Jafar Panahi Implores Global Artists To Denounce Iranian “Bloodbath” In Dramatic Speech At NBR Awards: “This Is Not A Film, This Is A Reality Riddled With Bullets”

“As we stand here, the state of Iran is gunning down protestors and a savage massacre continues, blatantly, on the streets of Iran,” said Jafar Panahi at the National Board of Review gala.

“I consider it my duty to call on artists and members of the global film community to speak out and not remain silent. Use any voice and any platform you have. Call your governments. Call on your governments to confront this human catastrophe rather than turn a blind eye,” he implored, accepting the NBR’s Best International film award for It Was Just An Accident at the group’s New York ceremony.

Panahi, who has been in prison in his home country, made the Cannes Palme d’or-winning film in secret. Weeks ago, the regime issued an arrest warrant if he returned. Since then, the country has descended into chaos and death amid nationwide protests against and a brutal crackdown with thousands killed and jailed. Internet and telecommunications have been blacked out so the extent of the carnage is difficult to ascertain. The country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has vowed the regime will not back down.

“The Islamic republic has caused a bloodbath to delay its collapse,” Panahi said. “Those who have survived are searching for signs of their loved ones through mountains of corpses.”

Panahi and his compatriot Mohammad Rasoulof last week called for intervention from the global community in a joint statement.

The Iranian Independent Filmmakers Association (IIFMA) has also appealed for the international community to take action. Yesterday, the group confirmed the deaths of actor and theater director Ahmad Abbasi and filmmaker and production manager Javad Ganji, who were shot by the regime’s forces while attending protests in Tehran on January 9.

“Today, the real scene is not on screens, but on the streets of Iran. This is no longer a metaphor. This is not a story. This is not a film. This is a reality, riddled with bullets, day after day,” said Panahi . “Cinema has the power to stand by defenseless people. Let’s stand by them.”