jeudi 2 février 2017
Iranian Director Makes a Bold Statement About His Decision to Skip the Oscars
On Sunday, acclaimed Iranian director Asghar Farhadi released a statement via the New York Times saying he has decided not to attend this year's Oscars. Farhadi, whose film The Salesman has graced the nominations list as a candidate for best foreign film, offered quite a few strong words for President Donald Trump's ban on refugees. The director explained how he had originally planned to attend the ceremony and use the opportunity to talk to the press about the current state of affairs, but in light of the ban, there's a noted uncertainty attached to that. While it's imperative to read the full length of the statement, this excerpt is perhaps the sentiment that resonates the loudest:
"It now seems that the possibility of this presence is being accompanied by ifs and buts, which are in no way acceptable to me even if exceptions were to be made for my trip . . . To humiliate one nation with the pretext of guarding the security of another is not a new phenomenon in history and has always laid the groundwork for the creation of future divide and enmity. I hereby express my condemnation of the unjust conditions forced upon some of my compatriots and the citizens of the other six countries trying to legally enter the United States of America and hope that the current situation will not give rise to further divide between nations."
This Tuesday, the American Film Institute vocalized strong support for Farhadi. "The AFI Conservatory stands with artists and filmmakers who find the power of creation through freedom of expression and freedom of movement," AFI's statement said. "We believe any form of censorship - including the restriction of travel - to be against all values we cherish as a community of storytellers. We look forward to welcoming Mr. Farhadi back to AFI in the Fall." Farhadi already has on best foreign film Oscar under his belt; A Separation won that honor in 2012. If he wins again this year, though, he won't be there to accept the award. Perhaps that absence will make a louder statement than one of the many political acceptance speeches we assume will descend upon the night.
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