HS interview Asghar Farhadi became a world-famous Oscar winner in a country where state censorship is everywhere – “Being a hero can ruin a person’s life,” he says

Cannes

When supervisor Juho Kuosmanen accepted the festival’s second prize at the Cannes Film Festival, he didn’t get on stage alone. The Grand Prix was shared between two films: Cabin No. 6 in addition, it was also given to the Iranian Asghar Farhadin Ghahremanin Finnish Hero.

A kind of achievement for Kuosmanen too – to be able to share the award with Farhad, the real heavyweight in the film Arthouse.

Farhadi, 49, is the most famous and respected Iranian filmmaker today. For example, he has won a non-English film Oscar twice, with his films Nader and Simin: Difference (2011) and The Salesman (2016).

Only a few instructors have received that vertical more than once. In addition to Farhad, only the late movie icons have reached it Vittorio de Sica, Federico Fellini, Ingman Bergman, René Clément and Akira Kurosawa.

Hero made it to the so-called shortlist at this year’s Oscar, but not among the final five non-English-language, or international, nominated films. The same fate happened Cabin No. 6.

Farhadin the lack of popularity without being nominated is no longer a moment. Hero has once again received excellent reviews from critics around the world. The Finnish theater broadcast will start this Friday.

Hero Rahim (Shiraz, a city of millions) (Amir Jadidi), who has been imprisoned for unpaid debts. During his prison leave, he hears his friend Farkhondeh (Sahar Goldoost) found handmade gold coins at the bus stop. The duo are trying to trade the coins, but their value is less than they think and the amount obtained would not be enough to set off Rahim’s debts.

When Rahim’s sister sees the handbag and wonders where it comes from, Rahim jokes that he found it himself and plans to return the bag to its owner. With the help of notice tags, the owner can be found and his or her bag and coins can be returned. Rahim ends up in a TV interview because of his “selfless” act and becomes a sudden celebrity. But as the lies follow, the position of the everyday hero – from which many others seek to benefit – will soon begin to falter.

One key element of the film is social media and its ruthlessness: in the world of somebody, a person can be lifted into a trip at lightning speed, and at just as fast a reputation may be gone.

HS met director-screenwriter Farhad in Cannes in July before the festival’s awards gala.

He says in an interview that it was not originally intended to go on to make a film connected to social media.

“The main theme of the story is the rapid‘ rise and destruction ’of one person. A man who suddenly ends up in the spotlight without doing anything about it. In fact, I didn’t even anticipate in advance that social media would be such an important part of the story, ”Farhadi explains through an interpreter.

“However, the rise and fall of the protagonist had to happen quickly, and that’s why social media should be included in the story.”

Farhadi says that in the same way as in the West, in Iran, virtually all people are in and communicate through it.

“In some Finnish platforms, the content is‘ filtered ’by the state, but even in them, people always know how to circumvent restrictions,” he says.

Farhadi herself wears something: she is reportedly not on Twitter and Facebook, but she is on Instagram.

One of the interviewers in the interview group shouts that he will then start following Farhad at the IG.

“I’m not there in my own name,” Farhadi points out.

(Yes, he has an official instructor account in his own name on Instagram.)

Excellent compellingly written and directed Hero is a prime example of Farhad’s way of making films. The story is universal and works effortlessly for even Western viewers. However, Iranian society and culture bring their own characteristics to it.

In the hero the most striking feature is the protest of the protagonist Rahim. He has been stuck in a stone because he has not been able to repay the amount of money he borrowed from his wire.

“It’s a fairly complex legal system,” Farhadi says.

“Simplified: when two people agree to borrow a certain amount of money, they can define the terms for it. According to them, the lender can file a complaint if he does not get the money he borrowed back within the deadline. And on appeal, the borrower can be put in jail if he can’t pay. ”

Farhadi does not express his own opinion on this letter of law – or the Iranian legal system anyway – in an interview.

The same is true in his films. They show criticism of Iranian society, but Farhadi underlines nothing. He just puts things affirmatively; seems not to take a stand.

According to Farhad, for example, describing the legal system is above all a way to create conflict and crisis in the story, part of the mechanics of narration.

“If an elevator goes from floor to floor, there’s no story in it. If it gets stuck between layers, it has a story. It’s a dramatic way. ”

“But it’s true that in my films, the state is often present in some way in the stories because it’s present in people’s lives in Iran,” he says.

In Iran state censorship of films is also strong. The director had to experience it first-hand Mohammad Rasoulofwhose death sentence is being severely treated There is No Evil won the main prize at the Berlin Film Festival in 2020, but was banned in Iran. In addition, Rasoulef was imprisoned in his home country for spreading anti-state propaganda.

Do Iranian filmmakers have ways to show things that would not be officially allowed in the country, just as social media users get through the state’s “filter”? Farhad’s answer is rude.

“Sometimes we find ways like that, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes it is not possible to address the issue. Then the alternative is to try to make a film on the subject elsewhere, in another country, or just give it up and not do it. ”

Farhadi has so far made one film outside of Iran. His Sankaria previous control, tension drama Everyone knows (2018) was a production in Spanish and Spanish. He says he “wants” to make even more films abroad.

“But I don’t know if it’s my next movie, for example. It depends on the next story that comes to my head. ”

Farhadi is a filmmaker on the level that his latest work is always an event and a world premiere at a major festival like Cannes is guaranteed.

Of course, the world-famous director is also a celebrity in his home country. Is Iran always expecting international success from his new films today?

“Gaining this level of visibility and popularity than I have gained brings more friends and more enemies. I’m used to it. And after going through this process a few times already, I don’t really expect anything anymore, ”Farhadi acknowledges.

Because Hero deals with the surprising reputation and the curses it brings, the question arises as to whether Farhad has been inspired by experiences of his own media publicity over the years.

Farhadi does not respond directly to that either, but something can be deduced from the comments if he wishes.

“My own experience of publicity is that as soon as someone gets into the spotlight, other people create their own image of them, an identity they have come up with themselves that they expect to fit into.”

“And such a public image created by others includes the fact that he is never expected to make mistakes. Although life without mistakes is impossible for anyone, ”Farhadi says.

Hero movie the name is ironic in this sense, as the main character in the film is not “truly” like that. And no human could be, Farhadi says.

“Someone may have individual heroic or admirable traits in some situations and should be valued. But no one should be given any general or absolute hero status. It creates expectations that cannot be met, and that can ruin a person’s entire life. ”