It's been just two weeks since Asghar Farhai picked up the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film, but <i> A Separation </i> has already experienced more rollercoaster rides than your average big-budget epic. The win was immediately heralded by Iranian state TV a victory for Iran over Israel, which also had a title in the category. One Iranian news agency, Fars News, went so far as posting a falsified version of Farhadi's acceptance speech, claiming that he mentioned Iran's nuclear programme. He didn't. However, a ceremony that was due to be held on Monday in Tehran to celebrate Farhadi's achievement was cancelled at the last minute, without explanation, by the Iranian authorities. "We intended to have a simple and friendly meeting to say 'thank you' for the great achievement you brought Iran and Iranian cinema but the cultural custodians did not let us realise this," organisers of the ceremony, the Centre for Directors of Iranian Cinema and the High Council of Producers of Iranian Cinema, told Farhadi in a statement. "We deeply regret this." The film, which uses the story of a marriage in turmoil to highlight issues within Iranian society, is believed to have upset conservative groups in the country. <span class="entry-content">Farhadi's next film, according to <i>Screen Daily</i>, will be shot in France and is said to centre on a love story between a young Iranian woman and a North African man. Let's see what Iranian conservatives make of this one. </span>