The animation "In the Shadow of the Cypress" by Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. This is the first time an Iranian animation has won this award and an Iranian woman has won the Oscar. Congratulations to Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi and their team.
This animation was made with personal funds over several years. The story of this animation is about the consequences of war and, according to the artist couple, was inspired by their personal experiences and the experiences of the generation that lived through the Iran-Iraq war.
Shirin Sohani's father is a soldier and veteran of the Iran-Iraq War. A war that Khomeini, at the behest of Israel, launched by encouraging the Iraqi people and army to revolt against Saddam six months before the war began, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Iranians and billions in damages to provide for Israel's interests. During this war, which lasted 8 years, Israel provided military and weapons assistance to the regime. This war was also used to stabilize the regime, impose anti-national policies such as compulsory hijab, and suppress the opposition.
In today's situation in Iran, with the repression and restrictions on the cultural sector of Iranian society and women, this type of work is admirable. Hossein Molayemi says at the Oscars ceremony, "This is a miracle." Shirin Sohani talks about the difficulty of getting a visa and getting to the Oscars ceremony. Khomeini was a puppet of Israel, and the mullahs' regime is led by them and implements their dictated policies. Israel and the Zionists are the enemies of Iran and Iranians, and they put this regime at the top of power in Iran, and they lead and support it to exploit and destroy Iran and Iranians. One of Israel's goals is to drag the United States into a war in Iran to further weaken the Iranian people and further destroy Iran. In a situation where the freedom of society and women are suppressed under the pretext of defending the victims and families of war, Shirin Sohani, as a representative of the families of war veterans and women of Iran, together with her husband, appeared on the world stage without the mandatory hijab and received the Oscar.