A deadly fire erupted Saturday night at Evin Prison, a Tehran facility that houses Iranian political prisoners. The fire killed four inmates and injured others. Security guards reportedly used brutal tactics, including tear gas and sound bombs, to lock down prisoners during the chaos.

Two of the facility’s most high-profile inmates are filmmakers Jafar Panahi and mohamed rasoulof, who have been imprisoned for their criticism of the Iranian government. Rasoulof was stopped in July following a series of provocative posts on social media. This led Panahi to visit a prison to inquire about his fellow filmmaker’s sentence, only to find himself arrested and sentenced to six years in jail for it.

In a new interview with Radio Farda, the Iranian branch of Radio Free Europe, Panahi’s wife, Tahira Saeedi, recounted what the filmmakers endured during the fire. She revealed she was able to speak with her husband early on Sunday morning, where he confirmed tear gas had been used on him and the fire represented “the worst hours of his life”. Despite the trauma they endured, Saeedi described Panahi and Rasoulof’s physical health as “good”.

Panahi refused to let imprisonment silence her voice. When his latest film, ‘No Bears’, screened at the New York Film Festival this month, the filmmaker addressed the crowd via a statement delivered by actress Mina Kavani.

“We are filmmakers,” he said in the statement. “We are part of Iranian cinema. For us, to live is to create. We create works that are not commissioned. Therefore, those in power view us as criminals. Independent cinema reflects its time. It is inspired by society. And cannot be indifferent to it. The history of Iranian cinema bears witness to the constant and active presence of independent directors who have fought to push back against censorship and ensure the survival of this art. While on this path, some are banned from making films, others are forced into exile or reduced to isolation. And yet, the hope of recreating is a raison d’être. It doesn’t matter where, when and under what circumstances an independent filmmaker creates or thinks about creating. We are filmmakers, independents.

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