Latest news with #JafarPanahi
Free Malaysia Today
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Free Malaysia Today
Iran silent as dissident director wins Cannes' top prize
Jafar Panahi has been banned from filmmaking since 2010 and jailed multiple times. (AP pic) TEHRAN : Iranian authorities offered no reaction today after dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the Cannes Film Festival's top prize for his political drama. Panahi, 64, was awarded the Palme d'Or last night for 'It Was Just an Accident' – a film in which five Iranians confront a man they believe tortured them in prison. A story inspired by his own time in detention, it had led critics' polls throughout the week at Cannes. The win has so far been met with silence from Iran's government and ignored by the state broadcaster, which instead focused on a state-aligned 'Resistance' film festival. The conservative Fars news agency suggested the jury's choice was politically motivated, saying it was 'not uninfluenced by the political issues surrounding Jafar Panahi inside Iran'. Reformist newspapers Etemad, Shargh and Ham Mihan reported the win on their websites but did not feature it on their front pages, possibly due to the timing of the announcement. Panahi, who has been banned from filmmaking since 2010 and jailed multiple times, addressed the Cannes audience with a call for national unity. He confirmed plans to return to Iran immediately. Asked last night if he feared arrest, he said: 'Not at all. Tomorrow we are leaving.' This marks only the second time an Iranian director has won the Palme d'Or, after the late Abbas Kiarostami received the honour for 'Taste of Cherry' in 1997. Both directors faced bans throughout their careers.
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
The auteur of dissent
There is a scene in the 2015 movie Taxi Tehran where a seller of counterfeited foreign movie CDs use a taxi, driven by the director of the movie playing himself, to make a sale. While mainstream directors rue counterfeits, Jafar Panahi observes the transaction with an expression of sorrow and understanding. The Iranian director, who had to shoot most of his movies in secrecy and smuggle them out of his country, in a flash drive hidden inside a birthday cake in one instance, also gives some words of advice to the young buyer who is an aspiring filmmaker. The books and movies available are already made, Panahi says to the young man, one must look beyond what is in front of him. But Panahi, ironically in a sense, did throughout his career what he advised the young man not to do. He turned his lens to what was in front of him and showed it to the world despite the Iranian authorities branding him an 'enemy of the state'. They banned him from making movies or leaving the country, and imprisoned him at the notorious Evin prison. Standing under the spotlight at the Cannes Riviera last week, holding the prestigious Palme d'Or for his 'revenge thriller' It Was Just an Accident, Panahi expressed hope that his society could get to a place where no one is told what or what not to do and what or what not to make. Inspired by his experiences in jail, It Was Just an Accident is born from the artistic resistance of authoritarianism that is present throughout his filmography, including The Circle, Closed Curtain, Offside, and This Is Not a Film. Panahi recalls how, during his imprisonment in 2022 for charges of participating in the Green Wave movement following the controversial re-election of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009, he was blindfolded during interrogation with questions coming from behind him. He says voices with no faces play a huge role in the minds of prisoners, and his latest movie takes off with this aspect. The movie centres around the moral dilemma among a group of former prisoners after kidnapping a man whose boots made the sound one of them had heard while being tortured in prison. But they are not sure whether he was indeed the torturer or not, creating the core conflict of the movie. Social filmmaker Cannes 2025 was Panahi's first trip out of Iran in 15 years after the country's top court quashed his conviction. It was also the first time in that period that he was watching one of his movies at a cinema with an audience. Panahi, who describes himself as a 'social filmmaker', says the presence of audience for his movies and the ability to see their reaction in person would have made his works a lot better. But the lack of audience didn't stop him from framing the streets of Tehran. He took his camera through the changes of Iranian society. Panahi says he always portrays the truth and reality around him, and his movies before 2022 had women in headscarves and veils as seen in the streets. He recalls hearing of the protests against the mandatory dress code sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while being in prison, and seeing women without scarves while on a hospital visit from prison. And his movies post imprisonment showed the silent protest of women without scarves, he says, like the brave women who chose to disobey the codes. While Panahi returned to Iran to a cheering welcome after the Cannes triumph, it is still unclear what awaits him at home. He had made his latest film, like most of his works, in secrecy without submitting its script to the authorities for scrutiny as is stipulated. Iran has already sought explanation from a French envoy over a French Minister's praise of the film while conservative critics have disregarded Panahi's achievement. But Panahi says his return is in solidarity with the women who have opted to go against the orthodox moral system. 'I just made a movie,' he has said, 'which is not as courageous as what the women, who will be unknown to the world, are doing. Everyone will know if I am arrested, but no one will hear of them. That is why I must go back'.
