ENTERTAINMENT
Saturday, May 12, 2018
East Oregonian
Page 3C
Q&A WITH ASGHAR FARHADI
The push and pull of Iran
By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer
CANNES, France — The Cannes Film
Festival opening-night premiere of Ira-
nian director Asghar Farhadi’s “Everybody
Knows” coincided almost exactly with Pres-
ident Trump’s announced withdrawal from
the Iran nuclear deal.
For Farhadi, the multi-Oscar winner and
one of the foremost filmmakers in inter-
national cinema, Trump’s declaration col-
ored the celebration with a familiar melan-
choly. In 2017, he boycotted the Academy
Awards where his “The Salesman” won best
foreign language film in protest of Trump’s
travel ban of seven Mus-
lim-majority
nations,
including Iran.
Farhadi has also been
critical of the Iranian
regime and chafed at its
censorship of artists like
himself. On Wednesday,
Farhadi pleaded for Iran
to allow his countryman,
Farhadi
filmmaker Jafar Panahi,
who’s barred from leav-
ing Iran, to come to Cannes for the premiere
of Panahi’s soon-to-debut film — an appeal
that Panahi thanked him for with a text
message.
Shot in Spain and in Spanish with a cast
led by Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz,
“Everybody Knows” is Farhadi’s second film
made abroad. (His “The Past” was made in
France, in French, starring Berenice Bejo.)
“Everybody Knows,” about a kidnapping
that unspools the dormant secrets of a fam-
ily, was quickly acquired by Focus Features
after its Cannes premiere, with plans for a fall
Oscar campaign.
But as he explained speaking through an
interpreter to a reporter on the rooftop terrace
of a Cannes hotel, Farhadi doesn’t wish to
be known as a globe-trotting filmmaker. The
46-year-old director spoke about that, his
complicated feelings for his homeland and
his endless fascination with the past.
AP: How did you react to the nuclear deal
announcement?
Farhadi: Yesterday, many Iranians had
sent me nice messages but I felt sadness also
Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP
Actors Penelope Cruz, left, and Javier Bardem pose for photographers at the photo
call for the film ‘Everybody Knows’ at the 71st international film festival, Cannes,
southern France on Wednesday.
in their messages. I’ve always been criticiz-
ing the Iranian regime and they know it and
they aren’t on good terms with me. But the
agreement, I just can’t believe it. People had
been working on it. It’s not about the Ira-
nian government. It’s about the Iranian peo-
ple. They are under pressure. A few years
ago, when I was traveling abroad, a mother
told me to tell the media that her child needs
medicine. It was because of the sanctions that
there was no medicine for her child. It’s an
excuse to break up this agreement just for
the sake of doing the opposite of whatever
Obama did.
AP: Unlike your previous films (“A Sepa-
ration,” “About Elly”), “Everybody Knows”
deals with less a secret past than a widely
known one.
Farhadi: I did some research in a jail in
the U.S. — San Quentin in San Francisco.
People who were there for their life. They did
a crime 40 years ago and they have to spend
all their life there. When they tried to think
of what they had done, they saw themselves
as different people. I think you are a different
person every day. We cannot judge someone
today for something they had done 40 years
ago, but at the same time, you cannot deny
your responsibility about your past. That’s
the paradox.
AP: You often center your films on a dra-
matic event that dislodges their characters’
hidden histories. Where does your obsession
with the past come from?
Farhadi: At some point, you realize that
there is a lot behind you already, that our past
is longer than our future. I think what makes
us age is not time, it’s the burden of our past.
The countries that were born out of immigra-
tion don’t have this as much. But when you
have a long history, looking back is part of
your DNA. I am obsessed with the past, and
I wish I wasn’t.
AP: How do you go about constructing
stories that unfold like domestic puzzles?
Farhadi: Seen from outside, it seems like
something very mathematical and precon-
ceived, but that’s not the case. When I write
the first draft, it’s totally unconscious. Only
in rewriting many times do I try to construct
BRIEFLY
WHAT TO DO
Festivals
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wildhorse Resort &
Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission.
Pendleton Cattle Barons Weekend
James Dean Kindle & Roger Conley
•May 11-12
•Pendleton Convention Center, 1601 West-
gate (in/around)
www.cattlebarons.net http://jall23.wix.com/
hatrockhounds
Free/many activities. A celebration of the re-
gion’s cattlemen and ranching roots, it features
Stock Saddle Bronc Championship ($), Ranch
Rodeo ($), invitational select gelding sale, work-
ing cow dog sale, engraved jewelry and leather
work exhibition and demonstrations, and the
Buckaroo Barbecue Challenge. Proceeds pro-
vide scholarships to area students in agricul-
ture-related fields.
