Iranian authorities have dismissed allegations of copyright infringement against renowned director Asghar Farhadi, affirming that his 2021 film, A Hero, did not unlawfully appropriate ideas from a former student. Azadeh Masihzadeh, a former student of Farhadi’s, had accused him of plagiarizing her concept for the film from a documentary she created during his class.
A group of three professors specializing in copyright law at Tehran University, accompanied by four official art experts, thoroughly examined the claims. After meticulous review, they concluded that the allegations were unfounded and cleared Farhadi of any wrongdoing.
Masihzadeh contended that Farhadi lifted the storyline of A Hero from her documentary, All Winners, All Losers, which she produced under Farhadi’s guidance. Both projects revolve around the story of an inmate grappling with the moral dilemma of keeping a bag of gold coins found while on leave from debtors’ prison.
However, the expert panel found that the events depicted in Masihzadeh’s documentary were based on widely reported news and were not unique to her work. They determined that Farhadi’s film drew inspiration from common sources of reality and media coverage, as well as the instructional style of his workshop.
Furthermore, the panel highlighted significant divergences between A Hero and Masihzadeh’s documentary, as well as the actual events and news reports. Consequently, they concluded that Farhadi’s film did not infringe on any copyright, emphasizing that the retelling of publicly known events does not grant exclusive ownership rights.
With the Iranian authorities’ ruling, Farhadi emerges vindicated of the plagiarism allegations, allowing his work to continue to be celebrated without legal dispute.
