and Mohamad Jafar Panahi Rassoulof were sentenced Dec. 20, 2010, for "participation in rallies and propaganda against the regime" to six years in prison and twenty-year ban from filming , write scripts, to leave the country and give interviews to local and foreign media.
This case should not make us forget that, at the same time, the Iranian dictatorship is hanging and running mass and that Iran now has, ahead of China, the sad record of executions. If it is impossible not to be indignant few cases that we come to know, and if we do everything we can to contribute to exert any pressure to save them from the horror, we must unfortunately be as certain as the immediate future of these people, all those whom nobody speaks and who are in the same situations, Iran whole through the disappearance of his executioners, who are first aware of the future that awaits them. And so now also goes by still more violent persecution of those who put their lives in balance in their country and for him, and who, as filmmaker we both loved movies: the White Balloon (1995) , The Mirror (1997), Circle (2000), Crimson Gold (2003), Offside (2006) are reduced to a deadly silence. V ere advocacy that Jafar Panahi was held on 7 November, the court of Tehran.
Your honor, Monsieur le juge, permettez-moi de présenter mon plaidoyer en deux parties distinctes.
Première partie : Ce qu'on dit. — Ces derniers jours, j'ai revu plusieurs de mes films favoris de l'histoire du cinéma, malgré le fait qu'une grande partie de ma collection avait été confisquée durant le raid qui a été mené chez moi la nuit du 19 février 2009. En fait, Monsieur Rassoulof et moi-même étions en train de tourner un film du genre social et artistique quand les forces qui prétendaient faire partie du ministère de la sécurité, sans présenter aucun mandat officiel, nous ont arrêtés, ainsi que tous nos collaborateurs et, du same time, confiscated all my movies, they never returned to me thereafter. The only reference ever made to these films was that the judge investigating the case: "Why this collection of obscene films? "
I say that I learned my craft of the filmmaker, inspired by these films that the judge called" obscene . And believe me I can not understand how such an adjective can be attributed to films such as I can not understand how we can call "criminal offense " the activity for which they want me judge today. I am the judge, in fact, for a film with less than a third was shot during my arrest. You probably know the expression that says that only half of the sentence "there is no God but God's great" is synonymous with blasphemy. So how can you judge a movie before it even finished?
I can not understand or obscene films in the history of cinema or my count. We would try to judge the whole film engaged, social and humanitarian Iran's cinema in which the claim is placed beyond good and evil, the film does not judge and who does not at the power and money but did his best to make a realistic picture of society.
I am accused of wanting to promote the spirit of riot and revolt. However, throughout my career as a filmmaker, I always claimed to be a social and not a political filmmaker, bearer of social concerns and not political. I never wanted to put myself in position of judge and prosecutor, I am not a filmmaker but to try to see, I do not want to decide for others or prescribe anything. Let me repeat my claim to put my film Beyond Good and Evil. This kind of commitment has often cost my staff and myself. We were struck by the censor but as a first convict and imprison a filmmaker to stop him from doing his film. There is also a first search of the house said filmmaker and threatening his family during his "stay " in prison.
I am accused of having participated in demonstrations. The presence of cameras was prohibited during these gatherings but we can not forbid filmmakers to participate. My responsibility as a filmmaker is to observe one day in order to account for it.
We are accused of having started filming without seeking government permission. Do I really make it clear that no law enacted by Parliament on these authorizations? In fact, there are only ministerial circular, which change gradually and as the vice-ministers change. We are accused of having started filming without having given the script to the actors of the film. In our way of making movies, where people work more with non-professional actors is a very common practice. A count like me seems to be more a matter of misplaced humor than legal.
I am accused of having signed petitions. I actually signed a petition in which thirty-seven of our most important filmmakers declared their concern about the situation in the country. Unfortunately, instead of listening to these artists, they are accused of treason, yet the petitioners are the ones who have always responded first to the injustices in the world. How they want to remain indifferent to what happens in their own country?
I am accused of plotting demonstrations at the festival in Montreal this accusation is based on no logic because, as director of the jury that I was in Montreal for two hours when des manifestations ont commencé. Ne connaissant personne dans cette ville comment aurais-je pu organiser de telles choses? On ne tient pas à s'en souvenir peut-être, mais, durant cette période, nos compatriotes se rassemblaient afin d'exprimer leurs demandes.
On m'accuse d'avoir participé aux interviews avec les médias de langue persane basés a l'étranger. Mais il n'existe aucune loi interdisant un tel acte.
Deuxième partie : Ce que je dis . — L'artiste représente l'esprit observateur et analyste de la société a laquelle il appartient. Il observe, analyse et essaie de présenter le résultat en forme d'œuvre d'art. Comment peut-on accuser and criminalize anyone at all because of his spirit and his way of seeing things? Make artists unproductive and sterile means to destroy all forms of thought and creativity. The raid at home and imprisonment of my staff and myself is the raid conducted against all the power artists.
The message of this series of action seems to me very clear and very sad: that does not think like we repent
... Ultimately, I would also remind the Court another irony about me : space devoted to international prices in my film museum in Tehran is more large as that of my prison cell.
Anyway, I solemnly declare that Jafar Panahi despite the bad treatment I received recently in my own country, I'm Iranian and I want to live and work in Iran. I love my country and I have already paid the price for that love.
However, I add another statement to the first: my films are my irrefutable evidence, I believe deeply expresses respect for the rights of "others" in contrast, mutual respect and tolerance. Tolerance that prevents me to judge and hate. I feel no hatred, even for my interrogateurs puisque je reconnais ma responsabilité envers les générations à venir.
L'Histoire avec un grand H est bien patiente; les petites histoires passent devant elle sans se rendre compte de leur insignifiance. Pour ma part, je m'inquiète pour ces générations à venir. Notre pays est bien vulnérable et c'est seulement l'instauration de l'État de droit pour tous sans aucune considération ethnique, religieuse ou politique qui peut nous préserver du danger bien réel d'un futur proche chaotique et fatal. À mon avis, la tolérance est la seule solution réaliste et honorable à ce danger imminent. Mes respects, Monsieur le Juge. — Ce texte a été published in Le Monde, dated December 22, 2010.
© Photogram: Jafar Panahi's Offside (2006).
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