Famous Iranian Director Sentenced to Prison for “Propaganda of Opposition” in Award-Winning Film at Cannes

Saeed Roustayi, one of the most prominent directors of Iranian cinema, was sentenced to 6 months in prison for the movie Leila’s Brothers, which was released in 2022. The 34-year-old award-winning filmmaker was found guilty by the Tehran Islamic Revolutionary Court.

According to local sources, the director was penalized for showing the movie Leila’s Brothers without the necessary permission at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

Roustayi is accused of “contributing to the propaganda of the opposition to the Islamic system”

Roustayi was found guilty, along with the producer of the film, Javad Noruzbegi, for opposing the regime. It was stated that the two filmmakers “contributed to the propaganda of the opposition to the Islamic system”.

The court ordered the two to remain in jail for around 9 days, with the remainder of the sentence suspended for 5 years. During this time, Roustayi and Noruzbegi were also banned from making films. They were also barred from contacting people active in the motion picture industry and were required to attend a compulsory class on protecting moral and national interests while making films.

Leila’s Brothers, the main focus of the ban, is about an Iranian woman trying to keep her family afloat due to corruption and international sanctions. The film was banned in the country last year by the authorities for the director’s refusal to “correct” it at the request of the Ministry of Culture and “hijack” international festivals.

Leila’s Brothers competed for the Palme d’Or at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. He also managed to win the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) award at the ceremony.

Roustayi and Noruzbegi are not the first filmmakers to face such sanctions for being against the regime. For example, Cafer Penahi, who was awarded the Best Screenplay award at Cannes for his 2018 film 3 Faces, could not attend the ceremony because he was forbidden to leave Iran. He was also arrested twice for his actions against the government.

In addition, actors Afsaneh Bayegan, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, Katayoun Riahi and Pantea Bahram were interrogated and faced legal action for participating in the protests without wearing a headscarf.

Leila’s Brothers trailer