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since Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:04:17.
November 24, 2009
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Dieudonné elaborates on his anti-Zionist activities in Tehran
Tehran Times Art Desk
TEHRAN -- French actor and political activist Dieudonné M’bala M’bala attended a press conference held here in Tehran on Sunday and talked about his productions in France as well as his anti-Zionist activities.
The conference was held at the Cinematic Department of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in which Dieudonné expressed his interest in working in Iran’s cinema.
Dieudonné is famous for his anti-Zionist attitudes. He is also the owner of the Théâtre de la Main d’Or in Paris, which is used for both stand-up comedy and political events by himself as well as friends and colleagues, such as the militant anti-Semitic “Tribu Ka”.
“I am a comedian in France and have worked on several screenplays and scenarios. Here in Tehran I was a jury member for the Tehran International Short Film Festival and had the time to watch over 90 short films, all of which I believe were of excellent quality.
Dieudonné regarded the role of cinema, art and culture as important in bringing the world’s nations closer to one another, adding, “I have discussed producing joint films in your country, Iran, (with Deputy Culture Minister for Cinematic Affairs Javad Shamaqdari) and I have also initiated the new concept of Shoahnanas (Holocaust Pineapples) which focuses on the Holocaust.
“It is forbidden to talk about Holocaust in France, but I have arranged the comedy in such a way that it ridicules the issue of the Holocaust. Comedy is an influential tool and now that we cannot speak directly about it, this is the best approach to use.
“I have another project centering on a storyline that takes place during the reign of King Louis XIV of France and treats the issue of the African slave trade in France,” he remarked.
He later talked about the reasons for his fights against the Holocaust and slave trade and said, “I personally stand against any movement that mistreat people. The black community in France has tolerated much pain and this has pushed me to stand up against all forms of oppression and make use of comedy in my country where there is no justice.”
On his reason for choosing Iran for his joint productions, he said, “Today, there are only a few countries like Iran which is open to joint productions on these types of issues.”
Dieudonné continued saying that he also met President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday and they both held talks on art and the important role it plays in the freedom of nations. “We also discussed that the world is dominated by imperialism and that one can not make use of art to depict this. The President also stressed making the best use of art and culture to accurately portray imperialism and capitalism. We also discussed the censorship conducted by the Zionist lobby in Europe and their influence on the media.”
Dieudonné emphasized that France is a big country and it is one of the largest colonial powers in the world. Freedom in this country is reserved for the wealthy class of people, “but I still like France.”
He later talked about Iran’s cinema and said, “I had not watched many movies before coming to Iran but heard a lot about it. I had only watched ‘Saint Mary’ (Shahriar Bahrani). I saw a few short films here in Tehran and also “Kingdom of Solomon” (Shahriar Bahrani) at a private screening.”
Dieudonné talked about the problems he has tolerated for his anti-Zionist attitudes, “the Zionist lobby has put a lot of pressure on me. I had at least 200 plays scheduled for performance but they were all canceled. To get around this, I bought a big bus in which I can travel to different districts and then perform my plays when I get there. In one of my performances, I was blatantly attacked by four Israeli men, and as a consequence, I have been summoned to various courts.”
Deputy Culture Minister Shamaqdari was supposed to attend the conference, but did not take part since he was attending another session. Sources indicate that there will be a conference with his participation next week.
Photo: French actor and political activist Dieudonné M’bala M’bala attends a press conference in Tehran on November 22, 2009, during which he explained his activities in France. (ISNA/Amir Kholusi)
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