'A Separation' Unites Iranian-Americans in Los Angeles

At last night's Academy Awards, Iran's A Separation won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The hard-line Iranian news agency, Fars, reported that when he accepted the award, director Asghar Farhadi said, "I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, who, despite all the tensions and hostility of recent months between Iran and the West over Iran's nuclear program, respect all cultures and civilizations." In fact, Farhadi spoke of Iranians all over the world who were watching, "happy, not just because of an important award…but because at the time when talk of war, intimidation, and aggression is exchanged between politicians the name of their country, Iran, is spoken here through her glorious culture, a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under the heavy dust of politics. I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, the people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment. Thank you so much."