"We believe there is no best country, best gender, best religion or best color."

[kpete]

Oscar-Nominated Syrian Cinematographer Barred From Entering U.S. for Awards


On Friday, Farhadi joined his fellow contenders for the Best Foreign Language Film award in issuing a statement decrying the “climate of fanaticism and nationalism” in the United States and other countries. Regardless of who wins, the five filmmakers already preemptively dedicated their award:

Regardless of who wins the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film on Sunday, we refuse to think in terms of borders. We believe there is no best country, best gender, best religion or best color. We want this award to stand as a symbol of the unity between nations and the freedom of the arts.

Human rights are not something you have to apply for. They simply exist—for everybody. For this reason, we dedicate this award to all the people, artists, journalists and activists who are working to foster unity and understanding, and who uphold freedom of expression and human dignity—values whose protection is now more important than ever. By dedicating the Oscar to them, we wish to express to them our deep respect and solidarity.

more:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/02/25/oscar_nominated_syrian_cinematographer_khaled_khateeb_barred_from_entering.html