Mamo, an old renowned Kurdish musician, has begun a journey to Iraq with his sons to perform a concert after the fall of Saddam Hossein. Kako, a middle-aged man and a huge fan of Mamo’s, enthusiastically escorts them in an orange minibus which he has borrowed from a friend. Mamo gathers his sons one by one from different areas. The last son who joins the team insists on speaking to Mamo in private. He explains to Mamo that the Wise man of the village has predicted that Mamo should not go on the trip because, as the full moon nears, something awful will happen to him. Mamo persists on continuing his journey. He claims that he must continue his trip despite all the obstacles because he was not allowed to perform in Iraq for many years. Mamo intends to take Hesho, a female singer who lives with 1334 other women in exile, as part of his team. But the strength of Hesho’s voice has dwindled along with her self confidence. While crossing the borders, Mamo’s team faces many difficulties as their journey is wrought with adventure and disaster each step of the way.
- Production: Mij Film
- Producer: Bahman Ghobadi
- Written and directed by: Bahman Ghobadi
- Duration: 114 minutes
- Year: 2006
- Produceed in: Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran, Austria
- International sales: Match Factory (Germany)
- This film is part of the New Crowned Hope Festival
- Produced by Wiener Festwochen, Vienna Mozart Year 2006
- Telekom Austria JCDecaux – www.newcrownedhope.org
Crew:
- Co-Scenarist: Behnam Behzadi
- With thanks to: Kambozia Partovi
- Director of Photography: Nigel Blْuck
- Additional Photography: Chrighton Bone
- Music Composed by: Hossein Alizadeh
- Sound Designed, Recorded and Edited by: Bahman Ardalan
- Edited by: Hayedeh Safiyari
- Art Directors: Bahman Ghobadi, Mansooreh Yazdanjoo
- Make-up Artist: Mehrdad Mirkiani
- Programmer and 1st Assistant Directors: Amin Mahdavi, Jalal Saedpanah
- Director’s Crew: Hamid Ghavami, Omid Rastbin, Hamid Karimi
- Script: Golkou Parhizgar
- Art Director’s Assistant: Mehdi Poormoosa
- 1st Assistant Camera: Mansoor Zohoori
- 2nd Assistant Camera: Bahman Nadyab
- Camera Crew: Farzad Mojtahedzadeh, Atef Amiri, Jafar Aslani
- Assistant Editors: Shabnam Hosseini, Mahmood Ghaffari
- Composer’s Assistant: Ali Boustan
- Titles: Mahmood Ghaffari
- Set Photographer: Bahman Ghobadi
- Behind the Scenes: Sophie Leguenedal
- Dolby Mix: Masood Behnam, Hamid Naghibi
- Sound Assistants: Babak Ardalan, Mansoor Shahbazi
- Mix Assistants: Hossein Mafi, Ali Abolsedq
- Make-up Assistants: Reza Arabi, Elham Atiabi
- International Affairs: Mohamad Reza Safiri
- Line Producers: Hedieh Tehrani, Abbas Ghazali
- Associate Producer: Behrooz Hashemian
- Executive Producer: Simon Field, Keith Griffiths
- Production Managers in iran: Behrooz Ghobadi, Jalil Shabani
- Production Supervisor: Hosein Sabzi
- Sound Studio: Studio Bahman, Studio Saint Louen Paris
- Music Studio: Studio Dohol, Reza Askarzadeh
- Film Lab: Iran Centre of Film Services & Industries
Cast:
- Ismail Ghaffari: Mamo
- Allah Morad Rashtiani: Kako
- Farzin Sabooni
- Kambiz Arshi
- Sadiq Behzadpoor
- Ali Ashraf Rezai
- Reza Haj Khosravi
- Mohamad Nahid
- Bahram Zarei
- Hedieh Tehrani: Heshow
- Golshifteh Farahani: Niwemang
- Hassan Poorshirazi: Police Officer
Awards:
- The Golden Shell (the top prize) from the 54th San Sebastian Film Festival, Spain, 2006
- The Best Director of Photography Award from the 54th San Sebastian Film Festival, Spain, 2006
- The Jury Award (FIPRESCI) for the Best Screenplay from the 54th San Sebastian Film Festival, Spain, 2006
- People’s Choice Award in the International Competition from 26th Istanbul International Film Festival, Turkey, April 2007
- The Amnesty International Award from 4th IndieLisboa International Film Festival, Portugal, April 2007
- Honorable Mention for Screenplay from the Tribeca Film Festival, New York, USA, May 2007
- The Keys of the city from Umbria Film Festival, Italy, July 2007
- Grand Prize of 4th Eurasia International Film Festival, Kazakhstan, October 2007
- Jury Award from 8th Ojai international Film festival, 4th – 7th October 2007, CA, U.S.A
- The critic, Michael Atkinson, Selected Half Moon as a one of the best Movie in 2008.
