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Martin Scorsese has issued a statement about the 6-year prison sentences slapped on Iranian filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammed Rasoulof. Along with Steven Spielberg and Francis Coppola, Scorsese spoke out on Panahi’s behalf at Cannes, when the Iranian filmmaker was first arrested.
“I was shocked and disheartened by the news of Jafar Panahi and Mohammed Rasoulof’s conviction and sentencing,” Scorsese said. “It’s depressing to imagine a society with so little faith in its own citizens that it feels compelled to lock up anyone with a contrary opinion. As filmmakers, we all need to stand up for Panahi and Rasoulof. We should applaud their courage and campaign aggressively for their immediate release.”
This follow similar sentiments of support by Iranian filmmakers Ali Samadii Ahadi (docu The Green Wave) and Maryam Keshavarz (Cirumstance) each of whom are bringing those pictures to next month’s Sundance Film Festival.
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Glad this is being discussed. A fellow film student of mine at Art Center– his father Mohammed Nourizad, an Iranian film director, is in critical condition for being beaten so badly in an Iran jail. He was sentenced to “50 lashes” and 3.5 yrs in prison. The Washington Post has covered this, and there is another online petition for Amnesty International. Thought I’d share since his story hasn’t been told in the Hollywood press just the WaPost so far.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/16/AR2010121601759.html
http://www.petitiononline.com/Nourizad/petition.html
Ever heard of Gitmo, Marty?
But my friend, there are no innocent prisoners in Gitmo. In Iran – there are.
Actually my friend there are well over a hundred detainees in Guantanamo who have been locked up for no reason at all and are not allowed to have a court hearing.
Thanks for discussing it.
“It’s depressing to imagine a society with so little faith in its own citizens”
How do you know that Martin ? , Have lived in Iran that you say such strong opinion about this country.
” We should applaud their courage and campaign aggressively for their immediate release.”
What you should do is to campaign aggressively for immediate retrun of US troops from Iraq , Afghanestan and Paksitan and then other problem in US .
Right David, Iran is the flagship state of decency-
What a load of droppings.
If you dig it so much- go back…
(Oh, that shut you up)
If it such a wonderful tolerant place, why are Iranians coming here in droves? Why aren’t Iranian-American citizens trying to move back to Iran?
Dork!
(I mean that in a kind way- I know if I were in Iran you would throw me in a dungeon for saying such a thing!)
David – pretty pitiful that you are veering from the sad situation that is being discussed right now with something else, no matter how grave the other subject is. it’s most likely that panahi is getting the crap beaten out of him if you know anything about jails in iran, especially under the circumstances that he was arrested under. scorsese is speaking about this unlawful arrest because panahi and he are in the same line of work.
“if you know anything about jails in iran”
I know jails in iran are no Gitmo
And i have to say I agree with you David
That’s why some people call it “Club Gitmo”. If you want to learn a bit about Iranian jails, I recommend Roxana Saberi’s book – * Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran. Harper 2010, ISBN 978-0061965289 Amazon Link
Having lived in your country, David, for 4 years, I concur with everything Scorcese says. If you are on this website as a fellow artist/filmmaker you know very well that the government of Iran is repressive, and intolerant of free speech and creative freedom and against what the majority of the artistic world deems as the rights of artistic expression. If an Iranian artist dares to veer from the anemic rules those in power set forth – whether it be the Shah’s regime, Komeini’s regime or Ahmadinejad’s regime, those that are in power are of the same mindset – annihilate any voice that is deemed not the government’s or the mullah’s script – this is the ‘society’ that the poster David, is indeed referring to (and certainly the one I viewed over the 4 years as a non-Iranian living in your country and speaking your language, by the way.) We are talking about the rights of an artist here and shame on you for usurping a justifiable outcry for the plight of Panahi’s and Rasoulof works and lives, to further your paltry protests. This is not about war, this is not about Iraq, this is not about you. This is about two artists who have been stripped of their spirits basically by a dictatorial regime and to make it into anything else is truly pathetic.
“This is not about war, this is not about Iraq, this is not about you.”
Martin Scorsese Supported Roman Polanski, who raped an incent girl.
Well in that case you should say this not about rap this is about an artist.
“This is about two artists who have been stripped of their spirits basically by a dictatorial regime and to make it into anything else is truly pathetic.”
40 million people voted for last year election and you call the government a dictatorial regime.
40 million means 80% of people over 18 in Iran, and I have to say this never happened anywhere in the planet.
Right now there is huge protest in Paris and London against the government and where is media right now? Where is freedom of speech?
You really must suffer from attention deficit disorder don’t you because you simply can’t stick to the topic on board. May ALLAH watch over Panahi and Rasoulof so that their just rights and freedom will be reinstated Time to get out of GOM David and start really thinking for yourself and stop regurgitating the jomeh script.
mr david i am writing from iran – tehran dear sir you are wrong 40 milion?? where did you get this ?? it’s funny every body in iran me and all the people in iran know that that election was such a shit game such a sirques sir. please do not say some thing about election instaed of iranian people ahmadi nejad is a wrong person for iranian he is not oue peresident, he is not he is not legal sir
thank you
Thank you for speaking up “anonymous. “David” does not speak for anyone I know – anyone who watched that election farce – yes a circus – as it unfolded. It is absolutely obvious to many many many Americans that Ahmadinejad is wrong wrong wrong for Iran and ensha’alah there is a better person coming to lead your country soon who will give voice to the real Iranians.
