Ministry of Culture Retreats in Face of Opponents

Predictions about the possibility of the Ministry of Culture retreating in the face of opponents to the screening of the film "I Am Not Angry" came true this week as the Cinema Organization issued an order to the Screening Guild to replace the film with another one. Thus, a film that has faced various controversies since its screening at the Fajr Film Festival will not be publicly shown in Iran for an indefinite period. The withdrawal of "I Am Not Angry" from the cinema screening cycle occurs at a time when the Cinema Organization had previously issued a screening permit for the film after making changes to it, and the Screening Guild had placed it in the queue for cinema screenings. However, opposition from two cultural commissions and Article 90 of the Parliament, as well as media outlets such as the Fars and Tasnim news agencies, led the Minister of Culture to state that "I Am Not Angry" needs further modifications and will not be screened for now. For the first time, officials of the cultural administration under Hassan Rouhani's government are forced to retract their own issued permits; an occurrence that had previously happened in past administrations and had led to much criticism. Mohammad Ali Sajadi, a writer and director known for films like "Ethereal" and "Infatuated," considers these events a sign of the cultural managers' excessive insistence on appeasing a powerful minority: "Cinema, like all other social fields, is not in good economic conditions, and pressures exist from all sides. But unfortunately, in these circumstances, injustice still prevails, and I think the Cinema Department, despite its good intentions and compassionate view towards cinema, is unfortunately more concerned about those who, in my opinion, are a minority that holds the reins of power for various reasons. In this ping-pong game, they are more worried about those who complain and have undermined the foundation of cinema. Friends who are mostly unemployed, underemployed, and homebound, and who have not worked during the last four or five years, are still waiting. [The Cinema Department] is more concerned about responding, and unfortunately, this is a mise-en-scène that we have always witnessed over the past thirty years and still exists. There are a group of people who, in order not to give each other any leverage, are taking and giving resources from each other, and cinema is not important at all." In response to these events, Reza Darvishian, the director of "I Am Not Angry," stated that the film's non-screening is the result of "the struggles of policymakers and politicians," and he mentioned that he has made every effort to cooperate with the legal cinema authorities, but according to him, silence, tolerance, and diplomacy have not proven beneficial. He stated that he made the film for screening in Iranian cinemas and will continue to wait for its public screening. Simultaneously with these events, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture recently stated that films opposed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly have either been removed from the screening order or there has never been a plan for their screening. Hossein Nooshabadi announced the names of these films as "Reward," "Calm Streets," "Father's House," "Report of a Celebration," "Lovely Trash," "Tales," "A Hundred Years to This Year," and "I Am Not Angry," stating that the Ministry of Culture has no commitment to the screenplay permits issued in the previous period. These statements somewhat confirm previous speculations about the non-screening of all sensitive films in the coming months; especially since Ahmad Salek, the head of the Cultural Commission of the Parliament, stated that this commission will continue its oversight over film screenings. Mohammad Ali Sajadi says that if the Ministry of Culture does not show decisiveness in the face of these requests, such a trend will continue: "Without believing in tension and drawing swords, I think the government's decisiveness in the principles it wants is essential for advancing these conditions. Unfortunately, in this country, there are people who allow themselves to think they are the all-knowing and must decide for others. After all, when a permit is issued under the same cumbersome regulations that exist in the Ministry, but it still seems that some are only looking for excuses to justify other problems elsewhere, cinema unfortunately becomes a plaything of politics and is wasted. Other friends are the same. I think as long as the Cinema Department continues to act conservatively and distinguishes between insiders and outsiders, and does not abandon this ping-pong game, this situation will continue." With the removal of "I Am Not Angry," the film "Mastaneh" by Hossein Farahbakhsh is set to be screened in its place starting next week. Additionally, according to the Screening Guild, two films, "We Have a Guest" by Mohammad Mehdi Asgarpour and "Shiar 143" directed by Narges Abyar, will replace the films "Mrs." and "Thick Makeup." Among other developments this week was the awarding of the Knight of Arts and Letters of France to Dariush Mehrjui, the renowned Iranian filmmaker, during a ceremony presented by the French ambassador in Tehran. The world of cinema; the release of the latest film by Christopher Nolan. In the week that Christopher Nolan's latest film, acclaimed as one of the most ambitious films of recent years in Hollywood, was released, the animated film "Big Hero 6" topped the box office. This latest product from Disney, which is considered the latest work from the creators of successful animations like "Frozen" and "Wreck-It Ralph," managed to top the charts with $56.2 million in its opening week. The film is based on characters from Japanese comic stories and tells the story of a robot accompanying a group of teenagers who intend to confront a devastating invader. "Interstellar," Nolan's new film, which is considered his latest work after the "Dark Knight" trilogy, despite widespread media coverage, ranked second with approximately $50 million in sales. Matthew McConaughey plays an astronaut in this film who, along with a group, must embark on an unprecedented mission, which is a kind of time travel with an uncertain outcome. Initial reactions to this film have been widespread and varied, but it has been mentioned as one of the most controversial films of 2014. "Gone Girl," David Fincher's successful film, continues its success with a weekend gross of about $6.2 million, bringing its total to $145 million. This revenue is beyond all initial predictions and effectively elevates David Fincher's status as a filmmaker of interest to a large audience. After the films "The Judge" and "Fury," which ranked fourth and fifth, the comedy "St. Vincent" ranked sixth with a slight margin. This comedy, starring Bill Murray, tells the story of a grumpy retired military man who lives next to a young boy. Theater; the start of new performances. Various theaters in Tehran, after the mourning days, are hosting new performances. At the Vahdat Hall, the play "A Man for All Seasons" directed by Bahman Farmanara has begun its performance, which has received various media responses. Hussein Pakdel, a well-known figure in theater, has also staged a play titled "Report to the Academy" based on a work by Franz Kafka at the Maktab Theater. A new performance of Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" has also been staged by Ayoub Aghakhani at the main hall of the City Theater complex. In the IranShahr Theater halls, the plays "Stain," "Water, Mirror and the Effect of Pygmalion," "Soft Snow Sound," and "Balcony" have also been performed. Babak Ghafouri Azar is the producer of "Scene" at Radio Farda and follows developments in the cinema and theater sectors. He has published various investigative reports about events in the first decade of the establishment of the Islamic Republic since 2010. Babak Ghafouri Azar began journalism in Iran in 2001.