Cause of Death: Unknown

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Cause of Death: Unknown
International promotional poster
Persianعلت مرگ: نامعلوم
Directed byAli Zarnegar
Screenplay byAli Zarnegar
Produced byMajid Barzegar
Starring
CinematographyDavood Malek Hosseini
Edited byHamid Najafirad
Music byEasa Habibzadeh
Production
company
Rainy Pictures
Distributed byRaft Films
Release date
Running time
104 minutes
CountryIran
LanguagePersian

Cause of Death: Unknown (Persian: علت مرگ: نامعلوم, romanized: Ellat-e Marg: Nâmaloum); is a 2023 Iranian drama film written and directed by Ali Zarnegar [fa]. Starring Banipal Shoomoon, Alireza Sanifar and Neda Jebraeili.

It was selected as the Iranian submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.[1]

Plot

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Before dawn, seven passengers are taking a side road from Shahdad to Kerman when "Cause of Death: Unknown" occurs. Instead of identification or contact information, they find a sizable amount of cash when one of the passengers is found dead. The movie examines the social realities of the era in which it was produced, showing the struggles and crises that people must overcome in order to uphold their morality and humanity. It provides a representation of social history and cultural identity that reflects the moral principles of the Iranian people.

Cast

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  • Banipal Shoomoon as Ahmad
  • Alireza Sanifar as Naser
  • Neda Jebraeili as Bahar
  • Ali Mohammad Radmanesh as Majid
  • Zakieh Behbahani as Najveh
  • Reza Amouzad as Esmaeil
  • Soheil Bavi as Peyman
  • Saeed Rezaeikia as Body
  • Milad Moradi as Alireza
  • Ahmad Dehghanrahimi
  • Mansour Ghanijahed
  • Mohammadreza Hosseinian
  • Ashkan Ashoori
  • Mojtaba Mirhosseini
  • Sahar Babaei

Release

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At the Shanghai Film Festival in June 2023, Cause of Death: Unknown received nominations in four categories: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography. The movie's outstanding use of visual storytelling and cinematographic skill earned it the Best Cinematography award.[2][3]

Cultural Significance

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Cause of Death: Unknown addresses social problems that are pervasive in Iranian society and provides a critical analysis of the struggles that both individuals and communities encounter. The movie sheds light on Iran's cultural and historical context by demonstrating morality and humanity.

Awards and nominations

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result
Shanghai International Film Festival 2023 ‌Best Film Ali Zarnegar Nominated
‌Best Director Ali Zarnegar Nominated
‌Best Cinematogeraphy Davood Malek Hosseini Won
‌Best Director Ali Mohammad Radmanesh Nominated[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Roxborough, Scott (2025-09-16). "Oscars: Iran Picks 'Cause of Death: Unknown' as Best International Feature Submission". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  2. ^ "Winners of Asian New Talent under Golden Goblet Awards Announced'". Shanghai film festival. 18 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Asian filmmakers share inspiration behind flicks at SIFF'". shine.cn. 14 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Winners of Asian New Talent under Golden Goblet Awards Announced'". Shanghai film festival. 18 June 2023.
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