Jafar Panahi was due to take his place on the Cannes jury this year. Instead, he is incarcerated in Tehrans notorious Evin prison, after he was arrested for unspecified crimes. The festival has left an empty chair on the jury panel. Stephen Frears, in Cannes for the premiere of Tamara Drewe, added his voice to the protests today, saying reports of the hunger strike were terrible news.
The director has made several films critical of the Iranian regime. All are banned in his own country. Last year, the government imposed a travel ban after he appeared wearing green the colour worn by opposition Green Movement supporters at the Montreal Film Festival.
Binoche is in Cannes to promote Certified Copy, a film directed be another Iranian film-maker, Abbas Kiarostami.
She sobbed as reports filtered through that Panahi had begun a hunger strike. Sitting beside her, Kiarostami called for his release.
The fact that a film-maker has been imprisoned is itself intolerable, he said. If the Iranian government continues to refuse to release Jafar, then we need explanations.
Jafar Panahi was inclined to make his films under clandestine, illegal circumstances, but thats not his responsibility alone. The responsibility is that of the authorities who prevent him from carrying out his profession.
When a film-maker, an artist, is imprisoned it is art as a whole that is attacked, and it is against this that we should react.
Panahi, who won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film festival in 2000 for Dayereh, was arrested in March by plain clothes police who burst into his home.
Jafar Panahi was inclined to make his films under clandestine, illegal circumstances, but thats not his responsibility alone. The responsibility is that of the authorities who prevent him from carrying out his profession.
When a film-maker, an artist, is imprisoned it is art as a whole that is attacked, and it is against this that we should react.
Panahi, who won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film festival in 2000 for Dayereh, was arrested in March by plain clothes police who burst into his home.
Tehran has denied that his incarceration is because he is an artist or for political reasons, but opponents of the government believe he was arrested over plans to make a new film criticising the government.
Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone and Steven Spielberg are among the high-profile directors petitioning for Panahis release.
see also FREE JAFAR PAHANI PETITION
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