Ali Asgari, Director of 'Earthly Verses', Banned from Leaving Iran and Prohibited from Film Activities

Ali Asgari, an Iranian filmmaker who shone at the Cannes Film Festival with his new film 'Earthly Verses', has been banned from leaving the country by the Islamic Republic authorities and is prohibited from engaging in film activities. According to 'Variety', Asgari's passport was confiscated upon his return to Iran after co-directing 'Earthly Verses' with Alireza Khatami, the only film present at this year's Cannes festival. Iranian officials aim to prevent Asgari's participation in international festivals and have threatened him with imprisonment in an attempt to silence this young filmmaker. This method is noted as a common approach by the 'Iranian regime' to deal with its critical filmmakers. Recently, Saeed Roustayi, director of 'Brothers Leila', was sentenced to six months in prison and banned from film activities due to the screening of his film at last year's Cannes festival. 'Earthly Verses' is a satirical work about the Iranian government, depicting the daily lives of people from all walks of life. The film compellingly illustrates the cultural, religious, and organizational restrictions imposed on the people by various authorities, from school teachers to bureaucrats. Alireza Khatami, the Iranian-American filmmaker residing in Canada who co-directed 'Earthly Verses' with Asgari, told Variety that 'over the past two years, he has witnessed a terrifying escalation of censorship in Iranian cinema by the regime, which increasingly isolates filmmakers and limits their creative methods.' According to Khatami, 'Earthly Verses' reflects the realities of Iran, as many of the film's dialogues stem from real experiences, and their cinematic narrative is not merely a fictional work. He expresses regret over the consequences faced by Asgari, his friend and collaborator, and notes the regime's skill in applying intimidation. Khatami states that the Islamic Republic employs a range of threats and legal consequences against Iranian filmmakers beyond content review and censorship. He says, 'The regime's main goal is undeniable: to oversee and control the cinematic narrative of Iran and ensure complete adherence to their ideological narrative.' Jean-Christophe Simon at Boutique Films, the global distributor of 'Earthly Verses', expressed concern for Asgari's situation and emphasized the importance of international cinema and media communities supporting Iranian filmmakers and artists. He added, 'Unfortunately, this is another example of Iranian authorities' efforts to restrict filmmakers and, more broadly, the freedom of people in Iran, especially following the arrest of Saeed Roustayi, an Iranian filmmaker.' This film company has collaborated with many Iranian filmmakers in recent years, particularly Mohammad Rasoulof, who won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2020 with his film 'There Is No Evil'. Kaveh Farnam, a film producer, commented on such rulings against Iranian filmmakers to the Persian section of Voice of America, stating, 'Undoubtedly, the deprivation of the right to travel, especially for attending film festivals, not only harms filmmakers professionally and personally but also damages Iranian cinema and hinders the credibility of independent Iranian cinema.' Farnam, a member of the Independent Filmmakers Association of Iran, added, 'The pressure, violence, and security atmosphere that envelops the entire society undoubtedly extends to its cinematic community and its prominent artists, involving summons for interrogation, pressure, and threats for false and forced confessions.' He stated, 'The threat primarily reflects the fear and terror of the regime, fear of the people and society, and fear of the influence and impact of filmmakers on the public, but the work continues.' This report utilizes information from Variety.