the director back to his native country for a tale about a man in prison whose attempt to fix his situation only leads to more trouble.
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Here’s the official synopsis from Cannes:
Rahim is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum. But things don’t go as planned…
The film stars Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Fereshteh Sadroafaii, Sahar Goldust, and Maryam Shahdei. Alireza Jahandideh, Sarina Farhadi, and Eshan Goodarzi round out the main cast.
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Many critics thought Farhadi’s last film, “Everybody Knows,” was a step back for the writer/director. After the success of previous films like 2011’s “A Separation” and “The Salesman,” it’s not surprising why critics expect the best from Farhadi with each new release. “A Separation” made history when, after it won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes, the film helped Farhadi become the first Iranian director to win Best International Feature Film at that year’s Oscars. Farhadi won the same award again at the Oscars for “The Salesman.”
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Will Farhadi return to his winning ways in South France after the more tepid response to “Everybody Knows” in 2018? Follow The Playlist’s coverage of the Cannes Film Festival to find out. Check out a clip from “A Hero” below in the meantime.