Iranian Canadian director prevented from leaving Tehran to attend London movie fest

MONTREAL — An Iranian-Canadian director says he was unable to attend a movie pageant in London Friday as Iranian authorities prevented his departure.

Director Mani Haghighi mentioned in an Instagram video that he was unable to attend a screening of his movie on the London Movie Pageant as a result of Iranian authorities stopped him from boarding his flight in Tehran and later confiscated his passport.

The British Movie Institute mentioned in an announcement that Haghighi was as a consequence of attend the pageant together with his movie “Subtraction,” which debuted on the Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant final month.

Whereas selling the movie, Haghighi instructed Selection his Iranian-Canadian id was vital to him. Haghighi attended college in Ontario and Quebec, and he instructed the leisure publication he nonetheless has shut pals in Canada.

In his video message, Haghighi mentioned he was given no cheap clarification by authorities for the confiscation.

Two weeks earlier, Haghighi posted a video criticizing Iran’s obligatory hijab regulation and crackdown on youth protesters.

The London Movie Pageant mentioned it helps Haghighi and all filmmakers of their freedom to current their movies all over the world.

Haghighi couldn’t be reached for remark, and World Affairs Canada didn’t instantly reply to questions concerning the director’s state of affairs or the standing of his Canadian documentation.