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For three weeks now, protests have raged across Iran, spurred by anger over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the country’s morality police for not complying with the state dress code and who later died in their custody. The demonstrations and protests have garnered an unprecedented level of public support from a number of prominent figures in cultural, media and sporting spheres.
Oscar-winning actors Marion Cotillard and Juliette Binoche filmed themselves chopping off locks of their hair in support of protesters in Iran. The video of Cotillard, Binoche and dozens of other women cutting off locks of their hair was released on an Instagram account, “soutienfemmesiran” — which translates as “support women in Iran.”
The video ends with an image by French-Iranian artist and director Marjane Satrapi, who tackled the issue of women’s rights in Iran in her award-winning graphic novel and feature adaptation Persepolis.
Celebrities Who Support Iran Protests
Golshifteh Farahani
“How can you call yourself a feminist? How can you ask for equal rights for men and women, support #MeToo and be absent for #MahsaAmini movement?,” the Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani tweeted earlier this week. The actress, who has starred in many French films, has been living in exile since 2008 for appearing in foreign films without a headscarf.
Asghar Farhadi
Two-time Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (A Separation) issued a statement and a video appeal urging artists around the world to proclaim their solidarity with Iranian women.
“I saw them closely these nights,” Farhadi said in his appeal. “Most of them are very young — 17 years old, 20 years old. I saw outrage and hope in their faces and in the way they marched in the streets,” the director noted.
“I deeply respect their struggle for freedom and the right to choose their own destiny despite all the brutality they are subjected to. I am proud of my country’s powerful women, and I sincerely hope that through their efforts, they reach their goals,” he added.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Chopra extended her support to the protesters and took to social media to share her statement. She added that she was “in awe” of the Iranian women’s “courage” and “purpose”. She wrote, “It is not easy to risk your life, literally, to challenge the patriarchal establishment and fight for your rights”.
The actor emphasised the importance of ensuring the movement would have a lasting effect. She implored people to “hear their call, understand the issues, and then join in with our collective voices”.
Bella Hadid
Hadid’s post drew comparisons between the fight for women’s rights in Iran and in places like the U.S. and India. She used a caption penned by writer Céline Semaan, calling out the Internet blackout in Iran and the country’s patriarchy.
Angelina Jolie
“Respect to the brave, defiant, fearless women of Iran,” Jolie wrote on Instagram, adding that women “don’t need their morals policed, their minds re-educated, or their bodies controlled.”
Suggested Reading: Iranian Women Teach Us To Reclaim Autonomy Over Our Bodies
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