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Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Iran Cannes winner Panahi backs trucker strikes
Iranian director and screenwriter and producer Jafar Panahi poses with the trophy during a photocall after winning the Palme d'Or for the film "Un simple accident" (A Simple Accident) during the closing ceremony at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France.--AFP Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi backed week-long nationwide strikes by truckers Wednesday as a "loud call" to the authorities, after arriving home from his triumph at the Cannes film festival. Truck drivers across Iran were striking for a seventh day on Wednesday in a stoppage rare in its length and magnitude, seeking better conditions in a sector crucial for the economy in the Islamic republic. After starting last week in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, the strike action has spread across the country, according to reports by monitoring groups on social media and Persian-language media based outside Iran. The truck drivers are protesting a rise in insurance premiums, poor road security, high fuel prices and low freight rates, according to union statements cited by these media. "They are fed up. They have no choice but to go strike," Panahi wrote on Instagram, having returned to Iran on Monday after winning the Palme d'or for his latest film "It Was Just an Accident". "When thieves and illiterate people are put in charge, the result is this terrible situation: corruption and mismanagement in everything, from the economy and culture to the environment and politics," added Panahi. The acclaimed director was long banned from filmmaking and unable to leave Iran, having also spent time in prison due to his political stances. "This strike is a loud call to the government saying: 'Enough! Stop all this oppression and plunder'," he said. Persian-language television channels based outside Iran, including Iran International and Manoto, which are critical of the government, said the strike was continuing Wednesday, broadcasting images of deserted roads sent from inside Iran as well as trucks parked up in cities including the central city of Isfahan. It was not immediately possible to independently verify the images. Tankers carrying fuel from the major refinery in Abadan in western Iran have now joined the strike, Manoto said. Iran International also said some participants had been arrested in the western city of Kermanshah, following arrests earlier this week in the southern city of Shiraz. The same outlets also indicated that there have been strikes in other sectors in Iran, notably by bakers who are angered by early morning power cuts when they are baking bread. — AFP
Kuwait Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Filmmaker Panahi cheered on return to Iran after Cannes triumph
Iranian director and screenwriter and producer Jafar Panahi poses with the trophy during a photocall after winning the Palme d'Or for the film "Un simple accident" (A Simple Accident) during the closing ceremony at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. -- AFP Iranian filmmaker Jafar Pahani was given a hero's welcome on his return to Tehran Monday by supporters after winning the top prize at the Cannes film festival, footage posted on social media showed. After being banned from leaving Iran for years, forced to make films underground and enduring spells in prison, Panahi attended the French festival in person and sensationally walked away with the Palme d'Or for his latest movie 'It Was Just an Accident'. With some fans concerned that Panahi could face trouble on his return to Iran, he arrived without incident at Tehran's main international airport, named after the founder of the 1979 Islamic revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in the early hours of Monday. He was immediately cheered by supporters waiting in the public area as he descended the escalator from passport control to baggage collection, footage posted by the Dadban legal monitor on social media showed. One person could be heard shouting 'Woman. Life. Freedom!', the slogan of the 2022-2023 protest movement that shook the Iranian authorities. On exiting, he was greeted by around a dozen supporters who had stayed up to welcome him, according to footage posted on Instagram by the Iranian director Mehdi Naderi and broadcast by the Iran International Channel which is based outside Iran. Smiling broadly and waving, he was cheered, applauded, hugged and presented with flowers. 'Fresh blood in the veins of Iranian independent cinema,' wrote Naderi. 'Gesture of resistance' The warm welcome from fans at the airport contrasted with the lukewarm reaction from Iranian state media and officials to the first time an Iranian filmmaker was awarded the Palme d'Or since 'The Taste of Cherry' by the late Abbas Kiarostami in 1997. While evoked by state media such as the IRNA news agency, Panahi's triumph has received only thin coverage inside Iran and has also sparked a diplomatic row with France. