| |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
JAFAR PANAHI AND LISETTA CARMI: THE COURAGE OF FREEDOM
04/09/2010
Jafar Panahi and Lisetta Carmi have never met. Yet as of today they made contact, as can happen at a festival, where stories and destinies cross paths in the imaginations of filmgoers and panel participants. The connection came between yesterday’s discussion on Panahi and today’s on photographer Lisetta Carmi, the subject of Daniele Segre’s documentary.
Venice Days President Roberto Barzanti reminded participants that “Venice Days chose to open with The Accordion in order to continue its commitment to defending human rights and democracy”. He added: “We must not defend only artistic freedom, but fight to protect all freedoms.”
The first discussion focused on the fact that the cause of the director persecuted by a regime intolerant of independent thought and expression must include all victims of dictatorships and social injustice. That is, from Panahi to Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who has been sentenced to death by stoning in Iran; as certainly the immigrants of Andrea Segre’s Green Blood.
The Panahi “case” is thus a symbol of what lack of freedom means today, in 2010, throughout the world. And naturally leads to Lisetta Carmi, who fought for her freedom when she was expelled from school, for being Jewish, as a result of the racial laws of Italy’s fascism; and later the freedom of society’s weakest members when she took up photography. Carmi took to the streets of Geneva and many other parts of the world to understand and defend with her camera.
To return to Panahi, 10 years ago he won the Golden Lion in Venice for The Circle and won over then Festival director Alberto Barbera. Barbera was thanked by Panahi in a letter to the Festival read to audiences before the screening of The Accordion, reminisced about how he met the Iranian director. “Thanking me was very generous of him. All I did was find myself in the right place at the right time. I saw his first film, The White Balloon, in Tehran and then was at Cannes when Jafar won the Camera d’Or for the film. Luckily, The Circle was not selected at Cannes! We maintained our friendship and to me he is a beacon of strength and courage.”
In closing, Iranian director Mazdak Tahebi spoke, on why there is so much animosity and “fear” towards the filmmaker and his work. “Simply put, Jafar is not one of ‘them.’ The government dictates the rules, and he has always declared himself to be independent, he has never compromised, he has never agreed to cut scenes from his films. This first cost him the freedom to the make movies, and later his personal freedom. For years he has been blocked from making films that, moreover, are not political but depict and reflect daily life in Iran.”
The Accordion was produced by Art for the World with support from the United Nations and is part of the omnibus project THEN AND NOW. Beyond Borders and Differences. In March, the entire series of short films made by numerous name directors will be presented in Geneva.
Last but not least, we urge festivalgoers to sign a petition for Panahi at the Filmmakers Villa.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
