Iranian Director Rasoulof says he was barred from leaving country to join Cannes jury

Following news last week that friend and fellow dissident director Jafar Panahi had left Iran for the first time in 14 years after his travel ban was lifted, Mohammad Rasoulof is still subject to travel restrictions. Rumours that he had permanently left were refuted by his attorney.

Because of his work, Rasoulof has faced persecution from Iran's repressive Islamic Republic regime throughout his career.

His latest arrest was last July, prior to the ongoing Woman Life Freedom protests and was related to his signing a petition titled 'Lay Down Your Arms' calling on security forces to exercise restraint in relation to popular protests.

Rasoulof's final film to tour festival circuits was 'A Man Of Integrity'. After its premiere in Cannes, he presented it at Telluride in September 2017 and then had his passport confiscated on his return.

The searing movie 'There Is No Evil,' which captured Iranian culture under the Islamic Republic government and won the Berlinale Golden Bear in 2020, was made in defiance of a prohibition on filmmaking.