But this year, it was hard to separate the nomination for Farhadi’s “The Salesman” and Trump’s clampdown on travel to the United States by refugees as well as citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations, including Iran. Farhadi stayed away from the Academy Awards ceremony in protest. So did the cast.

The snubs, some contend, might have resonated well with the Oscar-awarding judges opposed to Trump’s executive order, which is locked in a court challenge.

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“I’m sorry I’m not with you tonight,” said a statement from Farhadi read by Iranian American astronaut Anousheh Ansari, who has taken part in a mission on the International Space Station.

“My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and those of the other six nations who have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the U.S.,” the statement continued.

Before the ceremony, Farhadi joined the four other directors of films nominated in the foreign language category in issuing a statement decrying a rising tide of “fanaticism” in the United States. The directors — whose films' casts and crews span the globe — agreed that this year’s award would be dedicated to “unity and understanding” regardless of who won.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted congratulations to the cast and crew of “The Salesman” and their “stance against #MuslimBan.”

The film itself has nothing to do with international politics. The story is about a Tehran couple performing Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” and their struggles with social stigmas after the wife is assaulted in their apartment.

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Yet many Iranian movie fans and others rallied around the belief that the Oscar win was something of a Hollywood referendum on the White House.

“We are so proud of you,” said one Twitter message using the hashtags #travelban and #trump.

https://twitter.com/KhoshAzar/status/836124739735326720

Banifilm, a leading Iranian film industry newspaper and website, posted an opinion piece saying Trump “probably never imagined what contribution the travel ban would have for Farhadi’s film.”