Hatrockhounds Rock & Gem Show
•May 12-13; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
•Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center,
1705 Airport Road, Hermiston
http://jall23.wix.com/hatrockhounds
$3. New venue for the show, which features
dealers, kids corner, demonstrations, silent auc-
tion and door prizes. (Mike Filarski, 541-571-
2593, stonemorlin1@netscape.net).
Milton-Freewater Junior Show
•May 7-13
•Junior Show Grounds, at 84575 Highway
11, Milton-Freewater
www.mfjrshow.com.
Free. A mini-fair, it showcases FFA and 4-H
activities, featuring animals, craft work and proj-
ects that are produced, raised and created by
youth community members. Highlights include
Saturday showmanship and 4-H presentations
and a youth dance (8 p.m.). Sunday church
service around the flag pole (8 a.m.), Animal
Dress-Up Parade (9:30 a.m.), followed by the
awards program (9:30 a.m.) and Junior Show
Livestock Sale (1 p.m.)
Art, Museums & Authors
Open Regional Photography Exhibit
•Tuesday-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Satur-
days, noon-4 p.m.
•Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main
St.
www.pendletonarts.org
Free. Exhibit features 125 photos, taken
by 65 adults and teens from across the region.
Runs through June 29. Gallery visitors can vote
for people’s choice award.
Annual BMCC Student Art Show
•Monday, May 14, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., opens
•Monday-Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
•Betty Feves Memorial Gallery, Blue Moun-
tain Community College, 2411 N.W. Carden
Ave., Pendleton.
Free. Highlights the work of student art-
ists, including two-dimensional and three-di-
mensional drawings, paintings, sculptures
and ceramics. Gallery visitors can vote for the
People’s Choice Award. Gallery also open by
appointment by calling 541-278-5952. Runs
May 14-31.
“H2O Today”
•Monday-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., regular
hours
•Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, near Wild-
horse Resort & Casino.
www.tamastslikt.org
$10/adults, $9/senior citizens, $6/youths.
The traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian
Institution explores the beauty and essential
nature of water, the challenges of maintaining
global water sources and promoting conversa-
tion. Runs through July 14.
Music
Dallin Puzey
•Saturday, May 12; 7-9 p.m.
•Echo Ridge Cellars, 551 N. Thielsen St.,
Echo
No cover. Features music by the Hermiston
musician, wine and fun.
Rock ‘n Roll Cowboys
•Saturday, May 12; 8 p.m. No cover
•Saturday, May 12; 9 p.m.-midnight
•Virgil’s at Cimmiyotti’s, 137 S. Main St.,
Pendleton
No cover. Solo country singer-songwriter
James Dean Kindle with backing on pedal steel
guitar by Roger Conley.
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wildhorse Resort &
Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission.
No cover. May 17: Marc Yaffee, Phil Kop-
czynski; May 24: Alex Elkin, Spenser O’Neill
Wine tasting
•Fridays, 4-8 p.m.
•Sno Road Winery, 111 W. Main St., Echo.
Karaoke w/DJ David
•Fridays; 8 p.m.
•Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St., Uma-
Party on the Patio
•Friday, May 18; 7 p.m.
•Sno Road Winery, 111 W. Main St., Echo
No cover. Enjoy wine and music by the Cory
Peterson Band.
tilla
The Wiz Kid
Karaoke
•Friday, May 18; Saturday, May 19; 8 p.m.
No cover
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wildhorse Resort &
Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission.
Mix It Up!
•Saturday, May 19; 6-9 p.m.
•Hodgen Distributing, 4340 Westgate,
Pendleton
www.oregoneastsymphony.org
$40. The 21-and-older fundraising event for
the Oregon East Symphony features Pendleton
alt-country band Imperial Twang. Cocktail hour
music is provided by jazz singer-songwriter
Lincoln Barr. A barbecue pulled pork meal will
be served. Also features live/silent auctions.
Advance tickets available at Pendleton Art +
Frame, the Oregon East Symphony office and
website and www.brownpapertickets.com
Tylor & the Train Robbers
•Friday, May 25; 9 p.m.
•Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon, 8 S.E.
Court Ave., Pendleton
No cover.
Jessie Leigh
•Friday, May 25; Saturday, May 26; Sunday,
May 27; 8 p.m. No cover
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wildhorse Resort &
Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission.
Tylor & the Train Robbers
•Saturday, May 26; 9 p.m.
