Asghar Farhadi Condemns Civilian Deaths and State Violence at Cannes Film Festival
Introduction
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi used a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival to speak out against the loss of innocent lives caused by both international wars and the Iranian government's repression of its own people.
Main Body
During the premiere of his film 'Parallel Tales,' Farhadi emphasized that he condemns two different types of violence. First, he mentioned the civilians and children killed in military conflicts involving the U.S. and Israel. Second, he highlighted the protesters killed during unrest inside Iran. Farhadi asserted that criticizing foreign military strikes does not mean one cannot also condemn executions by the state. He argued that any unauthorized killing of a human being is a criminal act, regardless of the political situation. This statement comes during a time of great instability. Since February 28, Iran has been in conflict with the U.S. and Israel, although a fragile ceasefire began on April 8. At the same time, the Iranian government has increased executions, especially for those accused of spying. While the government claims that over 3,000 people died during January's protests due to foreign terrorism, human rights monitors estimate that between 7,000 and 35,000 people were killed by security forces. Furthermore, the link between cinema and political protest remains strong. Farhadi has lived outside Iran since 2023 and previously boycotted the 2017 Academy Awards. He has promised not to film in Iran until censorship laws are removed. This decision follows the path of other directors, such as Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof, who have faced prison or exile after winning awards at Cannes.
Conclusion
Farhadi continues to use his global fame to oppose state violence and war crimes while remaining in professional exile from the Iranian film industry.
Learning
π The "Opinion Power-Up": Moving from Say to Assert
At the A2 level, students usually use the word "say" for everything. To reach B2, you need to describe how someone is speaking and what their intention is. This is called Reporting Verbs.
Look at these shifts from the text:
- Basic (A2): Farhadi said that killing is a crime.
- B2 Upgrade: Farhadi asserted that any unauthorized killing... is a criminal act.
Why this matters: "Asserted" doesn't just mean "said." It means saying something with strong confidence and authority. When you use these verbs, you paint a picture of the speaker's emotion without needing extra adjectives.
π οΈ The "Nuance Scale"
Depending on the text, we can replace "say" with these targeted B2 verbs:
- Condemn To say that something is completely wrong or evil. (Example: Farhadi condemns state violence.)
- Emphasize To give special importance to a point. (Example: He emphasized that he opposes two types of violence.)
- Argue To give reasons to support an idea, often in a debate. (Example: He argued that any killing is a criminal act.)
π‘ Pro-Tip for Fluency
Stop using "He says that..." in your essays or presentations. Instead, ask yourself: Is the person complaining, claiming, warning, or asserting?
Quick Comparison:
- "The government claims..." (B2 hint: The writer might not believe them!)
- "The monitors estimate..." (B2 hint: This is based on data/calculation, not just a guess.)