Former Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi has pulled out of the 2017 Oscars next month.

Farhadi, who is Iranian, joins the lead actress from his movie “The Salesman.” They’re not even waiting to face a travel ban. Farhadi won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012 for “A Separation.” He stresses that he believes “many” in the motion picture community disagree with Trump. Mr. Farhadi, I’d say more like 99%, maybe even Scott Baio (he can’t be that stupid).

Here’s Farhadi’s statement, supplied to the New York Times:

I regret to announce via this statement that I have decided to not attend the Academy Awards Ceremony alongside my fellow members of the cinematic community.

Over the course of the past few days and despite the unjust circumstances which have risen for the immigrants and travelers of several countries to the United States, my decision had remained the same: to attend this ceremony and to express my opinions about these circumstances in the press surrounding the event. I neither had the intention to not attend nor did I want to boycott the event as a show of objection, for I know that many in the American film industry and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are opposed to the fanaticism and extremism which are today taking place more than ever. Just as I had stated to my distributor in the United States on the day the nominees were announced, that I would be attending this ceremony along with my cinematographer, I continued to believe that I would be present at this great cultural event.

However, it now seems that the possibility of this presence is being accompanied by ifs and buts which are in no way acceptable to me even if exceptions were to be made for my trip. I would therefore like to convey via this statement what I would have expressed to the press were I to travel to the United States. Hard-liners, despite their nationalities, political arguments and wars, regard and understand the world in very much the same way. In order to understand the world, they have no choice but to regard it via an “us and them” mentality, which they use to create a fearful image of “them” and inflict fear in the people of their own countries.

This is not just limited to the United States; in my country hardliners are the same. For years on both sides of the ocean, groups of hardliners have tried to present to their people unrealistic and fearful images of various nations and cultures in order to turn their differences into disagreements, their disagreements into enmities and their enmities into fears. Instilling fear in the people is an important tool used to justify extremist and fanatic behavior by narrow-minded individuals.

However, I believe that the similarities among the human beings on this earth and its various lands, and among its cultures and its faiths, far outweigh their differences. I believe that the root cause of many of the hostilities among nations in the world today must be searched for in their reciprocal humiliation carried out in its past and no doubt the current humiliation of other nations are the seeds of tomorrow’s hostilities. To humiliate one nation with the pretext of guarding the security of another is not a new phenomenon in history and has always laid the groundwork for the creation of future divide and enmity. I hereby express my condemnation of the unjust conditions forced upon some of my compatriots and the citizens of the other six countries trying to legally enter the United States of America and hope that the current situation will not give rise to further divide between nations.

Asghar Farhadi, Iran

There’s a little bit of a silver lining at the box office this week. Both
“La La Land” and “Hidden Figures” have crossed the $100 million line.

This is pretty great, and highly unusual. Original dramas and musicals aren’t exactly the typical blockbusters. “The Artist,” a superior musical that won the Oscar, only made $44 million all in. “La La Land” has far exceeded that.

“Hidden Figures” is a coup and a phenomenon. It played just like “The Help,” which finished with just under $170 million.

So the audience was there for both movies. This should speak volumes to the studios. They were smart films, well made, that didn’t speak down to the audience. And that was appreciated.

Indeed, nearly all the Oscar nominees have done very well this season. “Manchester” has a respectable $41 million, “Fences” is at $50 million, and “Lion” is coming into its own at almost $20 million. “Moonlight” follows at $17 million.

This should bode well for the Oscar telecast on February 26th. Plus let’s hope the Academy will ask some of the people who worked hard but didn’t get nominated– Amy Adams, Annette Bening, Brad Pitt, Taraji Henson– to be presenters.

This week, the Trump White House issued a statement on the Holocaust without mentioning the 6 million Jews who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis. This was done to minimize or erase the Jews from their own history:

“It is with a heavy heart and somber mind that we remember and honor the victims, survivors, heroes of the Holocaust. It is impossible to fully fathom the depravity and horror inflicted on innocent people by Nazi terror.

“Yet, we know that in the darkest hours of humanity, light shines the brightest.‎ As we remember those who died, we are deeply grateful to those who risked their lives to save the innocent.

“In the name of the perished, I pledge to do everything in my power throughout my Presidency, and my life, to ensure that the forces of evil never again defeat the powers of good. Together, we will make love and tolerance prevalent throughout the world.”

This morning, Virginia senator Tim Kaine equated this to Holocaust denial. He’s correct.

Keep in mind, we have an Oscar nominated director of an Oscar nominated film, who agrees with this. In 2004, two years before his infamous arrest, Mel Gibson told journalist Peggy Noonan: “I mean when the war was over they said it was 12 million. Then it was six. Now it’s four. I mean it’s that kind of numbers game …”

Gibson was raised by a father, still alive age 98, who is a rabid Holocaust denier. Gibson funds a church in Agoura Hills (Malibu), California for a small congregation of people who hold these beliefs.

The most overlooked movie of the year: “Denial,” directed by Mick Jackson, starring Rachel Weisz, Timothy Spall, and Tom Wilkinson. It’s available on all platforms, you can see it at home without leaving your chair.  You can also watch “Shoah,” “Schindler’s List,” and James Moll’s extraordinary Oscar winning documentary, “The Last Days.”

Martin Scorcese doesn’t care what you think.  Well, at least about his fifty-four year-and-counting working and friend relationship with his esteemed editor Thelma Schoonmaker, to whom he presented the ACE Career Achievement award at last night’s 67^th annual ACE Eddie Awards at the Beverly Hilton. The is the event where all the top notch editors get out of their editing rooms and celebrate each other.

Commenting on their longevity, he quipped, “We’ve spent many lifetimes together.  I can’t explain it.  It’s what we do and it’s nobody’s business.”  He added, “I completely trust her.  Her support makes it possible for me to make the films I want to make.  From the day I met her at NYU in film school in 1963, nothing’s changed.  From “Raging Bull” to “Silence,” she’s always been there.” 

Thelma, who had laryngitis, “I’m copying Meryl Streep,” (Meryl had it at the Golden Globes)  said, “I’m privileged to watch the swing of emotions Marty goes through with each film and it’s fascinating.  I can’t wait for the next one to start.” 

The ACE Eddie Awards were hosted by “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” star Rachel Bloom, who joked, “I know we all feel the existential panic this week, hey we’ll feel it every day now for the next four fucking years.”  The event saw  “La La Land” and “Arrival” taking the top honors: “La La Land” for Best Edited Feature Comedy, and “Arrival” garnered the Dramatic Feature.  For TV, HBO’s “Game of Thrones,”  “Everything Is Copy,” and “Veep” scored, as well as NBC’s  “This Is Us.”   “O.J: Made in America,” “Anthony Bourdain,” and “Zootopia”  also scored wins. 

The ACE’s have an accurate Oscar predication record, 10 of the past 13 Eddie winners have gone on to win the Oscar.   J.J. Abrams received the Golden Eddie Award for Filmmaker of the year, and he also incorporated a mea culpa along with the “F” word.  “As Editors, you’re fucked.  There’s no magical next step.  You’re not allowed to have the dreams of later.  The buck stops with you.  It took me years to really appreciate the art of editorial.” 

I chatted a bit with Mykelti Williamson, so wonderful in “Fences” who was cryptic but did tell me that, “I’m filming a 10 part series for TV with a film star, it’s a lead for me. You won’t find it anywhere.” Good for him, he’s truly talented.  Producer Bill Mechanic told me his next project is with “Elle’s” Paul Verhoeven, “Kubo’s” Travis Knight, “Arrival’s “ Denis Villeneuve and more came out to support the men and women in the dark rooms.