Disability & Iran at Cannes…

Since my latest academic publication focuses on disability in Iranian cinema (“From Leprosy to The Willow Tree: Decoding Disability & Islamic Spirituality in Iranian Film” in Disability & Society), I was elated to hear that the winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year was I, Daniel Blake (a film about a disabled carpenter struggling with the inhumanity of austerity), while the Iranian film The Salesman received the awards for Best Actor and Best Screenplay. As an admirer of Iranian cinema and a professor who has published on the development of the Iranian film industry (“Iranian-Russian Cinematic Encounters” in the book Iranian-Russian Encounters: Empires and Revolutions since 1800), I am delighted that Asghar Farhadi’s latest film received such high praise at Cannes — and I can’t wait to see it for myself soon. One day I hope to shoot a Persian script of my own in Iran with an Iranian director and crew — it would be a dream come true…