New Book about Cannes Film Fest at 80! (2027)
Caméra d’Or Winning Films (1978-Present)
Directed by Bahman Ghobadi and produced in Iran, A Time for Drunken Horses, was shot in his native village, with a cast of non-professionals.
The movie was a co-winner of the Caméra d’Or award at the 2000 Cannes Film Fest.; the other winning film was Djomeh.
A Kurdish family is trying to survive after the death of its parents. Ayoub, the eldest boy, becomes the head of the household and must do whatever work available to survive. Madi, Ayoub’s handicapped brother, is in need of surgery, and Ayoub goes to great lengths to get moneyfor it.
To that extent, he becomes a kolbar and smuggles truck tires with some Kurdish villagers near the Iran-Iraq border. Ayoub ultimately falls short of his goal and his uncle decides to marry off his sister in return for the groom’s family financing Madi’s surgery on the Iraqi side of the border.
When they arrive, the groom’s mom refuses to accept Madi and gives Ayoub and his uncle a mule as compensation. Ayoub decides to take the mule to Iraq, and sell it to pay for his brother’s surgery.
Some smugglers let him come along, using mules to carry goods and feeding them whisky, which facilitates survival of the harsh mountain winter. However, they are ambushed while heading to the border, and the mules are too drunk to carry on.
Ayoub narrowly manages to escape, and the last shot shows him and his brother finally crossing the border.
The everyday struggle that these children go through just in order to survive is starkly yet movingly depicted.
Cast
Ayoub Ahmadi
Rojin Younessi
Amaneh Ekhtiar-dini
Madi Ekhtiar-dini
Kolsolum Ekhtiar-dini
Karim Ekhtiar-dini
Rahman Salehi
Osman Karimi
Nezhad Ekhtiar-dini
New Book for Cannes Film Fest at 80! (2027)
Caméra d’Or Winning Films (1978-Present)
Alambrista! (1978), US
2. Northern Lights (1979), US
3. Adrien’s Story (1980), French
4. Desperado City (1981), West German
5. Half a Life (1982), French
6. The Princess (1983), Hungarian
7. Stranger Than Paradise (1984), US
8. Oriana (1985), Venezuela
9. Noir et Blanc (1986), French (woman)
10. Robinsonada or My English Grandfather (1987), Soviet-Georgian
11. Salaam Bombay! (1988), US-Imndoa (woman)
12. My 20th Century (1989), Hungary (woman)
13. Freeze Die Come to Life (1990)
14. Toto the Hero (1991), Belgium
15. Mac (1992), US
16. The Scent of Green Papaya (1993), Vietnam
17. Coming to Terms with the Dead (1994)
18. The White Balloon (1995), Iran
19. Love Serenade (1996), Australia (woman)
20. Suzaku (1997)
21. Slam (1998), US
22. Marana Simhasanam (1999)
23. Tie: Djomeh (2000); A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), Iran (Kurdish language)
24. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001)
25. Seaside (2002)
26. Reconstruction (2003)
27. Or (My Treasure) (2004), Israel (woman)
28. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), US (woman)
29. The Forsaken Land (2005)
30. 12:08 East of Bucharest (2006), Romania
31. Jellyfish (2007), Israel
32. Hunger (2008), UK (Black)
33. Samson and Delilah (2009)
34. Año bisiesto (2010)
35. Las Acacias (2011)
36. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), US
37. Ilo Ilo (2013)
38. Party Girl (2014)
39. Land and Shade (2015)
40. Divines (2016)
41. Montparnasse Bienvenue (2017)
42. Girl (2018), Belgium (Gay director)
43. Our Mothers (2019)
44. Murina (2021)
45. War Pony (2022), US (woman)
46. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (2023)
47. Armand (2024)
48. The President’s Cake (2025)
49. ? (to be announced May 24, 2026)
