Farhadi’s 'Salesman' Wins Another Oscar for Iran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Salesmen won the 2017 Academy Award for best foreign language film, winning a second award for Iranian director Asghar Farhadi.
Farhadi was not present at the event to claim the Oscar for his film, "The Salesman” as he had boycotted the awards show in protest of President Donald Trump's executive order that temporarily barred travelers from seven Muslim countries, including Iran, from entering the United States.
Iranian-American engineer Anousheh Ansari accepted the award on behalf of Farhadi, reading out a statement written by the director, explaining Farhadi’s decision not to attend the ceremony.
"My absence is out of respect for the people of my country," Farhadi said in the statement, calling the ban "inhumane."
"Diving the world into the US and our enemies categories creates fear," the statement continued, according to CNN.
Before the Oscar ceremony on Sunday, The Salesman, was screened in London’s Trafalgar Square thanks to the request of London Mayor Sadiq Khan who referred to the ban as "cruel" and "shameful."
Last month, Farhadi said that he would not take part in the awards, even after receiving special permission to attend. He has announced that Ansari, famed for being the first female space tourist, and Firouz Naderi, a former director of Solar Systems Exploration at NASA, will be his representatives at this year's Academy Awards.
