Abdolqasem Talebi Says Khamenei Praised the Film 'Gold Collars'

Simultaneously with the statements of an official from the Ministry of Intelligence regarding the broadcast of the film 'Gold Collars' on state television, the film's director has stated that he was contacted by the office of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, who conveyed a message from Ali Khamenei saying, 'Well done, thank you.' On January 9, an 'informed source' in the Ministry of Intelligence told the ISNA news agency that Abdolqasem Talebi, the director of 'Gold Collars,' who had previously worked for this ministry, had made 'many lies' in his film. The unnamed official told ISNA, 'Unfortunately, this year, despite the warnings given in previous years, the national media broadcast this film.' In response to the statements made in ISNA, Talebi tweeted that on the night of January 9, he was contacted by Ayatollah Khamenei's office to convey the Supreme Leader's message: 'Last night, I saw your film again on Ofogh TV. Well done, well done, well done; thank you, and please send my regards to the actors.' January 9 is a day that the Iranian government has designated as 'Day of Insight and the Covenant of the Nation with the Leadership.' On this day, the Iranian government held a rally in support of the leadership during the protests against the 2009 election results, which was widely covered by state media and attended by senior officials. Since then, rallies have been held on this day in support of the Islamic Republic's leadership. The protests against the 2009 election results reportedly led to the deaths of dozens to hundreds of Iranian citizens. The main rivals of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who were also key figures in the protests, have been under house arrest since then. Senior officials of the Islamic Republic's leadership, however, refer to the protests as 'sedition' and have repeatedly targeted the protesters in their attacks. The film 'Gold Collars' deals with the events of 2009 and the 'infiltration of foreign agents' during the protests and the Ministry of Intelligence; it is a controversial film that has faced reactions regarding its production, supporters, and how it was broadcast. The Islamic Republic's leadership almost always attributes major internal protests to foreign countries such as the United States and Britain. However, critics describe the accusations against foreigners as 'projection' and an excuse for 'suppressing' protesters. Jawad Shamghadri, the former head of the Iranian Cinema Organization, stated in 2012 that the Visual Media Institute, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, funded one-third of the costs of 'Gold Collars,' which amounted to one billion tomans. Shamghadri also reported 'protests from officials' regarding the film's production. However, it appears that neither these protests nor the issue of funding ultimately affected the film's production. From Shamghadri's statements at that time, it was clear that the Supreme Leader supported the film: 'During the festival stage, there were officials who protested the work... but with our seriousness and negotiations and reflecting the issue to the office of the Supreme Leader... ultimately, the film was screened at the festival.' On January 9, Talebi tweeted that an official from the Ministry of Intelligence 'messaged that we were the ones who did not allow #Gold_Collars to be broadcast; this film is full of false accusations against the unknown soldiers of Imam Zaman (may God hasten his reappearance).' He added that some members of the Ministry of Intelligence 'constantly butter up the seditionists and try to create weaknesses for me.' Nevertheless, Talebi emphasized that he would not give up 'the fight against black stains.' His statements on Twitter have also faced reactions. Some users have supported him, called for 'the fight against hypocrisy,' described him as 'a source of pride,' or stated that they are 'waiting for more valuable works' from him. On the other hand, other users have attacked him. One user wrote, 'In communist countries, there were also government filmmakers like you, but more professional and educated, yet there is no news from those countries or those filmmakers!' Another user wrote, 'If your benefits are cut off for two days, you will become the number one enemy of your master,' and another user commented, 'Well done, how well your collar suits you.'