Having starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, an actress has now been exiled from her native Iran due to a nude pose in a French news magazine.
Golshifteh Farahani reports that the Iranian government has reached out to her, declaring that she is unwelcome in her homeland and advising against her return.
The controversial image, described as a black-and-white ‘art shot,’ features the 28-year-old Farahani positioned against a dark background, with her hands delicately covering her breasts. It was initially published in Madame Le Figaro.
She later shared the image on her Facebook page, attracting attention from people across the globe, including those from Iran and the Middle East.
While many condemned her perceived ‘indecency,’ a number of individuals commended her for ‘the courage to break a taboo among women in Muslim nations.’
The outrage from Iran is rooted not solely in Farahani’s nudity; her decision to pose is also a stand against the restrictive Islamic codes in place.
This stance is part of the reason the actress, now residing in Paris, left Iran last year.
She shared: “I was informed by an official from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance that Iran does not require any actors or artists. You may pursue your artistic endeavors elsewhere.”
Farahani has had a tumultuous relationship with her home nation.
Starting her acting career at the tender age of six in theatre, her debut film, The Pear Tree (1998), won her the Best Actress award at Iran’s annual Fajr Film Festival when she was just 14.
She quickly rose to prominence in her homeland, yet her performance in the 2007 film Santoori has remained unseen and is still prohibited in Iran.
Her role in M For Mother (2006) was met with great success in Iran and was even selected to represent the country for the Best Foreign Film category at the Academy Awards in 2008.
In Ridley Scott’s Body Of Lies (2008), where she starred alongside Hollywood luminaries DiCaprio and Crowe, Farahani became the first Iranian actress to take part in a significant Hollywood project.
Consequently, she faced a ban on leaving Iran, and now that she has relocated to Paris, it appears she is also barred from returning.
by Sasha Dubronitz
