Hamid Soleiman-Zadeh, Film Critic: The Sentence Issued Against Saeed Roustayi is 'Ridiculous'

The heavy sentence issued for Saeed Roustayi, the director of the film 'Brothers Leila', on charges of propaganda against the regime and screening this work at the Cannes Festival has been met with significant criticism. According to domestic media, based on the ruling of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, this filmmaker has been sentenced to six months of imprisonment, of which one-twentieth is enforceable and the remainder is suspended for five years. During this time, Roustayi has been banned from any filmmaking activities and from associating with individuals active in the film industry, and he must attend a course on 'filmmaking while preserving national and ethical interests' at the Qom University of Media. Hamid Soleiman-Zadeh, a writer, critic, and researcher in film and philosophy in Germany, told Voice of America: 'I have always believed that if even one artist is imprisoned for expressing their opinion and choosing the subject of their work, then all art is imprisoned.' Soleiman-Zadeh adds: 'There are many artists whose personalities or films we may not like, but our human duty dictates that we should not remain silent against the issuance of unjust sentences against them. The sentence recently issued for Saeed Roustayi is ridiculous. From imprisonment and banning the right to associate with filmmakers to attending a course on ethical filmmaking in Qom!' Soleiman-Zadeh states: 'This is a slap in the face to the entire status of art and the artist in Iran. The issuance of such sentences is the result of confusion among Iran's cinematic and judicial officials who truly do not know what to do. They think that by making such decisions, they can stop the cycle of independent cinema and the production of works that are made regardless of their arbitrary permits, but that is a vain hope.' He continues: 'We must appreciate all filmmakers who, despite all the hardships and dangers in Iran, do not take their keen eyes off the viewfinders of their cameras and capture images that are documents of the reality of life under an oppressive and tyrannical regime.' The director and actors of the film 'Brothers Leila' faced significant attacks from conservatives and government media in Iran during the Cannes Festival, especially following discussions led by Taraneh Alidoosti that addressed issues such as economic problems, hijab, and censorship. The illegal release of the film online and the lack of a screening permit in Iran also sparked heated debates between Saeed Roustayi and the country's cinematic authorities, with the director strongly criticizing the cultural and artistic officials. The Film Distribution and Screening Supervision Office of the Cinema Organization announced that the screening permit for the film 'Brothers Leila' would not be issued due to what it called 'violations and non-compliance with regulations.'