Cause of Death: Unknown

Cause of Death: Unknown (Persian: علت مرگ: نامعلوم, romanizedEllat-e Marg: Nâmaloum); is a 2023 Iranian drama film written and directed by Ali Zarnegar [fa].

Cause of Death: Unknown
Official release poster
Ellat e Marg: Namaloum
Directed byAli Zarnegar
Screenplay byAli Zarnegar
Produced byMajid Barzegar
Starring
  • Banipal Shoomoon
  • Alireza Sani Far
  • Neda Jebraeili
  • Ali Mohammad Radmanesh
  • Zakieh Behbahani
  • Reza Amouzad
  • Soheil Bavi
CinematographyDavood Malek Hosseini
Edited byHamid Najafirad
Music byEasa Habibzadeh
Production
company
Rainy Pictures
Distributed byRaft Films
Release date
  • June 13, 2023 (2023-06-13)
Running time
106 min
CountryIran
LanguagePersian

Plot

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Before dawn, seven passengers are taking a side road from Shahdad to Kerman when "Cause of Death: Unknown" occurs. Instead of identification or contact information, they find a sizable amount of cash when one of the passengers is found dead. The movie examines the social realities of the era in which it was produced, showing the struggles and crises that people must overcome in order to uphold their morality and humanity. It provides a representation of social history and cultural identity that reflects the moral principles of the Iranian people.

Cast

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  • Banipal Shoomoon
  • Alireza Sani Far
  • Neda Jebraeili
  • Ali Mohammad Radmanesh
  • Zakieh Behbahani
  • Reza Amouzad
  • Soheil Bavi
  • Saeed Rezaeikia
  • Milad Moradi
  • Ahmad Dehghanrahimi
  • Mansour Ghanijahed
  • Mohammadreza Hosseinian
  • Ashkan Ashoori
  • Mojtaba Mirhosseini
  • Sahar Babaei

Awards and recognition

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At the Shanghai Film Festival in June 2023, Cause of Death: Unknown received nominations in four categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography. The movie's outstanding use of visual storytelling and cinematographic skill earned it the Best Cinematography award.[1][2]

Cultural Significance

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Cause of Death: Unknown addresses social problems that are pervasive in Iranian society and provides a critical analysis of the struggles that both individuals and communities encounter. The movie sheds light on Iran's cultural and historical context by demonstrating morality and humanity.

Awards and nominations

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result
Shanghai International Film Festival 2023 ‌Best Film Ali Zarnegar Nominated
‌Best Director Ali Zarnegar Nominated
‌Best Cinematogeraphy Davood Malek Hosseini Won
‌Best Director Ali Mohammad Radmanesh Nominated[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Winners of Asian New Talent under Golden Goblet Awards Announced'". Shanghai film festival. 18 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Asian filmmakers share inspiration behind flicks at SIFF'". shine.cn. 14 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Winners of Asian New Talent under Golden Goblet Awards Announced'". Shanghai film festival. 18 June 2023.
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