Iranian film critics arrested

March 17, 2003 9:00 AM

Collecting "art films" as a film critic might throw you in jail in Iran. Famous Iranian film critic, Kambiz Kahe, is arrested along with a few colleagues. Hard-liner Iranian police says they were "importing and distributing pornographic material", which according to them, could vary from French art films to something like American Beauty. Chicago-based film critic, Jonathan Rosenbaum, along with FIPRESCI (the international federation of film critics) has protested to these arrests in separate letters. Kahe and friends needs more international support to be able to sit next to their families on Persian new year’s day which is only days away (March 21st).
posted by hoder (4 comments total)

Man, this is depressing. Iran has an ancient culture and some of the best filmmakers and other artists on the planet... and they have to put up with these ignorant, greedy clerics desperately trying to hang on to their perks (which include control of massively lucrative clerical foundations, called bonyads). Let's hope the good guys win before Bush decides to just keep on rolling eastwards after he's taken out Baghdad.
posted by languagehat at 9:54 AM on March 17, 2003

full-text of Rosenbaum's letter
posted by hoder at 10:41 AM on March 17, 2003

No Ruz will be on Thursday for me.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:07 AM on March 17, 2003

Apparently, back in december iranian authorities approved a bill to lift restrictions on the public's access to most satellite television channels. So why should they arrest them when people in Iran already have access to satellite feeds ?
posted by elpapacito at 8:30 PM on March 17, 2003