02-19-2025, 08:25 AM
Film Title:The First Lehvantian on the Moon
Nominating Nation: Lehvant
Nomination Categories: Best Film, Best Lead Actor
Language: English
Run Time: 139 minutes
Director: Amir Dufresne
Laeralian Content Classification:
Domestic Content Classification: AA: All audiences
Producing Studio/Company: Étoile Studio
Primary Cast: Omid Vidal (Bijan), Sahar Lemoine (Nadia, Bijan's mother), Kian Thibault (Ramin, Bijan's father), Reza Boucher (Guard #1), Farid Moreau (Guard #2)
Brief Summary:
As the government begins construction for a grand presidential compound in Bijan’s hometown, he spends everyday trying to climb the surrounding wall that has been built. He views the wall as being so tall that he could reach the moon if he climbed to the top. He spends his days trying to climb the wall, throwing rocks at it, anything to make so much as a dent. Afterwards, when him and his parents sit for dinner, conversation is scarce. Evenings used to be filled with laughter and spirited debate between his parents, but now, most subjects are shut down with the phrase “Remember, the walls have ears”.
The next time he goes to the wall,, while trying to climb to the top, his shoes wipe off some debris that lead to a slight hole in the wall. Bijan is mystified by this and spends the next several hours looking through the hole to see full view of the palace for the first time. In the gardens he sees colors brighter than he’d ever known. Then, he is apprehended by a guard, who roughly grabs Bijan, shoves him in a patrol car, and returns him to his parents despite Bijan's breathless sobs. Despite Bijan’s insistence that he did nothing wrong, his parents scold him and insist he never return to the wall again. He twists and turns in their small apartment for a couple days before he can no longer stand it and defiantly goes back to the wall to scrawl a caricature of the guard as a donkey. Bijan triumphantly returns home, but his acting out has been noticed and soon his father is forced into an early retirement from his government job.
The next day Bijan goes to school and his behavior is totally unrecognizable. His shirt is properly buttoned up for the first time, and his pants are pristine because for the first time he carefully avoided puddles while walking to school. By the time he gets to high school, Bijan has gotten so used to following the rules that he gets accepted to a military academy. He is shown stoically weathering officer after officer yelling in his face, and generally keeps to himself. He is confident and secure going home in his uniform, until one night when he is out and about in civilian clothing. When he gets to his neighborhood, Bijan tosses his half-smoked cigarette butt in a shallow puddle on the sidewalk. An officer walking past asks what he thinks he’s doing trashing a perfectly fine cigarette like that, and commands Bijan to pick up the cigarette butt from the puddle and attempt to smoke it. Bijan is too terrified to do anything other than oblige, and once he brings the wet cigarette to his lips, the officer walks away laughing. After the guard walks away, we see Bijan standing there with the same defiant expression he had as a child, if only more determined. The film ends depicting Bijan being elected President of Lehvant 10 years later, and we see him being transported to the presidential compound as he stops the car to get out and stands in front of the wall. For the first time in his life, Bijan feels that he has some choice in what happens to him, namely, whether to tear down the wall or keep it for his own protection. Thinking back on his life, he recalls how the people in his life have faced the same choice he faces now: the guards in choosing to harass him, his parents in banning him from going to the wall. Now, as he looks back at the wall that’s defined much of his life, it’s his turn to make a choice - but we can’t tell which choice it will be.
What makes this film special? Why was it nominated for these categories?
The First Lehvantian on the Moon is nominated for Best Film for its earnest and unflinching look at authoritarianism through the eyes of a child in a coming-of-age story that asks more questions than it provides answers. The movie grips its audience with its emotional depth, striking cinematography, breathtaking visuals, and a hauntingly evocative score that lingers long after the credits roll. Through the juxtaposition of the desolate lunar landscape and the warmth of human connection, the film explores the resilience of the human spirit in the face of oppression.
The First Lehvantian on the Moon is nominated for Best Actor for the standout performance of its leading actor, Omid Vidal. With remarkable subtlety and maturity, Omid captures the innocence and confusion from childhood while also conveying the weight of authoritarianism that shapes his world. The emotional range displayed—from moments of quiet introspection to intense scenes—proves Omid’s exceptional depth. His portrayal of vulnerability and strength within the context of such a complex, high-stakes narrative is not only believable but profoundly moving. It is worth noting that when Omid Vidal first auditioned for the movie, the studio had planned on hiring an older actor to play him in the latter half of the film. However, he managed to capture the essence of Bijan to the extent that the studio decided to instead film over the course of 12 years to allow for Omid to age throughout the filming process and remain the leading actor throughout the entirety of the film.
