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3 years agoon
TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian filmmaker who just won the Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear has been summoned to serve a one-year prison sentence over his movies, his lawyer said Wednesday.
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There was no immediate state media report about Rasoulof’s summons, nor any comment from judiciary officials.Actress Baran Rasoulof, holds The Golden Bear for Best Film in place of director Mohammad Rasoulof, who did not attend, for the film ‘Sheytan vojud nadarad’ (There Is No Evil) after the award ceremony at the 70th International Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany. Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Rasoulof just won the Berlin Film Festival’s top prize for his film “There Is No Evil.” The film tells four stories loosely connected to the use of the death penalty in Iran and dealing with personal freedom under tyranny.
Rasoulof wasn’t there to accept the award Saturday due to a travel ban imposed on him by Iranian authorities.
Organizers left an empty chair and name sign for Rasoulof at the news conference for his entry. Germany’s dpa news agency reported that Rasoulof’s daughter, Baran, accepted the Golden Bear award on his behalf.
Rasoulf has faced problems before for his work in Iran. In 2011, Rasoulof and fellow director Jafar Panahi were arrested in Iran for filming without a permit. The pair received six years in prison and were banned from filmmaking for 20 years on charges that included “making propaganda” against the ruling system, but Rasoulof’s sentence was later reduced to a year on appeal.
His film “Goodbye” won a prize at Cannes in 2011, but the director wasn’t allowed to travel to France to accept it
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