Kaveh Farnam on the Continued Travel Ban of Rasoulof: Reflective of 'The Ruling Power's Fear'

Kaveh Farnam, a cinema expert, spoke to Voice of America about the ongoing travel ban on Mohammad Rasoulof, the renowned Iranian director selected as one of the judges for the Cannes Film Festival, stating that these actions "reflect the fear and terror of the ruling power" from the people and society, and the fear of the influence and impact of filmmakers. Hollywood Reporter reported on Thursday, May 3, that Rasoulof—who was temporarily released for medical reasons after seven months in Evin prison—hoped to attend the Cannes Film Festival. He is said to have been chosen for the jury of the 'Un Certain Regard' section of the festival. Jafar Panahi, another protesting Iranian filmmaker and friend of Rasoulof, was allowed to leave Iran last week after 14 years and met his daughter in France before returning to Iran. However, it appears that Mohammad Rasoulof has not been granted permission to leave Iran. The 50-year-old director is one of the most prominent critics of the Iranian regime and has been imprisoned multiple times for his anti-government statements. He has been banned from working and traveling for six years. Nevertheless, he works secretly and makes films underground in Iran. Kaveh Farnam, the producer of Rasoulof's works, told Voice of America on Thursday: "Mr. Rasoulof was banned from traveling twice before 2017, and since September 2017, when his passport was taken, he has been without a passport and in limbo, thus losing the ability to travel. In 2020, the status of his passport remained unclear, and he was not allowed to leave to attend the Berlin Festival with the film 'There Is No Evil.'" Farnam continued: "Undoubtedly, the deprivation of the right to travel, especially for attending as a judge at a prestigious festival like Cannes, in a section where he has won awards three times in 2011, 2015, and 2017, not only harms Mr. Rasoulof personally and professionally but also damages Iranian cinema and prevents the credibility of independent Iranian cinema." The cinema producer stated: "The pressure, violence, and security atmosphere that envelops the entire society undoubtedly extends to the cinematic community and its prominent artists, with summons, interrogations, pressure, and threats for false and forced confessions." Kaveh Farnam said: "The threat, which above all represents the fear and terror of the ruling power, is fear of the people and society and fear of the influence and impact of filmmakers on the public, but the work continues." The film 'There Is No Evil,' which is a strongly critical work against the Islamic Republic, was smuggled out of Iran in 2020, screened at the Berlin Film Festival, and won the Golden Bear for Best Film. The international screening tour of the film 'Lord' was the last time Mohammad Rasoulof managed to leave the country, and Iranian authorities confiscated his passport after his return from the Telluride Festival in 2017. This Iranian filmmaker was arrested last July, prior to the nationwide protests and the emergence of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement in Iran, for signing a petition protesting the violent crackdown on protesters by government forces. This article is based on a report from Hollywood Reporter and an interview with Kaveh Farnam by the Persian section of Voice of America.