Yorgos Lanthimos, Mike Figgis, Ben Rivers Sign Letter Condemning Iran War: “No Freedom Will Ever Be Born From War”

Directors Yorgos Lanthimos, Mike Figgis, and Ben Rivers have joined scores of artists and academics in an open letter condemning the joint U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and emphasizing Iranians right to self-determination.

They are among first signatories of a letter doing the rounds in filmmaking, arts, culture and academic circles on both sides of the Atlantic.

“We, a collective of artists, cultural practitioners, and filmmakers, issue this statement in full awareness of our historical and ethical responsibility to unequivocally condemn war, military violence, and all forms of political and military intervention,” it opened.

“We state clearly and without ambiguity that the destiny, future, and political determination of Iran belong exclusively to the people of Iran. No foreign power, no government, and no military coalition holds the legitimacy to determine the political, social, or historical trajectory of this land. The right to self-determination is a fundamental and inalienable principle that arises solely from the free and conscious will of a people,” it continued.

The statement called “for the immediate cessation of military attacks and escalatory policies against Iran and across the region; unconditional respect for the Iranian people’s right to self-determination; prioritization of diplomacy, dialogue, and adherence to international law; protection of civilians and vital infrastructure; and rejection of any policy that frames war as a legitimate means of political change.”

Further signatories include U.S. director and multimedia artist Jem Cohen (Little, Big, and Far); filmmaker UK artist and filmmaker Andrea Zimmerman (Here for Life) and Thai director Thunska Pansittivorakul ((Damnatio Memoriae) as well as Viennale Director Eva Sangiorgi; avant-garde filmmaker and fine art professor John Smith (The Girl Chewing Gum) and academic Eyal Weizman, founding director of the Centre for Research Architecture at the department of Visual Cultures at the UK’s Goldsmiths University.

The publication of the letter comes as the joint U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran enters its 11th day, amid growing international condemnation over the unilateral nature of the operation and its wider implications for regional and global stability.

U.S. President Donald Trump said initially as the military operation launched on February 28 that its aims were to crush Iran’s military, eliminate the country’s nuclear program, and bring about a change in government.

It has since killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme leader Ali Khamenei, flattened parts of Tehran and other military facilities, and killed at least 1,255 people according to local health ministry figures, while the neighboring Gulf region has come under retaliatory missile and drone attack.

Questions remain about the end goal, with Trump making contradictory statements on Monday, saying on the one hand the war against Iran would be over “pretty quickly” in a press interview, and on the other that U.S. had not “won enough” yet in an address to Republican allies.

The signatories of Tuesday’s letter categorically rejected the use of military intervention.

“We firmly condemn the military attacks carried out by the governments of the United States and Israel against Iran and its territory, which have resulted in the deaths and injuries of innocent civilians. We likewise reject the war-driven policies and approaches of President Donald Trump, which have contributed to escalating tensions and deepening regional instability,” it stated.

“Modern and earlier history alike demonstrate that no enduring peace has ever emerged from bombardment or military threats. No freedom has been delivered through missiles, sanctions, or occupation. War even when initiated under the rhetoric of ‘liberation’ inevitably leads to the destruction of civilian infrastructure, the fragmentation of social fabric, the expansion of poverty, and the perpetuation of violence. We categorically reject any political narrative that presents war as a legitimate instrument for achieving freedom.”

“We believe that the future of Iran and the region will not be forged in the shadow of threats and bombardment, but through the will of the people, justice, coexistence, and a just and lasting peace. At this critical historical moment, we stand with the people of Iran and with all peoples of the region in calling for a just, sustainable, and humane peace. Peace is an ethical choice and a historical necessity and no freedom will ever be born from war.”