Hollywood unites for persecuted Iranian filmmaker

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Hollywood unites for persecuted Iranian filmmaker
by vildemose
24-Jan-2011
 
Tell Iran to reverse its harsh sentence imposed on acclaimed film director Jafar Panahi.   Tell Iran to reverse its harsh sentence imposed on acclaimed film director Jafar Panahi.    

You are forbidden from making movies for 20 years.

Do not write scripts. Do not travel outside of the country. Do not speak with the media. Do not express your oppositional political opinions.

These are the outrageous conditions tacked on to acclaimed Iranian film director Jafar Panahi's six-year prison sentence. Last month, Panahi was sentenced after being convicted of making an anti-government film without permission and inciting opposition protests after the disputed 2009 presidential election1.

Anyone who values free expression cannot afford to turn away from this blatant and unjust punishment. As a fellow filmmaker, I certainly could not. That is why I, along with British-Iranian actress and Amnesty International spokesperson Nazanin Boniadi, are leading the charge in condemning Jafar Panahi's sentence.
Please join us - do not allow creativity to be condemned in Iran.

Jafar Panahi's case resonates on many levels with so many great artists, activists and talents around the world including Martin Scorsese, Sean Penn, Harvey Weinstein, Roxana Saberi, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Sir Patrick Stewart, Hans Zimmer, Deepa Mehta, Susan Sarandon, Ridley Scott and many, many more.

His most recent film "Offside" tells the story of girls in Iran who are forbidden by law to watch a World Cup soccer match. Unique and powerful stories like this one deserve to be told. Brave voices like Jafar Panahi's are worth fighting for.

Carrying the torch for Jafar Panahi will also light the way for Panahi's artistic collaborator, Mohammad Rasoulof - who was also sentenced to six years in prison - and the countless other creative voices being silenced in Iran today.

Call on Iranian officials to reverse the harsh sentences against Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof.

Thank you for helping us shine a light.

These are the outrageous conditions tacked on to acclaimed Iranian film director Jafar Panahi's six-year prison sentence. Last month, Panahi was sentenced after being convicted of making an anti-government film without permission and inciting opposition protests after the disputed 2009 presidential election1.

Anyone who values free expression cannot afford to turn away from this blatant and unjust punishment. As a fellow filmmaker, I certainly could not. That is why I, along with British-Iranian actress and Amnesty International spokesperson Nazanin Boniadi, are leading the charge in condemning Jafar Panahi's sentence.
Please join us - do not allow creativity to be condemned in Iran.

Jafar Panahi's case resonates on many levels with so many great artists, activists and talents around the world including Martin Scorsese, Sean Penn, Harvey Weinstein, Roxana Saberi, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Sir Patrick Stewart, Hans Zimmer, Deepa Mehta, Susan Sarandon, Ridley Scott and many, many more.

His most recent film "Offside" tells the story of girls in Iran who are forbidden by law to watch a World Cup soccer match. Unique and powerful stories like this one deserve to be told. Brave voices like Jafar Panahi's are worth fighting for.

Carrying the torch for Jafar Panahi will also light the way for Panahi's artistic collaborator, Mohammad Rasoulof - who was also sentenced to six years in prison - and the countless other creative voices being silenced in Iran today.

Call on Iranian officials to reverse the harsh sentences against Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof.

Thank you for helping us shine a light.


 
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yolanda

.......

by yolanda on

Hi! Vildemose,

    Don't even worry about the double posting....it is no big deal!

Thank you for taking time to post this blog........things don't not look good lately......too many executions and too many harsh sentences, not enough international out-cry.......IRI is getting bolder and more barbaric! I really don't want to see 1988 type of mass executions!


vildemose

Yolanda: It looks like I'm

by vildemose on

Yolanda: It looks like I'm not able to delete the duplicate post. I tried twice to no avail. Sorry.


vildemose

Yoland: no, no, I'm not a

by vildemose on

Yoland: no, no, I'm not a film maker.. It's a copy and paste of a letter I received from Amnesty International. I don't know what happened. I try to edit it.


yolanda

....

by yolanda on

Thank you for your blog....I clicked on the link and took action/signed the petition......I hope he can leave jail soon!

Wow! You are a film-maker, too!

P.S. You posted your blog twice by accident!

"Off-side" sounds like a great movie! I love World Cup, too!