Iranian filmmaker Reza Dormishian targeted by arrest warrant

“Unfortunately, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has initiated legal proceedings against me…” The director of I’m Not Angry! and Lantouri is the subject of legal proceedings for “propaganda against the system”.

Like Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasoulof or Mostafa Al-Ahmad, Iranian filmmaker Reza Dormishian is now the target of legal proceedings in Iran.

His lawyer, Amir Reisian, announced that a case had been opened against the director for “propaganda against the system”, before branch 7 of the revolutionary court in Tehran. An arrest warrant was also issued against him and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which initiated the complaint, requested the seizure of his property.

“Unfortunately, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps initiated legal proceedings against me, requested the seizure of my property, and an arrest warrant was issued for me. I would sincerely appreciate your support in bringing this matter to public attention“, confides to Première Reza Dormishian, who wants his situation to be shared as much as possible.

In a message published on X, his lawyer specifies: “Legal proceedings have been opened against my client, Mr. Reza Dormishian, screenwriter and director, for ‘propaganda against the system’. he writes. It also indicates that an arrest warrant was issued at the prosecution stage and that the IRGC, as plaintiff, requested the seizure of the filmmaker’s property.

This new procedure comes after several years of pressure exerted against the director. In November 2022, Reza Dormishian was prevented from leaving Iran when he was supposed to travel to the International Film Festival of India to premiere Laminor. His passport was confiscated at Tehran airport. He was subsequently prosecuted and barred from working in the Iranian film industry.

At the time, Dormishian publicly expressed his support for the “Women, Life, Freedom” protest movement, notably on Instagram. More recently, he has also taken a stand against the increase in executions in Iran.

At 45, Reza Dormishian has established himself as one of the most committed voices in contemporary Iranian cinema. His films I’m Not Angry! (2014), Lantouri (2016) and No Choice (2020) directly address different aspects of Iranian society and have faced censorship and broadcast bans in their country. They have nevertheless been presented at numerous international festivals, notably in Berlin, Karlovy Vary, Warsaw, Tokyo and Shanghai, and have received several awards.

The filmmaker is also co-founder of an association helping victims of acid attacks in Iran. He also produced several films by director Dariush Mehrjui, who was assassinated in 2023.