Iranian director Jafar Panahi released from prison
The Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been released from Tehran’s Evin prison shortly after he announced that he would be going on a hunger strike earlier this week.
Confirmed by Panahi’s wife Tahereh Saeidi and the local press, the director’s lawyer, Saleh Nikbakht, stated: “Although I am happy about Mr. Panahi’s release, it must be said that his release should have taken place three months ago, following the acceptance of our objection to his previous court decision”. News of the filmmaker’s release has been met with joy across the world of entertainment.
Known as one of the greatest Iranian filmmakers of all time, Panahi is responsible for such movies as No Bears, This Is Not a Film and Taxi Tehran. Arrested last July in Tehran during the country’s crackdown on liberal voices, the filmmaker missed the chance to appear at the Venice Film Festival, where his film No Bears won the Special Jury Prize.
Releasing a statement from prison at Venice Film Festival 2022, he wrote: “We are filmmakers, for us to live is to create…The work we create is not commissioned [so] some of our governments see us as criminals … some [filmmakers] were banned from making films, others were forced into exile or reduced to isolation. And yet, the hope of creating again is a reason for existence”.
The Iranian movie World War III, directed by Hooman Seyyedi, failed to earn a place at the 2023 Oscars, despite winning the Orizzonti Award for best film, and the best actor award for its star Mohsen Tanabandeh at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. Iranian cinema has fared well at the Academy Awards of late, with Farhadi’s movies A Separation and The Salesman taking home Oscars in 2011 and 2016, respectively.
Taking to Twitter to announce the news, journalist Bahman Kalbasi wrote: “Good News: Award winning Iranian film director Jafar Panahi is released following months of unlawful detention. This came after he announced he will go on dry hunger strike 48 hours ago”.
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