Iranians welcome Farhadi's Oscar for best foreign film
Source: Associated Press
By NASSER KARIMI
Feb. 27, 2017 4:13 AM EST
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranians on Monday cheered the choice of one of their own for best foreign film Oscar, lauding director Asghar Farhadi's boycott of the Hollywood ceremony for his film "The Salesman" as an act of defiance against the Trump administration's executive order.
Farhadi refused to attend the Academy Awards, announcing after the temporary U.S. travel ban was initially imposed last month for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries that he would not attend the ceremony — even if an exception was made for him. Iran was one of the seven countries affected by the measure, which has since been blocked from being carried out by a federal court ruling.
"The Saleman" — about a couple performing Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" and their attempts to find peace and justice after the wife is attacked at their Tehran apartment — had become a rallying cry for immigrant rights after the travel ban.
The six nominated directors in the foreign language category had put out a joint statement ahead of the award decrying what they called the climate of "fanaticism" in the United States and dedicating the award to the promotion of "unity and understanding" regardless of who won.
It was the second Oscar for Farhadi. His film "A Separation" won in the same category for 2012.
Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/fe776fac6d5c46d48a201f62df970434/foreign-minister-welcomes-iran-oscar-best-foreign-film
A two-time Oscar winner? Well, we certainly can't allow people like that coming into the country!
