Kristen Stewart Joins Iran ‘Women Life Freedom’ Solidarity Demo On Berlin Film Festival Red Carpet  

Kristen Stewart joined Iranian filmmakers in a demonstration showing solidarity for Iran’s Women Life Freedom protests on the red carpet of the Berlin Film Festival on Saturday.

Stewart is attending the festival this year as the president of its international jury.

Holy Spider actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, The Siren director Sepideh Farsi and actress Golshifteh Farahani, who is a member of Stewart’s international jury, were among more than 50 Iranian professionals participating in the act of solidarity.

Earlier in the day, Ebrahimi and Farsi participated in a Berlinale-hosted panel discussion on the role of cinema and art in the ongoing popular revolution.

Tehran-born actress Ebrahimi, who was forced to flee Iran in 2008, said she felt the filmmaking community still based in the country was becoming increasingly bolder in its willingness to challenge the hardline Iranian government even though it came with big risks.

“They just leave their fear. They want to be part of something important,” she told the panel.

“They want to do something without censorship, without government control, and that costs their careers in Iran and can cost their lives.”

She noted that her Holy Spider co-star Mehdi Bajestani had been unable to return home to Iran after travelling to Cannes for the world premiere.

“He got stuck in Europe. It’s too dangerous now for him to get back,” she said.

She said other members of the crew still in Iran were now banned from working. “We have other people on the film who are still in Iran and they can’t work: our editor, our sound engineer and my assistant.”