Filmmaker Makhmalbaf Charges Government with Attempt on Family’s Life

Prominent Iranian filmmaker, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, who has been invited to attend the 60th Cannes Film Festival in France, told Rooz in an interview, “If I or members of my family are killed, the Iranian government is responsible for it.”

Makhmalbaf retold the story of a grenade explosion on the set of his daughter’s latest movie, “Asb-e Do Pa” [“Two-Legged Horse”]: “The producer of the movie showed a clip of the grenade’s explosion at the Cannes Festival yesterday. This movie was being filmed in the city of Sarpol in Northern Afghanistan when, on the fortieth day, a grenade was thrown onto the set. That day, the movie was being filmed at the city’s bazaar, which was very crowded at that hour. The grenade’s explosion injured six people and killed a horse that was on the set. After this incident, U.N. peacekeepers from Sweden came to the area, and upon searching it they told us that the explosion was an act of terror. They also said that they were 80 percent sure that Iranian forces had thrown the grenade at the set in order to harm my family. They gave some reasons for their claim.”

Makhmalbaf notes, “In reality, if the horse was not on the set, first my wife Marzieh, and then [my daughter] Hana would have been killed.” He adds, “I also have my own reasons for believing that Iranian forces were probably behind this act, especially considering the fact that this explosion is recorder on a 35 mm camera and another camera behind the set. I mentioned this issue yesterday during the screening of the film. For them [Iranian government], it was so important to get rid of us that they did not even think about tens of other human beings that were there. We took a child to the hospital who was bleeding from 50 different spots on his body.”

Mohsen Makhmalbaf continues, “The intolerance of this government is so high that it cannot stand us even when we are outside the country. They paid money to officials at an Italian film festival to cancel the screening of our film…. In Afghanistan, they sent a woman to our set as a cook. Later on it was revealed that she is not a cook, and she disappeared as soon as I found that out.”

Makhmablaf says, “I left Iran 2.5 years ago. Neither do they look me, nor do I like them. I am going my own way. There are 200 countries on this planet, they can think we were born somewhere else. But what causes so much intolerance?”

Makhmalbaf also spoke about Samira’s [his daughter’s] latest film, “Samira likes to live in Iran. For this reason, and also to show her good will, she sent her screenplay to the ministry of culture to get a screening permit. But they refused to give her a permit and said that they had with our family. When we asked why, they did not answer.”

Makhmalbaf adds, “The question is, whose benefits are jeopardized by our filmmaking? Where do all these threats come from? Therefore, I announce here, that if I or members of my family are killed, the Iranian government is responsible for it.”

Makhmalbaf returns this week to Tajikestan. His daughter, Samira, returns to Iran, where she would like to live. Should one worry about them?