The Past (2013 film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Asghar Farhadi |
| Products | Drama film |
| Parent | Memento Films Production, France 3 Cinéma, BIM Distribuzione, Canal+, Ciné+, France Télévisions |
The Past (, Gozashte) is a 2013 drama co-produced by France, Italy, and Iran, written and directed by the Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi. The cast features Bérénice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, and Ali Mosaffa in leading roles.
The film's production involved Memento Films Production, France 3 Cinéma, BIM Distribuzione, Canal+, Ciné+, and France Télévisions, with a budget estimated at $8 million. It achieved a global box office revenue of $10.6 million. Distribution was handled by Memento Films in France, BIM Distribuzione in Italy, and Filmiran in Iran.
At the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, The Past competed for the prestigious Palme d'Or and was awarded the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury. Bérénice Bejo received the festival’s Best Actress Award. Additionally, the film was showcased at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.
Selected as Iran’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, it ultimately did not secure a nomination. However, it was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 71st Golden Globe Awards.
Plot
Ahmad, an Iranian national, returns to France after a four-year absence to complete his divorce proceedings with Marie. En route to her residence, he discovers that Marie is now romantically involved with Samir, who operates a dry-cleaning business. Ahmad also learns he will be sharing accommodations with Samir’s son Fouad. At Marie’s request, Ahmad engages in conversations with her daughter Lucie, who disapproves of Marie’s new partner.
During their divorce hearing, Marie reveals she is expecting a child fathered by Samir. Ahmad continues to support Lucie through counseling sessions to address her unease. Lucie discloses that Samir remains married; his wife is in a coma following a suicide attempt triggered by uncovering his affair with Marie. Samir offers an alternative explanation for his wife’s condition, attributing it to an incident at his workplace. He arranges for Naïma, an employee who witnessed both events, to provide her testimony to Lucie.
After hearing Naïma’s version, Lucie confesses she had sent emails exchanged between Marie and Samir to Samir’s wife prior to her suicide attempt. When Lucie goes missing, Ahmad and Samir search for her. Ahmad locates her staying with a friend and encourages her to confess her actions to Marie, who is carrying Samir’s child. Lucie admits the truth to Marie, who responds with anger and demands she leave. Ahmad intervenes to defuse tensions, and Marie persuades Lucie to come back home.
Marie informs Samir about Lucie’s revelation; however, he questions Naïma’s account and doubts the story. Naïma states that Samir’s wife was not present at the shop on the day Lucie made her call. After Marie accuses Lucie of fabricating the story, Lucie insists she spoke on the phone with a woman who had an accent. Samir deduces that Lucie actually communicated with Naïma, who provided his wife’s email address. Confronted by this, Naïma admits that Samir’s wife was jealous and had attempted to have her dismissed or deported; she instigated a confrontation with a customer. Naïma believes that Samir’s wife never read the emails because she drank bleach in front of her instead of confronting either Samir or Marie directly.
Samir and Marie discuss their relationship and agree to focus on their future together despite Marie appearing uncertain. As Ahmad prepares to return to Iran, he bids farewell to the children and attempts one last conversation with Marie about the conclusion of their marriage; she declines.
Meanwhile, Samir visits his comatose wife in the hospital carrying perfumes recommended by medical professionals intended to provoke a response. He applies cologne on his neck and softly asks her to squeeze his hand if she can detect the scent. A tear rolls down her cheek as he observes her hand—whether this signifies awareness remains open-ended in the film’s final moment.
Cast
- Bérénice Bejo portraying Marie Brisson
- Tahar Rahim in the role of Samir
- Ali Mosaffa as Ahmad
- Pauline Burlet playing Lucie
- Elyes Aguis as Fouad
- Jeanne Jestin in the role of Léa
- Sabrina Ouazani as Naïma
- Babak Karimi portraying Shahryar
- Valeria Cavalli as Valeria
- Eleonora Marino as a colleague of Marie
- Hossein Rahmani Manesh playing Pooya
Reception
The movie was met with widespread critical praise, maintaining a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 144 critiques, with an average score of 8.2 out of 10. The general consensus describes it as "Elegantly scripted, thoughtfully directed, and compellingly performed," underscoring Asghar Farhadi’s expertise in crafting intricate drama. On Metacritic, it holds a weighted average score of 85 based on 41 reviews.
KinoCritics.com commended the authentic portrayals delivered by leads Bejo, Rahim, and Mosaffa, highlighting their "effortless vitality" throughout the film.
Accolades
See also
- 2013 in film
- List of French films of 2013
- List of Iranian films of the 2010s
- List of Iranian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Italian films of the 2010s
- List of submissions to the 86th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
External links
- Official site hosted by Sony Pictures Classics
| Year | Organization | Award | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Alliance of Women Film Journalists | Best Foreign Language Film | |
| 2013 | Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Best Feature Film | |
| Best Screenplay | |||
| 2014 | Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Foreign Language Film | |
| 2013 | Cannes Film Festival | Best Actress Award | |
| Prize of the Ecumenical Jury | |||
| Palme d'Or | |||
| 2014 | 39th César Awards | Best Film | |
| Best Director | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | |||
| Best Editing | |||
| Best Actress | |||
| 2014 | Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Foreign Language Film | |
| 2013 | Durban International Film Festival | Best Screenplay | |
| 2013 | Films from the South | Best Feature Film | |
| Audience Award | |||
| 2014 | Georgia Film Critics Association | Best Foreign Film | |
| 2014 | Golden Globes | Best Foreign Language Film | |
| 2013 | Louis Delluc Prize | Best Film | |
| 2014 | Lumière Awards | Best Screenplay | |
| 2014 | 4th Magritte Awards | Most Promising Actress | |
| 2014 | Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing in a Foreign Feature Film | |
| 2013 | National Board of Review | Best Foreign Language Film | |
| 2013 | New York Film Critics Circle | Best Foreign Language Film | |
| 2014 | Palm Springs International Film Festival | FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actress | |
| 2014 | Prix Jacques Prévert du Scénario | Best Original Screenplay | |
| 2013 | San Francisco Film Critics Circle | Best Foreign Language Film | |
| 2014 | Satellite Awards | Best Foreign Language Film |
- 2013 films
- 2013 drama films
- 2013 multilingual films
- French drama films
- Iranian multilingual films
- French multilingual films
- Italian drama films
- 2010s French-language films
- 2010s Persian-language films
- Films exploring dysfunctional families
- Films set in France
- Films filmed in Paris
- Films directed by Asghar Farhadi
- Sony Pictures Classics productions
- StudioCanal productions
- 2010s French cinema
- Films addressing divorce
- Films depicting infidelity
- StudioCanal films