The Arrest of Jafar Panahi

Iranian director Jafar Panahi, photographed in 2004 at his home in Tehran. Photograph: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images

By now, most have heard of the shocking arrest of acclaimed filmmaker Jafar Panahi by the Iranian authorities.

We've screened many of Panahi's films in the past (The Circle, The Mirror, The White Balloon, Crimson Gold, Offside) and we are well aware of his place within not only the Iranian filmmaking community but also the international film landscape.

For greater insight, I emailed a few simple questions to our friend and frequent Wexner Center guest, Jamsheed Akrami, a New Jersey-based filmmaker, Iranian film expert, and conduit to the Iranian film scene for many American cinema venues. (Jamsheed was nice enough to arrange a lunch for me with Mr. Panahi at the Toronto Film Festival a few years ago around the release of Offside.)

Dave Filipi: The way you understand it…what exactly happened?
Jamsheed Akrami: Jafar Panahi's apartment in Tehran was raided on Monday night, March 1, by plain-clothed security forces and was searched for nearly 5 hours. At the end, everybody at the house, including Jafar's wife, 21-year-old daughter, and a dozen friends were arrested and taken away to the notorious Evin prison. Fortunately, most of the detainees were let go on Wednesday, but Jafar and a fellow filmmaker, Mohammad Rasoulof, are still imprisoned.

DF: Specifically, what do you think is the reason for his arrest?
JA: As usual, the Islamic Republic officials have been vague about the reason for the arrests and declined to level any clear charges against them. There are rumors to the effect that Jafar and his friends were making a movie in his house. Even if these rumors are true, I guess only in the Islamic Republic is making a movie at the privacy of one's home considered a crime. Jafar Panahi's films, The Circle, Crimson Gold, and Offside, have been all banned in Iran and for the past four years he has not been allowed to make a new movie. Now I guess he is also barred from touching a camera in the confines of his own house. As you know he's been barred from leaving the country as well when his passport was confiscated last fall.

DF: How serious is the situation?
JA: It's hard to tell. Hopefully, he and Rasoulof will be released within the next few days. The longer they keep them, the more serious the situation will become. You'll see that other Iranian filmmakers will not be silent bystanders, though these acts of harassment are exactly committed to silence them.

DF: Was he singled out or are other high-profile people, artists or otherwise, being harassed and/or arrested?
JA: He is not alone. Ever since the fraudulent election of last summer was met by fierce protests by a vast number of people, especially the educated class, the Islamic government has been trying to intimidate Iranian intellectuals. They have been subjected to an unceasing wave of harassment, including arrest, interrogation, brief detentions, and in some cases long prison terms.