Festival Screenings:
- Toronto International Film Festival, September 7th – 16th, 2006, Canada
- San Sebastian International Film Festival, September 21st – 30th, 2006, Spain, Section: Competition
- Reykjavik International Film Festival, September 28th – October 8th, 2006, Iceland: Retrospective
- Pusan International Film Festival, 11th – 20th October, 2006, Korea: Competition
- Sao Paolo International Film Festival, 20th October – 2nd November, 2006, Brazil
- Cineuropa Festival, Santiago de Compostela, 2nd – 30th November, 2006, Spain: Retrospective
- Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, 10th -24th November, 2006, Taiwan
- Filmex International Film Festival, 17th – 26th November, 2006, Japan: Competition
- New Crowned Hope Festival, Vienna, 14th November to 13th December, 2006, Austria
- 28th International Festival of New Latin-American Cinema (Havana), Panorama Contemporary International Section, 5th – 15th December, 2006, Cuba
- 4th London Kurdish Film Festival, December 8th, 2006
- 36th Rotterdam International Film Festival, Time & Tide Section, 24th January – 4th February, 2007, Netherlands
- 3rd Adelaid Film Festival, 23rd February – 4th March, 2007, Australia: Competition
- Miami International Film Festival 2nd – 11th March, 2007, USA
- Cinema Novo Bruges, 8th – 18th March, 2007, Belgium: New Crowned Hope
- National Film Festival Copenhagen, 23rd March – 1st April, 2007, Denmark: New Crowned Hope
- 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival, 20th March – 11 April, 2007, China
- Istanbul International Film Festival, 31st March – 14th April, 2007, Turkey: Competition
- Munich Fiilm Museum, 10th – 25 April, 2007, Germany: New Crowned Hope
- 3rd Bucharest International Film Festival, Bucharest, 14th – 21st April, 2007, Romania: Competition
- 4th International Independent Film Festival, Indialisboa, 19th – 29th April, 2007, Portugal: New Crowned Hope
- 15th Open Doek Film Festival 19th – 29th April, 2007, Belgium
- Tribeca Film Festival, New York, 25th April – 6th May, 2007, USA: Competition
- Akademie der Kunste, Berlin, 1st June – 4th June, 2007, Germany
- Sydney International Film Festival, 8th June – 24th June, 2007, Australia
- Midnight Sun Film Festival, 13th June – 17 June, 2007, Finland
- 28th Durban International Film Festival, 20th June – 1st July, 2007, South Africa: Competition
- Los Angeles Film Festival 21st June – 1st July 2007 USA
- Libertia Film Festival, Dubronville, 29th June – 4th July, 2007, Croatia
- Festival de Granada ,Cines Del Sur, 9 – 17 June, 2007, Spain
- Umbria Film Festival, 4th July – 8th July, 2007, Italy
- The Barbican London NCH Program, 14 July – 19 July, 2007, UK
- ERA New Horizons, 19th July – 29th July, 2007, Poland
- 39th Auckland International Film Festival, 13th – 29th July, 2007, New Zealanders
- 36th Wellington Film Festival, 20th July – 5th August, 2007, New Zealanders
- Melbourne International Film Festival, 25th July – 12 August, 2007, Australia
- Santiago International Film Festival, 14th – 20th August, 2007, Chile
- Sarajevo Film Festival, 17th – 25th August, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- ICA Film Festival, July 2007, Britain
