French sources: Mohammad Rasoulof was not allowed to participate in the jury of the Cannes film festival after being banned from leaving the country

Mansour Jahani – Radio France Internationale RFI wrote in an exclusive report: Following the official invitation of the world’s most important film event to Mohammad Rasoulof to be a member of the jury of the Un Certain Regard section, this filmmaker’s “re-exit ban” prevented him from attending the 2023 Cannes International Film Festival. became. With the announcement of the names of the judges of the Un Certain Regard  section of the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, the Farsi section of Radio France International, following up with news sources in Paris, shows that the organizers of this festival are still trying to provide the conditions for Rasoulof’s presence at Cannes this year.

These sources say that after the filmmaker’s release from prison, the Cannes officials invited him to be part of the of the Un Certain Regard section and hoped that Rasoulof, like Jafar Panahi, another well-known Iranian director, would be able to leave the country. to get, but this 50-year-old director is still facing a ban on leaving the country. In this regard, it should be mentioned that Mr. Panahi flew from Iran to France on Tuesday, April 25, following the lifting of the travel ban, and returned to Tehran after staying for a few days and visiting his daughter.

Rasoulof received the best film award in 2017, the critics’ award in 2013, and the best director award in the category of the Un Certain Regard Cannes in 2011.

Mohammad Rasoulof, who has been imprisoned many times since 2008, has not been able to leave the country since 6 years ago, according to the order of the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, he never stopped making films, and in these years, he also won the Golden Bear Award of the Berlin International Film Festival with the production of “There Is No Evil”.

The last arrest of Mohammad Rasulof took place in July 2022 after the publication of the “Put down your gun” statement. This statement, which was published after the collapse of “Metropole”, the resumption of public protests and the firing of officers at the protesters, asked the military not to draw weapons in front of the people and to lay them down.

The release of “Put down your gun”, which was signed by hundreds of well-known people of cinema, led to the arrest of Mohammad Rasoulof and Mustafa Al-Ahmed, another Iranian cinematographer. Rasulof was imprisoned until the winter of 2023 and after being transferred to the hospital for treatment, he was pardoned and released.

The producer of “A Man of Integrity” and “Manuscripts don’t Burn” earlier in 2018 was also sentenced to one year of penal servitude and a two-year ban on leaving the country on the charge of “propaganda against the regime” which, according to his lawyer, he had said “more” due to making two films.

He was also imprisoned in 2008 following public protests and spent long days in “Infradi” prison.

Mohammad Rasulof has lost the possibility of “personal presence” in world festivals many times due to the prohibition of leaving.

Until now, none of the acclaimed films of this filmmaker have been screened in Iranian cinemas, including ” The White Meadows” and “Iron Island”, due to the lack of permission from the Ministry of Guidance.

Photo By: Mansour Jahani

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