October 2009
During my autumn trip to Russia this year, I received a letter from a close friend of Jafar Panahi whom I have tried, in vain, to contact in the last few months, in an attempt to find out how he was during and after the turmoil of the Green Days revolution in his country. I did worry greatly about his well-being as Mr. Panahi's situation was difficult, even before the revolution. The officials never liked his free spirit and his will to fight for freedom in Iran, especially freedom for women.
While reading his letter, I remembered with nostalgia a visit to Jafar Panahi's house in Teheran, some years ago. His positive and free spirit opened up a totally different view to Iran for a dozen foreigners who were guest there. I also remember his worries when he was presenting his latest project Return during the Cinemart 2008 - Mr. Panahi was increasingly sceptical about his future possibilities for a making a film in his own country.
Confiscating a passport might not look life threatening to many people, but it can be just the first step in other sanctions taken against him and other Iranian filmmakers. Taking the right to travel abroad is a sort of imprisonment; imprisonment in your own country. This is a familiar phenomenon from years ago, when the communist block countries used this practice on a everday basis. Fortunately those times are over! Let’s hope Mr.Panahi will also be set free very soon.
Here is the letter:
Jafar Panahi, the prominent Iranian filmmaker, has been barred from
leaving Iran. This is only the latest example of the severe pressures
the Islamic republic of Iran has put on Iranian artists in the
wake of the recent post-election turmoil. Mr. Panahi was
leaving Tehran for a business meeting with his producer in Paris when
his passport was confiscated by security agents in the airport.
Mr. Panahi is not the first Iranian artist to suffer from this
ill-advised policy of the Iranian government. Last week, two other
filmmakers, Fatemeh Motamed Aria and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, were
similarly barred from accompanying a group of their colleagues on an
official visit to Hollywood at the invitation of the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences.
In order to put an end to this virtual "home imprisonment" of
Iranian artists, please demand an explanation from the government of
Iran through the Iranian embassies in your countries. Mr Panahi missed
an important meeting in Paris, and in all likelihood, will also miss
his scheduled trip next week to India, where he has been invited to
serve on a film festival jury. He is among the countless number of
Iranian filmmakers who have been virtually banned from working in Iran
and are now also being deprived of work opportunities outside of Iran.
Please let the Iranian government know you will not stand for this travel
ban on Iranian artists. Your protest can send a strong signal of
support and sympathy to Iranian filmmakers. Help spread the news and
stop unjust action against the artists who have produced some of
the most innovative works of cinematic art in recent years.