Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, and Yorgos Lanthimos Stand with 800 Film Professionals Against Iranian Government’s Violence
Leading French Actresses and Director Condemn Iranian Government Violence
In a powerful collective statement, French actresses Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard, and Camille Cottin, along with Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, have joined more than 800 cinema professionals in denouncing the Iranian government’s violence against its citizens.
The statement expresses profound anger and moral responsibility, stating, “We, the undersigned, with anger, grief, and a deep sense of moral responsibility, condemn in the strongest possible terms the organised crimes committed by the Islamic Republic of Iran against protesting civilians."
The document highlights the brutal response from the Iranian authorities amid widespread and largely peaceful protests against repression, poverty, and systemic injustice. It details a series of human rights violations, including killings, mass arrests, and torture, noting that "more than three thousand defenceless citizens, including women, adolescents, and children have been killed.”
The statement also criticizes the Iranian government’s internet shutdown as a tactic to obscure the truth and prevent documentation of these atrocities. It contends that these actions are a "blatant and systematic violation of all fundamental human rights, including the right to life, liberty, human dignity, and security, and constitute a clear case of crimes against humanity." This declaration emerges two-and-a-half weeks into a notable crackdown by Iran’s hardline leadership aimed at suppressing national protests.
The extent of government-sanctioned violence remains difficult to assess due to the ongoing internet blackout since January 8, but estimates suggest as many as 16,500 people may have been killed, with countless others injured as authorities have opened fire on crowds. Additionally, tens of thousands of protesters have been imprisoned, with disturbing reports of torture and fears that many face execution.
High-profile figures in the arts have also added their voices to the cause. Among the signatories are exiled Iranian cinema personalities such as Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Goldshifteh Farahani, and Shirin Neshat, alongside renowned filmmakers like Tarek Saleh and Dominik Moll, as well as actress-directors Judith Godrèche and Ariane Labed. Various film festival professionals, including Gaia Furrer, head of Venice Giornate degli Autori, and Remi Bonhomme, Artistic Director of the Marrakech International Film Festival, have also shown their support.
The statement emphasizes the moral obligation to speak out, asserting that silence equates to complicity with the violence perpetrated by the Iranian government. "No political power has the right to massacre its own people in order to preserve itself or to silence the truth," it reads. The signatories call upon international institutions and the global artistic community to publicly condemn these crimes and reassess their relationships with official institutions of the Islamic Republic.
“This statement is written in solidarity with the families of those killed, political prisoners, and the people from Tehran to Kurdistan, Baluchestan, and Azerbaijan… who, despite brutal repression, continue to stand in the streets in defense of a future free from oppression and discrimination,” the statement concludes.
The current wave of protests, the largest since the 2022 Woman Life Freedom demonstrations, originated in late December amid a currency crisis that further exacerbated the already grim economic conditions faced by many Iranians not aligned with the regime. These protests are characterized by their broad societal support, marking a significant shift from previous uprisings.
