Asghar Farhadi, Hollywood and the Politics of Cinema
The Salesman and Farhadi’s Second Oscar
Farhadi later won a second Academy Award for The Salesman.
The film won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2017 Academy Awards.
Farhadi did not attend the ceremony in person amid political circumstances surrounding the U.S. travel ban announced during the Trump administration.
His absence became an international political moment.
A statement was read at the ceremony on his behalf criticizing what he described as the division of the world into categories of “us” and “our enemies.”
That episode is important when examining his current remarks.
Farhadi has previously used the international platform of American cinema to express political and humanitarian views.
His relationship with Hollywood is therefore considerably more complicated than simply being either “pro-American” or “anti-American.”
He has participated in the American awards system while simultaneously criticizing aspects of American politics and culture.
Farhadi’s Political Position: Artist or Political Filmmaker?
Farhadi has often resisted being described primarily as a political filmmaker.
His movies generally do not resemble conventional political cinema.
Instead, politics frequently appears indirectly through everyday life.
A family argument can reveal social structures.
A legal dispute can reveal institutional inequality.
A marriage can expose economic pressures.
A workplace conflict can reveal class divisions.
A seemingly ordinary conversation can reveal political realities.
This is consistent with his comments at the Rio Film Festival.
He argued that discussing society inevitably involves politics.
October 5, 2026 | 7:22 pm