- International arts beauty musium Film,Boston,America,29th Aguest-6th September 2007
- Alexandria Film festival, 4th – 10th September, 2007, Egypt
- 10th High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Iran Cinema, July 2007, Gorjia
- 4th Eurasia Film Festival, 23rd – 29th September 2007, Kazakhstan
- 17th Oslo Films from South Festival, 4th – 11th October 2007, Norway
- 8th Ojai international Film festival, 4th – 7th October 2007, CA, U.S.A
- the 1th kurdish Film Festival of Paris, 24th – 30th October 2007, France
- 8th Asiaticafilmmediale, 17th – 25th November, 2007, Rome, Italy
- Black nights Film Festival, 15th November- 9th December 2007, Tallinn, Estonia
- Ale kino Film festival, 7th- 15th December 2007, Poland
- Prague International Film Festival, Febiofest, 27th March – 4th April 2008
- Taitanic International Film Festival, Budapest, 3rd-13th April 2008
- 5th Annual Kurdish Film Festival, Berlin, Germany, 24th May- 1st June 2008
- 54th Flaherty International Film Seminar 21-27 June, 2008, NY
- Musuem of Modern Art (Moma) 27-7 July, 2008, NY
- 7th International Nueva Mirada (New approach) 4th-10th September, 2008, Buenos Aires Argentina
- Third Manchester Kurdish Film Festival 20th – 24th September, 2008, Manchester UK
- Etnia Film Festival 9th -12th October, 2008, Turku, Finland
- 7th Asian Film Festival, Third Eye, Mumbai, 16th – 23th Oct, India
- 3rd International Film Festival of Kelara, 12th – 19th December, India
- Iranian Film Festival in Laval-Mayenne, 10-24 March, France
- Universities, Art and Cinema Foundations
- BAM Rose 4 Cinemas Jacob Entertainment Inc., 6th August 2007, Brooklyn, NY
- Museum of Fine Arts Theater, 29th August to 6th September 2007, Boston, Massachusetts
- High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Iran Cinema, 15th September 2007, Atlanta, Georgia
- Wexner Center for the Arts, 20th to 21st September 2007, Columbus, OH
- Gene Siskel Film Center, 6th to 7th October 2007, Chicago, IL
- Pacific Film Archives, 18th to 20th October 2007, Berkeley, CA
- Cleveland Museum of Art, 26th to 28th October, Cleveland, OH
- Rehoboth Beach Film Society, 7th and 11th November 2007, Rehoboth Beach, DE
- Honolulu Academy of Arts, 10th to 14th November 2007, Honolulu, HI
- Plaza Cinemas 14 in the Downtown Ctr. for the Arts, 19th November, Oxnard, CA
- Hippodrome State Theater, 14th to 20th December 2007, Gainesville, FL
- ImaginAsia New York, 20th December 2007, New York, NY
- The ImaginAsia Center, 28th December 2007 to 3rd January 2008, Los Angeles, CA
- Denison Museum, 22nd January 2008, Granville, OH
- Paramount Center for the Arts, 24th to 30th January 2008, Peekskill, NY
- Pacific Film Resources Tivoli Manor Square, 25th to 31st January 2008, Kansas City, MO
- University of Richmond, 8th to 10th February 2008, Richmond, VA
- Hollywood Triplex at the Paulson Theater Service, 15th to 21st February 2008, Portland, OR
- Utica College of Syracuse University, 13th March 2008, Utica, NY
- Buffalo Theater at Bennett Street Films, 16th to 17th March 2008, Buffalo, WY
- Duke University, 2nd April 2008, Durham, NC
- Cinema Dept. of Binghamton University, 4th to 6th April 2008, Binghamton, NY
- The MacMillan Center of Yale University, 10th April 2008, New Haven, CT
