Iranian Filmmakers Face Fight or Flight Amid Political Turmoil
variety.comNick Vivarelli International Correspondent The wave of protests sparked across Iran by the death of Mahsa Amini by Iranian morality police in September came amid a banner year for Iranian cinema.
But as 2023 kicks off, more than 500 people who have protested her death and called for justice have been killed while prominent members of the Iranian film industry were either arrested, put on trial or banned from making movies.
The result being that the country’s cinematic community has largely ground to a halt. Which raises the question: unless something changes, how many films actually shot in Iran will be surfacing on the international festival circuit going forward?
In 2022, Iran-based directors landed slots in all major international film festivals and won major awards. Revered auteur Jafar Panahi took the Venice Special Jury Prize for “No Bears” and Houman Seyyedi’s tragicomedy “World War III,” which was Iran’s candidate for the international Oscar, scooped two statuettes on the Lido.
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