Asia News Iran: Culture Service
Radio France International (RFI) reported, simultaneously with the 79th Cannes International Film Festival, that Iranian film critic Mansour Jahani narrated that “the Iranian cinema industry and the country’s filmmakers they feel both “under attack” from U.S. and Israeli bombing attacks that have inflicted widespread damage to civilian infrastructure.” Simultaneously with the 79th Cannes International Film Festival, Radio France International also refers to the presence of Iranian cinema in this prestigious global event in a special report in French.
The French media outlet wrote in a report titled “Cannes 2026: A competition without African films or blockbusters, against a backdrop of culture wars”: From Tuesday evening, the 22 directors in the main competition section will have only one thing on their minds: winning the Palme d’or at the Cannes Film Festival, which will be held from May 12 to 23, 2026 in the city of Cannes on the French Riviera. Alongside a vibrant array of formats and genres, the absence of African films, major American studios and overtly political productions in the competition is notable.
According to a special correspondent for Radio France International in Cannes, the 2025 Cannes Film Festival reached its peak with the awarding of the Palme d'Or to Jafar Panahi. This year, Asghar Farhadi will be the only Iranian director in the competition and in the main competition section. Another part of the report of this reputable French media outlet states: In early April 2026, in The Hollywood Reporter, the award-winning director called on filmmakers around the world to condemn the “war crime” of attacks on Iranian infrastructure, especially with Trump’s increasing threats. His new film, “Parallel Tales,” filmed in Paris, in French and starring French actors such as Isabelle Hubert, Vincent Cassel and Pierre Niney, tells the story of a woman who spies on her neighbors. Referring to the report by the prestigious and international magazine The Hollywood Reporter about the airstrikes and missile attacks on Iran, Radio France International wrote: Iranian film critic Mansour Jahani narrated that “the Iranian cinema industry and country’s filmmakers they feel both “under attack” — from U.S. and Israeli bombing attacks that have inflicted widespread damage to civilian infrastructure — and “abandoned” by the international community.”
For more details:
https://www.rfi.fr/fr/culture/20260512-festival-de-cannes-une-comp%C3%A9tition-sans-films-africains-ni-blockbusters-sur-fond-de-guerres-culturelles