Iran's "The Salesman," a drama about honor and revenge in a modern marriage, won the Oscar on Sunday for best foreign language film.
The movie, directed by Tehran-based Asghar Farhadi, marked Iran's second Oscar victory, coming five years after Farhadi's drama "A Separation" won the nation's first Academy Award.
Reuters Reported that "The Salesman" was seen as one of the favorites in the foreign language category after winning prizes at the Cannes Film Festival last year, and its win follows the fallout over U.S. President Donald Trump's crackdown on foreign travelers.
Farhadi, and the film's lead actress, Taraneh Alidoosti, both said last month they would boycott the Oscars to protest Trump's ban on travel to the United States from seven majority Muslim nations, including Iran.
Farhadi chose two Iranian-Americans -- a female engineer and a former NASA scientist -- to represent him at the Oscars ceremony.
"My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and the other six nations that have been disrespected by this inhumane law that bans the entry of immigrants to the U.S.” Ms. Ansari read on Mr. Farhadi’s behalf, prompting a round of applause from the packed auditorium.
Mr. Farhadi’s statement also denounced politicians — without specifying Mr. Trump — "who divide the world” into "us and our enemies” and provide a pretext for "aggression and war” that he said can "prevent democracy and human rights in countries which have themselves been victims of aggression.”
According to the statement, film-makers can create empathy for others and unite people across political divides, prompting further applause.
