Golshifteh Farahani in the film 'Shelter' alongside Israeli actors and director

The promotion of the latest film featuring Golshifteh Farahani, the renowned Iranian artist residing in Europe, shows her alongside Israeli actors in a film directed by a filmmaker from that country, under a joint title from Israel, Germany, and France. Thus, Golshifteh Farahani becomes the second prominent Iranian actor after Navid Negahban to have acted alongside Israeli actors in a film in recent years. The 93-minute film titled 'Shelter' is directed by Eran Riklis and stars Neta Riskin, Li Or Ashkenazi, and Yehuda Almagor. Eran Riklis also adapted the screenplay based on the book 'The Ring of Agents' by Shulamit Hareven. While Navid Negahban, an Iranian actor residing in the U.S., played the role of an Iranian Jewish immigrant to Israel in the film 'Baba Joon,' Golshifteh portrays a Lebanese woman who collaborated with the Israeli intelligence agency. Golshifteh plays the role of Mona, the wife of the Hezbollah leader who was a Mossad informant; her secret is revealed, and she is quickly evacuated from Beirut with the promise of starting a new life in the West; for this purpose, she has undergone facial surgery; however, many complications from her past remain in this Arab country neighboring Israel. Noa Rimon, a young female Mossad officer with a significant personal burden, is dispatched to a safe house in Hamburg, Germany, to care for the operated Mona for two weeks, to protect her from those who want to reach her; this seemingly simple and calm mission becomes complicated, and both women find themselves in danger. The film was nominated for the Best Film Score award by the Israeli Academy of Cinema before its commercial release. Critics have noted that the cinematography by German Sebastian Schmidt, with seductive colors and full of movement, greatly contributes to the film's beauty and energy. However, Kayhan, a hardline newspaper supporting the conservative faction in Iran, with editorial leadership by Hossein Shariatmadari, who represents Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reacted on Wednesday, January 17, to Golshifteh's acting alongside Israeli artists, calling her a 'stateless actor.' Kayhan wrote in its 'Literary and Artistic News' section that 'Farahani's collaboration with the occupying regime of Jerusalem occurs at a time when Israel has become a detestable name, and many artists around the world are boycotting this usurping regime.' The implicit reference by Kayhan is to the Palestinian-supporting BDS movement, which calls for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel and warns other artists worldwide against participating in Israeli cultural and artistic endeavors. Kayhan stated, 'It is noteworthy that Farahani plays the role of a Mossad spy in this Israeli film.' However, the question arises: would Golshifteh have faced less backlash if she had played the role of a Palestinian woman in an Israeli film? Meanwhile, Kayhan, in its attempt to discredit this Iranian artist, added, 'This film, like many others in which this actress has acted abroad, is of third-rate professional quality and lacks artistic value and credibility.' However, Kayhan did not specify the criteria on which this 'assessment' was definitively based. Kayhan has also attributed to her the statement that after leaving Iran, she said in an interview, 'I owe my life to my Baha'i mother and my communist father'; words and titles that she likely never uttered and which Kayhan has attributed to this artistic figure in its usual style. The 34-year-old Golshifteh, whose official name is Rahavard, is the daughter of Behzad Farahani and Ms. Fahimeh Rahimnia. A decade of accusations from hardline media linked to the Iranian government has not deterred the people of Iran and Iranians worldwide from paying attention to this artistic family. Behzad Farahani, Golshifteh's father, has been one of the most prominent figures in the cultural and artistic world of Iran for decades; Shaghayegh, Golshifteh's sister, still acts in Iranian cinema; her older brother Azarakhsh is a musician and has also appeared in films. Golshifteh has appeared in Iranian cinema since the age of 14; despite the significant fame she gained in her cinematic works at that time in Iran, she left her country and family behind, as she stated that her acting alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in a film in 2008 led to a process that, along with interrogations by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and other abuses, left her with no choice but to leave Iran. Throughout her years living in Europe, Golshifteh has faced offers from directors in various countries to act in multiple films. During her nine years of residence in France, she acted in about 15 films, including 'Golab' directed by Jon Stewart, and her participation in the film 'Shelter' alongside Israeli actors was her last work in 2017.