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Cannes 25 : Jafar Panahi's "It Was Just an Accident" – A Darkly Humorous Triumph of Resistance
In a year marked by cinematic brilliance, the 78th Cannes Film Festival crowned Iranian film maker Jafar Panahi with the prestigious Palme d'Or for his latest work, "It Was Just an Accident". This Iranian drama tackles the legacy of state-sponsored torture with emotional precision, weaving themes of trauma, memory, justice, and unexpected levity. A Haunting Tale The narrative follows a former political prisoner who, upon a chance encounter with a man, becomes convinced he's face-to-face with his past torturer. A seemingly ordinary moment—a simple incident—jolts his memory. He hears a voice and is suddenly transported back to the interrogation room. Could this man in front of him be the one who tortured him? He can't be certain—his eyes were always blindfolded during those harrowing sessions. Darkness with Humour From there, director Jafar Panahi leads us into a haunting yet deeply engaging detective story. The protagonist seeks out fellow survivors, hoping to piece together the truth. What follows is a journey of collective memory, trauma, and camaraderie, where each character contributes a piece of the puzzle—and reveals their own scars. Panahi's genius lies in his ability to infuse dark subject matter with moments of humour. In scenes that could easily become unbearably heavy, the filmmaker dares to insert levity—not for cheap relief, but as a testament to the survivors' resilience. The audience laughs not because the pain is lessened, but because it is deeply human to seek light in the darkest of places. The film's epic climax—a confrontation between the survivors and the suspected torturer—is masterfully executed. The tension is suffocating, the emotions raw. You feel everything: rage, confusion, fear, even a glimmer of compassion. It's a scene where emotions run high and the lines between victim and perpetrator blur. The audience, much like the characters, is left questioning the nature of justice and the reliability of memory. In a masterstroke, Panahi reveals how easily perceptions can be manipulated, leaving viewers both shocked and contemplative. Lens Through Memory Visually, "It Was Just an Accident" is a triumph. The director uses the camera like a memory—often uncertain, jittery, sometimes fading in and out of clarity. Tight close-ups force us into the characters' emotional spaces, while stark lighting and muted palettes reflect the trauma that never truly leaves them. The cinematography turns small moments—a flicker of recognition, a trembling hand—into profound beats of storytelling. "It Was Just an Accident" is more than just a film; it's a testament to the power of storytelling in challenging oppressive systems. Panahi's ability to weave a tale that's both harrowing and humorous showcases his mastery as a filmmaker.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
I Helped Pick National Endowment for the Arts Grant Recipients. Trump Eliminated Many of Them
At this year's Cannes Film Festival, Palme d'Or winner Jafar Panahi delivered the ultimate rebuke to the attempted censorship of art: His acclaimed It Was Just an Accident, in which a group of ex-prisoners kidnap their torturer, was made only a short time after his seven-month prison sentence. Over the years, Panahi has confronted attempts to restrict his work through various clandestine methods that may be instructive to Americans in the present climate. If that sounds extreme, look at the evisceration of recent National Endowment for the Arts grants that have proved vital to America's film culture. These decisions suggest an effort to suppress all but the most overt nationalistic efforts from American artists, a fool's errand given the outspoken nature of the creative community, and one that is not unfamiliar around the globe. Censorship has wormed its way into American cinema. More from The Hollywood Reporter Bono Weighs in on Trump-Bruce Springsteen Drama: "There's Only One Boss in America" Trump Pardons Rapper NBA Youngboy, Who Was Sentenced for Gun-Related Charges Trump Plans to Pardon Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley In many other countries, efforts to reduce creativity to propaganda often lead to filmmakers navigating the system in unique ways, with some recent examples on display at this year's Cannes. We'll get to that shortly, but first, it's worth considering