Iranian Oscar winner blasts Trump travel ban

Hollywood, Monday

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has condemned President Donald Trump’s “inhumane” travel ban on immigrants, as his movie, The Salesman, won the best foreign language film Oscar. Farhadi boycotted the ceremony, with two Iranian-Americans representing him.

“Dividing the world into the US and ‘our enemies’ categories creates fear. A deceitful justification for aggression and war,” his acceptance statement read. US courts have blocked the travel ban but the Trump administration is preparing a new executive order.

The original ban temporarily prohibited the entry of immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. One of those chosen by Farhadi to represent him, Iranian-born US engineer and astronaut Anousheh Ansari, read out his acceptance statement.

The statement read: “My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and those of the other six nations who have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the US.

“Filmmakers can turn their cameras to capture shared human qualities and break stereotypes of various nationalities and religions. ,” he added.

The Salesman tells the story of a married couple who are appearing in a local production of Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman and whose lives are thrown into turmoil after the wife is attacked while alone at home, sparking the husband to seek revenge.

All six directors nominated in the best foreign language film category had signed a statement before the ceremony condemning a “climate of fascism” in the US.

Farhadi organised a free screening of The Salesman in London’s Trafalgar Square yesterday. In a recorded message, Farhadi said: “Despite our different religions, cultures and nationalities, we are all citizens of the world.”

Trump’s original executive order, signed on 27 January, said all travellers with the nationality of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen were not permitted to enter the US for 90 days, or be issued an immigrant or non-immigrant visa. —BBC

The post Iranian Oscar winner blasts Trump travel ban appeared first on Mediamax Network Limited.