Translation from French to English of interview with exiled movies stars Golshifteh Farahani and Zar Amir Ebrahimi

They have experienced disgrace under the mullah regime, and exile. Longtime friends the two Iranian film stars boldly speak up with determination in support of the women uprising in their country.

Interview by Guillemette Odicino
Photo Patrick Swirc for Telerama

 They are Iranian, they are actresses. They were born two years apart under the Islamic republic. The splendid and outspoken Golshifteh Farahani and Zar Amir Ebrahimi are close friends and exiled soulmates. The former became a star at the age of 14 before being the first Iranian to be cast in a Hollywood movie (Ridley Scott’s 2008 « Body of Lies » also starring Leonardo Di Caprio). Having played without the veil, she was forced to go in exile. Now a French icon and a quintessential cosmopolitan actress, she used her nudity as a symbol of freedom of choice. She has made an international career in films directed by such prestigious directors like Louis Garrel, Hiner Saleem, Jim Jarmush or the TV series VTC. The Latter was the 2022 Cannes film festival’s best actress award for a role of a brave journalist struggling against the religious oppression, sexism, in Ali Abbassi’s “The Nights of Mashad”. Since 2008 she has also been in exile in France. Yet as she was about to be widely famous in several tv series she had to flee her country overnight. She was condemned to 10 years ban for acting and forbidden to pursue any other artistic activity. Worse she was condemned to 90 whips. All this because of a video that took social media by storm: an intimate footage with her then boyfriend. 

When receiving her best actress award in Cannes on 28^th of May – after which several clerics called for her head -Zar made a speech in which she said that her country was no more her home” also adding “I now live here but my thoughts are with the men and women of Iran.” Since the murder of the student Mahsa Amini, in September, and the beginning of the bloody demonstrations, Golshifteh Farahani and Zar Amir Ebrahimi have not forgotten that they are first and foremost Iranians, and together wish to be a sounding board for their compatriot’s grievances.  

This interview with the two actress’ was conducted on 1^st of November but miles apart – Zar in Los Angeles promoting herself for the Oscars where she may be nominated, and Golshifteh Farahani shooting a film and singing in Buenos Aires with the group Cold Play a rallying song for freedom called “Baraye” – they nevertheless teamed up their schedules to answer our questions. They wished to speak in favor of the slogan: Women, Life, Freedom.

What were your first reaction at the beginning of the demonstrations in Iran? 

Golshifteh Farahani: I am not present on social media. I am usually very careful when I give interviews but this time I started to accept all interviews because I felt it was my duty to speak up in regard to what was going on in Iran.

Zar Amir Ebrahimi: Several months ago during an interview I predicted that the next revolution in Iran will be feminine.  As a result I got plenty of death threats on social media. On the onset of the events I was so depressed by all the violence that I nearly canceled  all my appointments for the upcoming Oscars nomination campaign. Either way there is little chance for an Iranian woman to be nominated for an Oscar. I finally pulled myself together and told myself if I cannot fight along my compatriots in Iran, might as well use my role in the “Nights of Mashhad” to speak about Iran over and over again. I can’t sleep anymore and I multiply interviews with American medias. I will give all I can. Everyone at their level should do anything in their power to bring down this government.

You are friends for 15 years now. How did you get to know each other?

G.F. Zar was exiled to France 6 months before me. She is the one who took my hand. Many years ago we came across one another during a school trip to see an eclipse. I was 16 years old. When I arrived in Paris I already knew about Zar’s predicament and during an evening I bumped into her, without knowing it was her. Then suddenly I realized it was her! As a courageous woman she was a role model. That is when we became best of friends. Exile is like a common language. Our experiences bad or good turned us into siblings. 

Z.A.E. In Iran I knew Golshifteh’s sister and brother. The school trip mentioned by Golshifteh took place just after director Dariush Mehrjui’s movie “Pear Tree” (!998) turned her into a star overnight. For our generation she was a phenomena in Iranian Cinema and truly a role model. On the bus I noticed that she was as natural and full of life as onscreen. Once in Paris we would walk for hours and ride a bicycle with a new feeling of freedom. Then in 2012 she had revealed her breasts in a short video clip for the French Cesar awards. After that she sent me the following message: “I did it for you”. 

