Asghar Farhadi speaks for the first time about the plagiarism of “A hero” He says: “I’m sorry it created so much discomfort” – Cannes jury press conference

If the jury press conference 75^myself The Cannes Film Festival is all about going, a nice cruise awaits us in the coming weeks.

Iranian director Asgar Fahradi first spoke about a plagiarism lawsuit filed against him by his former director Azad Masihzadeh, who accused him of stealing the idea of ​​winning the Cannes Grand Prix last year. Გmir. Masihzadeh says the two-time Oscar-winning director got the idea straight from the 2018 documentary. All the winners, all the losers.

The director, initially found guilty, is currently awaiting an appeal or review of the evidence against him, claiming that false information has been disseminated by various media.

“I have never spoken to him directly about this issue,” Fahradi said at a press conference on Tuesday. “This documentary is what I saw during the seminar and I talked to a student, but then I made a film Გmir And this cannot be considered a means of plagiarism. In Გmir, which is in the film, is completely different from the documentary. “We need to see why some reporters are spreading this misinformation.”

The director added: “What we do is make feature films and what I’ve done in my film Გmir Not related to the work done in the workshop I just mentioned. It is based on a current event, so this documentary and this film are based on an event that happened two years before the seminar. When an event takes place and is followed by the press, it is released to the public and you can do whatever you want during the event. You can write a story or make a movie about the event. You can find information about this event. Გmir There is only one interpretation of this event “.

Following Masihzadeh’s lawsuit, Farhadim filed a libel suit, arguing that “there was not enough evidence” to substantiate the allegations. If convicted, he could face up to two years in prison and up to 75 lashes, as corporal punishment remains a part of the Iranian prison system.

When asked directly about his feelings about this type of punishment, Farhad turned his back on the question.

“It’s a very long process, obviously it caused an unpleasant feeling, but the film was not based on a documentary and it was even suggested that we split the film in two,” he said. “I think this topic will definitely be cleared up and I am sorry that so many bad feelings have been created.”

Გmir It tells the story of a man who discovers a lot of gold coins while he is temporarily released from prison. But after noticing his kind behavior, the police believe he is lying.

The entire jury of this year’s edition is chaired by Titanium With Vincent Lyndon, including Rebecca Hall, Numi Rapas, Jeff Nichols and Joachim Trier, she was ready to answer questions at the Palace before the festival officially started tonight.

Asked if the festival was doing enough to address gender equality and racial diversity with its selection, Hall replied, “I think they picked the jury well,” which made the hall laugh.

“I think this is the whole work process,” Hall said. “As we address this issue, it is also necessary to consider how to address these issues at the ground level. These aren’t just festivals or public situations. This goes for all the nonsense in the industry and it has a lot to do with educating and helping people who don’t have access to these doors and I think we’re in a better place than we used to be but I don’t think that so be it. finished. “

Asked how on-screen performance affects the jury’s rating of the titles they watch, Nichols said “shared stories are inherently human.”

“I think our job is to respond to these stories as human beings and capture the emotions they have and evaluate how they affect us,” he said. “I can’t imagine a jury as diverse, thoughtful and intelligent as this one doesn’t touch all the problems humanity is struggling with.”