00:00:32:00 00:00:34:00 Monday Morning, 27 February 2012 00:00:35:00 00:00:38:00 It was about 4 in the morning 00:00:38:00 00:00:42:00 when we were watching the city from the roof top. 00:00:42:00 00:00:47:00 We didn’t expect to see so many houses with their lights on. 00:00:47:00 00:00:50:00 That night Asghar Farhadi got the first Oscar for the Iranian Cinema. 00:00:50:00 00:00:53:00 This event was so important for the people 00:00:53:00 00:00:57:00 that they waited up until dawn to watch the ceremony. 00:00:57:00 00:01:02:00 And this town woke up and it was an excuse for us to make this film. 00:01:02:00 00:01:10:00 From Iran: A Separation 00:01:13:00 00:01:15:00 A film by: Azadeh Mousavi , Kourosh Attaee 00:01:17:00 00:01:19:00 It's better to begin the film in Iran. 00:01:19:00 00:01:22:00 Our country is located in the Middle East 00:01:22:00 00:01:26:00 and has more than 7000 years of history. 00:01:26:00 00:01:28:00 You know where the Middle East is? 00:01:28:00 00:01:30:00 The place where it is full of oil and gas, and of course, 00:01:31:00 00:01:35:00 our neighboring countries are all quite and calm. 00:01:54:00 00:01:56:00 Of course the events that take place around Iran 00:01:56:00 00:01:57:00 are not that quiet either, 00:01:57:00 00:01:59:00 especially in the days leading to the Oscar… 00:01:59:00 00:02:01:00 We'll tell you about it later, 00:02:02:00 00:02:06:00 let's deal with A Separation. 00:02:07:00 00:02:12:00 On a quiet summer day in September 2010 00:02:12:00 00:02:15:00 Asghar Farhadi began shooting his film. 00:02:15:00 00:02:16:00 Asghar Farhadi (Filmmaker): 00:02:16:00 00:02:19:00 The commencement of A Separation was very bizarre. 00:02:19:00 00:02:24:00 I remember I had gone to Berlin with my family over the Norouz holidays. 00:02:25:00 00:02:27:00 We were supposed to make a movie in Berlin based 00:02:27:00 00:02:29:00 on a script written by Mr. Maadi and I. 00:02:29:00 00:02:31:00 You know Mr. Maadi played in A Separation. 00:02:32:00 00:02:38:00 We made plans and we talked with the producer for a while 00:02:38:00 00:02:40:00 and I went to Berlin 00:02:40:00 00:02:43:00 and to see the ambience and stay there 00:02:43:00 00:02:46:00 work on the script in order to finish it. 00:02:46:00 00:02:49:00 We were to pre-produce it. 00:02:49:00 00:02:54:00 One day I was standing by the window 00:02:54:00 00:02:56:00 in the kitchen of my friend’s house. 00:02:57:00 00:03:01:00 I think I was drinking tea and thinking about the script. 00:03:02:00 00:03:06:00 Suddenly I heard a song from the next room. 00:03:06:00 00:03:11:00 It was a new version of an old Iranian song 00:03:11:00 00:03:16:00 which I loved very much. 00:03:16:00 00:03:23:00 I forgot about the script as I was pretty deep in the music. 00:03:23:00 00:03:28:00 I went to the other room and listened to the song. 00:03:28:00 00:03:31:00 When it was over 00:03:31:00 00:03:34:00 I felt that my mind was empty of the script 00:03:34:00 00:03:36:00 that we were supposed to work on in Berlin. 00:03:36:00 00:03:40:00 It was as if that song had wiped out everything in my mind. 00:03:40:00 00:03:44:00 The first thing I asked myself was what I was doing there? 00:03:44:00 00:03:46:00 Why was I in Berlin? 00:03:46:00 00:03:49:00 Why did I want to make the film? 00:03:49:00 00:03:55:00 I felt that I had no motivation to make that film. 00:03:55:00 00:03:57:00 Anyway, 00:03:57:00 00:04:03:00 a couple of days after that song, I was back in Tehran. 00:04:03:00 00:04:07:00 I went to my office the next day after my arrival in Tehran. 00:04:08:00 00:04:10:00 I brewed some tea as usual 00:04:10:00 00:04:15:00 and sat behind my desk to make notes of my idea. 00:04:15:00 00:04:21:00 The first note that I made was about this image, 00:04:21:00 00:04:25:00 a memory that my elder brother had once told me. 00:04:25:00 00:04:31:00 I had a grandfather that I lost a few years ago. 00:04:31:00 00:04:35:00 I had spent a great deal of my childhood with him. 00:04:35:00 00:04:36:00 My brother told me 00:04:36:00 00:04:42:00 that one day he decided to bathe my grandfather. 00:04:44:00 00:04:46:00 When he was washing him, 00:04:46:00 00:04:50:00 the feelings that came over him were so unbelievable 00:04:50:00 00:04:56:00 that he hugged our grandfather and started crying. 00:04:56:00 00:05:00:00 The image of a young lad in a bathroom 00:05:00:00 00:05:05:00 putting his head on an old man’s shoulder and crying 00:05:05:00 00:05:08:00 was very touching 00:05:08:00 00:05:11:00 and I thought this could be the beginning. 00:05:31:00 00:05:35:00 No-one can argue that everyone likes to hear a beautiful story. 00:05:35:00 00:05:37:00 In my opinion in A Separation, 00:05:37:00 00:05:42:00 what I took from a big and successful movie 00:05:42:00 00:05:44:00 in the world is first of all to know 00:05:44:00 00:05:48:00 that we are telling a story that everyone likes to hear. 00:05:48:00 00:05:49:00 - I swear if… - Get out… 00:05:49:00 00:05:51:00 - Don't touch me sir! - I said get out! 00:05:53:00 00:05:54:00 Shahab Hosseini (playing the role of Hodjat): 00:05:54:00 00:05:56:00 The concern was so important to me 00:05:56:00 00:05:59:00 that I felt as if I was Hodjat’s attorney 00:05:59:00 00:06:02:00 and it was my duty to defend him in the court the next day. 00:06:02:00 00:06:04:00 He hit my wife, killed my child. 00:06:04:00 00:06:06:00 I've lost my life; you're scaring me of imprisonment? 00:06:07:00 00:06:10:00 There were so many like Hodjat out there. 00:06:10:00 00:06:13:00 or I'll find out what your story is with the husband of this woman. 00:06:13:00 00:06:14:00 You either come to court and say that you lied 00:06:14:00 00:06:17:00 It's a reflection of the society: 00:06:17:00 00:06:20:00 a true reflection without any playact 00:06:20:00 00:06:25:00 or aiming for the box office hit 00:06:26:00 00:06:31:00 like a tourism attraction for foreigners. 00:06:35:00 00:06:37:00 I'm taking Shajarian's CD. 00:06:37:00 00:06:43:00 You get to empathize with all the characters 00:06:43:00 00:06:46:00 in the movie and you believe that they are all right. 00:06:51:00 00:06:53:00 Newspaper headline: The end of a much-discussed movie. 