Freedom to Create Prize 2009: Filmmaker wins

Mohsen Makhmalbaf pleads for democracy in his country Iran

by Jasper ReesThursday, 26 November 2009

Freedom to Create Prize 2009 winner Mohsen Makhmalbaf

The second annual Freedom to Create Prize, which was presented in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London last night, has been won by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The internationally renowned and prolific Iranian filmmaker, 52, downed tools earlier this year to become an official mouthpiece outside Iran for the presidential candidate Mir-Mossein Mousavi.

Explore topics

Share this article

The future of Arts Journalism

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

more Film

Misericordia review - mushroom-gathering and murder in rural France A deadpan comedy-thriller from the director of ‘Stranger by the Lake’

theartsdesk Q&A: filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer on his apocalyptic musical 'The End' The documentary director talks about his ominous first fiction film and why its characters break into song

DVD/Blu-ray: The Substance French director Coralie Fargeat on the making of her award-winning body-horror movie

A Working Man - Jason Statham deconstructs villains again A meandering vehicle for the action thriller star

The End review - surreality in the salt mine Unsettling musical shows the lengths we go to avoid the truth

La Cocina review - New York restaurant drama lingers too long Struggles of undocumented immigrants slaving in a Times Square kitchen

Blu-ray: Lifeforce Tobe Hooper's frenzied, far out space sex vampire epic

Brief History of a Family review - glossy Chinese psychological thriller feels shallow Immaculately crafted family drama aimed at international art house audiences

Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other review - a portrait of photographer Joel Meyerowitz Scenes from a seemingly picture-perfect marriage

The Alto Knights review - double dose of De Niro doesn't hit the spot Barry Levinson's Mafia saga drifts gently into the sunset

theartsdesk Q&A: director François Ozon on 'When Autumn Falls' The modern French master reflects on ageing, useful lies and country secrets in his new slow crime film

Santosh review - powerful study of prejudice and police corruption Sandhya Suri tackles the caste divides and misogyny of Indian policing

Follow @theartsdesk