Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, an Academy Award-winning director with significant commercial success both in his home country and internationally, has criticized how contemporary media and politicians emphasize divisions among people. Speaking at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where he received an honorary award and career retrospective, Farhadi expressed concern about the current focus on highlighting differences rather than shared human experiences.
Farhadi drew parallels to classic cinema from directors like Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirō Ozu, noting that audiences connect deeply with films rooted in universal human emotions despite cultural unfamiliarity. He argued that fundamental experiences—such as a mother’s love for her children—transcend geographical and cultural boundaries, yet media narratives frequently emphasize what separates rather than unites people. Farhadi questioned why tragic events abroad are often contextualized as distinctly different from similar occurrences at home.
Beyond discussing global divisions, Farhadi cautioned aspiring filmmakers against pursuing success as a primary goal. He characterized achievement as potentially “dangerous,” creating distance between creators and audiences while limiting creative freedom. Farhadi emphasized that authentic filmmakers should prioritize the creative process itself rather than predetermined outcomes, and that genuinely local stories grounded in human authenticity ultimately achieve the broadest universal appeal.
Originally reported by Variety →
About the Author
