“Woman Life Freedom” is making its debut in Cannes, which is bustling with activity thanks to the Cannes Film Festival 2024. The photo exhibition created by Fedra Fateh aims to celebrate the creativity and courage of 15 Iranian artists.
They include artists who have faced censorship, bans, and imprisonment. The only fault of these people – the exhibition reminds us – was to fight for freedom of expression and equality.
Born in Iran after the murder of Mahsa Amini by the morality police, the Women Life Freedom movement bears witness to the indomitable spirit of Iranian women. Each participating artist has faced various forms of repression for daring to demand freedom and dignity for the Iranian people.
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“The Woman Life Freedom movement emerged from a specific time and place, yet its message is timeless and universal,” says Fateh. “The struggle for women’s rights and human rights impacts each one of us. Only if we stand together and amplify each other’s voices can we safeguard the values that we share in common.”
Among those portrayed are filmmakers Shirin Neshat (Land of Dreams) and Jafar Panahi (No Bears), as well as actress Soheila Golestani. Golestani was arrested for appearing without a hijab in a video of the WLF movement and was later released on bail.
Thanks to photographer MOJA, the Cannes Film Festival offers a platform to widen the Woman Life Freedom Project to a global audience, with the aim of reaffirming the power of art to provoke thought, challenge norms and inspire change.
In addition to the exhibition at the Cour d’Honneur of the Hotel Majestic in Cannes, the project will welcome film professionals, journalists, and social justice advocates in its dedicated space at Le Salon Dinard. The space features film posters of Iranian directors whose films have been banned in Iran. Every day in this space, discussions will take place on various topics related to the project: women and cinema, cinema and censorship, cinema and social justice, and cinema in conflict zones.
