February 2, 2024
Oscar-winning film director Asghar Farhadi says he can no longer make movies in Iran because of the crushing pressure of the regime’s censors.
His next film will be made in the United States. But Farhadi does not want to move into exile. He says he hopes he can continue to live in Iran between trips abroad to make films beyond the reach of censorship.
But he didn’t say whether he thought the regime would agree to such an arrangement.
Farhadi’s next film will be set in Los Angeles and was supposed to start production last year, but the film industry strike put off production.
This will be Farhadi’s first American film, after having directed projects in France, Spain and Iran.
In an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, Farhadi revealed he won’t be making any new films in Iran for the time being, as an act of resistance against the regime.
“I have always said that censorship is harmful. We can try to find subterfuges or modes of expression to circumvent it, but, in the long term, it dries up your creativity and closes all the channels of art. For 40 years, Iranian artists have continued to produce, year after year, despite repression and censorship. But, for the past year, there has been a drying up in production, particularly cinematographic productions. For my part, I can no longer continue to work in the same conditions. I no longer want to systematically cover women’s hair in my cinema.
“I will no longer make films in Iran until I can free myself from this obligation.”
But Farhadi said he isn’t interested in becoming an exile. “Living in Iran is my first choice. I hope to be able to leave my country for specific projects and always be able to return there. I consider each of my stays abroad as a parenthesis, which needs to be closed so that I can recharge my batteries in Iran. This is where I feel good, where life seems more real to me. I like walking in Esfahan and Tehran. This contact with people is fundamental to me on a personal and professional level.”
Farhadi has shot two films outside of Iran: “The Past” in France and “Everybody Knows” in Spain.
Plot details of his American film are being kept under wraps. It will be the 10th feature of Farhadi’s career. His last one was 2021’s “A Hero,” which won the Grand Prix at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.