Nominating Nation: Lehvant
Nomination Categories: Best Film, Best Lead Actor
Language: English
Run Time: 139 minutes
Director: Amir Dufresne
Laeralian Content Classification:
Domestic Content Classification: AA: All audiences
Producing Studio/Company: Étoile Studio
Primary Cast: Omid Vidal (Bijan), Sahar Lemoine (Nadia, Bijan's mother), Kian Thibault (Ramin, Bijan's father), Reza Boucher (Guard #1), Farid Moreau (Guard #2)
Brief Summary:
As the government begins construction for a grand presidential compound in Bijan’s hometown, he spends everyday trying to climb the surrounding wall that has been built. He views the wall as being so tall that he could reach the moon if he climbed to the top. He spends his days trying to climb the wall, throwing rocks at it, anything to make so much as a dent. Afterwards, when him and his parents sit for dinner, conversation is scarce. Evenings used to be filled with laughter and spirited debate between his parents, but now, most subjects are shut down with the phrase “Remember, the walls have ears”.
The next time he goes to the wall,, while trying to climb to the top, his shoes wipe off some debris that lead to a slight hole in the wall. Bijan is mystified by this and spends the next several hours looking through the hole to see full view of the palace for the first time. In the gardens he sees colors brighter than he’d ever known. Then, he is apprehended by a guard, who roughly grabs Bijan, shoves him in a patrol car, and returns him to his parents despite Bijan's breathless sobs. Despite Bijan’s insistence that he did nothing wrong, his parents scold him and insist he never return to the wall again. He twists and turns in their small apartment for a couple days before he can no longer stand it and defiantly goes back to the wall to scrawl a caricature of the guard as a donkey. Bijan triumphantly returns home, but his acting out has been noticed and soon his father is forced into an early retirement from his government job.
The next day Bijan goes to school and his behavior is totally unrecognizable. His shirt is properly buttoned up for the first time, and his pants are pristine because for the first time he carefully avoided puddles while walking to school. By the time he gets to high school, Bijan has gotten so used to following the rules that he gets accepted to a military academy. He is shown stoically weathering officer after officer yelling in his face, and generally keeps to himself. He is confident and secure going home in his uniform, until one night when he is out and about in civilian clothing. When he gets to his neighborhood, Bijan tosses his half-smoked cigarette butt in a shallow puddle on the sidewalk. An officer walking past asks what he thinks he’s doing trashing a perfectly fine cigarette like that, and commands Bijan to pick up the cigarette butt from the puddle and attempt to smoke it. Bijan is too terrified to do anything other than oblige, and once he brings the wet cigarette to his lips, the officer walks away laughing. After the guard walks away, we see Bijan standing there with the same defiant expression he had as a child, if only more determined. The film ends depicting Bijan being elected President of Lehvant 10 years later, and we see him being transported to the presidential compound as he stops the car to get out and stands in front of the wall. For the first time in his life, Bijan feels that he has some choice in what happens to him, namely, whether to tear down the wall or keep it for his own protection. Thinking back on his life, he recalls how the people in his life have faced the same choice he faces now: the guards in choosing to harass him, his parents in banning him from going to the wall. Now, as he looks back at the wall that’s defined much of his life, it’s his turn to make a choice - but we can’t tell which choice it will be.
What makes this film special? Why was it nominated for these categories?
The First Lehvantian on the Moon is nominated for Best Film for its earnest and unflinching look at authoritarianism through the eyes of a child in a coming-of-age story that asks more questions than it provides answers. The movie grips its audience with its emotional depth, striking cinematography, breathtaking visuals, and a hauntingly evocative score that lingers long after the credits roll. Through the juxtaposition of the desolate lunar landscape and the warmth of human connection, the film explores the resilience of the human spirit in the face of oppression.
The First Lehvantian on the Moon is nominated for Best Actor for the standout performance of its leading actor, Omid Vidal. With remarkable subtlety and maturity, Omid captures the innocence and confusion from childhood while also conveying the weight of authoritarianism that shapes his world. The emotional range displayed—from moments of quiet introspection to intense scenes—proves Omid’s exceptional depth. His portrayal of vulnerability and strength within the context of such a complex, high-stakes narrative is not only believable but profoundly moving. It is worth noting that when Omid Vidal first auditioned for the movie, the studio had planned on hiring an older actor to play him in the latter half of the film. However, he managed to capture the essence of Bijan to the extent that the studio decided to instead film over the course of 12 years to allow for Omid to age throughout the filming process and remain the leading actor throughout the entirety of the film.