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  5. Iranian Filmmaker Fledges to Europe Ahead of Cannes Premiere Following Prison Sentence

Iranian Filmmaker Fledges to Europe Ahead of Cannes Premiere Following Prison Sentence

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Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof has reportedly fled his home country and arrived in Europe, ahead of the premiere of his latest film "The Seed of the Sacred Fig" at the Cannes Film Festival. According to a statement from Rasoulof, he made the decision to escape Iran after learning that his eight-year prison sentence would be implemented on short notice. His lawyer had previously informed him of the sentence, which was handed down last week. It is common in Iran for defendants to receive their sentences while still outside of prison. In a separate statement, Rasoulof expressed gratitude to those who helped him escape and noted that his departure was motivated by a desire to preserve Iranian culture, which he believes continues to thrive despite the challenges faced by his country.

  1. Mohammad Rasoulof
    Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
    1. I arrived in Europe a few days ago after a long and complicated journey.
    2. If geographical Iran suffers beneath the boots of your religious tyranny, cultural Iran is alive in the common minds of millions of Iranians who were forced to leave Iran due to your brutality and no power can impose its will on it. From today, I am a resident of cultural Iran.
    3. Knowing that the news of my new film would be revealed very soon, I knew that without a doubt, a new sentence would be added to these eight years.
    4. I am grateful to my friends, acquaintances, and people who kindly, selflessly, and sometimes by risking their lives, helped me get out of the border and reach a safe place on the difficult and long path of this journey.
    5. Many people helped to make this film. My thoughts are with all of them, and I fear for their safety and well-being.
    6. I didn't have much time to make a decision. I had to choose between prison and leaving Iran. With a heavy heart, I chose exile. The Islamic Republic confiscated my passport in September 2017. Therefore, I had to leave Iran secretly.

Cannes Film Festival

  1. Iranian Director Brings Hope and Message to Cannes with Debut Film

sources

  1. 1.CNN
  2. 2.Le Monde
  3. 3.France 24
  4. 4.Associated Press

perspectives

  1. 1.Iran Foreign Policy
  2. 2.Authoritarianism
  3. 3.Freedom of Speech
  4. 4.Cinema
  5. 5.Cinema Festivals

countries

  1. 1.FranceFR
  2. 2.Iran, Islamic Republic ofIR
  3. 3.TurkeyTR

organizations

  1. 1.Cannes Film Festival
  2. 2.Films Boutique
  3. 3.Parallel45
  4. 4.Human Rights Watch
  5. 5.InstagramUS

persons

  1. 1.Babak Paknia
  2. 2.Jean-Christophe Simon
  3. 3.Mohammad Rasoulof
  4. 4.Mahsa Amini
  5. 5.Michael Rios

technicals

  1. 1.Golden Bear
  2. 2.Seed of the Sacred Fig
  3. 3.A Man of Integrity
  4. 4.Berlin International Film Festival
  5. 5.Islam