Film Festival Rotterdam Expresses Solidarity with Soheila Golestani, Iranian Filmmaker

Vania Kalogerichich, director of the Rotterdam Film Festival, reacted on Friday, February 1, to the Iranian government's prevention of Soheila Golestani, an Iranian actress and filmmaker, from traveling to the Netherlands. Ms. Golestani, who was selected as one of the judges for the main competitive section of the Rotterdam festival, was not allowed to leave Iran to participate in this cinematic event. She has been accused of 'propaganda against the regime and promoting immorality' for her role in the film 'Fig Tree of Temples' by renowned Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, and is not permitted to leave Iran. A court session for Soheila Golestani has been held, but no verdict has yet been issued. Vania Kalogerichich expressed regret that Ms. Golestani could not attend the Rotterdam festival, stating that he was not 'surprised' by the Iranian government's actions. He further noted that Mohammad Rasoulof, the director of this film, has repeatedly faced such consequences for speaking the truth in his works. Rasoulof, who made 'Fig Tree of Temples' underground in Iran, fled the country last year after being sentenced to eight years in prison and lashes by the Islamic Republic, and is currently residing in Germany. Vania Kalogerichich, referring to the presence of this Iranian director at the Rotterdam festival and a session featuring him on 'Cinema and the Rise of Despotism,' stated that the Iranian government's prevention of Soheila Golestani's exit from Iran shows the real and immediate challenges filmmakers face. He expressed solidarity with Soheila Golestani, hoping that the global cinema community would support this Iranian artist, as she has become a victim of oppression and harsh treatment for expressing her views; an experience many artists understand well. Soheila Golestani was supposed to be on the jury alongside Yuki Aditya, Winnie Lau, Peter Strickland, and Andrea Luka Zimmerman in the main competitive section of the Rotterdam festival. Somayeh Haqnegahdar, a documentary filmmaker and member of the Independent Filmmakers Association of Iran, told Voice of America that Soheila Golestani is her classmate and they entered the Cinema and Theater Faculty in 1998 together. According to Ms. Haqnegahdar, Soheila Golestani studied theater but chose cinema. She further adds: 'The Islamic Republic has been trying for years to control and censor artists, especially filmmakers, through pressure, which has often led to official or unofficial bans on filmmakers, and in some cases forced them to leave their country.' Ms. Haqnegahdar states: 'Specifically, after the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, the Islamic Republic has taken clear and widespread actions to threaten, arrest, and suppress filmmakers who they do not see as aligned with the regime's demands. Stricter control over produced works and the exit bans on many filmmakers continue this suppression.' She continues: 'However, the absence of Iranian filmmakers invited to festivals and cinematic events has not gone unnoticed by the global cinema community. Widespread international reactions reflect a greater awareness of the situation of Iranian filmmakers under repression and censorship in various countries around the world. On the one hand, this could increasingly discredit the Islamic Republic in the cinematic arena and make its oppressive and anti-art nature more apparent.' Somayeh Haqnegahdar comments on Soheila Golestani, saying: 'She is one of the well-known artists who, in the early months of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, protested against the repression and events following the murder of Mahsa Jina Amini by performing without mandatory hijab, for which she was arrested. By her performance in the film Fig Tree of Temples, she again showed her support for the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.' She adds: 'Soheila Golestani's courage in playing a role in a film from independent Iranian cinema that disregards all censorship red lines and the official narrative of Iranian cinema is commendable, as she must have known the consequences of this collaboration. This collaboration has led to consequences for Soheila, such as a work ban and exit ban. Her absence from the 2024 Cannes Festival and other festivals, and now her absence from the Rotterdam jury, is evidence that although the Islamic regime tries to normalize everything with the new government and the resumption of official Iranian cinema filmmaking, it cannot hide its despotic and oppressive nature in global cinematic circles.' According to Ms. Haqnegahdar, the Islamic Republic is a regime that has always tried to prevent independent Iranian cinema from working through propaganda and lies, stopping it with repression and censorship. The Iranian government has filed similar legal cases against several other contributors to the film 'Fig Tree of Temples.' This work was inspired by the nationwide protests of 2022 in Iran, known as the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement. Mohammad Rasoulof made 'Fig Tree of Temples' underground in Iran and secretly screened it for the first time at the Cannes International Film Festival in France last summer. This film is competing as Germany's representative in the international section of the Oscars and is considered a contender for the award. 'Fig Tree of Temples' tells the story of an investigative judge of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran named 'Iman,' who suffers from distrust and paranoia. As political protests in Iran escalate, the judge's weapon mysteriously disappears. Judge Iman becomes suspicious of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Thna, leading him to take severe actions at home that create tension. This article was compiled using reports from Deadline, Daily Screen, the Rotterdam Film Festival website, and Voice of America.