NEW YORK (AP) — After being arrested for creating antigovernment propaganda in 2010, the Iranian director Jafar Panahi was banned from making films for 20 years. Nonetheless, he’s since made five widely acclaimed features in Iran. His latest, “No Bears,” is opening in theaters while Panahi is in prison. In July, Panahi was arrested while inquiring about the arrest of Mohammad Rasoulof, another filmmaker detained in the Tehran government’s crackdown on protests. On a decade-old charge, Panahi was sentenced to six years in jail. “No Bears” has become one of the most acclaimed films of the year.
An Iranian masterwork opens with its director behind bars
