Saturday, May 01, 2010

Hollywood Big Names Rise to Panahi's Defence

I remember how an Islamic Republic apologist university lecturer, invited by Jeremey Corbyn MP to a parliamentary meeting was telling her audience how much freedom there is in Iran when Jafar Panahi is able to make films like Offside. Well Panahi is now also held in Evin prison. Originally he was charged with 'unpsecified crimes', then the charge was revised to making a film against the regime and more recently with making a 'naked' film!

Its good to see that finally some of the big names in Hollywood have rallied to Panahi's support, for Iran's freedom fighters need all the international support they can get.

Scorsese, Spielberg and Stone among filmmakers urging Jafar Panahi's release

4 comments:

Winston said...

Iran today looks like Nazi Germany in many ways or Mao's China

Waybec said...

Well I'm also pleased that so many big Hollywood names have spoken out against Panahi's puerile, spiteful and unjust detention. Giant's of the cinema all, but let's not forget to keep the spotlight on the bigger picture. I.e. Those poor unfortunate others who also suffer from trumpted up charges at the hands of Khamanei's vindictive, vile and vicious prisons.

Sohrab said...

I would echo Waybec: it's nice that these esteemed directors are standing up for Mr. Panahi. Too bad they are not spotlighting the hundreds of other wrongly detained dissidents perishing in IRI jails.

James Bloodworth said...

I remember last year one of my university lecturers saying "Iran is actually very democratic". This occurred about a month before the disputed "election" and upon challenging him I was fobbed off with vague remarks about "Tony Blair only receiving 30 odd percent of the vote in 2005".

I remember for the remainder of the term after the infamous "election" he avoided me like the plague until I left uni a couple of months later. Why is it always university lecturers?