Iranian people celebrate Oscar win as government news agency 'improves' Farhadi's acceptance speech
By Global Voices
Iranians are overjoyed with the news that Asghar Farhadi’s film “A Separation” was awarded an Oscar for best foreign language film at the Academy Awards in Hollywood on February 26, 2012. It is the first Iranian film to win an Oscar. Iranian bloggers participated in an outpour of celebration, and some fans also created posters for “A Separation” for different tastes.
Several bloggers such as Faryad Zier Ab and Raze Gole Sorkh have published translations of Farhadi’s speech (or excerpts) in Persian. It is a speech that popular American website Slate has described as “the best of the night.”
Farhadi’s speech attracted even more attention after Fars News, a semi-official news agency of Iran added their own words to the transcript.
In his speech, Farhadi said:
At this time, many Iranians all over the world are watching us and I imagine them to be very happy. They are happy not just because of an important award or a film or filmmaker, but because at the time when talk of war, intimidation, and aggression is exchanged between politicians, the name of their country Iran is spoken here through her glorious culture, a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under the heavy dust of politics. I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, a people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment.
Tavalode Sabz says says [fa] Fars News embellished on Farhadi’s speech and changed his words to:
Iranian people respect all cultures despite the western hostility with Iranian nuclear program.
Meanwhile, Iranians are celebrating the victory in all corners of the world, including students at Texas A & M University’s Iranian Students Film Club, shown cheering in the attached video.
By Fred Petrossian in Global Voices.
