Stand with Detained Iranian Artists

This weekend, Iranian-born artist Shirin Neshat, a Sundance Institute Artist Trustee, sat at our annual Board Retreat and described in detail a terrifying situation that is not known well enough by any of us, including the media. As we gather this evening, we stand in solidarity with those recently arrested in Iran's post-election demonstrations who include some of the most compelling, clear and independent voices of Iran -- its artists, journalists, filmmakers and human rights leaders, including some who are part of the Sundance community.

Shirin spoke of torture, and in extreme cases, executions. The situation is urgent. We continue together tonight urging the free American media, in all its forms, to surface the facts and to tell this story to the world and bring attention to these profoundly oppressive actions.

Art and social action have danced powerfully together for generations and I expect will continue to be a force for all of time. Those taken off the streets are the soul of Iranian society. When the press doesn't cover adequately the issue of their widespread detention, their stories, their voices, their message all run the risk of falling off the radar. Sundance Institute reaches out now to artists everywhere to stand witness until our colleagues, and all detainees, are released.

We have heard that Sundance documentary film program alumnus Maziar Bahari was arrested on June 21 in Iran, where he was covering the Iranian election. Of Iranian descent, he also holds Canadian citizenship. He was detained without charge and has not been allowed to see a lawyer or his family since.

Shadi Sadr is the central character in Women In Shroud -- a film supported by the Sundance Documentary Film Program -- which follows a dedicated group of Iranian lawyers and activists working together to counter the injustice of the death penalty. The LA Times reports that Shadi was arrested by plainclothes policemen, on her way to Friday prayer in Tehran. Her whereabouts are still unknown.

We stand together tonight as a community raising our voices, to be their voice, for as long as is necessary. As artists and activists we have power to be the light that shines on this situation until the shade is lifted and the voices are once again heard freely.

 

 

Comments

[Energie]

Hi Bob,
we know each other. I didn´t write till now, because I was in the opinion, that it was not the right point in time, though I appreciate, that you wanted to change something.
I thought that the politic prisoners then would be even more tortured, and have less hope to see their homes again. But now the Birthday of the Imam Mahdi was 8/7 and this was a reason to let some prisoners free. I hope this news is true. That´s why I waited till now.
Though it was burning on my tongue. I had been to the Iranian Field hospital in 1st Gulf War. It was a peace mission and I worked there as a doc to treat the kurdish refugees. I did it, because I was familiar with the kurdish culture and could understand their language There was an Atomreactor (producing electricity) 80km distance from our Hospital at the kurdish territory and we´ve got informed that President Clinton wanted to bomb it. Was not a good feeling living with the knowledge that you could die because of Leucamia in ten years. I mean he didn´t do, but nobody woud have told, if he had done so. I could not understand that: kurdish refugees living in tribes mostly in poverty, simple educated and on the other hand threatening a peace mission. Just to say that was no masterpiece and the reactions which happend afterwords were human tragedies. I have seen them.

[WhiteNoise]

THIS IS A HUMANIST, FEMINIST & PACIFIST REVOLUTION !
JOIN HUMANITY
FREE IRAN !

NEDA / THE VOICE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J54eZK3pKgg
http://www.youtube.com/user/weareneda

"It demands great spiritual resilience not to hate the hater whose foot is on your neck, and an even greater miracle of perception and charity not to teach your child to hate." - James Baldwin

NO WAR ON IRAN
PEACE

[Promise]

THank you, Mr. Redford, for bringing this situation to our attention. ( I am appalled at the negative comments that have been posted here. ) The recent protests in Iran have made me aware of the segments of their society who are bravely acting for human rights. Prior to that, I fell under the spell of mass media that all Iranians were war mongering brutes who only want to secure nuclear weapons to bomb the world. By highlighting the plight of the artists, Mr. Redford is supporing the decent, freedom loving, often heroic Iranians. We need to cross cultural lines to support the good people in all countries.

[UniversalFreedomLady]

I have been a fan of yours since I was 14 and watched you in Jeremiah Johnson. I have watched and read about your life and career over the years. I have the utmost respect for someone that stands up for what he truly believes in such as human rights,the environment and they are not afraid to do so. Like you I am also very ashamed of how people are treated all over the world. The people with power think they have the right to push,degrade and make others do as they want. This world has gotten so out of control including our own country with human rights.It is like the world is screaming and nobody hears a sound. Even when the news reports come out,people of your stature,or just the every day citizen says something against cruelty to any society? It is torn apart with pieces of racism,rel­igion,mone­y,power. Instead of it being looked at as a whole,people are to busy looking at the pieces. Like the famous quote says"People can't see the forest because they are to busy looking at the trees". This is a global problem,not just one country or race's problem.Like the comment before me I commend you on not just picking out one tree,this is a whole forest (which is all human beings) that will lose our freedom to right of choice , speech ,expression and truth.

