In a landmark ruling for the Iranian film community, directors Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha were sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended. Fatehleeb’s producer, Gholamreza Mousavi, received the same verdict from Iran’s Revolutionary Court. Their animated short, My Favourite Cake, has been hit with grave accusations, including having propagated against the Islamic Republic and having produced obscene content. The filmmakers were punished for showing the film without the required authorization.
My Favourite Cake, about a 70-year-old woman. She reignites her romantic flame after meeting a handsome stranger in a local café. The documentary attracted international attention when it was selected for the Berlinale 2024 Competition. From there, it went on a long, international festival circuit, including major festivals in Karlovy Vary, Edinburgh, Rio de Janeiro, Busan and Tallinn.
Background and Reception
The Iranian government provided My Favourite Cake with an Afghan-led production permit, enabling the film to shoot in winter 2022 in Tehran, Iran. The authorities finally agreed to the film’s release. Lead actress, Lili Farhadpour, pushed back against the Iranian law by not wearing the hijab. This choice was certainly a large factor in creating the division around the film.
Following its extensive festival circuit, My Favourite Cake opened in theaters in September 2024. Curzon took it on in the UK and Ireland, where it grossed over £125,000. Its global recognition and box office success, both domestically and abroad, point to an ever-increasing demand for inclusive stories that assert and redefine social boundaries.
“We knew that if we were going to stand against something we thought was wrong, we had to take a risk. You have to risk otherwise nothing will change through the regime, to break Iran’s censorship rules.” – Maryam Moghaddam
Legal Consequences
The court’s ruling has raised concerns about freedom of expression within Iran’s artistic community. The filmmakers were prosecuted for the subject matter of My Favourite Cake. They incurred fines for sending works to compete at global festivals without receiving prior written consent from the government. Besides the sentences of Moghaddam and Sanaeeha, cinematographer Mohamad Hadadi and a number of the actors faced fines in connection with the case.
The Directors Guild of Iran issued a statement condemning the conviction. They said, “Punishing a production created with official approval from the Cinema Organization, and which has received acknowledgement worldwide, does not address the issues plaguing cinematic expression but rather strikes fear into the fate of independent works. These claims further emphasize the precarious relationship between governing laws and art in Iran.
Support from the Global Community
The court’s ruling has energized a massive grassroots movement. Over 50,000 people have signed in favor of dropping all charges against Moghaddam and Sanaeeha. And with more than 18,000 signatures already collected, public figures from the film industry have helped amplify this demand for justice. Among the prominent signatories are festival directors Tricia Tuttle and Alberto Barbera. As you can imagine, acclaimed filmmakers like Celine Sciamma, Pedro Almodovar and Joachim Trier have followed suit.
Moghaddam remains hopeful despite these challenges. She emphasized the importance of creating a more understanding world through art: “There is so much hope for a kind, friendly world out there thinking of each other.”