Life as a herder is hard and solitary, but the 80-year-old Iranian Firouzeh loves the ever-changing nature, the hard life and her faithful cows. She hikes across the rugged landscape, lugs bundles of wood and still nimbly climbs trees.
Beloved follows this strong-minded woman in her work across the seasons as she tells the story of her life, with work and fate as the dominant themes.
When she was a young girl, a marriage was arranged for her with an older man, with whom she had 11 children. But not one of them comes to visit her now. Spending the winter in the low-lying village, she makes fervent efforts to get closer to her kids.
Nevertheless, she looks forward to the prospect of spending another summer in the mountains with her cows, ignoring the well-meaning advice that she should simply retire.
This striking portrait captures one of the last female herders working in the traditional way, an indomitable woman who ultimately chooses independence. The colors of nature, that is also a protagonist in the film, leap off the screen.
Directed by: Yaser Talebi
Produced by: Elaheh Nobakht
List of festivals where BELOVED participated, was nominated and awarded
– IDFA 2018– Competition- second film in the list of Top 10 Best Audience Award
– Hot Doc Film festival -2019- Canada – Audience Award
– 69th Berlin Film Festival – Culinary Cinema
– Shanghai TV Festival -June 2019 -Nominee for Best documentary
– 67th Trento Intl Film festival – Special Jury Mention in Italy
– Big Sky Film Festival, Competition section–Nominated for Best Documentary Film
– Kazan film Festival 2019- Best documentary F.F
– Asia Pacific Screen Award 2019- Competition section
– 64th Vallodolid International Film festival- Spain 2019– Spain Premier
– Sole Luna Doc Film Festival -Award of Special Jury mention for Best Cinematography & High School Students Award of – Italy – July 2019
– KRANJSKA GORA Int F.F – Competition-Slovenia – July 201 – Special Award of Ajdovska Deklica , Heathen Maiden
– 22nd Religion Today – Italy – Nominees for Special Jury award: With the Eyes of Woman.
– Parnu International Documentary Film Festival
– Estonia –June2019- Audience Awar
– Best Documentary Award by Iranian Documentary TV channel – Iran – Cinema Verite 2018
– 25th Istanbul Film Festival -2019-Competition section
– TRT Festival – Turkey – 2019
– Mammoth Lakes Film Festival- competition section – USA
– Le voci dell’inchiesta F.F – Italy-April 2019
– Human rights- Docudays f.f Ukraine- 2019
– Imagine India F. F in Madrid
– Moscow International Documentary film Festival
– Competition section of Golden Apricot F.F – Armenia
– EBS Documentary Film Festival 2019 – competition section -Korea
– Ulju Mountain Film Festival-Korea – Fiprechi Award
– Apricot Tree Ujan International Documentary Film Festival.
Edmonton Film Festival – Canada
– Religion Today F.F 2019
– Rabat Film Festival 2019
– Rural Encounters on Environment and Films 2019
– 37th BBVA Mountain film Festival of Torelló- Competition
– Kratovo Ethnological documentary Film Festival
– Beirut International Women Film Festival – Award Winner of Best Documentary Film
– Shortlisted at the 5th Golden Tree Intl F F.
– Torello Mountain Film: PRIZE QUADPACK FOUNDATION to the best film about MOUNTAIN CULTURE and Silver Edelweiss
– “Le Grand Bivouac -FESTIVAL DU FILM DOCUMENTAIRE & DU LIVRE ALBERTVILLE, SAVOIE, FRANCE”
– Selected in Cervino Cinemountain – Italy- NETPAC Award Winning Films -Bengaluru International Film Festival
– Cinema Lab 2020 – Selected
– Kinomorphia Film Festival.
– Terra di Tutti Film Festival
– Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival – Beloved is invited at NETPAC Award Winning Package
– Herat International Women’s Film Festival – “Beloved” has been accepted in the international documentary feature films category.
– Athens International Food Film Festival
– International Outdoor Documentary Film Festival of China (OUTDOCS) – Competition Section
– CinemAmbiente – Environmental Film Festival
– Vessoul Film Festival – Selected in Competition Section
– Millennium Docs Against Gravity – Invited Beloved
– Iranian Film Festival – Prague – Selected
– Selected in Women’s Eyes F F – USA
– HADOC – Portugal
– Phenicien F F – March 2019 France – Selected
– Environmental Film Festival Australia (‘EFFA’) – Australia
– Women’s Worlds Film Festival by the Human Rights Organization – Germany -Eberswalde Film Festival “Provinziale” – Preselected
– Margaret Mead Film Festival – Preselected
– Film Festival in Germany Tuebingen
– Nancy Film Festival – Preselected
– Devour! The Food Film Fest
– Holywood Serbia – 28 min version was selected
– Festival international du film de montagne d’Autrans Stagiaire – Audience Award
– Ushuaia TV Jury Award
– Salento film festival
– Human DOC International Film Festival – Preselected
– 4TH. Slemani IFF Iraq – Selected in competition section- Won the special mention of Juries
– International Film Festival Tofifest – Selected – Polish Premier
– Nuovi Mondi Mountain Film Festival – Italy/Torino – Selected and won the best movie award
– Alnahj Film Festival – Karbala – Selected 30 min
– African International Film Festival – Selected
– Symi Film Festival – Selected and won the Award of Best Cinematography
– Festival Mente Locale – Italy / Vignola and Valsamoggia – Selected and Awarded
– China International Green Film Week – Remarkable film award in competition section
– F.F in East Kazakhstan – Selected
– 8th Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival
– The Earth Day Film Festival
– Cameroon international Film festival
– Hebden Bridge Film Festival
– Poppy Jasper International Film Festival
– International TV Broadcasters and Independent Producers Festival SIMFEST