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called his victory 'a gesture of resistance against the Iranian regime's oppression' in a post on X, prompting Tehran to summon France's charge d'affaires to protest the 'insulting' comments. 'I am not an art expert, but we believe that artistic events and art in general should not be exploited to pursue political objectives,' said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei. The film is politically-charged, showing five Iranians confronting a man they believe tortured them in prison, a story inspired by Panahi's own time in detention. After winning the prize, Panahi also made a resounding call for freedom in Iran. 'Let's set aside all problems, all differences. What matters most right now is our country and the freedom of our country.' — AFP
Yomiuri Shimbun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
‘It Was Just An Accident' by Iran's Jafar Panahi Wins Cannes' Top Prize
Reuters Director Jafar Panahi, Palme d'Or award winner for the film 'Un simple accident' (It Was Just an Accident), reacts, during the closing ceremony of the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 24, 2025. CANNES, France, May 24 (Reuters) – Revenge thriller 'It Was Just An Accident' by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, who was barred from filmmaking for 15 years by the government in Tehran, won the Palme d'Or top prize on Saturday. With the award, Panahinow has the rare honour of winning the top prize at all three major European film festivals, after nabbing Berlin's Golden Bear for 'Taxi' in 2015 and the Golden Lion at Venice for 'The Circle' in 2000. The 64-year-old director, who last attended the festival in person in 2003, addressed his prize to all Iranians, saying the most important thing was Iran and the country's freedom. 'Hoping that we will reach a day when no one will tell us what to wear or not wear, what to do or not do,' he said, in an apparent reference to Iran's strict Islamic dress code for women. The death in 2022 of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of the morality police for allegedly violating hijab rules sparked Iran's biggest domestic unrest since the 1979 revolution that brought its clerical rulers to power. Panahi, who has been imprisoned several times in Iran, plans to return to his country after the festival, he told Reuters. 'Win or not, I was going to go back either way. Don't be afraid of challenges,' said the director who made films illegally during the 15-year ban that was recently lifted. Panahi added that he would never forget his first day at this year's festival, and getting to watch the film with an audience after all those years: 'Every moment was thrilling.' 'It Was Just An Accident,' which follows a garage owner who rashly kidnaps a one-legged man who looks like the one who tortured him in prison and then has to decide his fate, is only the second Iranian film to win, after 'Taste of Cherry' in 1997. 'Art mobilizes the creative energy of the most precious, most alive part of us. A force that transforms darkness into forgiveness, hope and new life,' said jury president Juliette Binoche when announcing why they chose Panahi for the award. Twenty-two films in total were competing for the prize at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, with entries from well-known directors Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson and Ari Aster. WITHOUT A HITCH Saturday's closing ceremony, which officially ends the glamour-filled festival, went off without a hitch after the Cannes area was hit by a power outage for several hours. 'Sentimental Value' from acclaimed director Joachim Trier received the Grand Prix, the second-highest prize after the Palme d'Or. The jury prize was split between the intergenerational family drama 'Sound of Falling' from German director Mascha Schilinski and 'Sirat', about a father and son who head into the Moroccan desert, by French-Spanish director Oliver Laxe. Brazil's 'The Secret Agent' was handed two awards, one for best actor for Wagner Moura, as well as best director for Kleber Mendonca Filho. 'I was having champagne,' said Mendonca Filho after he ran up to the stage again to collect his own award after celebrating the win for Moura, who was not in attendance. Newcomer Nadia Melliti took home best actress for 'The Little Sister', a queer coming-of-age story about the daughter of Algerian immigrants in Paris. Belgium's Dardenne brothers, who have the rare honour of already having won two Palme d'Or prizes, took home the award for best screenplay for their film 'Young Mothers'. Outside the competition line-up, director Spike Lee brought 'Highest 2 Lowest' starring Denzel Washington to the festival, while Tom Cruise was in town for what could be his final 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.' Washington, who was only briefly at the festival, received a surprise honorary Palme d'Or on Monday night. Robert De Niro had received the same honour, which had been announced in advance, during the opening ceremony on May 13.
