Report: Film Director Mohammad Rasoulof Fled Iran on Foot

Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof poses on May 19, 2017 during a photocall for the film “Lerd” (A Man of Integrity) at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP)
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof poses on May 19, 2017 during a photocall for the film “Lerd” (A Man of Integrity) at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP)
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Report: Film Director Mohammad Rasoulof Fled Iran on Foot

Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof poses on May 19, 2017 during a photocall for the film “Lerd” (A Man of Integrity) at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP)
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof poses on May 19, 2017 during a photocall for the film “Lerd” (A Man of Integrity) at the 70th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. (AFP)

Film director Mohammad Rasoulof made an "exhausting and extremely dangerous" walk across a mountainous borderland in order to avoid being jailed in Iran on national security charges, he told the Guardian newspaper.

Rasoulof said Monday he had fled Iran after a court sentenced him to eight years in jail, of which five were due to be served, over his new film "The Seed of the Sacred Fig".

The leading Iranian film-maker, often a target of the country's authorities, told the Guardian in an interview published Friday that he had found shelter in Germany and was hopeful he could attend the film's Cannes premiere next week.

The film tells the story of a judge's struggles amid political unrest in Tehran.

Rasoulof told the UK newspaper that he had "no choice" but to leave, although he expects to return home "quite soon".

"My mission is to be able to convey the narratives of what is going on in Iran and the situation in which we are stuck as Iranians," said Rasoulof.

"This is something that I cannot do in prison.

"I have in mind the idea that I'll be back quite soon, but I think that's the case of all the Iranians who have left the country," he added.

Rasoulof has already served two terms in Iranian jails over previous films and had his passport withdrawn in 2017.

Having decided to leave, Rasoulof told the newspaper he cut all communications via mobile phones and computers and made his way by foot on a secret route to a border crossing.

"It was a several-hour long, exhausting and extremely dangerous walk that I had to do with a guide," he said.

After staying in a safe house, he contacted German authorities who provided him with papers that enabled him to travel to Europe.



Netflix Shares Rise as Rosy Outlook Calms Investors’ Nerves amid Tariff Fears

In this Nov. 4, 2017, file photo, the logo of entertainment company Netflix is pictured in Paris. (AP)
In this Nov. 4, 2017, file photo, the logo of entertainment company Netflix is pictured in Paris. (AP)
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Netflix Shares Rise as Rosy Outlook Calms Investors’ Nerves amid Tariff Fears

In this Nov. 4, 2017, file photo, the logo of entertainment company Netflix is pictured in Paris. (AP)
In this Nov. 4, 2017, file photo, the logo of entertainment company Netflix is pictured in Paris. (AP)

Netflix shares rose about 3% in premarket trading on Monday as the streaming giant's upbeat annual revenue outlook reassured investors that it could withstand any economic downturn amid a tariff laden economic climate.

The company's co-CEO Greg Peters noted that the entertainment sector, and Netflix specifically, had proven resilient during previous downturns.

Peters said they had not seen any significant shifts in customer behavior, after the company reported first-quarter earnings above analysts' expectations on Thursday.

Netflix also reaffirmed its 2025 revenue forecast of between $43.5 billion and $44.5 billion.

These remarks offered some respite to investors who were worried that President Donald Trump's tariff policies could likely lead to a recession, forcing consumers to rein in spending on streaming services.

"Even in a global recession scenario, Netflix is likely to be highly resilient given the price-to-value of the service remains very attractive," said Jeffrey Wlodarczak, an analyst at Pivotal Research Group, who is five-star rated for both estimate accuracy and recommendation performance, as per LSEG data.

"Their advertising business should demonstrate strong growth in any scenario given its nascent state," Wlodarczak said.

The lower-priced, ad-supported tier accounted for 55% of new sign-ups in countries where it is available, Netflix said.

"While advertising is a small portion of the business today, the longer-term prospects are notably robust...while investments in ad-tech capabilities should drive healthy growth for years to come," BofA Global Research analysts said.

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Netflix aims to double revenue from $39 billion in 2024 and earn about $9 billion in global ad sales by 2030.

The company has upped the ante on delivering steady revenue growth as it ceased reporting subscriber data from this year, leaving Wall Street with fewer metrics to gauge its health.

Peers Walt Disney and Warner Bros Discovery shares were down under 1% each in premarket trading.

At least seven brokerages raised price target for Netflix following its results, bringing the median target to $1,147.50, according to data compiled by LSEG.