The Past picked as Iran’s official Oscar entry

Cannes prizewinner The Past (aka Le Passé), directed by A Separation's Asghar Farhadi, has joined the race for the best foreign language Oscar after being submitted as Iran's official entry. Press TV, the state backed English language news channel, reported that The Past had beaten off competition from the likes of Parviz Shahbazi's Trapped to get the nod from Iran's Farabi Cinema Foundation, which nominates the contender.

The Past, which won the best actress award in Cannes for Bérénice Bejo, is a study of an Iranian man (played by Ali Mosaffa) who returns to Paris to finalise his divorce from his French wife (Bejo), who in a relationship with another man, Samir (Tahar Rahim). Marion Cotillard had been due to take the lead role in the 11m euro drama, Farhadi's first to be shot outside Iran, but was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. The Past was well-liked at Cannes, with the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw calling it "an absorbing, fascinating if slightly contrived movie" in a four-star review; it emerged as a serious contender for the Palme d'Or before losing out to Blue Is the Warmest Colour.

Farhadi now has the chance to add a second best foreign language Oscar, after A Separation's victory in the category in 2011. The selection also comes at a pivotal moment for US-Iranian relations, as Iran boycotted last year's awards in protest at the Innocence of Muslims video controversy. But with the widely publicised current thaw, the success of The Past is seen as a small advance for the reformers: as the Fars news agency, normally aligned with Iranian conservatives, criticised the decision, saying: "Unlike 'The Separation', there is nothing Iranian in this film."