the immediate impact of the assault on the NEA. The organization's effects may register as minimal relative to film-financing efforts overseas. Watch any random movie in the Cannes selection and you're bound to see a parade of opening credits signaling production resources from across Europe, including many national film funds. America has never possessed any public financing body on that scale, but for years, at least it had the NEA. A week before Cannes, the Trump administration eliminated countless NEA grants that recipients — from theaters to arts organizations — expected to receive. Last summer, I served on an NEA panel that selected a few of these finalists. While I'm not at liberty to reveal those entities, many of them were critical to the support system necessary for cinema to thrive on America's margins: The list included film clubs, festivals, screening series and other collective efforts to sustain an expansive presence for moviegoing beyond the biggest commercial offerings. These funds rarely exceed tens of thousands of dollars, but they help sustain organizations that foster filmmaking on the local level, efforts that help ensure both audiences and artists continue to engage with movies as a part of America's entertainment infrastructure. The decision to disburse these funds unfolded under circumstances rarely discussed in public due to a confidentiality arrangement that, as far as I'm concerned, has been nullified by the cancellations. It was a democratic process the whole way through. NEA administrators shared dozens of applications for panelists to review and required that we share not only numerical scores, but also written comments for each one. This was followed by a series of Zoom conversations that allowed for greater nuance in the decisions made. In essence, the American government outsourced its support of the arts to the creative community. Throughout the deliberations, nobody used the letters 'DEI' to justify their decisions, though the future administration would later claim such logic was behind many of the canceled grants in the months to come. Instead, many of the conversations centered around geographic balance, as applicants from underserved arts communities in states ranging from New Mexico to Florida received special attention, even as established entities in big cities sailed through based on their obvious institutional needs. Because panelists had to provide written feedback with each application, it wasn't possible to simply skim applications for appealing buzzwords. By paying close attention to each submission, panelists grappled with not only the specific needs, but also how each organization or entity made the case. As a result, in early June, we convened to discuss a final top 10 that included a major university as well as several film festivals and financing bodies from across the country. Sure, some of them supported underrepresented communities — but they did more than that. Ironically, given the rhetoric around tariffs and overseas filmmaking taking away American jobs, these resources would have provided a valuable foundation for more production to take place on the local level. Instead, their cancellations amount to explicit censorship, as well as missed opportunities for economic growth. In light of that, this year's Cannes lineup was instructive in unexpected ways, as it demonstrated the way certain filmmakers navigate their own autocratic threats to freedom of expression. Only at Cannes could one find immediate parallels between Iran, Israel and Ukraine. All three countries produced major cinematic works that contend with life under oppressive leadership, despite those countries having oversight on the stories they tell. Panahi's It Was Just an Accident is a searing indictment of the country's regime. It's safe to say that no major filmmaker has courted the animus of his government as much as Panahi, who has found savvy ways to direct movies even while officially banned from making them. His diary-like home production This Is Not a Film was produced under house arrest, while the masterful Taxi was shot within the confines of a cab that the director himself drove around Tehran. Panahi was jailed for nearly seven months between 2022 and 2023, but stuck around upon his release to make It Was Just an Accident with his usual savviness. According to sources on the production, Panahi submitted the project to Iran's Ministry of Culture for shooting permits by describing