Maybe he’s right, maybe he’s wrong. When he voiced his support of Roman Polanski, I stopped listening to Scorsese’s opinions on anything.
They didn’t stand up for Theo Van Gogh. He’s dead. Tough, I guess.
This is not about West or East…This is not about Iraq. Nothing to do with oil. This is about Cinema. Let’s not let a filmmaker goes to jail for speaking up.
You’re all bloody nuts if you don’t think Panahi and Rasoulof’s sentencing was a travesty. Bloody trolls.
Nikki, it appears it is time to moderate your comment board. Which sucks, but the crazies seem to be off topic more often these days. I won’t even read my local news boards as it has been taken over by late night kooks. I love the website, a much better source than Variety/Reporter and I used to enjoy the thoughtful comment section from those in the biz. I continue to see the message board abused with spam and wackos.
Good luck, I know it is a tough thing to handle.
A silver lining in an otherwise dark cloud: purchased a DVD of one of Mr. Panahi’s films. Without news of his unjust jailing — and the deserved negative publicity reflecting, as it does, the existential horror that is the so-called “Islamic Republic” — I wouldn’t even have known that he existed.
What the hell are you discussing about I live in Iran The fool government has jailed a filmmaker they deprived him of filmmaking, writing and editing any cenario and traveling to foreign countries for 20 years after jail. i think the guantanamu persons will be free or died untill 26 years later but the Cinema World wil be deprived of a innocent filmmaker if the government isn’t be down.
i’m an Iranian film-maker.i just want to thankyou Marty,you have always helped me in the darkest,saddest,most depressing of times,to trust my love for cinema,let it guide me through the darkness,till i reach the conclusion that you state in your introduction to Renoir’s “The River”: “Lets get up and make our films again” and i will add despite any mindless,totalitarian state.u, not only with your films,but with your deep sensitivity to world cinema not only Hollywood or European,your passion,your care,your humanity,your devotion,your seriousness and perseverance,your humility despite being the giant that u are,your very voice and tone when u r talking about cinema,be it the American Gangster film,Rossellini,Chinese cinema or Kiarostami, have changed me,opened my eyes and shaped me.let your sympathy for the bravery of Panahi and his likes,open the eyes of all us,Western and Eastern,Muslim and Christian and Jewish etc. i hope this message will reach u,let u know what your support means to us Iranian filmmakers.whe know how important and historic your statement is.and to u disguised as “David”s and “Sara”s and “Joel”s out there,we know who u r,u r not any body,u r a pathetic part of the regime’s shameful propaganda machine
Being a person who is not living in the US, for me it is so interesting how people are discussing about Human Rights violence in the states.
Why you need to compare one violence in Iran with the other one in Guantanamo. There is no link between them. And there is also no need to link them to each other. What the hell has Jafar Panahis problem to do with the Us human rights violence?
The question is not: Which place is better or awful then the other.
The question is: Should an iranian famous filmmaker get such a hard sentence just because he asked like millions of people in the streets of iranian cities “Where is my vote?”?
Should he get his fundamental rights or not? Should we support him to get his rights or not?
There is no link between that and Guantanamo or the question why iranian-americans are living here or not or if America is better then Iran.
Believe not in every issue America and americans need to be in the center of the courtesy. So take your ego back and try to help this poor filmmaker.
The Iranian “election” is the ultimate cover for a dictatorial regime. No matter how many votes beat out Mahmoud the Monkey Man, do you REALLY think he’s going to let anyone else win or take his place??? I mean c’mon, how naïve are you? Do you really think Iranian people are allowed to have a voice? Do you think women have equal rights as men in Iran? Are homosexuals allowed to be homosexuals in Iran without fear of the noose snapping their necks? My good friend who is in a death metal / black metal band in Iran got arrested and had all his band’s gear, albums and merch burned ala Medieval Christian fanatic / Nazi Germany book burning style. Talk to him about “freedom and liberty”, I’m sure you’ll be tripping over your own two feet. Ask him about women getting beat publicly on the streets of Tehran and almost every major town and city for not wearing their veils and headdresses properly. You Ahmadenijad apologists crack me up. You have no first hand idea about Iran or Iranian policy. Why don’t YOU go hiking on the Iranian border and see for yourself?
Glad to see someone standing up for him, generally celebrities are too cowardly/PC to protest anything happening in the Islamic world, far easier to speak up for Polanski than stand up for Theo Van Gogh or this man. The Iranian regime is clearly crazy, unless you think it’s ok to jail artists for their opinions.
Guantanamo is probably necessary, this is why Obama has so far been unable to close it. Also, most who visit it are impressed with the conditions, etc. I’m not saying there aren’t people there who don’t deserve to be, as I’m sure that there are people imprisoned there who are innocent, however to compare it to this case is asinine