Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi has penned an open letter to the Academy of Motion Pictures, requesting the Academy defend the civil rights of his nation’s folks.
The letter comes after the demise of 22-year-old Mehsa Amini, who died in custody, allegedly by police brutality, after her arrest for not carrying her hijab in accordance with authorities requirements.
Ghobadi’s letter reads:
To the Academy of Motion Pictures,
As one of many members of your prestigious Academy, it might be nice for those who handed this message alongside to the entire different Academy members:
“My name is Bahman Ghobadi, one of your fellow members. You have certainly heard about what has been happening in Iran. The Iranian regime recently killed a young woman named Mahsa Amini for not wearing her headscarf “properly.”
“The Iranian people have gone to the streets to protest against the regime. We, my people and I, need your support to spread this news and to stand by the Iranian people and their rightful protests. We need your support more than ever. Please help us spread the word.”
Other filmmakers including their names to protests embrace Shirin Neshat, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Pegah Ahangarani, Abdolreza Kahani, Ali Abbasi, Kaveh Farnam, Farzad Pak, Ali Ahmadzadeh.
The European Film Academy has responded. The Academy’s chairman, Irish producer/novelist Mike Downey stated:
“The European Film Academy stands in full assist of the Iranian movie makers protesting in opposition to the present wave suppression spreading all through Iran. There have been working battles between Iranian police and anti-government protesters in Tehran within the worst unrest there for years.
“The film industry and documentarians are being fearless in their attempts to record the crackdowns. Iran is now subject to the most severe internet restrictions seen since mass anti-government erupted in November 2019. We abhor censorship in all its forms and fully support Iranian film makers fighting for survival in a climate of terrible repression.”
Police reported that Amini went into coronary heart failure at a station and died after two days in a coma. Eyewitnesses and ladies who had been detailed on the identical time stated she was severely crushed. Amini’s demise resulted in a collection of large-scale protests throughout the nation which introduced worldwide consideration.
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