Saturday, February 12, 2011

BERLIN: Isabella Rossellini Reads Jafar Panahi's Prison Letter







BERLIN – Isabella Rossellini turned the Berlin Film Festival's opening night gala into a public condemnation of the Iranian regime when she read aloud from a letter by director Jafar Panahi,written from his prison cell in Tehran. (See Related Article: Isabella Rossellini Reads Prison Letter From Jafar Panahiat Berlin Fest's Opening Night Gala (Berlin) )

Jafar Panahi, open letter to Berlin Film Festival.10 Feb 2011. Berlin - Germany:



Berlin film fest honours imprisoned director
AFP: The Berlin film festival will honour dissident Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi, who was sentenced to prison in December, on the anniversary of the Islamic revolution Friday. Following tributes in Cannes and Venice, Berlin invited Panahi to serve on its jury. But though he is free on bail after receiving a six-year jail sentence and a 20-year film-making ban, he is barred from travelling abroad. The 61st Berlinale, as the event in known, has held a place open on the jury, chaired by Italian-American actress Isabella Rossellini, for Panahi "to show its support for his struggle for freedom". "We are still hoping that he will be able to come. We haven't given up," the Italian-American actress told reporters at the festival's opening news conference Thursday, as she sat next to his vacant chair >>>

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