November 20, 2021 (SIGNIS / INTERFILM). The 2021 Ecumenical Jury at the 24th Faludi International Film Festival awarded its Prize to the film Free Flow directed by Sâm Mirhosseini (France, 2020).
Free Flow is a story of two men of Iranian origin, Zak and Keivan. Zak, a French citizen, is living the life Keivan wants. But it’s a false image, as he feels like an outcast because he can’t visit his dying mother in his homeland. It soon and irrevocably becomes clear to the viewer that those forced to leave their homeland and loved ones can easily forget to love and live in the struggle and pain.
Sâm Mirhosseini wrote the screenplay, directed the film and plays the lead role. Together with his brother, Attila Mirhosseini, he has taken on the task of exploring this condition. Is there still humanity and faith for the refugees who have been admitted to so-called civilised Western Europe? Sâm Mirhossein’s answer to this biblically and socio-politically topical question is credible and convincing.
With its excellent artistic quality, precise narrative structure, and optimistic and humanistic approach, Free Flow gives an authentic insight into the inner struggles of immigrants. The visual and narrative metaphors make the vulnerability of flight highly visual, stimulate debate about the refugee system and remind us of the Christian truth of welcome (Mt 25,35 – “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”).
In this way, it becomes clear that the problem presented can only be solved by a solution beyond the circumstances that created it.
The members of the Jury were Jean-Jacques Cunnac (France), Ingrid Glatz (Switzerland), Szabolcs Nagy (Hungary), and Csaba Szekeres (Hungary).