Ebertfest 2012: Day 3, Part 2

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Film: "A Separation" (2011)
*Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language Film

Film Representative: Michael Barker

 It was a full house tonight at the Virginia Theatre, and the temperature was about ten degrees warmer than usual, due to the cramped array of attendees. I found myself to be slightly more uncomfortable than the day before, which is not surprising considering how much time was spent in those chairs. Chaz briefly appeared on stage like normal and introduced Michael Barker, who was the distributor for A Separation. He informed us that actor Peyman Maodi would not be in attendance, as he is filming in a remote location in Iran. He considers this "a perfect film". I agree.

Nell Minnow, Omer Mozaffar, Paul Cox, and Michael Barker
A Separation is a fantastic film about marriage, trust, telling the truth and the flawed nature of human beings. If you haven't seen it yet, make sure to check it out. What really stood out to me, besides the look into our flawed nature, was the acting and overall pace of the film. It should be noted that I felt completely zapped of energy before the film started. After the opening scene, my attention never strayed.

After the film, Michael Barker was joined by Omer Mozzaffar, Paul Cox, and moderator Nell Minnow. They discussed how it accurately portrayed Iranian culture, which was verified by an Iranian attendee. She said this was the best film she'd seen in that regard. Michael Barker also noted that this film received respect from fellow nominees at the Academy Awards. Usually there is a competitive vibe among nominees, but this time all of them said that A Separation deserves the award.

Look forward to Day 4 coverage from Andy Schopp!