Thank You Mr. Redford! Good Luck!
Thank You Mr. Redford!

[Ergon]

I'm not sure anyone knows who the artist Layla Al Attar referred to below was.
She was one of the most famous artists in the Arab World; who worked endlessly to promote female artists.
She was killed by an American cruise missile in 1999, one of the last acts of President Bill Clinton, who claimed this was in reaction to a plot by Saddam Hussein to assassinate President Bush Sr.
I hope you feel it as badly, Mr. Redford, when an Arab artist is killed?

[wereeverywhere]

Too bad you weren't around when the Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteered to fight fascism in Spain in 1936. You could have showed them how misguided they were by saying they should worry about how bad off the civil rights of Blacks were at the time here in the US.

Nice try to play one injustice off another to protect IRI.

[Ergon]

You can always volunteer to join the jandallah then. are you saying that we should only care when Iranian artists are harmed?

[wereeverywhere]

Care about whoever you can and fight as many injustices as you can. You are exploiting that artist's.death to attack Redford. Fight.the battles, don't use one as an excuse to silence another.

I take it your tasteless reference to jindallah was a 'joke' and doesn't betray an utter lack of knowledge of American history and Iranian politics.

[etu2000]

As Americans who believe and the freedoms which we enjoy in this country must continue to raise our voices. Many American churches and organizations have been standing out against countries such as Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Niger, and Chad just to name a few. The mainstream media picks and chooses how they want to present human right violations. Celebrities while they have easy access to public form. It's the Average American doing the ground work. When you do get involved Mr. Redford ( on the ground work) , don't become too disheartened because many of these types of government treat their people this way. Your friends are in our prayers and our voices against oppression.

[naschkatze]

Mr. Redford, while I feel sorry for the Iranians, we Americans should be redressing the wrongs committed by our own country before we start on others.

[wereeverywhere]

Or we could work on multiple wrongs at once since Americans are t their worst when they simply look inward. Internationalism is urgently needed to combat American hyper- nationalism and th Iranians certainly deserve our support.

[Yanaar Lee]

Up there at Sudance, maybe they can make a masterpiece film about what's taking place....

[RobertEvanHoward]

Freedom of speech, freedom to chose, freedom to think are basic human needs and should be a right not a privilege. However, to bring down our enemies all we have to do is not interfere with their suppression of the arts. The arts make a civilization. Take them away and you have a colony of insects that fail through it's own design. ---
Thank you, ----
Robert Evan Howard ----
aclepd.com ----
[e-mail]

[MyThought]

Mr. Redford - as much as I respect you, to single out artists as if they are more important than anyone else is wrong.

People are born with different talents - arts, athletic, doctors, etc. An artist is just another vocation and to put yourselves in your minds above everyone else is what is wrong with our society today.

NO ONE is better than anyone else OR more important that anyone else.

[naschkatze]

There's a whiff of Social Darwinism about it.

[pmorlan]

You evidently didn't read this piece very carefully. Redford didn't single out the artists in the way you describe. He included them with the others who have been detained.

As we gather this evening, we stand in solidarity with those recently arrested in Iran's post-election demonstrations who include some of the most compelling, clear and independent voices of Iran -- its artists, journalists, filmmakers and human rights leaders, including some who are part of the Sundance community.

Those taken off the streets are the soul of Iranian society. When the press doesn't cover adequately the issue of their widespread detention, their stories, their voices, their message all run the risk of falling off the radar. Sundance Institute reaches out now to artists everywhere to stand witness until our colleagues, and all detainees, are released.

[ghuraabforSuhl]

Kalameh - Do not muddy the water

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheKalimah

a persian rap song made by Iranian female rapper Kalameh or Kalimah, as an objection to the fraud of presidential elections of June2009 in Iran and the events of following days.

الصمت ليس خيارا - To keep silent is not an option

[Wiseup2Day]

Mr. Redford..I appreciate the work you've done as an artist and a conservatist, that said..we have bigger problems here now..and to get involved where we aren't wanted is futile.

[singingintherain]

With all due respect to all here who wish to help oppressed people everywhere.

TALK IS CHEAP, when talk fails what will you do? No need to answer I already know.

[renowebb]

The media should know, but it don't fit the narrative put out by the white house. so ignored

[Catherine Lemanski]

As always, Mr. Redford sheds light on the darkness. Many thanks.

[louisamast]

Planes are falling. People are dying!

It appears that you care for people of Iran! Well, when was the last time you did anything to stop this fatal and unjustified economical sanction against people of Iran. I am not talking about any sensitive technology or military sanctions. I am referring to items that directly affects the daily lives of Iranian people. Young and old, women and men a like. Items like mass transportation equipments such as airplanes and trains. Pharmaceutical and medical equipments. Or perhaps you have no clue what I am talking about?!