Iranian Director Asghar Farhadi

Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has spoken out against state violence and the war involving Iran, the US, and Israel. He described the deaths of civilians in Iran as 'extremely cruel and tragic' during a press conference at the Cannes film festival. Farhadi's new drama Parallel Tales premiered on the Croisette on Thursday night.

Condemning State Violence

Farhadi insisted it was possible to condemn both state violence and the deaths caused by war without contradiction. He said that expressing indignation at the death of innocent people in bombings does not mean one is in favor of executions and death of protesters. Similarly, feeling empathy for people shot during demonstrations does not mean one cannot feel empathy for those who died in bombings.

Film Career and Activism

Farhadi previously won the Grand Prix at Cannes for A Hero in 2021, and his films A Separation and The Salesman won the Oscar for best international feature. He boycotted the 2017 Academy Awards in protest against Donald Trump's travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries, including Iran. Farhadi has also vowed not to make films in Iran while censorship laws remain in place.

Key points

• Asghar Farhadi described the deaths of civilians in Iran as 'extremely cruel and tragic'.
• He condemned both state violence and the deaths caused by war.
• Farhadi's new drama Parallel Tales premiered at the Cannes film festival.
• He previously won the Grand Prix at Cannes for A Hero in 2021.
• Farhadi boycotted the 2017 Academy Awards in protest against Donald Trump's travel ban.
• He has vowed not to make films in Iran while censorship laws remain in place.