Exiled Actress Revives Banned Poet's Voice in Paris

More than a decade after Iranian authorities publicly vilified her for appearing in a film, Mina Kavani is using a Paris stage to celebrate voices the regime tried to silence.

The Iranian-French actress opens "Ma maison est noire" ("My House is Black") at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord this week. She wrote, directed, and performs the one-woman play solo, bringing to life the work of Forough Farrokhzad, a groundbreaking 1960s Iranian poet whose books remain banned in Iran today.

Kavani knows the price of artistic freedom firsthand. She was forced into exile after appearing in the film "Red Rose," which included a nude scene that made her a target of Iranian authorities. While her family still lives in Iran, she watches from France as the country's crackdown on protesters continues to spark international outrage.

From her new home in Paris, Kavani has rebuilt her career internationally. But exile hasn't dimmed her connection to Iran or her determination to honor the artists and activists who came before her.

Farrokhzad has become an icon of women's freedom in Iran, despite government efforts to erase her legacy. By channeling the poet's words on stage, Kavani creates a bridge between past and present resistance, giving audiences a glimpse into the courage that has long defined Iranian women's fight for rights.

Why This Inspires

Kavani's play proves that even when authorities ban books and silence voices, art finds a way to survive and speak truth. She's turned her own painful exile into a platform for stories that deserve to be heard, showing how creativity can outlast oppression.

Her choice to honor Farrokhzad specifically matters because it connects today's protesters to decades of brave women who refused to be erased. The play reminds audiences that resistance has deep roots and that sharing these stories across borders helps keep hope alive for those still fighting at home.

Artists like Kavani show us that exile doesn't end connection; it expands the stage where truth can be told.