http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/may2001/iran-m04.shtml

Iranian director protests harassment by US immigration officials

                     -  an open letter to the National Board of Review of
                    Motion Pictures and the international media from
renowned Iranian
                    film director Jafar Panahi. The letter recounts his
harrowing
                    experience at the hands of US immigration officials while
                    attempting to travel from Hong Kong to film festivals in
South
                    America via New York City. Panahi is the director of The
White
                    Balloon (1995), The Mirror (1997) and The Circle (2000).

                    The National Board of Review bestowed its "Freedom of
                    Expression" award on Panahi for The Circle in December
2000. The
                    Board is a prestigious film-appreciation society (originally
                    established in 1909 as a censorship organization) based
in New York
                    City.

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