After my trauma following the sex-tape and all the upbringing that made me hate my nudity, I felt that Iran had made me hate my body. The message of Golshifteh was so powerful. By exhibiting her body she made me be at peace with my own body. Her action will remain symbolic in history.  

Are the mullahs afraid of the body of women? 

G.F. Women’s body is a battleground where men spread their testosterones. The drama of Zar and the sex-tape were unfair, just like when men would touch me in taxis or when men would show their sexual organs to young girls out of school with the law on their side.  When a man would harass me, I was afraid to tell it to my parents because I had developed a guilt towards my body since the age of 4. If I did this photo it was for Zar because she represents the kind of oppression towards woman in Iran. Anywhere else in the world she would become a Kim Kardashian but in Iran she would be condemned to being whipped! In addition I as an actress, I knew I would be harassed each time I removed my veil or if I kissed or made love on screen. That is why I wanted to put an end to this hypocrisy and threats by posing nude for the magazine “Egoist”. I told myself: there I will show it all so let them behead me in their medias instead of cutting me to pieces with a knife.   

When you were young in Iran you would cut your hair short. Today young girls risk their lives for letting their hair out.

G.F. The summer of my 16^th birthday, they threw acid on my back because of my hair, so I decided to cut my hair short to look like a boy at night. Showing your hair is symbolically very strong knowing that it has never taken place in the past. The veil is a symbol of Islamic oppression against women. If the veil falls so will the regime.

Z.A.E. At the time the only way to resist was to deny our femininity. When I was a teenager I shaved my hair for similar reasons as Golshifteh. I was 14 when my father authorized me to take the taxi to do some shopping in town. In the back seet ( taxis in iran are public) a man told me to cover my hair which was showing under the veil. I didn’t realize that he was a policeman. He forced all the passengers out of the car and forced the driver to take me to the police. I spent several hours in a cell along with other suspects and I witnessed violent treatments. My father took me home, I was so traumatized that I immediately took a pair of scissors and cut my hair. I admire all these girls and women who claim their hair by risking their lives.

Your generation had to adapt with the dictatorship …

G.F. We were traumatized by the war, and subjected to the ideology of our parents who had done the revolution whether communists, nationalists or islamists … my own father who was an intellectual and a feminist was unable to free himself of some traditions and refused to see me with a boyfriend. We are flowers born out of dun. These girls are also flowers coming out of their caves. This generation rejects all “isms” they are not fighting for another ideology but for freedom. No one can corrupt this movement nor steal their struggle.

Z.A.E. Even if our parents were open minded, the government created such an environment of fear which made them silent. My father who came from an aristocratic family was terrified for me. Giving me freedom was exposing me to danger. Everyone at the time avoided the subject of the hijab as if it was not a problem.

G.F. Before people would demonstrate to have enough to eat or complain about the price of oil. To eat or drive without oxygen, without freedom is a hoax! Even the intellectuals want to normalize the veil. But this is at the basis of everything.  

What has changed?

Z.A.E. When a man would push me against the wall to touch me. I couldn’t tell my parents.

Today shame and silence have been lifted thanks to social media, Instagram and TikTok. Even the outlook of men has changed. Did you see this video showing a man giving flowers to a woman without a veil in the street ? He looks at women with respect and he shows his solidarity.  

Is the male solidarity in the streets and universities essential in this struggle?

Z.A.E. It certainly gives us more confidence. There is no going back. A wall has fallen. It is precisely why this revolt is actually a revolution.

What do you think of the attitude of Iranian filmmakers?

Z.A.E. I am currently doing a documentary on women in Iranian cinema for the past hundred years and I made some sad discovery: The hijab became mandatory after the revolution of 1979, but many filmmakers decided to veil their actress’ even before the law was voted. They did this either because they did not want to have problems with the authorities or by pure Islamic ideology. Many accepted the censorship before it was imposed. Some were also ready to betray their colleagues and cooperate with the government. This is what happened to me when I fled from Iran: filmmakers, writers and even actresses turned their back on me. They would also get together to watch my intimate video which turned me into a pariah. Consider Asghar Farhadi (director of “A separation” and “About Elly”): even if he is probably threatened by the security forces but how can he remain silent when so many people risk their lives in the street? At worst he would be arrested but he is too well known by the government to be assassinated.  

