Iranian Oscar nominee Asghar Farhadi gets free London premiere as knock back to US travel ban

Art is mightier than sword, when it comes to protest against some socio-political issue.

It will once again be proved when, hours before the Oscar night, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's Oscar nominated film 'The Salesman' will have a free premiere screening at Trafalgar Square, London.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is all set to organise a screening of the film, which was affected by Donald Trump's travel ban, reports The Guardian.

Farhadi, who will not attend this year's Oscar ceremony in solidarity with those who had been affected by the ban, believes that the screening of the movie at Trafalgar Square has a great symbolic value.

 

"The gathering of the audience around 'The Salesman' in this famous London square is symbolic of unity against the division and separation of people," he said.

The director also thanked the mayor and the cinema community for taking this initiative, "I offer my warmest thanks to the mayor of London and the cinema community for this generous initiative. I welcome and appreciate this invaluable show of solidarity."

The Palme d'Or-winning director Mike Leigh, who will also be attending the screening said, Farhadi is "one of the world's greatest film-makers".

"For those of us who make movies about real life, real people and real issues, he is a master, a true inspiration to all of us. We must show solidarity with Asghar and his principles, against divisiveness and hate," Leigh said.

He will also address an expected audience of up to 10,000 people in central London.

The announcement came after actors and film-makers including Julie Christie, Kevin Macdonald, Keira Knightley, Ridley Scott and Terry Gilliam wrote to the Duke of Westminster, seeking permission to hold a screening outside the U.S. embassy to protest against President Trump's order that puts a ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

On a related note, 'The Salesman' is nominated for 'Best Foreign Language Film' at the 89th Annual Academy Awards, which will take place February 26, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles .