An Iranian's Love for Iranian Cinema - The Salesman Free Trafalgar Square Screening #Londonisope

Sunday the 26th February marks the day of the Oscars. It also marks the day Asghar Farhadi's film The Salesman has been screened in the iconic London Trafalgar Square where hundreds and thousands of people including myself and my family attended. Not just to watch the film but also to protest about Trump's travel ban. As an Iranian myself who is THANKFULLY not affected by this travel ban as I am legally born in Britain but sadly I have relatives in Iran who are affected by this and have to be patient for about 90 days. YES! I know Im getting into politics here in a film blog but hear me out for a second. You're still here? Great! I have nothing but huge love for Iranian cinema, it is truely the most influential foreign indie films this world has to offer. Asghar Farhadi, I believe, is the next Abbas Kirostami who sadly passed away a year ago. This screening event was not just about watching a movie, for some it is, but for me it was also about gathering around to show our solidarity. Plus we couldn't watch a film in the bloody rain, what are you crazy?! A lot of people attended this event including Sadiq Khan who organised this event and Mike Leigh who was at the panel of the British Film Institute and had the privledge to bring this to our festivals.

Iran has its fair share of incredible movie directors such as Kirostami who made experimental engaging films such as Five, Sami Makhmalbaf who made The Apple at such a young age it makes me so jealous! Jafar Panahi who made Taxi Tehran, Offside and This Is Not a Film as well as Asghar Farhadi who made the groundbreaking oscar winning A Separation and The Salesman have ironically just won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film 2017, despite that he refused to attend there due to the travel ban.

All of these small budget influential filmmakers have inspired me to become who I am today and I sincerely hope I can inspire people through my love of film and art. I am truly thankful of the privledge that I have and that I have the ability to travel and explore and learn more from different cultures and make films and art when I know people who sadly cannot for difficult reasons whether political or personal. This event has taught me a truly inspiring lesson. London Is Open! Congratulations to Asghar Farhadi, truly and well deserved.