GMA Network
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
'It Was Just An Accident' by Iran's Jafar Panahi wins Cannes' top prize
Director Jafar Panahi, Palme d'Or award winner for the film 'Un simple accident' (It Was Just an Accident), poses with award next to a team of the film on stage, during the closing ceremony of the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 24, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier CANNES, France - Revenge thriller "It Was Just An Accident" by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, who was barred from filmmaking for 15 years by the government in Tehran, won the Palme d'Or top prize on Saturday. With the award, Panahinow has the rare honor of winning the top prize at all three major European film festivals, after nabbing Berlin's Golden Bear for "Taxi" in 2015 and the Golden Lion at Venice for "The Circle" in 2000. The 64-year-old director, who last attended the festival in person in 2003, addressed his prize to all Iranians, saying the most important thing was Iran and the country's freedom. "Hoping that we will reach a day when no one will tell us what to wear or not wear, what to do or not do," he said, in an apparent reference to Iran's strict Islamic dress code for women. The death in 2022 of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of the morality police for allegedly violating hijab rules sparked Iran's biggest domestic unrest since the 1979 revolution that brought its clerical rulers to power. Panahi, who has been imprisoned several times in Iran, plans to return to his country after the festival, he told Reuters. "Win or not, I was going to go back either way. Don't be afraid of challenges," said the director who made films illegally during the 15-year ban that was recently lifted. Panahi added that he would never forget his first day at this year's festival, and getting to watch the film with an audience after all those years: "Every moment was thrilling." "It Was Just An Accident," which follows a garage owner who rashly kidnaps a one-legged man who looks like the one who tortured him in prison and then has to decide his fate, is only the second Iranian film to win, after "Taste of Cherry" in 1997. "Art mobilizes the creative energy of the most precious, most alive part of us. A force that transforms darkness into forgiveness, hope and new life," said jury president Juliette Binoche when announcing why they chose Panahi for the award. Twenty-two films in total were competing for the prize at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, with entries from well-known directors Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson and Ari Aster. Without a hitch Saturday's closing ceremony, which officially ends the glamour-filled festival, went off without a hitch after the Cannes area was hit by a power outage for several hours. "Sentimental Value" from acclaimed director Joachim Trier received the Grand Prix, the second-highest prize after the Palme d'Or. The jury prize was split between the intergenerational family drama "Sound of Falling" from German director Mascha Schilinski and "Sirat", about a father and son who head into the Moroccan desert, by French-Spanish director Oliver Laxe. Brazil's "The Secret Agent" was handed two awards, one for best actor for Wagner Moura, as well as best director for Kleber Mendonca Filho. "I was having champagne," said Mendonca Filho after he ran up to the stage again to collect his own award after celebrating the win for Moura, who was not in attendance. Newcomer Nadia Melliti took home best actress for "The Little Sister", a queer coming-of-age story about the daughter of Algerian immigrants in Paris. Belgium's Dardenne brothers, who have the rare honor of already having won two Palme d'Or prizes, took home the award for best screenplay for their film "Young Mothers". Outside the competition line-up, director Spike Lee brought "Highest 2 Lowest" starring Denzel Washington to the festival, while Tom Cruise was in town for what could be his final "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning." Washington, who was only briefly at the festival, received a surprise honorary Palme d'Or on Monday night. Robert De Niro had received the same honor, which had been announced in advance, during the opening ceremony on May 13. —Reuters
Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Director Panahi ready to return to Iran after Cannes to work on next film
Director Jafar Panahi, producer Philippe Martin and cast members Delnaz Najafi, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, and Majid Panahi pose during a photocall for the film \"Un simple accident\" (It Was Just an Accident) in competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier Director Jafar Panahi and cast members Delnaz Najafi, Mariam Afshari, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, pose during a photocall for the film \"Un simple accident\" (It Was Just an Accident) in competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe Director Jafar Panahi poses during a photocall for the film \"Un simple accident\" (It Was Just an Accident) in competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe Director Panahi ready to return to Iran after Cannes to work on next film CANNES, France - Although he is now free to travel again after a 15-year ban, Iranian director Jafar Panahi said on Wednesday he would be returning immediately to his country after attending the Cannes Film Festival to begin work on his next film. Panahi was in southern France for the premiere of his latest film "It Was Just An Accident," which is competing against 21 other films for the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or. The 64-year-old was banned from making films or travelling abroad for 20 years in 2010, after he was convicted of "propaganda against the system". That sentence was recently revoked, allowing him to travel again for the first time in 15 years. Despite the travel ban and multiple stints in jail, Panahi said that making films did not put him in any more danger than the actions of other Iranians. "Every day, there is a restriction about the veil, every day there is an issue, but we see women going out unveiled. Isn't that dangerous?" said Panahi. "As soon as the festival ends, the next evening I will be in Tehran," said the winner of several international awards, including the 2015 Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear for his film "Taxi". "I need to go think about what my next film will be." While he is also allowed to film again, Panahi said that the way he makes movies has not changed, as he does not follow the government's rules, such as submitting his script for approval. "It Was Just An Accident" follows Vahid, played by Vahid Mobasseri, who kidnaps a man with a false leg who looks just like the one who tortured him in prison and ruined his life. Panahi said that being in jail influenced the film but he himself did not experience all the stories recounted in it. "When you imprison an artist, you're giving them material, you're handing them new ideas. You're opening up a whole new world to them," said the director. The director, who was last at Cannes in person in 2003, when "Crimson Gold" was screened in the Un Certain Regard category, was visibly emotional, as was his cast, at Tuesday's premiere. "The excitement of being able to show the conditions we're working in, the circumstances under which we struggle, of being able to show so many things and have others understand-especially people who are not from the Middle East - was truly meaningful and compelling for us," said actor Mariam Afshari. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
