Keira Knightley and Dominic West proud to support Oscar boycott director

Keira Knightley and Dominic West today said “London is proud” to stand with an Oscar-nominated Iranian film director who will boycott the awards in protest against Donald Trump’s “Muslim ban”.

Trafalgar Square will hold an open-air screening of Asghar Farhadi’s The Salesman on Sunday hours before the ceremony gets under way in Los Angeles.

Farhadi is refusing to attend the Academy Awards, where his movie is nominated in the best foreign film category, even though Mr Trump’s executive order banning travel to the US from seven Muslim majority countries has been blocked by the courts.

West said: “I’m proud to stand with Asghar Farhadi and all of those impacted by the morass of Mr Trump’s travel ban at this time.

"I live in London - a city defined by diversity and openness. Trafalgar Square as a vast, free and open cinema on Oscars night is the perfect expression of all we value.”

Knightley, said: “All art is an attempt to understand the human condition. At a time when largely racist and nationalistic rhetoric is becoming political policy - this event is a celebration of our diversity and a reminder of our shared humanity.”

The pair were joined by a host of leading film figures including directors Mike Leigh and Sarah Gavron and actors Noomi Rapace, Julie Christie and Stephen Mangan.

The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians is to perform after the screening which was organised by Mayor Sadiq Khan in partnership with Amazon Studios and Curzon Artificial Eye.