''For a Moment Freedom'' (german: Ein Augenblick Freiheit; french: Pour un instant la liberté) is a 2008 film, written and directed by

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

ian filmmaker Arash T. Riahi.

Synopsis

''For a Moment Freedom'' tells of the odyssey of three

ians groups of

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

s: a married couple with a child, two young men with two children, and two men who are friends despite the differences between them. They have all managed to escape from Iran and

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

, but now they are stuck in the Turkish capital; although freedom is at last almost within their grasp, first they have to wait in a dubious hotel, hoping each day that their applications for

asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea * ...

will be approved. This enforced break in their journey towards independence is characterised by both hope and utter uncertainty. The young Austrian-Iranian filmmaker Arash T. Riahi depicts the plight of people trying to flee their homeland and the curious, transitory state of asylum-seekers with tragic comedy and great suspense.

Cast

Filming Locations *

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Prizes

* 2010

Tromsø International Film Festival The Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF) is an annual film festival held during the third week of January in Tromsø, Norway. The inaugural Tromsø International Film Festival was held in 1991. TIFF has 5 screening venues, including one ...

's audience award * Special Jury Award and Special Audience Award at 10° European Cinema Festival Lecce * Grande Premio Ficcao - Grand Prize for Best Movie and Premio do Público Ficcao - Publics Prize at the Amazonas Filmfestival/Manaus Brasil * Mejor Guion - Best Screenplay at 2. Festival Internacional San Luis Cine/Argentinian
19. Festival International du Film D'Histoire-Pessac/France
* Prix du Jury Officiel - Main Award of the Jury, Prix du Jury étudiant - Student Award, Prix du Public - Publics Prize For a Moment Freedom has won two more awards at ''the Festival du Cinéma Européen en Essonne'' in France. The film was awarded both ''the Public Award'' and ''the Student Award''. This festival, which has been running for the last ten years, specializes in political films.
the Festival du Cinéma Européen en Essonne
* Best Austrian film 2008 at Viennale 08-International Filmfestival - Vienna Film award For a Moment Freedom won ''the Vienna Film Prize'' for the Best Austrian Film of the year at the 2008 ''Vienna Film Festival''.
13è FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DES JEUNES REALISATEURS DE SAINT-JEAN-DE-LUZ
* Alain Poire Screenvision Award for Best Director The prize is named after Alain Poire, the French producer who produced a large number of films, including works by

Robert Bresson Robert Bresson (; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director. Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson contributed notably to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, Ellipsis (narrative device), ellipses, and s ...

Claude Autant-Lara Claude Autant-Lara (; 5 August 1901 – 5 February 2000) was a French film director and later Member of the European Parliament (MEP). Biography Born at Luzarches in Val-d'Oise, Autant-Lara was educated in France and at London's Mill Hill Sc ...

and

Yves Robert Yves Robert (19 June 1920 – 10 May 2002) was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Life and career Robert was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. In his teens, he went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting with ...

. For a Moment Freedom was awarded ''the Golden Eye'', the Award for the Best Debut Feature Film, at the ''4th Zurich Film Festival'' by a jury headed by

Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fond ...

. ''The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF)'' is one of the most important international festivals for young talent and is held annually in Zurich. The film festival is committed to promoting the works of young directors and screenwriters from all over the world.
Zurich Film Festival
At the renowned "A" festival, ''the World Film Festival in Montreal'', For a Moment Freedom has won an award for the best debut feature film, ''the Golden Zenith'' for the Best First Fiction Feature Film 2008.

References

External links

* *
Les Film De Losagne - For a Moment Freedom

Wega Film - For a Moment Freedom
{{Austrian submission for Academy Awards 2008 films 2000s English-language films 2000s Turkish-language films 2000s Persian-language films Austrian drama films French drama films Turkish drama films 2008 drama films Films about immigration Films shot in Turkey Films shot in Berlin Films shot in Vienna Films produced by Margaret Ménégoz 2008 directorial debut films 2008 multilingual films Austrian multilingual films French multilingual films 2000s French films