A Film Producer Announced: Showing the Victory Sign by Women in Film Advertisements is Prohibited

In the continuation of censorship practices in film advertisements in Iran, the producer of the film 'Dasteh Dokhtaran' has complained about the approach of decision-making bodies, asking: 'Should we show all these women in attire resembling chadors?!' Mohammad Reza Mansouri also stated that he is facing problems regarding the advertisement of his film and emphasized: 'Today we cannot display a photo of Farzaneh Hosseini raising her finger in a victory sign in the city because they say it is prohibited.' In recent months, Iranian artists have indirectly revealed the new approach of security and regulatory bodies in imposing restrictions on films following the nationwide protests of autumn 2022, which 'Voice of America' has reported many of these cases. In this context, on April 30, the team of the film 'Jang Jahan Gharbi' including Mohsen Tanabandeh as an actor and Mohammad Shayesteh as the distributor reported 'pressure' from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance for censorship in advertising billboards. Shayesteh wrote in a post he published on Instagram: 'Until last night, they said remove Hooman Sidi's name, and we will give permission for the billboard; we removed the director's name.' The producer of the film 'Jang Jahan Gharbi' criticized the censorship in film advertisements. In the same post, which Mohsen Tanabandeh also reshared, he stated: 'They told the advertising company that Tanabandeh's photo must also be removed. In this case, only the photo of this house remains; are we trying to advertise a real estate agent!' Art activists believe this new approach is not unrelated to the positions taken by artists during the nationwide protests of 2022, and the government is seeking to limit protesting artists. The latest example and the prohibition of showing the victory sign by a female actor is also evaluated within this framework. It is noteworthy that many artists, including Hooman Sidi and Mohsen Tanabandeh, have taken a stance against the policies of the Islamic Republic in recent protests. Tanabandeh, who directed the popular series 'Paytakht' in previous years, criticized the state broadcaster last week, stating that the new season of the series will not be made with the approach that the gentlemen want. However, this television director did not specify what 'approach' the 'gentlemen' proposed for the new season of 'Paytakht'. The 'blade of censorship' has also silenced television directors; Saeed Aghakhani apologized to viewers. Bahman Maqsoudlou: The government does not want independent filmmakers like Pourahmad to make films.