In 2010, Iranian director Jafar Panahi was convicted of anti-government activities and banned from making films. Instead of prison, he received house arrest and was restricted from leaving Iran with a passport, though he could travel within the country.
Despite these restrictions, Panahi continued to create films secretly. In 2011, his film This Is Not a Film was smuggled out of Iran on a flash drive hidden inside a cake and screened at Cannes. Made on a minimal budget while Panahi was under house arrest, the film depicted scenes from an unmade project and received critical acclaim.
In 2013, he secretly shot Closed Curtain at his countryside home, which won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Two years later, his film Taxi earned the prestigious Golden Bear at Berlin. The film’s plot humorously depicts Panahi working as a taxi driver in Tehran due to his professional ban, symbolizing his resilience and defiance against censorship. Despite being barred from filmmaking officially, Panahi’s work gained international recognition and prestigious awards, cementing his reputation as a courageous filmmaker who continues to challenge restrictions through his art.
