Iran silent as dissident director wins top prize

AFP | Tehran

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Iranian authorities offered no reaction yesterday after dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize for his political drama.

Panahi, 64, was awarded the Palme d’Or on Saturday night for “It Was Just an Accident” -- a film in which five Iranians confront a man they believe tortured them in prison.

A story inspired by his own time in detention, it had led critics’ polls throughout the week at Cannes.

The win has so far been met with silence from Iran’s government and ignored by the state broadcaster, which instead focused on a state-aligned “Resistance” film festival.

The conservative Fars news agency suggested the jury’s choice was politically motivated, saying it was “not uninfluenced by the political issues surrounding Jafar Panahi inside Iran”.

Reformist newspapers Etemad, Shargh and Ham Mihan reported the win on their websites but did not feature it on their front pages, possibly due to the timing of the announcement.

Panahi, who has been banned from filmmaking since 2010 and jailed multiple times, addressed the Cannes audience with a call for national unity.

He confirmed plans to return to Iran immediately. Asked on Saturday night if he feared arrest, he said: “Not at all. Tomorrow we are leaving.”

This marks only the second time an Iranian director has won the Palme d’Or, after the late Abbas Kiarostami received the honour for “Taste of Cherry” in 1997. Both directors faced bans throughout their careers.