How Did Images of Iranian Filmmakers with the Slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom' Appear at the Cannes Festival?

Since the beginning of the 77th Cannes Film Festival, large images of Iranian filmmakers with the slogan 'Women, Life, Freedom' have been displayed at the entrance of the Majestic Hotel in Cannes, where special guests of the famous festival stay. Nasser Taghvai, Jafar Panahi, Soheila Golestani, Shirin Neshat, Golshifteh Farahani, Bahman Ghobadi, Marzieh Vafamehr, Abdolreza Kahani, Hossein Rajabian, Keyvan Karimi, Sahar Mosayebi, Sepideh Farsi, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, and Homayoun Ghanizadeh are among the filmmakers whose images were showcased in this special program. According to the organizers, the filmmakers whose images were displayed at the main hotel of the Cannes Festival have worked under pressure and censorship, with some forced to leave Iran. A description accompanying the images at the Majestic Hotel states, 'These artists are narrators who have been censored for their creative expression. Each of them has paid a price for voicing the demand that women be heard and seen. The struggle for women's rights is timeless and universal.' This unprecedented program was managed by Patrick Nason, a Belgian photographer, and Fedra Fateh, an Iranian-American lawyer. Mr. Nason explained to Radio Farda's 'Scene' about the execution of this program and his focus on Iranian filmmakers: 'We had to do something for them; we had to fight for these women and men because for the first time, men are risking their lives for women. A few months ago, we had the idea to use the wide visibility of the Cannes Festival to promote this brave wave of women and men, considering the fact that they cannot express this demand themselves.' Mr. Nason described photographing these figures as one of his best projects, stating, 'I felt that I didn't have a camera for photography but a weapon because I knew that with every photo I took, I could get these individuals into trouble—not just themselves but their families and loved ones who still live in Iran. Facing this was truly difficult, but meeting these filmmakers and photographing them was very pleasant. On the other hand, I felt I was participating in something that could lead to their arrest and problems for them.' The program to honor Iranian filmmakers was carried out with the help of various individuals for consultation and coordination. Vahid Rastgoo was among the collaborators as the artistic director. He explained the process of executing this program and how filmmakers were selected for their images to be displayed: 'We compiled a long list of various censored filmmakers and began contacting them. We explained the project, but some were unwilling to participate for various reasons. Ultimately, we arrived at the current list.' Mr. Rastgoo stated that the execution of this program was only possible through the funding of its main organizers, Patrick Nason and Fedra Fateh, and no financial assistance was received from any group, organization, or entity. Abdolreza Kahani, a well-known writer and director, is one of the filmmakers whose image was displayed in front of the Majestic Hotel. Mr. Kahani, who attended this year's Cannes Festival, shared his perspective on this program in an interview with Radio Farda's 'Scene': 'As far as I know, the planning for this project has been underway for a long time. What I found interesting was Patrick's travel to different continents to photograph Iranian filmmakers. This itself shows our absence under one roof and, in a way, our displacement, reflecting the conditions we had and where we have now ended up. Many others are missing from this project, and I inquired about it and was told that time was limited and access to some was not possible. Nevertheless, we are representatives of those who worked hard, and I am happy to have an image in this project.' Mr. Kahani also explained his reasons for accepting to participate in this project: 'I felt that by doing this, I could take a step to reflect the voices of Iranian filmmakers, and on the other hand, anything that causes discomfort for the Iranian rulers is pleasing to me, and since I know that people will be happy, I accepted without hesitation.' Several filmmakers whose images were displayed in the 'Women, Life, Freedom' exhibition at the Cannes Festival reside in Iran. The photography of these individuals was done by Majid Saidi, a well-known photographer. Mr. Saidi explained about these photos to 'Scene': 'For various reasons, this project had little time, so it was a heavy project. I had no interference in the executive matters, and all these affairs were done at Mr. Patrick's discretion. Given that all portraits had to have the same level, light, and frame, it was an interesting experience. We also took the image of Professor Nasser Taghvai from the personal collection of Maryam Zandi because we did not have access to Mr. Taghvai. It is a very, very excellent image.' This special exhibition will remain at the entrance of the Majestic Hotel until the end of the 77th Cannes Film Festival.