G.F. Jafar Panahi on the other hand who is imprisoned since last July who for years has been speaking so well about women (his most recent movie “The Bear” directed in clandestine and will be released on November 26^th) has refused to betray his ideals. Take Mahmoud Rasoulof (film “An honest man”) who has been arrested more than once and threatened to death yet he tried to make another movie before being arrested once again. Nobody knows his whereabouts. Nothing like Asghar Farhadi! One should stop praising this man who for years has been taking advantage of his powerful position like when he stole a story of his student Azadeh Masihzadeh to write the script of his latest film ’A Hero’ (2021). All she wanted was to be mentioned in the credits but instead he made her life miserable. His behavior is identical to that of the regime: He lies and he threatens. 

Yes, but one could criticize you for accusing those working in Iran while you are not risking anything in exile.

Z.A.E. We could have stayed if we had surrendered. After two or three years the government would have asked us to become actors again but in one of those super religious tv series. If we left it was because we couldn’t compromise with the regime.

Your colleague Taraneh Allidousti actress in the movie “Leila and her brothers” was condemned in 2020 to 5 months imprisonment with appeal for distributing a video on social media showing the “morality police” beating up an unveiled woman.

G.F. Well she also has a big mouth! It is impossible to shut her down. And she did alot to

Launch the Iranian #MeToo movement which you can imagine is more complicated in Iran than in France. She is an example as an artist who has stayed in the country and who pushes the limits to the maximum.

Do you think the international community is reacting enough?

Z.A.E. Certainly not when Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with president Ebrahim Raissi !  I see how things work in the United States: If I am privileged to speak about Iran it’s because of the “Nights of Mashad” which was screened worldwide as well as the Cannes Film Festival’s Best Actress Award. Actually the real problem is that of the nuclear issue which seems to scare the west. Everyone is worried for good reason about Russia’s nuclear bomb but the same can be said about Iran’s pursuit of it’s nuclear ambitions. But how can we trust a government that kills it’s children? How can one trust them to respect the nuclear treaty ? The problem of islamophobia in France seems to also embarrass the political establishment. In France where wearing the hijab is considered as a sign of freedom and some politicians are afraid to lose votes if they condemn the mandatory veil in Iran. There is a semantic conflict on the notion of freedom. 

G.F. It’s like if a free iran was useful to no one! They don’t want to see Iran as an enemy in the Middle East. On the contrary the image of a ‘dangerous Iran’ fits them. Even Robert Malley, the special US envoy hardly speaks for sanctions. As for as I am concerned, I literally had to storm Michelle Obama’s twitter with comments for nearly three weeks. She was posting her support for a mundane cause. Like many other women less famous than me I posted comments with the hashtag #Mahsa Amini ! Finally after four weeks she finally posted a message in support of the Iranian people then gave a two page interview to the New York Times. To think she is considered as the “Greatest Feminist of the world” … 

Z.A.E. How about UNICEF? The iranian government kills children, just yesterday four students were killed (Monday 31 October), and not even one single post on UNICEF’s Instagram account for children! Such silence at this juncture is simply criminal. 

G.F. The United Nations as well as world feminists are mute. Iranian people are once again alone, nothing changes.

Will you continue being a sounding board for your fellow compatriots back home?

G.F. What are we exiled women if not a sounding board? We contribute modestly to make sure their voices get heard. The revolution is a plane with it’s two wings carried by the Iranian people and we are the portholes. In the diaspora the fight is also feminine. I get many criticisms – I should do this and not that – which not surprisingly happen to be said by men. I am not a die-hard feminist but I see how much men want to explain to us how to do a revolution! Well sorry but the Islamic Republic never wanted us to exist. With Zar we had to struggle to exist. The simple fact of playing, singing, or shouting is itself a fight against dictatorship. The Afghan author and film director Atiq Rahimi says that we artists can’t wake up the dictators but we can at least trouble their sleep. We are here and we will continue to bother them. I will firmly continue to point my finger in the eye of the Islamic government.