it as a documentary. Sometimes you have to break the rules to produce the art worth fighting for. Then there is Nadav Lapid's Yes, which follows a hard-partying Tel Aviv couple conflicted over the war in Gaza. Lapid has long cast a critical gaze on his country with celebrated works such as Policeman and Syndromes, but Yes marks his first undertaking since the Oct. 7 attack. It's a brazen and shocking satire of a nation living comfortably while unspeakable horrors take place on their doorstep. Directing the movie in the immediate aftermath of Israel's Gaza invasion, Lapid had to work under guerrilla conditions, outsourcing his financing needs to France, and finding additional support from the independent financing body the Israel Film Fund. Lapid reportedly gained a secondary citizenship in France to receive international financing as a means of overcoming the limited support he received on the homefront, where the government was wary of his production during such divisive times. Censorship has gradually crept into Israeli society, with the government often taking a hard line against even the hint of pro-Palestinian sentiments in locally produced art. Lapid's new movie certainly has that, though it couches the perspective within a pair of protagonists clearly divided over their allegiances. This appears to have been a storytelling tactic that allowed the movie to sneak through the hurdles necessary to get made. One last example stems from a subtler form of censorship. In 2023, Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa was booted from the Ukrainian Film Academy after he voiced opposition to the decision to exclude Russian films from the European Film Awards. 'Many friends and colleagues, Russian filmmakers, have taken a stand against this insane war,' Loznitsa wrote in an open letter at the time. 'They are victims, as we are, of this aggression.' Loznitsa's latest movie, Two Prosecutors, serves as the next stage of that response. Set in the Soviet Union circa 1937, the bracing drama finds a newly graduated law student attempting to exonerate an imprisoned prosecutor falsely accused by Stalin's regime. An idealist who believes in the law, the young prosecutor finds himself lost in a Kafkaesque labyrinth of prison cells in his efforts to locate and assist the prisoner — who has resigned himself to his fate. Despite the gloomy overtones, Loznitsa's powerful movie asserts that goodness hides within the confines of institutional control, worming its way through the boundaries of bureaucratic red tape in an effort to do some good. In America, there is no shortage of similar stories demanding to be told, no matter the economic censorship that might slow them down. Seek international support, bury the lead or hide in the shadows to make the work as pure as possible: These are the global lessons for America from this year's Cannes Film Festival. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Kamal Haasan interview and ‘Karate Kid: Legends' review
Around Tinsel Town Cannes Film Festival 2025 comes to a close Power outages may have shrouded the French Riviera in literal darkness on the final day of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, but the Palais still managed to deliver an electric finale. Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi took home the Palme d'Or for his absurdist drama, It Was Just an Accident, marking both a personal and political victory for its maker, but also for U.S. distributor Neon, now six-for-six in Cannes' top prize. Here's a collection of stories from the Cannes Film Festival 2025: > Jafar Panahi's 'It Was Just an Accident' wins Palme d'Or, a staggering sixth straight triumph for Neon > Chilean AIDS drama 'The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo' wins Un Certain Regard while India's 'Homebound' leaves empty-handed > Complete list of winners from the closing ceremony > The true story behind Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound', inspired by a pandemic-era New York Times essay > India's appearances on the red carpet and beyond, in pictures > Alia Bhatt attends the closing ceremony red carpet in custom Gucci gown > Panda wins the 2025 Palm Dog award at Cannes — and a look-alike accepts > Power outage hits Cannes region during film festival Bollywood Sandeep Reddy Vanga fires back after Deepika Padukone's exit from 'Spirit' 'Son of Sardar' actor Mukul Dev passes away at 54 'Hera Pheri 3' controversy: Paresh Rawal