Dual Nationality Filmmakers: A New Challenge for Iranian Cinema

Before the start of the 35th Fajr Film Festival, it was not widely anticipated that the controversies surrounding this cinematic event would focus on dual nationality filmmakers. Nevertheless, to ensure that the 35th Fajr Festival is remembered for its numerous side issues, the residency and nationality of Iranian filmmakers abroad were added to other controversies of this period, such as the high volume of protests and unprecedented tensions during press conferences. Behrouz Afkhami, a well-known filmmaker who has been hosting the television program 'Haft', raised the issue of dual nationality filmmakers, accusing five out of the seven judges of this year's festival of neglecting the film 'Midday Adventures' due to their foreign citizenship, fearing potential reactions from opponents of the Islamic Republic abroad. The film 'Midday Adventures', directed by Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian, presents a documentary-style narrative of the actions of the intelligence and security forces of the Islamic Republic in 1981 to arrest members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, especially its leaders. This film has been nominated for nine awards at the Fajr Film Festival, but critics of this year's judging say that aspects such as cinematography, editing, and makeup have been overlooked. Although Afkhami did not specify the five judges he referred to as residing in Canada and the USA, one can speculate about the names based on the composition of the judges. Mohammad Reza Takhtkeshian and Akbar Nabavi, two judges of this year's festival, have extensive backgrounds in collaboration with the ruling institutions of the Islamic Republic and were likely not the focus of Afkhami's criticism. Other members of the jury include Roya Nonahali, Shahram Asadi, Iraj Raminfar, Mohammad Mehdi Dadgou, and Mohammad Reza Honarmand, among whom several have studied and resided in Canada and the USA. Following the remarks of Behrouz Afkhami and Masoud Farasti, a critic on the 'Haft' program, a wave of reactions emerged in the Iranian media. Some conservative representatives of the parliament, such as Mohammad Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, criticized the presence of dual nationality judges, and Ehsan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, a member of the Cultural Commission, announced that this issue would be examined in his commission. The Fars news agency and Kayhan newspaper also called for officials to address the incident. The presence of dual nationality filmmakers is not a new issue in Iranian cinema. A significant number of them have obtained citizenship or residency in European and American countries due to years of presence and study there. In recent years, many have also managed to obtain green cards or permanent residency in the USA through a special visa category for elites, athletes, or artists. Among these individuals are even filmmakers with backgrounds in ruling institutions such as the Artistic Field of the Islamic Propagation Organization, the Foundation of the Oppressed, and the cultural section of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Although this issue has been raised occasionally in internal cinema discussions, its prominence during the Fajr Festival with such unprecedented dimensions is noteworthy. Mostafa Azizi, a writer and producer in Iranian cinema and television, is one of the Iranian filmmakers residing in Canada. He commented on the impact of this situation on the work and activities of filmmakers, including festival judging: 'The issue of dual nationality is significant and rare in Iran. There are few places in the world where such a high number of elites, industrialists, and artists reside abroad. However, I doubt that a filmmaker's dual nationality would affect their taste and judgment. In previous Fajr festivals, we also had judges who were dual nationals or resided abroad. As far as I know, the number of dual nationals among filmmakers is so high that it is not even possible to distinguish them. However, the point is that many dual nationals do not have artistic and professional activities abroad. Of course, Mr. Afkhami was not in that category; he was active in Toronto and making films. That is why issues arose for him.' Behrouz Afkhami, who criticizes the presence of dual nationality filmmakers among the judges of the Fajr Festival, was a supporter of Mehdi Karroubi, one of the two candidates who protested the 2009 elections, and made his campaign film. In 2005, he also attempted to establish a satellite television station abroad for Karroubi, which he could not do due to security agency restrictions. Afkhami moved to Canada with his wife, Marjan Shir Mohammad, a writer and actress, shortly after the 2009 elections, claiming to have resided there for one year and three months. Among his activities in Canada were holding filmmaking classes and making a film titled 'Black Noise'. He mentioned on the 'Haft' program that supporters of the Workers' Communist Party in Canada attacked his classes. The rising criticism regarding the festival prompted the intervention of Reza Salehi Amiri, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, who announced the formation of a committee to investigate the festival's organization. However, the most intense discussions occurred on the Wednesday night 'Haft' program, where Hojjatollah Ayubi, head of the Cinema Organization, accused the program and Behrouz Afkhami of targeting the entirety of Iranian cinema by raising the issue of dual nationals. The intensity of the debate between the two reached a point where each demanded the resignation of the other from their positions. Mostafa Azizi considers the issue of dual nationals to be a means of influencing the final results of the Fajr Film Festival: 'The matter is simple. Some use pressure tactics to exert influence. This pressure can sometimes be related to hijab, sometimes to security issues. This time, they have highlighted this issue to pressure the jury and direct their opinions.' On Thursday, just hours before the closing ceremony of the Fajr Festival, the judges of this cinematic event issued a statement defending their performance, stating that they judged the films based on their own opinions without interference from the managers. They did not explicitly mention the issue of dual nationality but indirectly stated that 'they do not feel obligated to respond to those who resort to spreading rumors and using vulgar language and slander.' The 35th Fajr Film Festival concluded on Thursday night with the announcement of the winners, but it seems that the repercussions related to the numerous controversies of this period will impact Iranian cinema.