00:06:53:00 00:06:57:00 The much-discussed movie of Farhadi came to an end. 00:07:02:00 00:07:05:00 This is the Fajr Film Festival. 00:07:05:00 00:07:09:00 The premiere screening of A Separation was at this festival. 00:07:10:00 00:07:14:00 This queue is for A Separation. 00:07:15:00 00:07:20:00 We had to wait in line for hours on a cold winter night. 00:07:37:00 00:07:39:00 We have been here since 6 in the morning. 00:07:39:00 00:07:42:00 There's supposed to be an extra show so we could buy tickets. 00:07:42:00 00:07:43:00 If they do so! 00:07:43:00 00:07:45:00 Some people have queued up since last night. 00:07:45:00 00:07:47:00 No, not since last night, since 8 yesterday morning. 00:07:47:00 00:07:49:00 Since 8 yesterday morning. 00:07:49:00 00:07:51:00 You mean you've queued up for 2 days? 00:07:51:00 00:07:53:00 - Yes, it's been 2 days. - For what? 00:07:53:00 00:07:54:00 For Farhadi’s film. 00:07:54:00 00:07:55:00 Newspaper Headline: 00:07:55:00 00:08:00:00 People slept on the street while lining up for Farhadi’s film. 00:08:13:00 00:08:17:00 A Separation: a film by Asghar Farhadi. 00:08:26:00 00:08:28:00 How was the movie? 00:08:28:00 00:08:30:00 It was wonderful… 00:08:30:00 00:08:34:00 a masterpiece… a masterpiece… a masterpiece… 00:08:34:00 00:08:37:00 a humanitarian film and totally meaningful… 00:08:37:00 00:08:40:00 the subject made you think and 00:08:40:00 00:08:45:00 when you start thinking it means the film was effective. 00:08:45:00 00:08:47:00 We voted for A Separation. 00:08:47:00 00:08:51:00 A Separation as the Audience Favorite Film… 00:08:51:00 00:08:55:00 A Separation won the Crystal Simorghs for the Best Director, 00:08:55:00 00:08:59:00 Best Script, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Recorder, 00:08:59:00 00:09:01:00 and Diplomas of Honour for the Best Actor 00:09:01:00 00:09:03:00 in a Supporting Role and the Best Actress in a Supporting Role. 00:09:03:00 00:09:08:00 But the jury didn’t select the film as the best film. 00:09:08:00 00:09:13:00 Asghar Farhadi was not present at the ceremony 00:09:13:00 00:09:16:00 that’s why A Separation was able to achieve such unprecedented awards. 00:09:16:00 00:09:18:00 Along with the Fajr Festival, the Berlin Film Festival 00:09:18:00 00:09:20:00 was also taking place, where A Separation 00:09:20:00 00:09:23:00 was able to achieve the Golden Berlin Bear for the Best Film, 00:09:23:00 00:09:26:00 the Silver Berlin Bears for all the actresses and actors. 00:09:34:00 00:09:36:00 Asghar I’m yours truly! 00:09:44:00 00:09:46:00 The film was screened in Norouz 2011. 00:09:46:00 00:09:48:00 Everybody had heard something about the film. 00:09:49:00 00:09:52:00 It has a good name… 00:09:53:00 00:09:55:00 Bijan and I don’t know… 00:09:56:00 00:09:58:00 something like that… 00:09:58:00 00:09:59:00 a man and a woman’s name… 00:09:59:00 00:10:01:00 And this gentleman seems to have heard more things. 00:10:01:00 00:10:03:00 I’ve heard about the film 00:10:03:00 00:10:06:00 but unfortunately I haven’t seen it. I know the story… 00:10:07:00 00:10:09:00 it’s about a married couple, 00:10:09:00 00:10:11:00 the husband has a father… 00:10:11:00 00:10:13:00 I think his father is ill… 00:10:14:00 00:10:16:00 he can’t walk or something. 00:10:16:00 00:10:20:00 The son is looking after his father and he bathes him. 00:10:20:00 00:10:23:00 The wife is OK with it, I think, 00:10:23:00 00:10:25:00 if I’m right… 00:10:25:00 00:10:27:00 with the father to stay with them, 00:10:27:00 00:10:29:00 but she likes to go abroad… 00:10:29:00 00:10:30:00 for some reasons! 00:10:30:00 00:10:33:00 The reasons are not clear in the film 00:10:33:00 00:10:35:00 but anyone who watche the film will find out! 00:10:35:00 00:10:39:00 I think everybody saw some part of themselves in the movie. 00:10:39:00 00:10:40:00 All these children live in this country; 00:10:40:00 00:10:42:00 you mean none of them have a future Ma’am? 00:10:42:00 00:10:45:00 I prefer my child not to be raised in such conditions, 00:10:45:00 00:10:47:00 - as a mother I have this right. - What conditions? 00:10:47:00 00:10:49:00 What conditions lady? 00:10:49:00 00:10:52:00 Simin was right too, the future of her child… 00:10:52:00 00:10:54:00 What’s wrong with our culture, why does she want to take her abroad 00:10:54:00 00:10:56:00 and get her to know the foreign culture? 00:10:56:00 00:11:01:00 We have to be after a better life for our children. 00:11:01:00 00:11:04:00 I’m worried about the future of my daughter in this country too… 00:11:04:00 00:11:09:00 Why? What’s wrong with this country? 00:11:09:00 00:11:12:00 Do they have as much history and civilization as we do? 00:11:12:00 00:11:16:00 She’s not leaving in order to ruin things or for pleasure. 00:11:16:00 00:11:19:00 She is immigrating to evaluate another situation 00:11:19:00 00:11:22:00 and build a better life. 00:11:22:00 00:11:25:00 I haven’t found a solution 00:11:25:00 00:11:27:00 but this is what she found. 00:11:27:00 00:11:29:00 - I swear… I… - Lady… 00:11:29:00 00:11:31:00 This is my bag sir… 00:11:31:00 00:11:32:00 Why are doing this? 00:11:32:00 00:11:37:00 I swear to God I didn’t pass this threshold… 00:11:37:00 00:11:39:00 - Lady, get out… - You’re saying I… 00:11:39:00 00:11:40:00 - Lady, get out… - What have I done? 00:11:40:00 00:11:43:00 - Lady, get out! - Don’t touch me sir! 00:11:43:00 00:11:45:00 OK, I won’t touch you. Get out then! 00:11:45:00 00:11:48:00 Please lady, let yourself out. I won’t leave until I get my money. 00:11:49:00 00:11:53:00 It interprets the Iranian society with a couple of characters. 00:11:53:00 00:11:58:00 The Iranian society which is in transit from a traditional society 00:11:58:00 00:12:03:00 to a modern one but has not digested the modern concepts. 00:12:03:00 00:12:07:00 For the first time it presented a realistic view of 00:12:07:00 00:12:11:00 the middle class city dwellers that is the majority of the society. 00:12:11:00 00:12:16:00 It’s the confrontation of modernity, tradition and religion in Iran 00:12:16:00 00:12:20:00 and it is not clear what the result would be. 00:12:21:00 00:12:23:00 How much is his daily income? 