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t has been widely acknowledged that Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival was well deserved.
Although the award was for his latest film – It Was Just an Accident – it also served as a tribute to his entire career – a substantial body of work that dispels any notion of him being a flash in the pan.
It is often observed that, particularly in societies or countries that exist on the ‘wrong side’ of the global establishment, recognition tends to be influenced by variables beyond the work itself. Iran has long occupied such a position, and any accolade bestowed upon its artists must also be viewed through that lens.
In his acceptance speech, Panahi lamented the divisions that persist – and expressed hope that Iranian directors, filmmakers and artists could overcome these differences and collaborate more closely. His remarks hinted at a deep rift within Iran’s creative community – one that revolves around how best to navigate state constraints, and how to adopt forms of expression more acceptable to the so-called ‘free world.’
International awards have also been conferred upon some Pakistani individuals who may not be regarded locally as particularly formidable, with the explanation often being that the parameters for such recognition are, of course, different. This raises important questions about the criteria for assessment, which may include variables beyond the immediate quality of a work or even its entire corpus.
Jafar Panahi has endured years of harassment from the Iranian authorities while creating a tremendous body of work. Here is an artist who has truly suffered – someone who has taken real risks for cinema, spoken truth to power and endured arrest and imprisonment for his efforts.
He has produced a rich canon that offers the world insight into Iranian society and the Iranian psyche, with a subtlety and depth otherwise rarely accessible. Thirty years ago, his directorial debut The White Balloon won Cannes’s Camera d’Or for best debut feature. Now, he has triumphantly secured the festival’s highest honour – the Palme d’Or – having already won major awards at numerous other European festivals.
“What’s most important now is our country and the freedom of our country.” – Panahi.
Previously imprisoned and banned from filmmaking in his home country, Panahi has consistently spoken out against the regime’s restrictions. As reported, he was cheered at Cannes as he urged fellow Iranians to “set aside” their differences and unite in the face of shared challenges.
In 2010, Jafar Panahi was handed a six-year prison sentence and a 20-year ban on filmmaking. In theory, his extraordinary career should have become largely impossible. Yet, through a complex mix of protracted legal appeals, clandestine filmmaking in his apartment and smuggling films out of Iran on flash drives, he found a way to keep creating.
His latest film tells the story of five ordinary Iranians confronted by a man they believe once tortured them in a prison. The characters were inspired by conversations Panahi had with fellow inmates – stories, he said, that revealed “the violence and the brutality of the Iranian government.”
Despite the risks, Panahi has vowed to return to Tehran after the Cannes Film Festival. “As soon as I finish my work here, I will go back to Iran,” he told reporters in Cannes. “And I will ask myself: what’s my next film going to be?”
“What’s most important now is our country – and the freedom of our country,” he added. “Let us join forces. No one should dare tell us what kind of clothes we should wear, what we should do or what we should not do.” His appearance at Cannes was his first at an international film festival in 15 years, after being subjected to a long-standing travel ban.
Panahi, 64, has now achieved the rare feat of winning the top prizes at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals. He may be in line for recognition in Hollywood, but for one caveat. It Was Just an Accident is unlikely to be nominated for the Oscar for Best International Feature, as eligible films must have a cinematic release in their country of origin, and Panahi’s work is banned in Iran.
The author is a culture critic based in Lahore