•The Pheasant Blue Collar Bar & Grill, 149
E. Main St., Hermiston
No cover. Eastern Oregon kid comes
home for local tour. Features Tylor (Bushman)
Ketchum and his band, who released their first
album last year. “Gravel” features gritty Ameri-
cana and outlaw honky tonk.
Night life
Karaoke w/DJ David
•Saturdays; 8 p.m.
•Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St., Uma-
tilla
Saturday Trivia Nights
•Saturdays; 9 p.m.
•Midway Bar & Grill, 1750 N. First St., Herm-
iston
No cover. Join in for trivia fun and a chance
to win prizes. Also features DJ music.
Wino Wednesdays
•Wednesdays, 2-6 p.m.
•Echo Ridge Cellars, 551 N. Thielsen St.,
Echo
Party with a Palette
•Wednesday, May 16; 6 p.m.
•Neighbor Dudes., 405 N. First St. Suite
104, Hermiston
$40. Reservations required. Fee includes
beer (one pint), brushes (all paint supplies), raf-
fle entry and fun. No experience needed. (541-
289-2337).
Karaoke at the Packard
•1st/3rd Wednesday, 9 p.m.-midnight
•The Packard Tavern, 118 S.E. Court Ave.,
Pendleton
No cover.
Thirsty Thursdays
•Third Thursday; 5-8 p.m.
•Midway Bar & Grill, 1750 N. First St., Herm-
iston
No cover. Special guest breweries offer tast-
ings.
LOL Comedy Jam
•Thursdays; 8 p.m.
the puzzle. The structure is not linear for me.
In all my films, we go by circles.
AP: You’ve worked in France and Spain
now. Is it your desire to be a kind of global
filmmaker?
Farhadi: I don’t want to be seen as a film-
maker who works in all kinds of different
countries. What’s right for me as a director
is to make the majority of films in my own
country. Of course, one could think that I’m
much freer when I work abroad. But this free-
dom has its own limitations because when
you’re out of your own context, you start try-
ing to find some subjects that have similar-
ity with your own culture. So I would rather
stay in my own country and work there, but
every once in a while I need to work abroad
for tourism. In my lifetime, I want to have
the opportunity to discover other cultures and
explore them. When I make a film abroad,
it’s so intense that it’s the equivalent of 10
years abroad.
AP: But you would prefer to work in Iran.
Farhadi: I think I’ll make most of my
films there. When you work there, you feel
that everything is coming from inside your
heart, from your inner self. Whereas when
you’re outside, it’s always your brain that’s
working. You have to be careful about that.
AP: I’m sure you’ve had English-lan-
guage offers. Are you at all tempted?
Farhadi: Yes, I’ve received some offers
in English-language. One is based on a true
story from The New York Times. It’s a human,
universal subject. It may happen someday. I
may make the film. But it’s not my priority.
AP: “Everybody Knows” was delayed
when you opted to make “The Salesman” in
Iran instead. Was that because you wanted to
go back home?
Farhadi: Yes, exactly. We started all the
agreements and I was about to start working
on the Spanish film. I should have made it
two years ago. But then I made a short trip to
my country and one day I was driving in Teh-
ran and I felt: Why should I go and work else-
where? That’s where I belong. It was a very
strong feeling. I was moved by the place. I
remember that I stopped my car and I called
Javier and I said I’d rather postpone the proj-
ect for two years. He was very surprised and
the producers were a bit mad at me. But I
couldn’t help it and I’m glad I did it.
DJ and dancing
•Fridays, 8 p.m.
•The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston
•Fridays; 9 p.m.
•Midway Tavern, 1750 N. First St., Hermis-
ton
Cimmi’s Late Night Martini Lounge
•Fridays; 9 p.m.-midnight
•Virgil’s at Cimmiyotti’s, 137 S. Main St.,
Pendleton
No cover. Features martinis, mixology and
music.
Theater, stage, film &
lectures
“The Glass Menagerie”
•May 10-12 & 17-19; 7:30 p.m.
•May 13 & 20; 2 p.m.
•BMCC Bob Clapp Theatre, 2411 N.W.
Carden Ave., Pendleton
$15/adults, $10/students. May 10 is pay-
what-you-can preview night; College Commu-
nity Theatre presents the popular Tennessee
Williams play that provides insight into human
nature. No children under 3 admitted.
“Bad Day at Gopher’s Breath”
•May 10-13 & May 18-20; 7-9p.m.
•The Liberty Theater, 344 E. Main St., Day-
ton, Wash.
www.libertytheater.org
$10-$15. Join the raucous fun as the melo-
drama features the notorious Rawlins gang,
who ride into Gopher’s Breath to rob the bank.
