Jafar Panahi, an Iranian filmmaker and Cannes Palme d'Or winner for 'It Was Just Accident,' returned to Tehran after 15 years, amid political tensions and protests in Iran. His film, which depicts torture in Iranian jails, sparked diplomatic disputes between France and Iran, highlighting ongoing issues of censorship and resistance. Panahi's return was celebrated by supporters and marked a significant moment in his ongoing struggle for artistic and personal freedom.
Iranian director Saeed Roustayi has been sentenced to six months in prison, with a suspended sentence of five years, for screening his film "Leila's Brothers" at the Cannes Film Festival without authorization. Roustayi and his producer Javad Noruzbegi were found guilty of "contributing to propaganda of the opposition against the Islamic system." The film, which won the FIPRESCI prize, focuses on an Iranian woman navigating corruption and international sanctions. Roustayi's acceptance speech, dedicated to the victims of a tower collapse in Iran, angered authorities who subsequently banned the film in the country. Roustayi and Noruzbegi join a growing list of Iranian filmmakers facing repercussions from the authoritarian regime, including Jafar Panahi and several prominent actresses.
Gulf film fans are now traveling to Saudi Arabia to watch films that are banned in their home countries. Less than a decade ago, Saudis had to travel to neighboring countries to go to the cinema, but with the lifting of the 35-year ban on cinemas in Saudi Arabia, the country now has a growing cinema industry. In a reversal of historical cultural trends, residents of neighboring countries are now journeying to Saudi Arabia to bypass strict cinema restrictions at home. The recent ban of Warner Bros.' film Barbie in Kuwait and potential ban in Lebanon has led Kuwaiti residents to cross the border to Saudi Arabia to watch the film, highlighting the progress Saudi Arabia has made in its film industry in just a few years.
Greta Gerwig's film "Barbie" has been granted a commercial release in the Philippines after a review by the country's film censors. The film was banned in Vietnam due to a scene featuring a map allegedly showing the controversial 'nine-dash line' claimed by China in the South China Sea. The Philippines' Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) determined that the map in "Barbie" did not depict the 'nine-dash line' and instead portrayed the route of Barbie's make-believe journey. The MTRCB has given the film a "PG" rating, requiring viewers below 13 years old to be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult. The censors have also requested that Warner Bros. blur the controversial lines on the map.
Kenneth Anger, the avant-garde filmmaker known for his surrealistic queer compositions, has died at the age of 96. His work spanned from 1941 to 2013 and totaled just eight hours, consisting of 36 dialogue-free short films. Anger's work was a pioneering oeuvre, pre-dating music videos and influential musical cues and montages found in Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, and John Waters films. His collage Scorpio Rising (1963) and Eaux d’Artifice (1953) were selected for preservation by the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.
Steven Spielberg expressed regret for editing guns out of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" for the 20th anniversary release, stating that "no film should be revised based on the lenses we now are, either voluntarily, or being forced to peer through." He added that all movies are a signpost of the era they were made in and should not be censored. Spielberg's comments came during a master class at the Time 100 Summit.
The Hong Kong release of low-budget horror movie "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" has been cancelled just two days before its scheduled outing. The film, which turns the beloved children's characters into creatures of bloody horror, was approved by Hong Kong's censors but given a Category III rating, meaning it can only be shown to cinemagoers aged 18 or over. No explanation has been offered for the cancellation, but suspicions that the film may have crossed one of Hong Kong's increasingly complicated political red lines are certain to be raised.
