POLISH DOCUMENTARISTES IN SOLIDARITY WITH ARRESTED IRANIAN FILMMAKERS
In reference to the alarming information coming from Iran about uncertain situation of arrested Iranian filmmakers, international documentary filmmaking milieu decided to unite and started boycotting “Cinema Verité” Iran International Documentary Film Festival in Tehran.
It has been more than a month since the unfair arrest of six Iranian filmmakers, three of whom - Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Mehran Zinatbakhsh and Katayoon Shahabi, are still languishing in Evin Prison in Tehran where they are forced to make a false confessions. Another two of them Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof were already sentenced to imprisonment. As a form of opposing against this unjust status quo filmmakers from all over the world decided to raise the protest against “Cinema Verité” Iran International Documentary Film Festival in Tehran, which 5th edition is to be held between 8th and 12th November. Festival organized under the auspices of Iranian government regularly invites international guests to Iran to portray a "benevolent" and "democratic" image of the Islamic Republic regime.As a solidarity with the victimized Iranian filmmakers many people decided to officially withdrawn their film from the festival. Polish directors, producers along with Krakow Film Foundation representing films selected to the festival, have joined the worldwide protest and decided to withdrawn their films from screening in Tehran. Below listed titles were scheduled to be shown in Iran both in competitive and non-competitive sections:
“38, 5” by Grzegorz Dębowski
“Charcoal Burners” by Piotr Złotorowicz
„That’s life” by Daniel Zieliński
„La Machina” by Thierry Paladino
„Themerson and Themerson” by Wiktoria Szymańska
“Planet Kirsan” by Magdalena Pięta
“Komeda – a soundtrack for a life” by Claudia Buthenhoff - Duffy