Iran summoned France’s envoy in Tehran to protest in opposition to “insulting” remarks made by the French international minister after an Iranian filmmaker gained the highest prize on the Cannes Movie Pageant.
Iranian director Jafar Panahi won the prestigious Palme d’Or for his film It Was Just an Accident on Saturday, a political drama impressed by his time in jail.
Following the win, French international minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated Panahi’s win was “a gesture of resistance in opposition to the Iranian regime’s oppression”.
This sparked a diplomatic row, with Iran’s international ministry spokesperson Mohammad Tanhaei calling the feedback “insulting remarks and unfounded allegations”, state media reported.
Through the assembly with the French envoy, Tanhaei referred to as Barrot’s feedback “blatant interference” within the nation’s inside affairs, in line with the identical report from Iran’s PressTV.
He described the congratulatory message as “irresponsible and provocative”, including that France had “no ethical authority in any respect” to touch upon Iran, citing what he referred to as France’s failure to help Palestinians in Gaza.
He demanded an official clarification from the French authorities, and the envoy stated he would relay the message to Paris.
Panahi has been out and in of jail in recent times for his outspoken criticism of the Iranian institution.
He spent seven months of a six-year sentence in jail earlier than being launched in February 2023.
He had beforehand been sentenced to 6 years in 2010 for supporting anti-government protests and creating “propaganda in opposition to the system”, serving two months on that event.
In addition to his jail phrases, he was given a 20-year ban on making motion pictures and travelling outdoors his personal nation.
Regardless of this, he filmed It Was Simply An Accident, in secret in Iran.
The movie follows 5 unusual Iranians as they confront a person they consider tortured them in jail – characters drawn from conversations Panahi had with fellow inmates about “the violence and brutality of the Iranian authorities”.
Throughout his acceptance speech, he urged fellow Iranians to “be a part of forces”.
“No-one ought to dare inform us what sort of garments we should always put on, what we should always do, or what we should always not do.”
Quickly after the ceremony, his first look at a world movie competition in 15 years, he advised reporters he can be returning to Tehran.
“As quickly as I end my work right here I’ll return to Iran,” he advised reporters in Cannes. “And I’ll ask myself what’s my subsequent movie going to be.”