responds to Akshay Kumar's suit, says exit from film was 'rightful' CBFC clears 'Dhadak 2' after 16 cuts, including altered anti-caste references Abhishek Banerjee-led crime thriller 'Stolen' gets premiere date Hollywood HBO's 'Harry Potter' finds its Harry, Hermoine and Ron from a pool of 30,000 'Andor' Season 2 submitted in 23 Emmy categories as Disney positions frontrunning contention 'The Wheel of Time' gets cancelled after three seasons Chris Hemsworth's Thor tribute fuels MCU exit rumors ahead of 'Avengers: Doomsday' Miley Cyrus reveals she caught 'brutal infection' on kneecap after shooting 'Something Beautiful' on Hollywood Walk of Fame Regional Cinema Kamal Haasan sparks outrage with 'Kannada came from Tamil' claim, BJP demands apology Actor Unni Mukundan booked for allegedly assaulting manager Mani Ratnam responds to Anurag Kashyap's criticism of English lyrics in Tamil songs Hombale Films of 'KGF' and 'Kantara' fame announces project with Hrithik Roshan 'Kannappa' hard drive containing crucial movie VFX visuals gets 'stolen': The perpetrator's identity is known, say producers Trailers Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh are murder suspects in the trailer for 'Housefull 5' The Straw Hats throw a slumber party as Netflix teases Chopper ahead of TUDUM in teaser for 'One Piece' Live-Action Season 2 Keanu Reeves plays a downcast angel in Aziz Ansari comedy in teaser for 'Good Fortune' YouTubers investigate a haunted property in Srinidhi Bengaluru's found footage thriller in teaser for 'Video' Vijay Antony investigates a 'devil' in this unique investigative thriller in the trailer for 'Maargan' Essential reading 1) Kamal Haasan interview: On 'Thug Life', AI in cinema and his unrealised projects >> Kamal Haasan on reuniting with director Mani Ratnam for 'Thug Life', releasing on June 5 2) Silambarasan TR interview: On Kamal Haasan's 'Thug Life' and making a 'fanboy sambavam' with Ashwath Marimuthu >> The star opens up on a lesson he learnt from Kamal Haasan's approach to stardom, why he no longer seeks validation from the results of his films, and the criticism he has faced as a star who doesn't push himself enough 3) Interview | Basharat Peer on the story that became 'Homebound' >> As 'Homebound' evokes global interest, writer and journalist Basharat Peer takes us to the origins of the moving tale of friendship and upholding human dignity in the face of tragedy 4) Roshan Mathew interview: On 'Kankhajura' and feeling at home in Hindi cinema >> Actor Roshan Mathew opens up on his upcoming web series 'Kankhajura', playing complex roles and picking the right scripts for Hindi web series 5) Malayalam filmmaker Manu Swaraj on his directorial debut, 'Padakkalam', a sleeper hit at the box office >> Manu Swaraj, who has assisted Basil Joseph in 'Kunjiramayanam' and Minnal Murali, talks about his directorial debut, 'Padakkalam', a fantasy entertainer 6) Lights, Camera, Kathipara: Chennai's vanishing role in Tamil cinema >> Since the '60s and '70s, Tamil filmmakers have found fascinating ways to celebrate Chennai on celluloid. However, in the last five years, filmmakers have largely refrained from using the city as a storytelling instrument 7) Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025: Fan-favorite action spectacle 'Solo Leveling' topples fronturunner 'Frieren' in massive populist upset >> Straddling the demands of blockbuster appeal and the yearning for introspective artistry, the 'Solo Leveling–Frieren' face-off offers up a microcosm to the state of the anime community today 8) 'Tintin'-style comic book makeover for 'Lakadbaggha' film action hero >> With an eye on young readers and audiences, actor Anshuman Jha turns his 2023 indie film into a comic book 9) Rajesh: An actor who could traverse the arc of emotions >> When Tamil cinema moved from the MGR-Sivaji Ganesan era and stepped into the decades shaped by Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan from the late 1970s and early 1980s, Rajesh carved his own unique space What to watch 1) Read the full review here 2) Read the full review here 3) Read the full review here 4) Read the full review here 5) Read the full review here 6) 'The Last of Us' Season 2 finale is a somewhat jumbled set-up for Season 3 Read the full review here 7) Guy Ritchie's Indiana Jones-wannabe, Fountain of Youth' is a mealy mouthed bore Read the full review here 8) Narivetta is an uncomfortable story that needed to be told Read the full review here
