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In a bold move highlighting the challenges filmmakers face on the global stage, legendary director Martin Scorsese has thrown his support behind a campaign advocating for the release of Iranian director Saeed Roustaee. The acclaimed Iranian filmmaker was incarcerated after presenting his work at the internationally renowned Cannes Film Festival.
Martin Scorsese, the legendary Oscar-winning director famed for classics such as Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, has thrust himself into the global spotlight once again. But this time, it’s not for a movie, but for a heartfelt appeal to his vast audience.
Earlier this week, the movie maestro took to Instagram to amplify a campaign initiated by his daughter, Francesca Scorsese. The campaign aims to bring to light the recent six-month prison sentence handed to Iranian filmmaker Saeed Roustaee.
Roustaee, a 34-year-old director with rising international fame, encountered the wrath of Iranian authorities following the screening of his film Leila’s Brothers at the celebrated Cannes Film Festival last year. The film, a poignant portrayal of a Tehran family grappling with economic hardship, found itself on the receiving end of Iran’s censorship policies and resulted in a nationwide ban.
Roustaee was not the only one who found himself in troubled waters: Javad Noruzbegi, the movie’s producer, was also charged. Iranian reformist daily Etemad reported the conviction of the two men under the charges of “contributing to propaganda of the opposition against the Islamic system.” The ramifications of the sentence are not limited to prison time; the duo also faces a debilitating ban on any work in their field for the next five years. However, the silver lining, if it can be called that, is the fact that they are likely to serve a mere nine days in prison, with the rest of the sentence being “suspended over five years.”
Francesca Scorsese, following in her father’s illustrious footsteps as an actor and director, penned a petition underscoring the urgency of the situation. “We now have less than 20 DAYS to help garner enough attention to appeal his sentence,” she wrote. Her clarion call is for supporters to rally behind Roustaee, ensuring he remains a “force of good in the world.” As of Thursday, the petition was closing in on its ambitious target, garnering two thirds of the 15,000 signatures it seeks.
Leila’s Brothers is not just another film. The movie’s significance was stamped when it clinched the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) award at Cannes, further highlighting the absurdity of its reception back home. Official Iranian channels have justified their stance, arguing that the movie “broke the rules by being entered at international film festivals without authorization.” The authorities’ demand for Roustaee to “correct” the film as per the dictates of the Ministry of Culture was summarily dismissed by the director.
The Cannes Festival organizers didn’t mince words, slamming the move as “a serious violation of free speech for Iranian artists, filmmakers, producers and technicians.”
Iran’s rich cinematic heritage, boasting stalwarts like Jafar Panahi and Asghar Farhadi, continues to win accolades globally. Roustaee, with his 2019 film Just 6.5—a gritty examination of Iran’s drug epidemic and the subsequent draconian law enforcement response—has only added to that illustrious list.
With AFP
