Iranian dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi says the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in 2022 spurred a generation in Iran that no longer remains silent in the face of repression.
Panahi added that she continues to live on through acts of defiance and calls for freedom, as he marked the third anniversary of her death which ignited nationwide protests.
“When they took her life, a veil of lies was lifted and a generation rose up that decided to remain silent no longer,” Panahi said in a post on Instagram.
“With killings and intimidation, they wanted to impose silence, but a greater cry echoed. Since that day, nothing has been the same…We are no longer those former people. The blood of Mahsa and hundreds of others does not allow anything to appear normal again."
“Mahsa has not died; she lives in every defiant glance, in every image that breaks censorship, in every cry demanding freedom. She breathes in the eyes of the girls who have let their hair fly in the wind,” he said.
Panahi, who has faced imprisonment and a 15-year travel ban for his outspoken criticism of the Islamic Republic, received the Palme d’Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival earlier this year in May.
In his acceptance speech, he urged unity among Iranians striving for democracy: "Let's set aside our differences. The important thing now is the freedom of our country, so that no one would dare to tell us what to wear or what film to make."
Panahi, one of Iran’s most acclaimed directors, was arrested in July 2022 after he protested against the arrest of two fellow filmmakers who had voiced criticism of the authorities. He was sentenced to six years in prison before being released on bail in early 2023.
