Iranian filmmaker Ashgar Farhadi made a direct and emotional plea for artists and filmmakers to use their voices to stop the destruction of Iran’s civilian infrastructure on Tuesday after Donald Trump threatened “a whole civilization will die tonight.”
“I call on artists and filmmakers everywhere in the world to be a voice in these critical days and hours, in any way possible, to stop the destructive aggression that has increasingly destroyed civilian infrastructure,” Farhadi said in a statement published by Variety. “Infrastructure that belongs to the Iranian people and is related to the basic needs of their daily lives. The destruction of infrastructure is not just the destruction of buildings, it is an attack on human life and dignity.”
The “A Separation” filmmaker continued, calling Trump’s acts a war crime.
“Attacking a country’s infrastructure is a war crime. Regardless of any beliefs or attitudes, let’s unite to stop this inhumane, illegal and destructive process.”
Trump made a direct threat on the entire country of Iran on Tuesday, posting on Truth Social, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
The President’s post was met with shock and disgust across the political spectrum.
Farhadi’s films, which include “A Separation,” “The Salesman” and “A Hero,” have often been critical of the Iranian government, tackling class and religious issues in the country.
Farhadi won the Oscar for Best International Feature for “A Separation,” but when he won again for “The Salesman” in 2017 he declined to attend the ceremony in protest of Trump’s travel ban.
