Berlinale demands travel freedom for Iranian executives of 2,900 Swiss passengers affected by strike at German airports

The Berlinale has demanded freedom of expression and travel for two Iranian directors of a film in competition. A travel ban to Berlin has been imposed on filmmakers Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha, the Berlinale announced on Thursday. Their passports were confiscated and they were threatened with legal proceedings because of their work as artists.

The festival management duo reacted with dismay. According to a statement, Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek said:

The drama, titled “Keyke mahboobe man” (“My Favorite Cake”), will be shown in competition this year. It is about a woman in the Iranian capital Tehran who wants to pursue her desires, against society’s expectations. Moghaddam and Sanaeeha already screened their film ‘Ballad of a White Cow’ during the Berlinale competition in 2021. This year the start is scheduled for February 15.

Only in November 2023, famous Iranian actress Hanieh Tavassoli was sentenced by a court to six months in prison. Tavassoli and other colleagues found themselves in the crosshairs of the judiciary during the wave of protests in the fall of 2022 for showing solidarity with the women’s movement. Since then, in addition to a short prison sentence, they have also received a work ban from the Ministry of Culture.

The protests were caused by the death of the young Iranian Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini in September 2022. She was arrested by the moral police because some strands of hair were visible under her headscarf. She died in police custody. (rbu/sda/dpa)