Universal Language wins the Arthouse Cinema Award at the 32nd Filmfest Hamburg • CICAE

At the 32nd Filmfest Hamburg the film UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE by Matthew Rankin received the Arthouse Cinema Award by the international CICAE jury.

The jury in Hamburg formed by Majid Movasseghi (director, critic and lecturer, Zürich, Switzerland), Dina Pokrajac (Dokukino KIC / Restart, Zagreb, Croatia) and Iris Praefke (Kino Moviemento, Kino Central Berlin and Kino Toni, Berlin, Germany) made their decision followed by this statement:

"Although the situations and plot of this film have an absurd subtext, the director successfully engages the audience by establishing a brilliant atmosphere from the very beginning. This transforms the film into an appealing work that transports viewers from their quotidian to unpredictable places, while maintaining a coherent narrative rhythm. The audience encounters characters who are both fascinating and unforgettable. The film’s staging, particularly the performance of the non-professional actors, adds a new and distinctive dimension to the narrative. The jury was impressed by the film’s unusual but coherent structure, the creation of an imaginative intercultural world, and the creative utilization of cinematic language—especially music. We feel this film has strong audience potential if it is supported by a proper promotional campaign and strategy. Therefore, we have decided to give the Arthouse Cinema Award to Matthew Rankin for Universal Language."

In a mysterious and surreal interzone somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, the lives of multiple characters interweave with each other in surprising and mysterious ways.

Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly-befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother.

Space, time and personal identities crossfade, interweave and echo into a surreal comedy of misdirection.

Directed by: Matthew Rankin

Script: Matthew Rankin, Pirouz Nemati & Ila Firouzabadi

Cinematographer: Isabelle Stachtchenko

Editing: Xi Feng

Music: Amir Amiri & Christophe Lamarche-Ledoux

Cast: Rojina ESMAEILI, Saba VAHEDYOUSEFI, Sobhan JAVADI, Pirouz NEMATI, Matthew RANKIN, Mani SOLEYMANLOU, Danielle FICHAUD, Danielle FICHAUD, Ila FIROUZABADI, Hemela POURAFZAL, Dara NAJMABADI

Production:

International sales:

The CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award was conceived as an impetus for a film to have a wider recognition as a work of art and to stand as a mark of quality for cinema-goers and cinephiles.