The Iranian film directors Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof have recently been given a six-year prison sentence by the government of Iran as well as a twenty-year ban on working, traveling and giving interviews. However, these severe punishments have not been given because Panahi and Rasoulof made a critical film but because they have been planning to make a film that might not be to the government’s liking. There has never been anything like this before.

Together with many others the Iranian director Rafi Pitts demands an immediate withdrawal of the verdicts and appeals to the public in an open letter to stop working for two hours on the 32nd anniversary of the Iranian revolution.
On February, 11th 2011 from 12.30pm to 2.30pm (est) everything is supposed to be at a standstill beyond all national and political borders.

Out of solidarity with the filmmakers and all the other critical intellectuals in Iran, all media and cultural institutions are called upon changing their website’s coloring into green. Filmfest Hamburg takes part in this campaign: From 12.30pm to midnight our website is green!

On the website of the German newspaper TAZ you will find further information about the current situation in Iran as well as the possibility to sign the appeal for the release of the two Iranian directors.