Iranian Cinema in 2017; Disappointment in the 'Government of Hope'

Although it seemed that the newly invigorated government of Hassan Rouhani in its second term, which also saw a supportive parliament, could create a more open environment for Iranian cinema in 2017, this did not happen in practice. Cinema and art were not very prominent even in the electoral slogans of Rouhani's first term in 2013, let alone in the second term where everything was overshadowed by 'JCPOA' and the economy. While Rouhani did mention the need to reopen the House of Cinema in 2013, cinema had no place in the electoral discourse of the twelfth government, with only general slogans about art and artists being presented. The cultural and artistic figures of Rouhani's JCPOA-affected government, despite expectations of a more lenient approach in the second term due to a more aligned parliament, reverted to previous patterns. The most significant challenges for Iranian cinema in the past year included invalid screening permits and the failure of Iranian cinema managers to uphold the licenses they had issued. Although cinema sales were higher than before, audience engagement saw a decline. The seven highest-grossing films of 2017 were all comedies aimed at making the audience laugh, reflecting the Iranian society's need for humor, which led to a record sales of over 20 billion tomans. 'Whale Amber 2' and 'Mirror Side' achieved 20 billion tomans in sales, while 'Guidance Patrol 2' approached this figure. Interestingly, two of these three films are sequels to their first parts, a trend seen in previous successful films like 'Red Riding Hood' and 'The Exiles'. A noteworthy observation regarding some comedies of 2017 is that sexual and even vulgar jokes are no longer a red line for cinema managers. In this period, addressing serious societal issues critically incurs a higher cost for filmmakers than creating films like 'Khalatour', which aims to be a modern remake of 'Ganji Qaroon'; a hodgepodge designed to sell. From sounds of stomach growling to picking one's nose and spinning it for laughs, such a film can gross over six billion tomans. Invalid permits and timid managers. In June of the previous year, the Minister of Culture sent a letter to the head of the Cinema Organization, setting a two-month deadline to clarify the status of films that had been banned during the Ahmadinejad and Rouhani administrations. After this deadline, the deputy for supervision and evaluation of the Cinema Organization announced five films from the numerous banned films that were cleared for screening. These included: 'I Am Not Angry', 'Lovely Trash', 'Paradise', 'Father's House', and 'Daughter's House'. These films were supposed to be gradually released by the end of 2017; films that had previously received screening permits multiple times, with 'Father's House' by Kianoush Aiyari even having a brief screening in 2016. However, the most peculiar case among them was 'I Am Not Angry' by Reza Darmishian; a film that has received screening permits five times and has repeatedly been prevented from being shown despite censorship and declarations from cinema managers that there were no issues with its screening. This time, as in the past, the words of cinema managers proved to be empty promises, and out of these five films, only 'Daughter's House' was able to be screened, while the others, despite having permits, were still barred from being shown in cinemas. Reza Darmishian, who had remained silent about the events surrounding his film for several years, published a letter after the latest attempt to prevent its screening in January. The letter, on the letterhead of the House of Cinema, was signed by three cinema managers: Ebrahim Daroughzadeh (Deputy for Supervision and Evaluation of the Cinema Organization), Manouchehr Shahsavari (CEO of the House of Cinema), and Alireza Rezadad (one of the managers and advisors of the Cinema Organization). The letter stated that the definitive screening date for 'I Am Not Angry' was set for February 14, 2018, and this date was non-negotiable, with the Cinema Organization taking responsibility for its screening; a date that, in reality, was not definitive and a responsibility that was not upheld. In the first four years of Hassan Rouhani's government, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, particularly the Cultural Commission, created numerous problems for the screening of several films, with opposing representatives threatening to impeach the minister to advance their goals. However, in Rouhani's second term, which has a relatively aligned parliament, conservative cinema managers, fearing for their positions, have adopted a highly conservative approach; on one hand, imposing strict regulations on issuing production and screening permits, and on the other, failing to uphold the screening permits they themselves signed and issued. In 2017, a few films that had been banned for a while also had the opportunity to be screened. 'Zadboom' by Abolhassan Davoodi, which was shown at the 2008 festival and even won the National Look Crystal Simorgh, was released after nine years of being banned for unknown reasons, without any censorship. 'Parinaz' by Bahram Bahramian was screened with significant censorship in the art and experience category, and the film 'Three Strangers' by Mehdi Mazlumi, whose director had joined the GEM network, was shown with his name removed. 'Block 9 Exit 2' by Alireza Amini, which had been prevented from screening for unspecified reasons, quietly went on screen during the dead days at the end of the year. The Fajr Festival; the peak of the organization. Perhaps the most notable feature of the 36th Fajr Festival was the reluctance of a significant number of filmmakers to showcase their films at the festival. The films presented at the festival are usually scrutinized more than other films released throughout the year. Extensive screenings for parliament representatives and government officials at various levels during the festival lead to recommendations and even directives being given to cinema managers regarding certain works. Therefore, it is natural that some filmmakers choose to forgo participating in the festival, overlooking the advantages of attendance to ensure their work is released with less controversy. Last year, filmmakers such as Abolhassan Davoodi, Bahman Farmanara, Rasoul Sadr Ameli, Mani Haqiqi, Mona Zandi, and Tina Pakrovan preferred to prepare their films for public screening without participating in the festival. Another point about the 36th festival was the heavy shadow and presence of military and security institutions like the Owj Organization (a cultural institution of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), which ultimately awarded important prizes to productions from this organization. Films like 'Abu Quraib Pass' by Bahram Tavakoli and 'Time for Dinner' by Ebrahim Hatamikia collectively won eight Crystal Simorghs, including Best Film and Best Director, ensuring that the most significant awards of Iran's main film festival went to films with themes approved and favored by the regime. In this festival, Ebrahim Hatamikia, a consistently praised filmmaker, once again took the stage at the closing ceremony, holding his Simorgh and expressing his affiliation with the regime, lamenting the 'indifference' towards him in a tone that comes off as demanding; a filmmaker whose last four films have received 15 awards from this very festival.