Ministry of Culture's Efforts to Restrict Dissenting Artists; 'Lawbreakers' Must Return Their Fees

Continuing its efforts to impose greater restrictions and counter the freedoms of artists and filmmakers, a manager from the Ministry of Culture labeled dissenting artists against the Islamic Republic's pressures as 'lawbreakers' and threatened them with the return of their received fees. Rouhollah Sohrabi, director of the Film Distribution and Exhibition Supervision Office at the Ministry of Culture, stated on September 10 to the state news agency IRNA that actors or crew members who 'break the law' before a film is completed must return the fees they received from that project and compensate the producer for damages. He added, 'With this action, no matter how much producers claim they cannot monitor their actors, I personally believe that a specific order can be established for this profession.' This cinema manager also referred to independent actors and filmmakers who do not comply with the regime's demands, saying, 'Of course, there are some actors who may not comply with these commitments, and in the future, they will be forced to cooperate or exit the field.' Over the past year, during the nationwide protests that began after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police, several artists and actors have supported these protests, particularly women artists and filmmakers who published images of themselves without mandatory hijab, which displeased the Islamic Republic's officials. Some of these artists, including Katayoun Riahi, Hengameh Qaziani, Afsaneh Bayegan, and Taraneh Alidoosti, were detained for a time or summoned by government agencies for questioning, and some received controversial judicial sentences. Homayoun Asadian, a cinema and television director, reacted to these actions and the issuance of some sentences on September 27, stating that the judiciary of the Islamic Republic has tarnished its own reputation by issuing punitive sentences against artists. This director, who has been recognized for films and series such as 'Sunshine Man,' 'Street Kids,' and 'Last Game,' told the Etemad newspaper, 'Iranian society is by no means like last year. Filmmakers cannot turn a blind eye to important issues and ignore topics.' The Independent Filmmakers Association of Iran (IFMA) also criticized the increasing pressures on artists and filmmakers at the end of August, stating that the Islamic Republic is attempting to further suppress them by fabricating security cases against filmmakers as the anniversary of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement approaches, 'but we all continue to stand together and fight against tyranny, repression, and silence more powerfully and gloriously than in previous months.'