00:12:23:00 00:12:25:00 How much does he profit daily? 00:12:25:00 00:12:27:00 What do we do? 00:12:27:00 00:12:30:00 You lied. 00:12:30:00 00:12:32:00 What? 00:12:33:00 00:12:35:00 You lied. 00:12:35:00 00:12:37:00 About what? 00:12:37:00 00:12:41:00 It’s interesting; we would pay to watch being criticized in the theater. 00:12:41:00 00:12:43:00 Because we lie a lot to each other. 00:12:43:00 00:12:47:00 In my opinion this film is totally religious. 00:12:47:00 00:12:49:00 What does our religion say? We are Muslims. 00:12:49:00 00:12:51:00 Most of us are Shiites. 00:12:51:00 00:12:54:00 Our Islam says that we have to have each other’s back. 00:12:54:00 00:12:56:00 Help a sick person. 00:12:56:00 00:13:00:00 We have to be each other’s ally in the most difficult situations. 00:13:00:00 00:13:02:00 It’s bad to lie in Islam. 00:13:02:00 00:13:07:00 If you have to choose between getting into trouble and be disgraced 00:13:07:00 00:13:10:00 but not lie, you should not lie. 00:13:10:00 00:13:12:00 His creditors are sitting here! 00:13:12:00 00:13:16:00 Please don’t disgrace him! 00:13:16:00 00:13:18:00 I won’t swear. 00:13:18:00 00:13:21:00 She didn’t swear on the Koran in order to get money in return. 00:13:21:00 00:13:23:00 Well, what is your decision young lady? 00:13:23:00 00:13:25:00 Your parents want you to decide. 00:13:25:00 00:13:28:00 Now that they are separating who do you want to live with? 00:13:28:00 00:13:32:00 You want to be with your Dad or your Mom? 00:13:32:00 00:13:33:00 Have you decided or not? 00:13:33:00 00:13:36:00 Yes. 00:13:36:00 00:13:41:00 This girl will live with her father. 00:13:41:00 00:13:43:00 It will let the audience to judge 00:13:43:00 00:13:45:00 because it hasn’t reached a result yet. 00:13:45:00 00:13:47:00 She will pick her mother. 00:13:47:00 00:13:50:00 In fact there is no choosing in a way. 00:13:50:00 00:13:52:00 This is a hard pick. 00:13:52:00 00:13:55:00 You don’t know which one to pick. 00:13:55:00 00:13:58:00 In my opinion Termeh represents a generation: 00:13:58:00 00:14:01:00 a generation which is on the road to ruin 00:14:01:00 00:14:04:00 because of the stubbornness and deep hatred 00:14:04:00 00:14:08:00 and nobody pays attention to it. 00:14:08:00 00:14:11:00 This is the way the people supported the film. 00:14:12:00 00:14:14:00 This is the third time I’m watching the film. 00:14:14:00 00:14:17:00 I saw it twice when it was screened publically. 00:14:17:00 00:14:21:00 This was my first time but I think I can watch it two more times. 00:14:21:00 00:14:23:00 I’ve seen it trice. 00:14:23:00 00:14:25:00 I watched it twice… 00:14:25:00 00:14:26:00 Four times… 00:14:27:00 00:14:30:00 and A Separation earned billions. 00:14:30:00 00:14:36:00 The film had drawn the attention of the Iranian Cinema critics very much. 00:14:36:00 00:14:39:00 There was almost no newspaper or magazine 00:14:39:00 00:14:42:00 that had not published an article on A Separation. 00:14:43:00 00:14:46:00 The opinions weren’t all positive. 00:14:46:00 00:14:50:00 The whole film is explaining the mother’s message 00:14:51:00 00:14:54:00 that here is not a place to live and I want to take my child. 00:14:54:00 00:14:55:00 If this is what the film is about, 00:14:55:00 00:14:57:00 I have more serious debates about it. 00:14:57:00 00:15:01:00 Mr. Farasati, TV fixed and trustworthy critic 00:15:01:00 00:15:05:00 A Separation is a week mediocre film 00:15:05:00 00:15:07:00 - that justifies lies… - Weak or mediocre? 00:15:07:00 00:15:09:00 Weak… average weak… 00:15:09:00 00:15:12:00 we have average weak… 00:15:12:00 00:15:15:00 it justifies lies and 00:15:15:00 00:15:17:00 talks about leaving Iran. 00:15:17:00 00:15:21:00 Some newspapers considered it an anti-Iranian movie. 00:15:21:00 00:15:23:00 thankful… 00:15:23:00 00:15:25:00 I mean I want to say what kind of terms 00:15:25:00 00:15:26:00 they are teaching our children… 00:15:26:00 00:15:29:00 The film was debated about at religious places too. 00:15:29:00 00:15:32:00 hard Arabic words… 00:15:32:00 00:15:34:00 It means you saved us from the westerners 00:15:34:00 00:15:36:00 and handed us over to the Arabs? 00:15:36:00 00:15:37:00 The interesting thing is that 00:15:37:00 00:15:40:00 he lands in prison and when he gets out, 00:15:40:00 00:15:43:00 Simin of the opposition, says I brought you out. 00:15:43:00 00:15:46:00 If it weren’t for my pressures you would have stayed in prison. 00:15:46:00 00:15:50:00 This is an exact sarcasm that western and foreign pressures 00:15:50:00 00:15:53:00 lead to the release of some prisoners. 00:15:53:00 00:15:55:00 The debate was serious among people. 00:15:55:00 00:15:58:00 You know how it portrayed the Iranian society… 00:15:58:00 00:16:01:00 a veiled woman who is weak, is a maid 00:16:01:00 00:16:05:00 but civilized women whose hijab are… well… 00:16:05:00 00:16:09:00 who live among a certain class, have the right! 00:16:09:00 00:16:10:00 Why Ma’am? No… listen. 00:16:10:00 00:16:12:00 Of course it was doing the exact thing. 00:16:12:00 00:16:15:00 The people who are from a poor background, are religious, are weak, 00:16:15:00 00:16:18:00 and their men are nervous, they hit their women… 00:16:18:00 00:16:21:00 Rich men are nervous too… Mr. Peyman Maadi… 00:16:21:00 00:16:23:00 No, he was shown as a logical person… 00:16:23:00 00:16:24:00 No, he was nervous too but… 00:16:24:00 00:16:26:00 He seemed very rational… very civilized and logical. 00:16:26:00 00:16:28:00 In your opinion, is it unrealistic? 00:16:28:00 00:16:31:00 Really! Is it like this in our society, is it? 00:16:31:00 00:16:34:00 But it showed in the film that the woman who was wearing the chador 00:16:34:00 00:16:36:00 didn’t touch anything in the house. That was a positive thing. 00:16:36:00 00:16:38:00 If she was not civilized, she could have done the opposite. 00:16:38:00 00:16:40:00 Why don’t you look at it this way? 00:16:40:00 00:16:42:00 Our points of views are different. 00:16:42:00 00:16:44:00 No, it showed this. But on the other side what was it magnifying? 