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Farhadi sent powerful message by not attending Oscars: Analyst

Monday, 27 February 2017 4:04 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 27 February 2017 4:25 PM ]

Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi speaks in a recorded video message during the public screening for the film 'The Salesman' in Trafalgar Square in central London on February 26, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s The Salesman has won the 2017 Academy Award for best foreign-language film.

The award was accepted by two prominent Iranian-Americans representing Farhadi, who boycotted the Oscars over US President Donald Trump's executive order banning visitors from seven Muslim countries. Anousheh Ansari, the first Iranian space tourist, read out a statement by Farhadi.

A film critic and musician believes the director of The Salesman has sent the most powerful message by not attending the Oscars and delivering an amazing speech by the “outstanding, world-class, and top-notch” Iranian astronaut.

“The Academy Awards is an international show and to project from the person that won the best foreign film with this powerful statement resonates around the world,” Johnny Punish told Press TV in an interview on Monday.

He also maintained that US President Donald Trump’s terrible travel ban is “thoughtless” and “narrow-minded”.

He also noted at a time when the world is building bridges, Trump is building walls not only around Iran and six other countries for that “Muslim ban” but also around Mexico.

Punish further predicted that if Trump’s America becomes a reality, that would be the end of the United States as a "cultural leader" in the world.

He went on to say what will happen is that the world will take over the cultural leadership and let the United States fail in its own sadness.

“That is why the actors and actresses are all protesting and standing up to humanity and against this seriously narrow-minded, mentally ill perspective of the world with no vision,” he added.

The analyst also opined that Trump’s America is in trouble, arguing that if he continues this “xenophobic nonsense”, it is going to end very badly.

Therefore, he said, it is good to see the actors and actresses standing up because they have an “amazing” voice and platform to speak to the entire world and by doing so, they are showing “responsibility and leadership”.

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