HÁWAR.help X BERLINALE: PANEL DISCUSSION WITH FILMMAKERS ON THE IRAN REVOLUTION

In times of global crises and revolutions, art and culture often seem to lose their legitimacy. Reality is so dramatic that any film pales in comparison. Yet, countless artists in Iran and across the diaspora are supporting the revolution in Iran for “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” – “Woman, Life, Freedom,” which is reverberating throughout the Middle East. Many pay a high price for this: the regime persecutes them relentlessly. Art must respond to this.

During a panel discussion organized by the Berlin International Film Festival, in cooperation with HÁWAR.help and HAU Hebbel am Ufer, high-profile Iranian, Kurdish, and Afghan filmmakers engaged in dialogue with political decision-makers. The panel addressed the following key questions: Is there a “Jin-Jiyan–Azadî” effect in filmmaking? What role do film and art play in resistance movements and the Iran revolution?

The event explored the intersection of art, activism, and politics, asked how filmmakers can use their craft to support the Iranian revolution, amplified the voices of those oppressed, and brought attention to the dramatic social and political struggles in the region.