Asghar Farhadi Urges Filmmakers To Protest "War Crimes" On Iran

Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has exhorted artists and filmmakers around the world to speak out against the U.S. and Israel’s bombing of Iran to “prevent the destruction of civilian infrastructure in the country.” His statement underlines, "The destruction of infrastructure is not just the destruction of buildings, it is an attack on human life and dignity.”

US President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire just hours before the deadline he had set for Iran to capitulate, warning that otherwise a "whole civilisation will die tonight. Iran also agreed to the ceasefire and said that would guarantee safe passage for maritime traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz for two weeks.

Farhadi, who won Oscars for A Separation in 2011 and The Salesman in 2016, has been living outside Iran since 2023, shortly before protests following the death of Mahsa Amini erupted in his home country. Farhadi is expected to premiere his new Paris-set film, Parallel Tales, starring Isabelle Huppert, Catherine Deneuve, Vincent Cassel, at Cannes Film Festival next month.

Farhadi’s appeal was shared on Tuesday by independent Iranian journalist Mansour Jahani.

Read Asghar Farhadi’s full statement below:

I call on artists and filmmakers everywhere in the world to be a voice in these critical days and hours, in any way possible, to stop the destructive aggression that has increasingly destroyed civilian infrastructure.

Infrastructure that belongs to the Iranian people and is related to the basic needs of their daily lives. The destruction of infrastructure is not just the destruction of buildings, it is an attack on human life and dignity.

Attacking a country’s infrastructure is a war crime. Regardless of any beliefs or attitudes, let’s unite to stop this inhumane, illegal, and destructive process.