00:16:44:00 00:16:47:00 The fact that she didn’t take the money was much more magnified 00:16:47:00 00:16:49:00 than the fact that she was beaten up by her husband. 00:16:49:00 00:16:51:00 She didn’t take the money; she could have in the last moment… 00:16:51:00 00:16:53:00 You mean this is what it was magnifying; 00:16:53:00 00:16:54:00 you mean it focused on this matter? 00:16:54:00 00:16:56:00 No… it was never like that! 00:16:56:00 00:16:57:00 Lady, what does cinema mean? 00:16:57:00 00:16:59:00 Cinema is able to magnify things so they could be observed; 00:16:59:00 00:17:01:00 Exactly… this was its message… 00:17:01:00 00:17:04:00 this is what art means… But Mr. Farhadi’s aim was not this; 00:17:04:00 00:17:06:00 A Separation’s goal was not this… 00:17:06:00 00:17:09:00 His previous film, About Elly, said the same thing. 00:17:09:00 00:17:15:00 It was gradually, as they say, normalizing it. 00:17:15:00 00:17:20:00 A married woman who is committed can have other relationships… 00:17:20:00 00:17:24:00 Lady, do you accept the truth in the society, in Iran? 00:17:24:00 00:17:26:00 Well yeah… we see that… I’m a university professor… 00:17:27:00 00:17:28:00 There’s mosque, there’s chador… 00:17:28:00 00:17:30:00 God bless you… there’s mosque, 00:17:30:00 00:17:32:00 there’s chador, there’s forced heaven. 00:17:33:00 00:17:35:00 Stand here and you’ll see. The forced heaven is here too. 00:17:36:00 00:17:38:00 You want to deny the truth existing in the society? 00:17:38:00 00:17:40:00 What sort of a society do we have? 00:17:40:00 00:17:42:00 Islamic Republic of Iran! 00:17:42:00 00:17:46:00 Mr. Farhadi has respectfully broken some of the norms 00:17:46:00 00:17:48:00 in the Islamic Republic of Iran. 00:17:48:00 00:17:50:00 Will it not extenuate the issue? 00:17:50:00 00:17:52:00 It wouldn’t extenuate the issue? 00:17:52:00 00:17:55:00 - No Ma’am, why would it? - No what for? 00:17:55:00 00:17:58:00 It wouldn’t extenuate the issue? 00:17:58:00 00:17:59:00 It will gradually happen… 00:17:59:00 00:18:01:00 When they make programs on addiction and AIDS 00:18:01:00 00:18:04:00 and broadcast it on the TV, does it extenuate the matter? 00:18:04:00 00:18:06:00 - No, that’s different. - It’s informative. 00:18:06:00 00:18:08:00 They’re just being informative… no, what difference does it make? 00:18:08:00 00:18:12:00 - Well, as a Muslim woman, well… - We’re all Muslims lady. 00:18:12:00 00:18:14:00 None of us are non-Muslims. 00:18:14:00 00:18:18:00 No, I’m not saying that I’m the only Muslim and the rest are not… 00:18:18:00 00:18:21:00 but I don’t agree with this point of view… I don’t… 00:18:21:00 00:18:23:00 Well that’s your personal opinion… 00:18:23:00 00:18:25:00 I mean I think that if you want to criticize 00:18:25:00 00:18:27:00 it from the Islamic point of view, it really should be criticized. 00:18:27:00 00:18:28:00 As they say, I… 00:18:28:00 00:18:31:00 It was the Islamic code and boundary. Don’t say this lady. 00:18:31:00 00:18:33:00 We all have a reputation. We are all Muslims. 00:18:33:00 00:18:35:00 We are not against the Islamic Republic of Iran. 00:18:35:00 00:18:36:00 That’s not the point. 00:18:36:00 00:18:37:00 No, unfortunately we don’t like certain taboos; 00:18:37:00 00:18:40:00 Debates over this film continued in various forms… 00:18:40:00 00:18:41:00 And now 00:18:41:00 00:18:46:00 the topic of selecting a film to represent Iran in the Oscar! 00:18:49:00 00:18:52:00 As usual the Farabi Cinema Foundation 00:18:52:00 00:18:57:00 gathered a number of cinematic figures behind closed doors and 00:18:57:00 00:18:59:00 they started selecting a film. 00:19:00:00 00:19:05:00 Outside that room the debates over the selection of a film was very hot. 00:19:06:00 00:19:09:00 Some believed that the best selection was A Separation 00:19:09:00 00:19:11:00 and some were against it. 00:19:14:00 00:19:17:00 The people followed up the subject and 00:19:17:00 00:19:20:00 they would vote for this film at the polls. 00:19:20:00 00:19:23:00 Even on the facebook… (Access to this site is denied) 00:19:23:00 00:19:25:00 Wait… 00:19:27:00 00:19:31:00 yes, even here a page was set up in support of the film. 00:19:31:00 00:19:35:00 Now everyone was waiting for the election committee… 00:19:35:00 00:19:39:00 and finally A Separation was chosen. 00:19:41:00 00:19:44:00 Of course a few days later Mr. Shamaghdari, 00:19:44:00 00:19:46:00 the Cinematic Deputy of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance said: 00:19:47:00 00:19:49:00 “Oscar is not that important 00:19:49:00 00:19:53:00 and it is similar to our Gachsaran Cinema Ceremony! 00:19:53:00 00:19:55:00 ” Gachsaran is a small city 00:19:55:00 00:19:58:00 in the south of Iran with the population of 130’000. 00:19:58:00 00:20:03:00 There is only one movie theatre which was closed a few years ago! 00:20:03:00 00:20:07:00 Unfortunately we couldn’t find anything on this ceremony! 00:20:07:00 00:20:10:00 A Separation never returned home empty handed 00:20:10:00 00:20:13:00 after participating in various festivals. 00:20:23:00 00:20:26:00 Peyman Maadi: We were sitting at the Golden Globe 00:20:26:00 00:20:31:00 when we saw Madonna take the floor and 00:20:31:00 00:20:37:00 I said to myself Jesus Christ! 00:20:37:00 00:20:48:00 What should we do with her? 00:20:49:00 00:20:56:00 It’s not easy for an Iranian filmmaker to participate in foreign festivals. 00:20:56:00 00:21:00:00 There are rules as follows: 00:21:00:00 00:21:01:00 Behavior manners: 00:21:01:00 00:21:04:00 You shouldn’t do anything bad. 00:21:04:00 00:21:06:00 Verbal manners: 00:21:06:00 00:21:08:00 You shouldn’t say anything bad. 00:21:08:00 00:21:11:00 Dressing manners: 00:21:11:00 00:21:16:00 which is divided into men and women: you shouldn’t wear anything bad. 00:21:16:00 00:21:18:00 that it depends on who gives you the award. 00:21:18:00 00:21:20:00 Something else which is really important is 00:21:38:00 00:21:41:00 The successes of A Separation would strengthen 00:21:42:00 00:21:44:00 the film in the Iranian Cinema and 00:21:44:00 00:21:46:00 among it's fans but at the same time it would make 00:21:46:00 00:21:49:00 the ones who were against the film angrier. 00:21:50:00 00:21:53:00 Some believed that the western mafia was involved... 00:21:53:00 00:21:57:00 Farhadi didn’t observe the manners for participating in the festival... 00:21:57:00 00:22:00:00 when A Separation received the award 00:22:00:00 00:22:02:00 it was like as if a thief had received the award... 00:22:02:00 00:22:04:00 And some… Alireza Sadjadpour: 00:22:04:00 00:22:07:00 Whether these festivals give awards or not, 00:22:07:00 00:22:08:00 either way 00:22:08:00 00:22:11:00 it is based on inartistic and non-cultural reasons. 00:22:11:00 00:22:13:00 Jamal Shoorjeh (Filmmaker): Any way, 00:22:13:00 00:22:17:00 this is a shortcoming that some of our filmmakers 00:22:17:00 00:22:20:00 who are good filmmakers are subdued 00:22:20:00 00:22:25:00 by the West and are indifferent to the interests 00:22:25:00 00:22:28:00 and taste of their own society. 00:22:28:00 00:22:30:00 Sadjadpour: This is completely politicized and 00:22:30:00 00:22:33:00 we consider them to have no artistic and cultural aspects. 00:22:33:00 00:22:35:00 Policy determines who the winners are. 00:22:35:00 00:22:38:00 Shoorjeh: I don’t recall any films over 00:22:38:00 00:22:41:00 the past 3 decades which have brought honour, 00:22:41:00 00:22:44:00 power, beautification and grandeur for Iran 00:22:44:00 00:22:47:00 and to have participated in these festivals. 00:22:47:00 00:22:50:00 In the middle of all this A Separation got nominated for 00:22:50:00 00:22:55:00 the Best Script and Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscar. 00:22:56:00 00:23:01:00 This took place during the time when more sanctions were imposed on Iran. 00:23:01:00 00:23:04:00 Israel was constantly threatening Iran 00:23:04:00 00:23:08:00 and 5+1 would meet regularly… 00:23:08:00 00:23:11:00 news on Iran was very worrying. 00:23:41:00 00:23:44:00 In this higgledy-piggledy world situation, 00:23:44:00 00:23:48:00 the name of Iran was being raised through its cinema 00:23:49:00 00:23:52:00 and we were all waiting for the Oscar night. 00:23:52:00 00:23:55:00 The TV would not broadcast the ceremony. 00:23:55:00 00:23:57:00 We had to find a way to watch the Oscar. 00:24:08:00 00:24:10:00 Some people were sharing 00:24:10:00 00:24:14:00 the frequency of the networks that would broadcast the ceremony. 00:24:14:00 00:24:17:00 And finally the Oscar night arrived… 00:24:18:00 00:24:21:00 The people have to judge, the girl… 00:24:24:00 00:24:27:00 It will win, the script, I really believe… 00:24:28:00 00:24:29:00 Give the Oscar to him! 00:24:29:00 00:24:31:00 Hopefully Asghar Farhadi 00:24:33:00 00:24:37:00 And it was about 4 in the morning when the ceremony began… 00:24:37:00 00:24:38:00 I’m saying it’s not going to win. 00:24:38:00 00:24:42:00 - No, see, it won all the awards. - not that it is not going to win… 00:24:42:00 00:24:44:00 If it wasn’t supposed to win, 00:24:44:00 00:24:46:00 it wouldn’t have received so many awards… 00:24:46:00 00:24:50:00 That night a lot of us had gathered together. 00:24:50:00 00:24:52:00 This is me! 00:24:52:00 00:24:54:00 And this is me! 00:24:55:00 00:24:58:00 Quite, if you are bored we can change the channel. 00:24:58:00 00:24:59:00 - No, I’ll get it myself. - Be quite! 00:25:01:00 00:25:02:00 Enough, we want to hear… 00:25:05:00 00:25:07:00 Wow it is so beautiful. 00:25:23:00 00:25:25:00 Peyman Maadi: I think it took 2 minutes 00:25:26:00 00:25:28:00 for Sandra Bullock to come onto the stage. 00:25:28:00 00:25:30:00 I was nervous. 00:25:30:00 00:25:33:00 I mean I could feel all the stress that I 00:25:33:00 00:25:35:00 hadn’t felt throughout the year, coming over me. 00:25:35:00 00:25:37:00 Leila Hatami: In fact all the Iranians 00:25:37:00 00:25:40:00 were watching us on their TVs. 00:25:40:00 00:25:43:00 It was a collective anticipation 00:25:43:00 00:25:45:00 and was not only about one movie. 00:25:45:00 00:25:47:00 Peyman Maadi: Until I thought what 00:25:47:00 00:25:50:00 if we don’t win the award, what will happen then? 00:25:50:00 00:25:52:00 Then I thought what can we say to these people? 00:25:52:00 00:25:54:00 Hurry up Yassi… 00:26:16:00 00:26:18:00 She’s speaking in German… 00:26:18:00 00:26:20:00 Be quite for a minute man, let’s listen. 00:26:20:00 00:26:22:00 You don’t understand German. 00:26:22:00 00:26:24:00 You don’t even understand the subtitles. 00:26:31:00 00:26:34:00 A group of Iranians in the US 00:26:42:00 00:26:44:00 A group of Iranians in Canada 00:26:45:00 00:26:48:00 A group of Iranians in Germany 00:26:52:00 00:26:54:00 Sit down quickly, this is it! 00:26:57:00 00:26:59:00 We’ll get it, we will, rest assured. 00:27:27:00 00:27:29:00 Wow… Wow I can’t believe it. 00:28:24:00 00:28:27:00 He didn’t shake hands with her! He didn’t. 00:28:38:00 00:28:41:00 Greetings to the good people of my homeland. 00:28:42:00 00:28:45:00 He spoke in Farsi… my dear… 00:29:19:00 00:29:20:00 He’s crying. 00:29:33:00 00:29:34:00 Cool… cool… 00:29:34:00 00:29:36:00 He won the award… 00:30:40:00 00:30:41:00 The next day, 00:30:41:00 00:30:43:00 all the papers were covering the Oscar news 00:30:43:00 00:30:45:00 and people were sending congratulatory texts. 00:30:45:00 00:30:50:00 Many people were sending congratulatory texts to each other. 00:30:50:00 00:30:55:00 Some were distributing pastry in the streets. 00:30:55:00 00:30:58:00 Some people had decorated their cars! 00:30:58:00 00:30:59:00 Babak Karimi (playing the role of the judge): 00:30:59:00 00:31:01:00 Something special thing happened to this film. 00:31:01:00 00:31:07:00 Imagine everyone watching a football match 00:31:07:00 00:31:10:00 and the play is taking place in the field. 00:31:10:00 00:31:11:00 Suddenly 00:31:11:00 00:31:17:00 the ball is kicked towards the spectators who keep the ball. 00:31:17:00 00:31:23:00 The game stops and the play takes place among the spectators. 00:31:23:00 00:31:26:00 From a point on the film belonged to the people. 00:31:26:00 00:31:27:00 I was delighted. 00:31:27:00 00:31:31:00 I cried it is as if I had won the award myself! 00:31:31:00 00:31:34:00 It was really great. Al last an Iranian was able to. 00:31:34:00 00:31:37:00 It gave a special energy to all Iranians. 00:31:37:00 00:31:39:00 Everyone was awake, like when they are awake early 00:31:39:00 00:31:41:00 in the morning when the Iranian year changes, 00:31:41:00 00:31:43:00 when people call each other at that 00:31:43:00 00:31:45:00 exact moment and congratulate each other. 00:31:45:00 00:31:48:00 The network was busy and you couldn’t even send texts. 00:31:48:00 00:31:51:00 I get goose bumps when I talk. 00:31:51:00 00:31:53:00 It was really a national honor, it was an honor… 00:31:53:00 00:31:55:00 It brings tears to the eyes. 00:31:55:00 00:31:58:00 Everyone at our company was served pastry. 00:31:58:00 00:32:00:00 He went and got the award, 00:32:00:00 00:32:05:00 which was a positive point for the Iranian nation. 00:32:05:00 00:32:07:00 The film that received the Ocsar, 00:32:07:00 00:32:11:00 Farhad… Simin’s Separation from I don’t know who… 00:32:11:00 00:32:13:00 the film that received this thing in Europe… 00:32:13:00 00:32:15:00 yeah, I heard about it. 00:32:15:00 00:32:17:00 Yeah, the man got it, I liked it, I was so happy. 00:32:17:00 00:32:21:00 I was watching it on the TV 00:32:21:00 00:32:23:00 when he was receiving the award on the stage. 00:32:23:00 00:32:27:00 It’s an honor for our country, for the Iranians. 00:32:27:00 00:32:28:00 I told my friends 00:32:28:00 00:32:30:00 that I have been proud to be an Iranian 3 times in my life. 00:32:31:00 00:32:33:00 when Khodadad Azizi scored a goal when we were playing vs. the Australians 00:32:33:00 00:32:35:00 and the third time when we received the academy award. 00:32:35:00 00:32:38:00 We went to see what the experts thought about it. 00:32:38:00 00:32:39:00 Bahman Farmanara (Filmmaker): 00:32:39:00 00:32:43:00 The good thing about Asghar is that he was able to get a permit here; 00:32:43:00 00:32:48:00 he made his film and was able to screen it and gain billions. 00:32:48:00 00:32:51:00 Even though he had no support when the film was being screened, 00:32:51:00 00:32:57:00 and it’s all because the people supported the movie 00:32:57:00 00:33:01:00 and then the world joined the Iranian people. 00:33:01:00 00:33:05:00 It’s because when you 100% become a national figure, 00:33:05:00 00:33:07:00 then you turn into an international one. 00:33:07:00 00:33:09:00 Nasser Fakouhi (Sociologist): 00:33:09:00 00:33:13:00 The amount of happiness in Iran was much more than 00:33:13:00 00:33:21:00 when a French movie or a Brazilian movie would receive an Oscar. 00:33:21:00 00:33:30:00 This shows the need of a people who want their identity or 00:33:31:00 00:33:39:00 prestige to be acknowledged by others. 00:33:39:00 00:33:41:00 Abbas Abdi (Journalist & Political Analyst): 00:33:41:00 00:33:45:00 The importance of the Oscar is that it is an American award, 00:33:45:00 00:33:51:00 at a time when there is a tension between Iran and America, 00:33:51:00 00:33:55:00 a tension at its highest peak even more than 00:33:55:00 00:33:59:00 the beginning of the Revolution. 00:33:59:00 00:34:03:00 Therefore when such an event takes place, 00:34:03:00 00:34:07:00 knowledge is formed between the two societies from culture 00:34:07:00 00:34:10:00 which as a rule can help with the reduction of this tension. 00:34:10:00 00:34:12:00 Saeed Aghighi (Cinema Critic): 00:34:12:00 00:34:17:00 This film basically presents a new social portrait of Iran to the world 00:34:17:00 00:34:19:00 and to the Iranian society. 00:34:19:00 00:34:22:00 Imagine years ago when Samira Makhmalbaf’s film 00:34:22:00 00:34:26:00 The Blackboard was displayed in foreign country and 00:34:26:00 00:34:29:00 the most famous critic called “A Portrait of Iran” 00:34:29:00 00:34:31:00 was written about it, 00:34:32:00 00:34:38:00 whereas this film had no signs of the urban life in Iran in it. 00:34:38:00 00:34:44:00 A generation was depicted that was basically not seen, 00:34:44:00 00:34:47:00 not present in the movies and not heard of. 00:34:48:00 00:34:57:00 The middle-class of Iran who has complicated concerns for life 00:34:57:00 00:34:59:00 and tries to fend for itself . 00:34:59:00 00:35:01:00 And we had another reason to be happy. 00:35:01:00 00:35:05:00 When I saw how he talked about 00:35:05:00 00:35:08:00 the Iranians being peace lovers I was really happy. 00:35:08:00 00:35:12:00 I couldn’t sit on the couch and was just jumping up and down. 00:35:12:00 00:35:13:00 He was really great. 00:35:13:00 00:35:18:00 He informed the audience that 00:35:18:00 00:35:21:00 the Iranians are not after guns, 00:35:21:00 00:35:24:00 tanks and shrapnel and we can talk about other stuff 00:35:24:00 00:35:27:00 but unfortunately we don’t have a media for expressing them. 00:35:27:00 00:35:29:00 It was as if he was representing the whole nation meaning 00:35:29:00 00:35:31:00 that we are not warmongers, 00:35:32:00 00:35:35:00 the people who say that we are terrorists. 00:35:35:00 00:35:36:00 Kiumars Pourahmad (Filmmaker): 00:35:36:00 00:35:42:00 He had two little golden opportunities at the Golden Globe and the Oscar 00:35:42:00 00:35:46:00 and he turned both of them into two little golden opportunities 00:35:46:00 00:35:49:00 for the people of Iran. 00:35:49:00 00:35:51:00 Rakhshan Bani-Etemad (Filmmaker): 00:35:51:00 00:35:52:00 In my opinion, 00:35:52:00 00:35:56:00 we wouldn’t have been able to send the peace message 00:35:56:00 00:36:04:00 that Farhadi sent out to the world from that podium from the UN podium. 00:36:04:00 00:36:08:00 Of course some people expected Farhadi to express other things. 00:36:08:00 00:36:11:00 But if it were me I would have criticized a bit more. 00:36:11:00 00:36:13:00 Farhadi was very stiff. 00:36:13:00 00:36:15:00 I never expected Farhadi’s attitude to be that way. 00:36:15:00 00:36:18:00 I wish he was more relaxed, 00:36:18:00 00:36:20:00 it was as if he was under pressure. 00:36:20:00 00:36:21:00 Dr. Sadegh Ziba Kalam 00:36:21:00 00:36:23:00 (Political Analyst and Faculty Member of the University of Tehran): 00:36:23:00 00:36:29:00 I think that he had said to himself what I should say 00:36:29:00 00:36:32:00 if I do win the Oscar Award. 00:36:32:00 00:36:37:00 I should say something that is not too cliché, 00:36:37:00 00:36:41:00 something that when I return to Iran they wouldn’t arrest me for it. 00:36:42:00 00:36:45:00 I should say something to be able to return to Iran. 00:36:45:00 00:36:49:00 At the same time it shouldn’t be something to turn the people off, 00:36:49:00 00:36:52:00 the people who are expressing their feelings for me. 00:36:52:00 00:36:54:00 Therefore I should say something, 00:36:54:00 00:36:59:00 I should say that violence is not acceptable in Iran, 00:36:59:00 00:37:01:00 not everyone is after violence, 00:37:01:00 00:37:04:00 that Iran has a rich culture, 00:37:04:00 00:37:11:00 things that would express a part in each of us. 00:37:11:00 00:37:14:00 I think that 00:37:14:00 00:37:16:00 if this was his own idea or 00:37:16:00 00:37:18:00 others had told him what to say, 00:37:18:00 00:37:20:00 it was very rational. 00:37:20:00 00:37:24:00 Mr. Farhadi how come you said that the Iranians are peace loving people? 00:37:24:00 00:37:27:00 When I went on different trips to various parts of the world 00:37:27:00 00:37:29:00 for A Separation, 00:37:29:00 00:37:39:00 I felt that the idea of a war with Iran was serious and dangerous. 00:37:39:00 00:37:45:00 The questions that were asked in the interviews always 00:37:45:00 00:37:51:00 lead to what my opinion was on the future, 00:37:51:00 00:37:55:00 would the war break out. 00:37:55:00 00:37:57:00 I felt that this issue is very serious 00:37:57:00 00:38:02:00 and the Iranian and the foreign politicians 00:38:02:00 00:38:05:00 were playing the tug of war, 00:38:05:00 00:38:09:00 each pulling the rope toward themselves. 00:38:09:00 00:38:11:00 The people’s opinion 00:38:11:00 00:38:17:00 that they do not want war was not taken into consideration. 00:38:17:00 00:38:22:00 The Fars News Agency reflected Farhadi’s speech this way: 00:38:22:00 00:38:24:00 Despite the enmity of the West, 00:38:24:00 00:38:29:00 the people of Iran attach value to the nuclear program for all cultures. 00:38:29:00 00:38:31:00 When Mr. Farhadi was questioned 00:38:31:00 00:38:33:00 in the press conference after the Oscar ceremony about 00:38:33:00 00:38:35:00 what he thought the reaction of the Iranian government 00:38:35:00 00:38:37:00 would be to his award, he said that 00:38:37:00 00:38:40:00 the Iranian government was not a uniform government. 00:38:40:00 00:38:43:00 The things that happened for this film before, 00:38:43:00 00:38:50:00 some were really against and some were happy for the film. 00:38:50:00 00:38:53:00 Some were quite, some were happy; 00:38:53:00 00:38:56:00 there are different kinds of people in the establishment. 00:38:56:00 00:38:59:00 Well according to Mr. Farhadi’s sayings 00:38:59:00 00:39:02:00 we divide the reactions into 3 categories: 00:39:02:00 00:39:04:00 the upset ones 00:39:04:00 00:39:05:00 the quiet ones 00:39:05:00 00:39:06:00 the happy ones. 00:39:06:00 00:39:10:00 Kayhan Newspaper was among the upset ones. 00:39:10:00 00:39:13:00 This paper was writing for some time in a column called 00:39:13:00 00:39:15:00 “A Separation: Farhadi and the Iranian People”, 00:39:15:00 00:39:19:00 criticizing the Academy Award and Farhadi. 00:39:19:00 00:39:22:00 The second category is the quiet ones. 00:39:22:00 00:39:25:00 Many people believe that the IRIB belonged to this category 00:39:25:00 00:39:28:00 but we consider the IRIB among those who talked little of this event. 00:39:28:00 00:39:30:00 Because it covered the event in its early morning news 00:39:30:00 00:39:32:00 but said nothing about it 00:39:32:00 00:39:34:00 at the other times when many viewers were watching the news. 00:39:34:00 00:39:39:00 The Iranian film A Separation won the Oscar award. 00:39:39:00 00:39:40:00 At this ceremony 00:39:40:00 00:39:44:00 A Separation won the Best Foreign Language Film 00:39:44:00 00:39:46:00 defeating a film from the Zionist regime. 00:39:46:00 00:39:50:00 And unfortunately people hadn’t seen anything. 00:39:50:00 00:39:55:00 Unfortunately we didn’t hear anything about him 00:39:55:00 00:39:58:00 in the IRIB, this was an honor. 00:39:58:00 00:40:01:00 I saw it on the satellite TV channel, 00:40:02:00 00:40:04:00 it was treated indifferently here. 00:40:04:00 00:40:06:00 Newspapers, the TV, not all! 00:40:06:00 00:40:09:00 The people turned into a media whereas the media did nothing. 00:40:09:00 00:40:11:00 The third category is the happy ones. 00:40:11:00 00:40:14:00 Mr. Shamaghdari said in his congratulatory message: 00:40:14:00 00:40:18:00 “The American judgment bowed to the Iranian culture 00:40:18:00 00:40:21:00 and the voters at the Oscar Academy 00:40:21:00 00:40:23:00 showed different reactions despite the fact 00:40:23:00 00:40:28:00 that the Zionists are lobbying for war. 00:40:28:00 00:40:32:00 This crack is the beginning of the collapse of the Israeli 00:40:32:00 00:40:35:00 influence in the US.” 00:40:35:00 00:40:38:00 We will now listen to what Mr. Sadjadpour had to say… 00:40:38:00 00:40:39:00 In practice everyone saw 00:40:39:00 00:40:42:00 that the cinematic management supported the film 00:40:42:00 00:40:45:00 at the local and foreign film festivals. 00:40:45:00 00:40:46:00 Despite the reluctancy 00:40:46:00 00:40:50:00 we introduced the film to the Oscar and supported it. 00:40:50:00 00:40:53:00 The last few days before the ceremony 00:40:53:00 00:40:57:00 we did our best so that the film would not be denied its rights. 00:40:57:00 00:40:59:00 We threatened them, I threatened them myself. 00:40:59:00 00:41:03:00 I told them that if the film doesn’t receive an award we will disclose, 00:41:03:00 00:41:04:00 they will be disgraced, 00:41:04:00 00:41:07:00 we will show that they are unjust and things like that. 00:41:07:00 00:41:09:00 We should mention in parenthesis 00:41:09:00 00:41:12:00 that some time later Mr. Shamaghdari said: 00:41:12:00 00:41:16:00 “The President ordered me to globalize the Iranian Cinema 00:41:16:00 00:41:19:00 and we lobbied and got the Oscar!” 00:41:19:00 00:41:21:00 And we must mention 00:41:21:00 00:41:25:00 that the following year the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance 00:41:25:00 00:41:29:00 boycotted the Oscar over an insulting film on Prophet Mohammad. 