Reactions to the Release of 'Pink Turban': A Commissioned Documentary to Showcase 'Freedom' in Iran

The documentary 'Pink Turban,' recently released in Iran, has elicited varied reactions from users on social media. Some users, pointing to the presence of women and girls without 'hijab' in this documentary, consider it a commissioned work by the government to showcase the 'existence of freedom' in Iran. This documentary, directed by Hossein Shamghadari, son of Javad Shamghadari, the deputy of the Cinema Organization and advisor to the President during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration, addresses the topic of 'hijab and morality police' and examines the various aspects of 'enjoining good and forbidding wrong in Iran,' especially concerning the youth. In parts of his documentary, Hossein Shamghadari also discusses other issues such as financial corruption, the luxurious lifestyles of Islamic Republic officials, public views on clerics, and discriminatory class struggles in society; topics that have often been highlighted by critics of the Islamic Republic, activists, and civil society organizations, and have frequently faced security and judicial repercussions from the government. The main figure in 'Pink Turban' is a cleric named Hossein Safari, known as the 'Taekwondo Cleric.' He, who has gained fame through his activities on social media, engages in conversations with women and girls, some of whom are without the mandatory hijab required by the Islamic Republic. In these conversations, recorded in various locations across Iran, Safari inquires about these women and girls' opinions on hijab, religion, and enjoining good. Some of these public statements and criticisms of the regime, government officials, and clerics are considered bold, daring, and unprecedented given the current atmosphere in Iran. One interesting aspect is the display of various images of women and girls without mandatory hijab in streets, public places, and the luxurious villas owned by Islamic Republic officials in northern Iran. Despite some domestic figures welcoming the documentary for what they see as establishing a dialogue on such topics, it has faced significant criticism from government media and conservative figures who describe 'hijab' as a fundamental principle of the Islamic Republic. Some of them criticize the film's structure, describing it as a weak work produced with specific support and patronage, suggesting that Shamghadari has approached a controversial topic for commercial motives. On the other hand, some social media users, considering the widespread protests against mandatory hijab in Iran and the focus of opposition figures and groups on this issue, view the production of 'Pink Turban' as a strategy by the government to control this discourse and counter foreign narratives. Another group, pointing to the presence of women and girls without mandatory hijab in this documentary, sees the creation of 'Pink Turban' as propaganda by the government to demonstrate 'the existence of freedom in Iran.' According to them, the production of such a work by independent or so-called 'non-affiliated' artists is not possible in the Islamic Republic. Some others believe that 'Pink Turban' was made to whitewash Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, as in parts of this documentary, he emphasizes the importance of enjoining good and forbidding wrong not just regarding hijab but also in other matters such as financial corruption and economic activities, yet these recommendations are ignored. Others, considering the upcoming elections in Iran, view 'Pink Turban' as the beginning of another project by the regime aimed at presenting a kind, logical, discourse-oriented, and 'good cleric' image to manipulate the public, especially the youth, similar to the reformist era. Hossein Shamghadari began his professional activities in the early 2010s and has a record of producing several documentaries including 'Alberta's Heritage,' 'Born in Jerusalem,' 'Yazdan Has No Gun,' 'A to Z of Paris,' and '33 Years of Silence.'