Film organizations call on Iranian authorities to drop charges against directors Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha

Some thirty film organizations, festivals and filmmakers, as well as non-governmental organizations for freedom of expression, have signed an open letter calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately drop all charges against directors Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha and lift a travel ban.

Signatories include the Berlinale, the Amsterdam-based International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk and PEN America in New York.

The filmmakers, their latest collaboration Ballad of a white cow cause a stir at festivals and find themselves in the crosshairs of their country’s harsh Islamic regime for their upcoming film My favorite cake.

The pair are expected to fly to Paris in September to complete post-production on the film and “explore the life behind closed doors of an aging woman who dares to pursue her desires in a country where women’s rights be severely limited.”

However, their passports were confiscated at Tehran airport and they were told they would appear in court on charges believed to be related to the film.

The incident followed a raid on the home of the film’s publisher by Iranian security forces, during which they seized rushes and other materials related to the production.

“We call on the Iranian authorities to end the brutal persecution of filmmakers, writers, artists, musicians and all those who courageously express the aspirations, humanity and dreams of the Iranian people,” the letter reads.

“Now is the time for change, starting with Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghadam, whose latest film, My favorite cake, This apparently angered the country’s Islamic hardliners, although details of the allegations have not yet been made public.”

As part of the crackdown on dissent, there have been a number of bans and arrests of artists, writers and other cultural workers over the past two years.

The crackdown began before the rise of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022, but has intensified as Iranian authorities try to contain the pro-crisis . democracy movement.

The letter noted that Iran ranks second on the PEN America 2022 Freedom To Write Index list of the top ten jailers of writers and tops the list of jailers of women writers.

Reference was also made to the cases of the director Saeed Roustayi, who was sentenced to six months in prison this year for “anti-regime propaganda activities” regarding the screening of his film. Leila’s brothers in Cannes in 2022 without permission; imprisoned journalist and Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi and rapper Saman Yasin, who says he was tortured during his detention.

“Filmmakers, writers and other artists play an essential role in creating free and vibrant societies, acting as architects of communication and collaboration and inspiring citizens to dream of a better future based on new possibilities and ideas.” Instead of suppressing their voices, governments should recognize and praise artists for their invaluable contributions to society,” the letter said.

The directors were told they would be tried before a judge in Iran’s Evin prison, one of the country’s strictest penal institutions.

Moghadam, who holds dual Iranian and Swedish citizenship, was previously hit with a two-year travel ban after starring in Jafar Panahi’s secretly filmed 2013 film. Then curtain.

In 2019, she was fired from a major Iranian film production by order of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance. She responded with an open letter condemning the actions.

Sanaeeha and Moghadam were also charged by the Revolutionary Guards Ballad of a white cowIt tells the devastating story of a woman who discovers that her executed husband was innocent of the allegations against him.

The couple was accused of “propaganda against the regime and actions against national security”. They were later acquitted, but the film is still banned in Iran today.

outside the country, Ballad of a white cow celebrated its world premiere in competition at the 2021 Berlinale and subsequently played at numerous festivals including Stockholm, Zurich and Tribeca.