Is Asghar Farhadi Worthy of an Oscar?

Everything is ready for Asghar Farhadi to win his second Oscar on Sunday night with the film "The Salesman"—a prestigious honor that has been awarded more than once to filmmakers like Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, and Vittorio De Sica in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Since 1983, when Bergman won the Oscar for his masterpiece "Fanny and Alexander" for the umpteenth time, no one has won this award twice. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' clear support for Asghar Farhadi against the new law imposed by Donald Trump, which prevents citizens from seven countries including Iran from entering the U.S., the protests on Friday in Los Angeles against these policies, and Farhadi's message for this protest, the free screening of "The Salesman" just hours before the Oscar ceremony in the most famous square in London in protest of the discriminatory law, the predictions of critics in the media and betting agencies, and finally the collective statement from five directors nominated in this category—published on Saturday—against discrimination and judging people based on their birthplace and religion, all indicate that it is highly likely that "The Salesman" will bring Farhadi his second Oscar, and if this does not happen, it would be surprising. Will "The Salesman" win the Oscar solely for this reason? No, "The Salesman" was not nominated for political reasons alone, nor will it win for that reason. It was rightfully nominated for its values even before this law was enacted. According to previous predictions—before Trump’s law—it seemed the main competition would be between "Toni Erdmann" and "The Salesman." "Toni Erdmann" is a brilliant film that was unjustly overlooked by the Cannes judges, even though it was the best film at this year's Cannes festival, but critics retaliated and it was often chosen as the best film of the year. But is "Toni Erdmann" an "Oscar-worthy" film? I think not entirely, because "Toni Erdmann" is ultimately an intellectual film and not for the general audience. Experience has shown that the Oscars are more often awarded to films that also satisfy the general audience. Therefore, I believe "The Salesman" was already one of the main contenders for this year's Oscar, although there is no doubt that recent events have doubled the film's chances. Where should we seek the values of "The Salesman"? The values of "The Salesman," apart from its remarkable technical superiority, lie in the world that Farhadi builds as an auteur filmmaker: complex concerns about ethics and judgment that are depicted in various forms in each of his films, and here too, it involves engaging characters with precision and an emphasis on astonishing details, blending with the world of theater and sharing the filmmaker's complex themes and questions—often unanswered—with the intelligent viewer. Why was "The Salesman" attacked inside Iran? The significant backlash against "The Salesman" within Iran reflects a pathological state where security groups mobilize as "critics" against a film that is not aligned with—and does not serve—the Islamic Republic's "value" policies. A clear example is the security program "Haft" on the Islamic Republic's television, which uses every opportunity to attack this film and Asghar Farhadi—whether justified or not. Some, of course, outside of politics, seek logical flaws in the film's story, unaware that, as Buñuel said, "Cinema is a great illusion that becomes more real than reality itself." This means that not everything in a film is supposed to conform to reality. Every film establishes its own principles and its own related reality. It is enough for this world to be constructed correctly and credibly; otherwise, no filmmaker is supposed to be a mere narrator of pure reality. Small narrative flaws are not significant enough to undermine a world with this level of depth; just as no one pays attention to the narrative flaws in "Vertigo," the most praised film in cinema history, because ultimately it does not matter, and the story is, as Hitchcock said, a "MacGuffin" (Can one realistically imagine that someone would choose such a way to kill their spouse?!). It is clear that the IRGC and security forces have no interest in Asghar Farhadi and his films because they are not aligned with them and, as they say, are not "value-based" and do not serve the revolution and the regime. They need filmmakers like Majid Majidi, Behruz Afkhami, and Ebrahim Hatamikia, who place all their values and principles entirely in the service of the regime and, of course, benefit from various forms of patronage in return. However, the result of this transaction is the loss of values that have gradually turned these three filmmakers from notable filmmakers into commissioned and government filmmakers. The hardliners inside Iran either consider someone to be "one of their own" or an opponent. There is no middle ground. As a result, Farhadi, because he is not one of their own, is considered their opponent. However, it is strange that some active opposition figures outside the country never cease their efforts to label Farhadi as a government filmmaker. Some of them even consider making films inside Iran a crime, and some view any success for Iranian cinema as a success for the Islamic Republic. They have recently protested why Farhadi remains silent in the face of the Islamic Republic's crimes and does not issue statements, unaware that Farhadi is neither a hero nor a political activist. Asghar Farhadi is a filmmaker who must grapple with all the pressures and cumbersome laws to make his film while having no desire to end up in Evin Prison. The fact that he, like many of his contemporaries, does not sell his integrity, authenticity, and beliefs to the government is, in my opinion, commendable. And is Asghar Farhadi worthy of his second Oscar? Yes, he is. I believe Asghar Farhadi is currently undoubtedly the best filmmaker in Iranian cinema, who in screenwriting, acting, creating mise-en-scène, and breathtaking rhythm, not only has no equal in today’s Iranian cinema but is also a head and shoulders above the rest.