Acclaimed director Asghar Farhadi won the Best Screenplay award at China’s 13th Silk Road International Film Festival today. Organizers officially announced the honor during the closing ceremony in Xi’an following an extensive competition. Farhadi co-wrote the psychological drama with his brother, screenwriter Saeed Farhadi, securing significant acclaim.
The French-language film previously enjoyed its high-profile world premiere during the 79th Cannes Film Festival.Audience members gave the cast and crew an enthusiastic seven-minute standing ovation after the screening. Farhadi shot the complex project on location in Paris throughout the autumn season of 2025.
An ensemble cast features prominent European actors, including Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, and Catherine Deneuve.Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, and Adam Bessa also deliver central performances throughout the narrative drama. The narrative follows a reclusive Paris writer who observes neighbors while inventing fictional background stories. However, real life and creative fiction overlap once a young homeless assistant enters her world.
The creative concept draws direct inspiration from Krzysztof Kieslowski’s legendary television project Dekalog.Consequently, the project represents Farhadi’s second French production following his acclaimed 2013 drama The Past.Film producers Alexandre Mallet-Guy, David Levine, and Farhadi managed the international co-production effort smoothly.
Farhadi maintains global distinction through previous Academy Award wins for A Separation and The Salesman. The 13th Silk Road International Film Festival hosted over 2,100 cinematic entries from 139 nations. Furthermore, festival organizers offered extensive industry forums, technical workshops, and virtual reality showcases this year.