Iran Wins Second Oscar with “The Salesman”, Farhadi Slams Trump’s Policies

The Salesman was nominated in the Foreign Language category alongside Land of Mine (Denmark) by Martin Zandvliet, Toni Erdmann (Germany) by Maren Ade, A Man Called Ove (Sweden) by Hannes Holm and Tanna (Australia) by Martin Butler and Bentley Dean.

Although The Salesman was a nominee for the Best Foreign Language Film, but the Iranian well-known movie maker had stated early January that he will not attend the Academy Awards ceremony in protest at US President Donald Trump’s travel ban against citizens of seven Muslim nations, including his country.

The award was accepted by two prominent Iranian-American – Anousheh Ansari, the first female space tourist, and Firouz Naderi, a former director of Solar Systems Exploration at NASA – while the movie’s French producer, Alexandre Mallet-Guy, had also stressed that he has decided not to attend the ceremony in solidarity with the director, and that nobody from the film would attend.

“I’m sorry I’m not with you tonight. My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and those from other six nations who have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the US,” Iranian Oscar-winner director said in a statement, read by Ansari on behalf of the absent author.

“Dividing the world into the us and our enemies categories creates fear – a deceitful justification for aggression and war. These wars prevent democracy and human rights in countries which have themselves been victims of aggression,” Farhadi added.

The Iranian director stated that “Filmmakers can turn their cameras to capture shared human qualities and break stereotypes of various nationalities and religions. They create empathy between us and others. An empathy which we need today more than ever.”

Farhadi’s statement earned a huge round of applause from the stars in the Dolby Theatre, as well as on social media.

The movie portrays Ra’ana (Taraneh Alidousti) and Emad (Shahab Hosseini), a couple who are acting in the “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. But, an old man gets Ra’na and Emad into trouble after they moved into a house that was previously inhabited by Ahou that allegedly pursued a career in prostitution. They were attacked at their home and now must decide how to respond to the tragic incident.

Farhadi won the award for the best screenplay for “The Salesman” at the 2016 Cannes film festival while Hosseini grabbed one of the most important awards of the cinema world by winning the best actor. The film has also received a fantastic reception at the Cannes film festival.

Iranian acclaimed director has made Dancing in the Dust (2003), Beautiful City (2004), Fireworks Wednesday (2006), About Elly… (2009), A Separation (2011) and The Past (2013) before his last film, The Salesman.

“A Separation” (titled Jodaeie Nader Az Simin in Persian), Farhdi’s most famous movie, grabbed global attention as it became the first Iranian movie to win an Oscar, the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards.