Asghar Farhadi Shares His Love for Iran and His Decision to Avoid Filmmaking at Home Until Censorship Changes
Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has returned to the Cannes Film Festival, competing for the fifth time with his French-language drama, Parallel Tales. The film features a distinguished cast, including Isabelle Huppert, Adam Bessa, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, and Catherine Deneuve.
Set in Paris, Parallel Tales arrives at Cannes amid ongoing turmoil in Farhadi’s home country of Iran, which faces significant unrest both from international conflicts with the U.S. and enduring domestic grievances against its strict Islamic regime.
Farhadi expressed his reluctance to film in Iran under current conditions, stating, “I live in Iran but as I’ve said before I won’t make films in Iran as long as I need a permit to do it. I won’t undergo this system of filming in my country.” His prior film shot in Iran, A Hero, earned the Grand Prix award at Cannes in 2021.
He further elaborated on his filmmaking process, saying, “I come abroad to make films but as soon as the work is done I go back to my home, which is Iran.” When asked about his feelings toward the current situation in Iran, he remarked, “Like everyone, I guess I love my country, I love my land, and nothing matters more than my land in these days.”
Inspired by an episode from Krzysztof Kieslowski’s television series Dekalog, Parallel Tales features Huppert as a reclusive writer who obsessively observes her neighbors and invents stories about their lives. The narrative takes a turn when a young homeless man, portrayed by Bessa, becomes involved and blurs the lines between fiction and reality.
Huppert praised Farhadi’s meticulous approach, stating, “He is a master of precision, and that started from the beginning when we started thinking about the costumes… This is literally how the characters started to emerge at the very early stage even before shooting.”
Reflecting on her passion for the project, she added, “I was really intrigued by the script. This is what made me really willing to do it. I love not always really understanding what I’m doing because I know cinema is going to give me the answers.”
For further insights from the director and cast, a video of the full conversation is available.
