September 01, 2017
Filmmaker Jafar Panahi was a presenter at a recent cinema award event, but balked at handing an award to a film seen as justifying the suppression of the political opposition in the 1980s.
not only refrained from handing over the award, but also used the forum to demand greater freedom for Iran’s filmmakers.
The award was due to go to “The Midday Event,” which many view as a direct effort promoting the state-approved view of the political conflicts of the 1980s, when the state engaged in systematic elimination of opposition and alternative political groups.
Panahi was on stage at the Film Critics ceremony to hand the Best Director award to Hamid Nematollahi for his film, “Subdued.” When Panahi realized he was also supposed to hand an honorary award to “The Midday Event,” he refused and descended from the podium despite entreaties from the organizers.
“The Midday Event” recounts the events of the summer of 1982 and the conflicts between the Islamic Republic and the Mojahedin-e Khalq. The film depicts the murder of Musa Khiyabani, a Mojahedin leader, and portrays Reza Seifollahi, deputy head of the Pasdar intelligence branch at the time, as the hero of the events.
“We do not want to dictate who should or should not make films;” Panahi said from the stage. “However, in a situation where state films are being made with mega budgets with exclusive distribution rights in all top theatres, we are just asking for a few theaters where we too can screen our films.”
The Midday Event has been given the country’s top film award, the Fajr Crystal Simorgh award for Best Film. The film was commended by Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Panahi was arrested during the protests against the 2009 presidential elections. He was sentenced to six years and banned from making films and traveling abroad. He was released on bail in 2010. While Panahi has managed to make low budget films, he is not permitted to screen his films in Iran and is practically blacklisted from opportunities open to filmmakers in the country. Panahi’s 2015 film “Taxi” won the Berlinale’s Golden Bear Award.