Separating Cinema from Politics

The year 2015 can generally be considered a relatively calm year for Iranian cinema. The process of film production and screening in this year was less troubled and controversial, and in this regard, the cinema managers under President Hassan Rouhani attempted to prevent the production of sensitive films by exercising more control and management over proposed screenplays. Following such a policy, it was natural that several films that had not been allowed to screen in previous years also could not be shown in 2015. The ambiguous status of unreleased films from previous years includes 'Angry' by Reza Dormishian, 'Lovely Trash' by Mohsen Amir-Yousefi, and 'Father's House,' the last film by Kianoush Aiyari, which remain uncertain regarding their public screening. Among these films, two—'Tales' by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami and 'Do Not Take Rewards from the President' by Kamal Tabrizi—were screened in 2015, with 'Tales' being more newsworthy. Nevertheless, cinema managers managed to keep this critical film on the cinema screens without facing severe protests. Ahmad Talebi-Nejad, a well-known critic and writer residing in Tehran, states that the overall policies of cinema managers in 2015 led to cinema being more distanced from politics compared to previous years: 'Iranian cinema in the second half of the past year was greatly influenced by the political atmosphere of the country. After all, we were approaching elections. However, one of the good features of this period of cinema managers was that they did not engage cinema people too much in political issues. Of course, those who were interested issued individual and group statements, but this did not cause the overall cinema atmosphere to be heavily influenced by political issues.' The most significant controversy of 2015 was the suspension of the screening of the film 'Resurrection' just hours after its release in cinemas. The screening of this film, which has a theme about the events of Ashura, was halted by the order of the head of the cinema organization due to gatherings that formed in front of some of the cinemas showing it. Opponents objected to the portrayal of certain sacred figures, such as Abbas, the son of the first Imam of Shia Muslims, in this film. The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance's retreat from the issued permit for the screening of 'Resurrection' was a topic of various discussions in 2015. Ahmad Talebi-Nejad comments on the events related to 'Resurrection,' stating that this film became a victim of group and factional disputes: 'Unfortunately, in our country, in the cultural sphere, it is not only the Ministry of Culture that is the final decision-maker. In fact, it can be said that several relevant and irrelevant institutions also intervene. From the Cultural Commission of the Parliament to religious seminaries and many other places, they also interfere and have an impact. However, regarding the film 'Resurrection,' the subject of the film, as Mr. Beheshti, the former CEO of the Farabi Foundation, said, is among the heated circles. In these heated circles, issues arise where the decision-maker is not only the Ministry of Culture. In a way, factional and group discussions related to religious and political issues are mixed with cinema issues, and for this reason, we see that there is no serious will for this film to be screened.' 'Daughter's House,' directed by Shahram Shah-Hosseini, was a film that Ali Jannati, the Minister of Culture, officially spoke about its suspension. This film, which was screened at the Fajr Festival in 2014, was expected to be among the films released in 2015. The main theme of this film is about virginity and the strictness of some traditional families regarding it. The reaction of some media close to conservatives to the theme and treatment of this film led to the Ministry of Culture still refusing to screen it despite changes made to it. Another significant event in 2015 was the continuation and expansion of the activities of the group known as 'Art and Experience,' dedicated to screening different and unconventional films. This group was established in 2014, but in 2015, its activities increased, screening over 30 feature films and 10 documentaries. Ahmad Talebi-Nejad considers the continuation of this group's activities to be the most important cinematic event of 2015: 'I think the most important event in the history of Iranian cinema is the establishment of the Art and Experience group. Interestingly, some members of the Iranian cinema community who have significant financial interests do not agree with this group. However, if we consider it as an artistic event in Iranian cinema, with the reception that the younger generation has given to the films of this group, we see that something strange has happened. Many films that had been in limbo for years, not due to censorship but because no cinema owner was willing to screen them, have now found an opportunity to be shown. Films like 'You Still Have Apples' or 'Dancing Soil' and many others from the early revolutionary decades that were seen at that time and then could not be screened, such as 'Water, Wind, Soil,' 'Bashu,' and many other films that were screened in this group and received a strong reception. By any measure, we see that a very valuable event has occurred. Now this group has become a point of hope for all the young filmmakers who are making unconventional films. They know there is a place to show their films. Additionally, a significant number of documentaries have also been screened in this group and have been well received. In terms of quality and level of treatment, a few films stood out more than others in 2015. 'What Time Is It in Your World?' by Safi Yazdaniyan, 'Crazy Face' directed by Abolhassan Davoodi, and 'Wednesday, May 9' directed by Vahid Jalilvand were among the noteworthy and acclaimed films of the past year. Ahmad Talebi-Nejad provides a general overview of the quality level of Iranian cinema products in 2015: 'Overall, several good films were screened. The phenomenon observed in the films screened this year and also in the Fajr Film Festival films was the influence of the style and approach of Asghar Farhadi, which is strongly dominating our social cinema. Both in screenplays and in execution. The reality is that this issue is so prominent that I think later we can refer to an era called the Asghar Farhadi era. This reminds me exactly of the Kiarostami era in the 1990s. Now, the heavy shadow of Asghar Farhadi is over Iranian cinema, leading films in a direction where, in a way, everyone is becoming similar. Whether this is good or bad, I do not judge. I just want to say that for now, the atmosphere is like this.' On the international stage, Iranian cinema in 2015 did not achieve any significant awards; however, it had representatives in various sections of three prestigious festivals: Cannes, Venice, and Berlin, managing to keep its name relevant on the global stage. The films 'Nahid,' 'Wednesday, May 9,' 'Lantouri,' 'Valderama,' 'The Dragon Enters,' and the documentary 'Morning Dreams' were the most important representatives of Iranian cinema internationally in 2015.