Director Asghar Farhadi has had a rocky relationship with the government and the cultural ministry of Iran.
Although his films have represented the country three times in the Academy Awards race for Best Foreign Language Film — and one of them, “A Separation,” won Iran’s only Oscar — he left the country to live in France for two years after clashing with the culture ministry and speaking out against censorship.
But now, as Iran is in the news because of the thawing of relations with the United States, Farhadi has returned to Tehran to live.
His new film, “The Past,” is once again the Iranian selection in the Oscar race and a favorite for a nomination – though the selection has met with some criticism inside Iran, because the predominately French-language film is set in Paris and stars French actress Berenice Bejo.