This Oscar-Nominated Iranian Director Can't Attend the Ceremony Due to Trump's Ban

published 28 January 2017

An executive order signed by President Trump has denied thousands of refugees, immigrants, and visitors from seven Muslim-majority nations the ability to enter the United States. One of those people is Oscar-nominated Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who won't be able to attend the Oscars ceremony to support his own film on February 26th.

Farhadi, who won Best Foreign Film for A Separation in 2012, was invited to the ceremony after his psychological thriller The Salesman was nominated for the same category. However, Trump's 90-day ban on Iran will prevent him from being able to enter the country.

The Tribeca Film Festival team tweeted that the situation is "heartbreaking and unacceptable."

Oscar nominee Asghar Farhadi has been banned from entry into the U.S. to attend the ceremony in Feb. This is heartbreaking and unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/2PrwZWyBdwJanuary 28, 2017

"I see human beings as transcending politics, as transcending everything," Farhadi told Vox a few days after the election. "Everything that falls under the shadow of humans and respects humanity is acceptable to me, including politics. Where problems begin to arise is when their positions become switched. For instance, ideology ascends, and humanity falls below ideology, or politics are on top and humanity takes a lower position. When the places are switched in this way, then human beings are categorized, divided."

If only we could transcend this.

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