A red carpet protest against the arrest of Iranian director Jafar Panahi will take place at the Venice Film Festival, which begins its 11-day journey of movies and magic on August 31. A “flash mob” will be staged just before the premiere of his work, No Bears, on September 9.
Panahi was detained in June charged with criticising the Government. This follows a 20-year ban on making movies that kicked in in 2010.
The “flash mob” is to register solidarity with many other filmmakers who have been facing persecution like Panahi, who has been jailed for six years.
Panahi’s fellow director, Mohammad Rasoulof, was also imprisoned.
Panahi, though, has remained undeterred, creating one movie after another – albeit in utmost secrecy – and the most renowned among them was Taxi in 2015. It clinched the Golden Bear at Berlin. Panahi disguised himself as a cabbie and drove his car around Teheran picking passengers and recording their conversations with the help of a small camera placed on the dashboard.
No Bears comes after his 2018 Cannes Competition entry and Best Screenplay Award winner, 3 Faces. The Venice title weaves two kindred love stories, both involving partners overwhelmed by various obstacles. Panahi has produced, written and directed it. He also acts in it along with Naser Hashemi, Vahid Mobasheri, Bakhtiyar Panjeei and Mina Kavani.
Panahi was last seen on The Lido (off mainland Venice that hosts the Festival) in 2000 with The Circle – which walked away with the top Golden Lion.
Venice is also hosting a series of initiatives in support of Ukraine and its artists on September 8, under the banner ‘Ukrainian Day’.
The Festival ends on September 10.
