Iran: US Filmmakers Demand "Free Jafar Panahi"

Many thanks to the EA reader who notified us of this petition:

Jafar Panahi, the internationally acclaimed Iranian director of such award-winning films as The White Balloon, The Circle, Crimson Gold and Offside, was arrested at his home on March 1st in a raid by plain-clothed security forces. He has been held since then in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.



A recent letter from Mr. Panahi’s wife expressed her deep concerns about her husband's heart condition, and about his having been moved to a smaller cell. Mr. Panahi’s films have been banned from screening in Iran for the past ten years and he has effectively been kept from working for the past four years. Last October, his passport was confiscated and he was banned from leaving the country. Upon his arrest, Islamic Republic officials initially charged Mr. Panahi with “unspecified crimes.” They have since reversed themselves, and the charges are now specifically related to his work as a filmmaker.

We (the undersigned) stand in solidarity with a fellow filmmaker, condemn this detention, and strongly urge the Iranian government to release Mr. Panahi immediately.

Iran’s contributions to international cinema have been rightfully heralded, and encouraged those of us outside the country to respect and cherish its people and their stories. Like artists everywhere, Iran’s filmmakers should be celebrated, not censored, repressed, and imprisoned.

Signed:

Paul Thomas Anderson
Joel & Ethan Coen
Francis Ford Coppola
Jonathan Demme
Robert De Niro
Curtis Hanson
Jim Jarmusch
Ang Lee
Richard Linklater
Terrence Malick
Michael Moore
Robert Redford
Martin Scorsese
James Schamus
Paul Schrader
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Spielberg
Oliver Stone
Frederick Wiseman

Comments

[Catherine]

Terrence Malick signed!
Yessss! My favourite!

BTW - Malick's work, especially The Thin Red Line, is well-loved by Iranian cinephiles and students of philosophy

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[Arshama]

Hamshahri daily has published the new "politics" for Islamic Cinema, explained by Javad Shamqadari, film deputy of Ershad (Ministry for Islamic Culture and Guidance), during a meeting last Monday: http://hamshahrionline.ir/News/?id=112452" rel="nofollow">http://hamshahrionline.ir/News/?id=112452

As to the content, the new 14 Commandments read:
1) Religious and Quranic concepts
2) Family and umma (ahl-e beyt)
3) Prophecy (mahdaviat)
4) Fostering the family
5) Children and youths
6) Culture and civilisation of Islamic Iran
7) Islamic Revolution
8) Islamic history and contemporary Islam
9) Soft war
10) Imperialism against Iran and Islamic resistance
11) Holy Defence (allusion to Iran-Iraq war)
12) Political subjects (domestic and international)
13) Achievements and famous personnalities
14) Scientific and technological accomplishments

Obviously the IRGC, which controls the half-legal satellite dish market, is eager to promote sales...

[Catherine]

They forgot to mention the most important category of all and the biggest money-maker: Korean TV dramas! :-)
http://www.minnpost.com/globalpost/2009/12/21/14461/iranians_hooked_on_korean_tv_drama" rel="nofollow">http://www.minnpost.com/globalpost/2009/12/21/1...

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