It is also the first non-American film to win the Best Picture Academy Award.

It was ranked number five in the overseas box office chart by Variety, making it the top-grossing non-American film on the chart.

"The 'cultural' movie theaters in France have less and less room for non-French, non-American films."

At the same time, this project is the first Russian and non-American film produced using the IMAX format.

"The critics' attacks probably reflected an irritation that the musical agenda has been set by a non-American film," wrote Quentin Letts, a New York correspondent.

Rather, he said, he believes the obstacles faced by non-American films in the United States have less to do with cultural and language differences than with commercial protectionism.

Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film could be honoured.

Laurence Olivier's Hamlet (also 1948), was the first non-American film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

In 2006, The Guardians panel of critics ranked Kiarostami as the best contemporary non-American film director.

This was half the take of "Terminator 2" here, but still, "Toto" was the only non-American film in the Top 10.