Sawt Falasteen - Dissident director Panahi takes on Iran's jailors in Cannes comeback

After a travel ban was lifted, the 64-year-old flew to the Cannes Festival for the first time in 15 years for the premiere of "It Was Just An Accident".

It was applauded for more than eight minutes on its debut and is a likely strong contender for the festival's top prize which will be awarded on Saturday.

The story, written by Panahi, who spent nearly seven months in prison in 2022-2023, follows a group of ordinary Iranians confronted with a man they believe tortured them behind bars.

"Many Iranian filmmakers are under pressure and banned from working, especially the female artists who were with the people in the Mahsa movement," he said at the premiere, referring to the 2022 Iranian anti-government protest movement.

"I would like to dedicate this screening to them and to the artists who have been involuntarily exiled from Iran."

Panahi told AFP that he intended to return home after the festival despite the dangers for him.

"They (the Iranian government) have always stopped us from making films, but we found a way," he said.

"It's typical of regimes like this — they don't let artists work, they don't let anyone do what they love.

"The important thing is not to give up trying, and not to expect a regime like this to suddenly say, 'Go ahead, make your film'," he told AFP.

Panahi shoots in secret and often smuggles his films out of Iran, once sending a documentary called "This is Not a Film" to the Cannes festival on a flash drive stashed in a cake.

He was banned from making films for 20 years in 2010 and has been imprisoned twice over his gritty dramas that, like "It Was Just An Accident", are often laced with humour.

- Assange appears -

A second Iranian film is competing in the top Cannes competition -- "Mother and Child" by Saeed Roustaee.

Roustaee was sentenced to six months jail for the screening of his film "Leila's Brothers" at Cannes in 2022 but his latest production has drawn criticism from some exiled directors.

The Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) has called it a "propaganda film", though it is unclear if they have seen it in full.

Fellow Iranian Cannes favourite Mohammad Rasoulof, who fled the country last year, defended Roustaee.

He told film magazine Variety that there was a "clear distinction between the propaganda films of the Islamic republic and the films that are made under the constraints of censorship".

Elsewhere in Cannes, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange promoted a documentary about him, "The Six Billion Dollar Man", following his release from a British prison last year.

Its director, Eugene Jarecki, was awarded the first ever Golden Globe for documentary at Cannes on Monday for his previous work, including his 2018 film about Elvis, "The King".

Ecuador's left-wing former president Rafael Correa, who famously offered Assange asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, was to attend the film's red-carpet premiere on Wednesday.

- Scarlett -

Panahi and Assange's presence comes at one of the most political Cannes for many years, dominated by protest over the war in Gaza, sexual politics and US President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on movies from "foreign lands".

Actors directing first films is also a trend this year, with "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart and "Babygirl" British actor Harris Dickinson both showcasing debut features.

Scarlett Johansson faced tough initial reviews for her film "Eleanor the Great" after it premiered on Tuesday.

Variety called it "an unconvincing crowd-pleaser", while The Hollywood Reporter said it was "wobbly" and "a sentimental Holocaust weeper".

Denzel Washington went viral on Tuesday after a tense red carpet exchange with a photographer.

The 70-year-old was presented with a surprise lifetime award on Monday at the premiere of his latest film with New York director Spike Lee, "Highest 2 Lowest".

The photographer had appeared to grab the actor by the arm as he posed in front of cameras.

Washington shook him off and then pointed his finger at him and appeared to say "Stop it" a number of times, videos showed.

F.AbuZaid--SF-PST