“Lunch & Learn”
•Wednesday, May 16; noon
•Good Shepherd Medical Center, 610 N.W.
11th St., Hermiston
www.nwcancerclinic.com
Free. Dr. Brian Lawenda, a board certified
radiation oncologist with Northwest Cancer
Clinic, will discuss anti-cancer nutrition. Includes
free lunch. RSVP by calling 541-667-3509.
Hot tickets
•Umatilla County Fair main stage per-
formers Sawyer Brown (Aug. 7), Ned LeDoux
(Aug. 8); Skid Row (Aug. 9) Latino Night (Aug.
10) Blues Traveler (Aug. 11) (free/general ad-
mission, $12/reserved, $20/premium) www.
umatillacountyfair.net (541-567-6121)
•Hal Ketchum (May 26, $25-$45), at Wild-
horse Resort & Casino. Buy tickets for the
21-and-older show via the Wildhorse Gift Shop
or www.wildhorseresort.com
•Eagles. May 5, Moda Center, Portland.
Tickets ($59-$400) via www.ticketmaster.com
•Summer Concert Series: Hunks the
Show (June 2, $29-$65); Kim Russo: The
Happy Medium (June 16, $65); Naughty
by Nature, hip hop party w/ Sir Mix-A-Lot
& Tone Loc (July 27, $49-$99); and Ramon
Ayala (July 28, $49-$129) at Wildhorse Resort
& Casino. All shows are 21-and-older, except
the hip hop party, which is 18-and-older. Tickets
via Wildhorse Gift Shop or www.wildhorsere-
sort.com
•Old Dominion. Sept. 8, Happy Canyon
Arena, Pendleton. Tickets ($46-$150) via
1-800--457-6336 or www.pendletonroundup.
com.
———
Want to get your event listed in our calen-
dar? Send information to community@eastore-
gonian.com, or c/o Tammy Malgesini, 333 E.
Main Street, Hermiston, OR, 97838.
Living history presentation introduces
pioneer mayor
WALLA WALLA — James McAuliff, an early pol-
itician who was elected as mayor 11 times, is featured
during a living history presentation at Fort Walla Walla
Museum.
McAuliff came to the Walla Walla Valley at the end
of the Mexican-American War. A successful merchant,
farmer, and sawmill owner, he became known as the
town’s most beloved citizen. In the years surrounding the
vigilante activity in Walla Walla, he served as sheriff and
member of the territorial legislature.
Portrayed by Clark Colahan, the event is Sunday at
2 p.m. in the museum’s Pioneer Village, located at 755
Myra Road. Museum admission is $8 for adults, $7 for
seniors and $3 for children 6-12.
The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 509-525-7703 or visit www.
fwwm.org.
All aboard for ‘Train Songs’
ENTERPRISE — Wallowa County performers will
present “Train Songs,” which features music inspired by
riding the rails, trains and related personalities.
The Hootenanny & Shoo-fly Pie Social is Sunday,
May 20 at 4 p.m. in the Enterprise Odd Fellows Hall, 105
N.E. First St. Admission is $15. Also, food and drinks will
be available for purchase — including an impressive vari-
ety of home-baked treats and pie.
The special guest emcee is Dan Maher, host of North-
west Public Radio’s Inland Folk. Performers include
Jimmy Bivens & Rockjack!, Darrell & Meredith Brann,
Janis Carper, Dead Cat Blues Society, The Local Yokels,
Ted Hays, Carolyn Lochert, Heidi Muller & Bob Webb,
Nick Porter, Caleb Samples, Rich & Trilby Shirley, Laura
Skovlin, Bailey Vernam and Alyssa Werst.
Money raised from the event benefits the Wallowa Val-
ley Music Alliance. For more information, contact 541-
426-3623, info@wvmusicalliance.org or visit wvmusi-
calliance.org.
Laika’s next movie to be released in
spring 2019
PORTLAND (AP) — Oregon-based animation studio
Laika says its next movie will be titled “Missing Link,”
and it will be set in the Pacific Northwest.
Laika chief executive Travis Knight describes “Miss-
ing Link” as a “raucous comedy entwined with a swash-
buckling epic, underscoring the universal need to find
belonging.”
Knight is the son of studio owner Phil Knight.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the film —
the Hillsboro studio’s fifth — is slated for release next
spring.
Each of Laika’s first four films received Oscar nomi-
nations. They are: “Coraline,” “ParaNorman,” “The Box-
trolls” and “Kubo and the Two Strings.”
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