Episode 6 Oppression and restrictions only foster creativity

Show notes

When the jury of the "Berlinale" awarded the first prize of the Berlin film festival to the Iranian Movie "There is no Evil", Farzad Pak instantly knew that his life had taken a sudden turn into uncharted waters. For not only had the internationally acclaimed director Mohammad Rasoulof, together with his friend Farzad and the rest of the team, managed to once more circumvent the harsh restrictions meted out by the Islamic Republic Iran.

The ruling class in Teheran would not take this affront lightly. Based on Hannah Arendt's reflections on the "banality of evil", the movie tells of the personal moral responsibility of each individual in an oppressive political environment.

Farzad Pak, who had had to fly to Berlin without his friend Rasoulof due to the travel restrictions imposed by the regime, realized his own predicament: If he returned to Teheran he would have to face the wrath of the mullahs.

Since then, however, Farzad Pak has been able to fulfill some of his personal dreams. As a guest of the Hamburg Foundation for politically persecuted people he was granted a year of respite in Hamburg. Here he was assisted in registering his own film production company, Pak Film. And even though he wants to focus more on the production of European movie projects, Teheran is always on his mind: "I'm not prepared to give up on my country. Pak Film is good for some surprises."