Head of Cinematic Organization: A Group Wanted to Distract Us from the Beginning

The head of Iran's Cinematic Organization warned on Wednesday that "if issues arise that harm cinema, we will certainly not remain silent" and accused unnamed individuals of wanting to "distract us from the beginning." Hojjatollah Ayubi, the head of the Cinematic Organization of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, spoke in detail with the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) about some controversies and events that have occurred in the cinema sector in recent years. In response to the question of how much these controversies have affected the ideal implementation of his programs, he said: "From the first day I came to the organization, there has been controversy and crisis in cinema. You hear a news item and follow it in the press, but for us, it is not just news. All these controversies take our time and energy." Ayubi pointed out that the prevention of the screening of some films in recent years has consumed a lot of time and energy, mentioning the recent incident with the film 'Resurrection.' He stated, "Unfortunately, a group has wanted to distract us from the beginning, and from this perspective, the controversies have been very impactful as they take away a significant part of our time, energy, and focus." Regarding support for filmmakers whose works face screening problems, he said: "If a film encounters screening issues for any reason, we will buy it to return the financial investment of its creators, and alongside that, we will help the filmmaker to make their next film more easily." Ayubi, who had previously announced that he would no longer remain silent this year and would speak about cinema problems whenever necessary, added about his continued silence: "Our entire goal is to help cinema, and wherever it has been necessary to be patient and silent, we have done so, and wherever it has been necessary to speak, we have spoken, and we continue to be patient, but if issues arise that harm our cinema, we will certainly not remain silent." The head of the Cinematic Organization also addressed the controversies surrounding the film 'Resurrection' and the opposition from some regarding its screening, saying: "Fortunately, we have a good relationship with the Qom Seminary. For instance, regarding the film 'Resurrection,' some friends from the Qom and Mashhad seminaries were satisfied, but others had issues with this film." However, regarding the screening of the film 'Resurrection,' the spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture announced on August 5 that "we intended to screen this film after making corrections so that it would soon be on cinema screens, but due to some concerns raised by several religious authorities and scholars, the film 'Resurrection' will remain suspended until its issues are resolved." Hossein Nooshabadi, the spokesperson for the Ministry, said about the nature of the corrections to the film 'Resurrection': "We are trying to resolve the issue with a light effect in cooperation with the director and producer. In any case, this film will be screened and will go to cinema screens. However, I hope the respected director and producer will also cooperate with us to resolve the issue more quickly." Immediately following these remarks, the public relations of the film 'Resurrection' reacted to the spokesperson's comments, stating: "Since the public screening of the film 'Resurrection' was suspended on July 15, despite holding multiple meetings and follow-ups, no official document regarding the conditions for suspension and the right to screen this film has been issued by any competent legal authority." The letter continued, quoting the film's public relations: "The statements of the spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture, which have been mistakenly interpreted by some media as indicating changes to the film 'Resurrection,' should be considered as speculation, and we hope he will exercise greater care in informing about cultural events in the country." The film 'Resurrection,' directed by Ahmadreza Darvish and based on the uprising of Karbala, was supposed to be screened starting Thursday, July 15, but was pulled from the screen after only a few showings. After the film 'Resurrection' was screened at the festival in 2013 and faced criticism from some religious groups, it was cut down by about 50 minutes for public screening, bringing its runtime to 130 minutes. The main issue for the opponents of 'Resurrection' relates to the depiction of Abbas ibn Ali, the brother of the third Shia Imam, during the events of Karbala. Although it was supposed to be determined in the meeting on Tuesday, August 5, regarding the screening of the film 'Resurrection,' another film was substituted for its screening, delaying the showing of Ahmadreza Darvish's film for an indefinite period.