TEHRAN -- Cinema Organization of Iran (COI) Director Hojjatollah Ayyubi has said that Asghar Farhadi�s �The Salesman�, which won two awards at the 69th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, needs no modification to gain cultural officials approval for an Iranian premiere.


Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday held after his arrival from Cannes at the Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran, he added, �I saw the film and I liked it.�

However he said that COI�s Council of License Issuance for Production and Screening will decide about the film.

�If I was a member of the council, I would say no modification is needed for the film and would thank Mr. Farhadi, who has met all the requirements that an Iranian director must meet for making a film in Iran,� Ayyubi said.

�The Salesman� was this year�s only film to win two awards at Cannes. Shahab Hosseini received the Palme d�Or for best actor and Farhadi was presented with the best screenplay prize.

The film is about Emad (Hosseini) and Rana (Taraneh Alidusti) who move into a new flat in the center of Tehran. An incident linked to the previous tenant dramatically changes the young couple�s life.

In Iran, screenplays are regulated by the Council of License Issuance for Production and Screening in order to receive a production license. When complete, the final production must be reviewed by the council to obtain a screening license.

By Tehran Times