Iranian Filmmaker Released After Paying Hefty Bail

May 26th, 2010 - 7:22 pm ICT by GD  

By Ranjan Bhaduri
25lede_panahi_free-blogspanMay 26, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Jafar Panahi, the Award-winning Iranian film director has been released from prison after suffering imprisonment since March 1. A friend of the director said that he spoke to him and found him quite okay. The director has expressed his thanks for the people who lent their support to him. However, the director headed straight for a health checkup since he was on a hunger strike. The images of the director show him thinner post the release. The family members of the director are still in Iran.

Jafar Panahi was released from prison after a meeting between Tehran’s prosecutor and himself took place. He was imprisoned in connection with a movie about the presidential election of June 12 in Iran that was in production. His detention has created waves around the world and also at the Cannes Film Festival. In France’s Cannes Film Festival Abbas Kiarostami, another Iranian director and the actress of his new film Juliette Binoche appealed for his release. Incidentally, Jafar Panahi was selected as a member of the jury at the festival.

The director is known for films like “White Balloon” which also won a prize at the Cannes film festival in 1995. Another of his films named “The Circle” won the top prize in 2000 in the Venice Film Festival. His films are known for their realistic depictions of Iranian life. He has got the support of the film fraternity and they feel that he had to go to prison for expressing his thought without fear. He was allowed to step out of the prison after he agreed to pay a bail of 140,000.

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