00:41:29:00 00:41:31:00 The days that followed the Oscar, 00:41:31:00 00:41:34:00 there was a debate whether Farhadi would come back to Iran or not. 00:41:34:00 00:41:36:00 There was a headline 00:41:36:00 00:41:39:00 that he had immigrated to France with his family 00:41:39:00 00:41:42:00 and they were having fun and things like this. 00:41:42:00 00:41:44:00 He’ll come back, 00:41:44:00 00:41:46:00 if I were him I would come back. 00:41:46:00 00:41:47:00 I don’t think 00:41:47:00 00:41:50:00 that the situation is in his favor for him to come back to Iran. 00:41:50:00 00:41:52:00 I think that he’ll come back. 00:41:52:00 00:41:59:00 No-one can tell whether he will come back or not but hopefully he will. 00:41:59:00 00:42:03:00 Even though Farhadi had not talked about the date of his return to Iran 00:42:03:00 00:42:05:00 but on Friday 09 March, 00:42:05:00 00:42:07:00 it was all over the internet 00:42:07:00 00:42:11:00 that Farhadi would return to Iran on that night. 00:42:11:00 00:42:15:00 Mr. Farhadi how come you decided to return to Iran unannounced? 00:42:15:00 00:42:17:00 To be honest, 00:42:17:00 00:42:21:00 the reason was that I didn’t want the people 00:42:21:00 00:42:26:00 who had hindered the production process of my films 00:42:26:00 00:42:31:00 and other filmmakers over the years knowingly or unknowingly to come 00:42:31:00 00:42:37:00 and change things to their liking, 00:42:37:00 00:42:40:00 this was not agreeable for me. 00:42:41:00 00:42:43:00 We went to the airport 00:42:43:00 00:42:47:00 and when we got there we didn’t expect to see a big crowd. 00:42:53:00 00:42:57:00 This guy who is the leader of the football fans in the stadiums 00:42:57:00 00:43:01:00 had also come to cheer for Farhadi in his own way. 00:43:08:00 00:43:12:00 The pilot asked me to join him in the cockpit. 00:43:12:00 00:43:14:00 We were talking to each other during the flight 00:43:14:00 00:43:16:00 until we entered the Iranian air space. 00:43:16:00 00:43:19:00 They contacted him from the control tower 00:43:19:00 00:43:23:00 and asked him whether I was on the flight. 00:43:23:00 00:43:26:00 He told them that I was there sitting next to him. 00:43:26:00 00:43:28:00 They told him 00:43:28:00 00:43:32:00 that a big crowd was at the airport to welcome me 00:43:32:00 00:43:36:00 and asked me to behave in a way 00:43:36:00 00:43:39:00 so that the airport would be kept in order. 00:43:39:00 00:43:42:00 I understood what they meant 00:43:42:00 00:43:46:00 and I realized that people had found out about my return 00:43:46:00 00:43:48:00 even though no-one was informed about it. 00:43:48:00 00:43:50:00 Apparently the news was on the internet 00:43:50:00 00:43:53:00 and people and the journalists were there to greet me. 00:43:53:00 00:43:58:00 It was around 2 in the morning when Asghar Farhadi arrived. 00:44:03:00 00:44:08:00 Unfortunately the authorities had no plans for greeting him! 00:44:29:00 00:44:32:00 The authorities who were there to greet him 00:44:32:00 00:44:34:00 on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance 00:44:34:00 00:44:36:00 took him to the VIP lounge. 00:44:38:00 00:44:41:00 They told the reporters and the photographers 00:44:41:00 00:44:44:00 to go to the first floor and wait for him. 00:44:45:00 00:44:51:00 People are here without being informed by the official media. 00:44:55:00 00:44:58:00 I said now that the people are here 00:44:58:00 00:45:00:00 we should go through the place where they are waiting. 00:45:00:00 00:45:02:00 I thought that no-one… 00:45:17:00 00:45:21:00 Farhadi welcome, Farhadi welcome! 00:45:47:00 00:45:49:00 I don’t know why they insisted that night 00:45:49:00 00:45:54:00 that I should get out of the airport as soon as possible. 00:45:54:00 00:45:58:00 People had come to the airport with a lot of trouble 00:45:58:00 00:46:02:00 and I was not in a position to make decisions there. 00:46:02:00 00:46:04:00 We got into a car 00:46:04:00 00:46:09:00 and drove towards Tehran and the people were still waiting for me. 00:46:09:00 00:46:11:00 On the way I thought to myself 00:46:11:00 00:46:14:00 that this will upset the people 00:46:14:00 00:46:19:00 who had come to express their kindness at that time of the night. 00:46:19:00 00:46:23:00 But I hadn’t seen them or had passed through very quickly. 00:46:23:00 00:46:27:00 I asked the driver to go back. I told him to go back to the airport. 00:46:27:00 00:46:29:00 He told me that they had asked him to take me away 00:46:29:00 00:46:31:00 but I said to him to turn around because it was not right. 00:46:32:00 00:46:34:00 We talked on the phone with the authorities for a while. 00:46:34:00 00:46:37:00 I insisted that if they were unwilling to go back 00:46:37:00 00:46:41:00 I would go back myself, and then we returned and… 00:47:02:00 00:47:05:00 Mr. Farhadi Iran is proud of you! 00:47:07:00 00:47:11:00 In the honor of the peace loving Iranians! 00:47:33:00 00:47:37:00 The people of Iran consider you the representative of peace. 00:47:37:00 00:47:41:00 I just consider myself a filmmaker, I’m just a filmmaker. 00:47:41:00 00:47:46:00 About what others are saying, I just consider myself a filmmaker. 00:47:49:00 00:47:52:00 A round of applaud for Asghar! 00:48:06:00 00:48:09:00 Viva, thank you, thank you. 00:48:29:00 00:48:33:00 This is the Cinema Museum of Iran. 00:48:41:00 00:48:42:00 Like a house, 00:48:42:00 00:48:46:00 this museum has gathered all the souvenirs of the Iranian Cinema 00:48:46:00 00:48:48:00 over the past hundred years. 00:48:52:00 00:48:57:00 This place if full of various awards. 00:49:08:00 00:49:13:00 One day the Oscar for A Separation will come to this place 00:49:13:00 00:49:16:00 and will sit on one of these shelves. 00:49:20:00 00:49:23:00 There are no other reputable awards 00:49:23:00 00:49:27:00 that the Iranian Cinema has not achieved. 00:49:38:00 00:49:45:00 Behind each and every award there’s a story which can be turned into a film. 00:49:46:00 00:49:50:00 This film was the story of one of these awards, 00:49:50:00 00:49:54:00 which turned into a memorable memory.