Bahman Farmanara: I Will No Longer Make Films

Bahman Farmanara: I Will No Longer Make Films - April 27, 2004. Apparently, Bahman Farmanara's conflicts with the officials of the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance are far from over. This prominent Iranian filmmaker has announced in a letter that due to the inappropriate treatment of the ministry officials regarding his latest screenplay, he will no longer make films in Iran. Farmanara begins this letter by stating: "Dear friends and viewers, I write this short note in appreciation of all your encouragements and support, and I believe I owe you an explanation. A few months ago, I submitted the screenplay of my new film 'A Little Kiss' to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance through a reputable producer (Alireza Shoja Nouri) for a production license. Last week, I received a message stating that the ideological camps of this screenplay do not have the necessary legitimacy, and therefore, the screenplay will not receive a production license. Just looking at the screenplays that have received production licenses in the past few months shows the ideological camp dominating the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance today." Bahman Farmanara, born in 1942 in Isfahan and a cinema graduate from California University, had previously criticized the ministry officials' performance regarding his earlier film 'A House on Water' in a strongly worded letter titled 'I Confess to Committing Three Crimes.' At that time, the ministry had forced him to censor parts of his film, yet still did not grant it a screening license. The removal of certain verses from the Quran that criticize tyrannical rulers was one of the ministry's demands! In that letter, Farmanara mentioned this demand and his acceptance of it, stating: "I admit that due to the petty motivation of recovering my investment, I have submitted to seven amendments, including the removal of four verses from Surah Al-Baqarah of the Holy Quran..." The director of the timeless work 'Shazdeh Ehtejab' (written by Houshang Golshiri) now also points to the same treatment received with his previous work, noting: "The same group that took the axe to the film 'A House on Water' could only chop off its branches because it was a robust tree; this time, they have decided to strike at the roots, and they have succeeded. In any case, I hereby announce that as long as the fate of an artist's work can be determined behind closed doors and not in front of the public, I will no longer make films in Iran." He concludes by saying: "I want to thank Mr. Seyfollah Dad, who allowed me to make two films, 'The Scent of Camphor, the Fragrance of Jasmine' and 'A House on Water' during his management, because before these two films, the younger generation thought I was dead; at least now they know I am buried alive." Farmanara also discussed the subject of his screenplay with an ISNA reporter, stating: "Considering that the two main characters of this film are two Iranian writers over 70 years old (fictional characters) who talk about Iran's glorious history, I do not understand what is meant by saying that the ideological camps of this screenplay do not have the necessary legitimacy." He also clarified regarding the title of his screenplay 'A Little Kiss': "This name relates to the idea that if your conscience is at ease, death is like a little kiss on the cheek."