Shamghadari Responds to Minister of Culture: 'You Are Concealing the Truths'

Following the criticism from the Minister of Culture of Hassan Rouhani's government regarding problematic films that received production permits during the previous administration, Javad Shamghadari, head of the Cinema Organization under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, stated that the new managers are concealing the truths through deflection. Shamghadari's criticism of Ali Jannati stems from the remarks made by the Minister of Culture of the eleventh government on Thursday, November 29, during a meeting with a cleric in Qom regarding banned films. According to Fars News Agency, Ali Jannati, in his meeting with Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, pointed out that there has been more specialized and precise oversight in cinema since last year, stating: 'We are caught in films that received production permits in the previous government and have created problems that need corrections for screening.' Jannati referred to eight films for which the Cultural Commission of the Iranian Parliament had sent a letter to the Ministry of Culture requesting a halt to their screening. These works, according to Hossein Noosh Abadi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture, included: 'I Am Not Angry' directed by Reza Dormishian (produced in 2012), 'Tales' directed by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami (produced in 2011), 'House of Father' by Kianoush Ayyari (produced in 2010), 'Lovely Trash' directed by Mohsen Amir Yousefi (produced in 2012), 'Report of a Celebration' directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia (produced in 2010), 'Calm Streets' directed by Kamal Tabrizi (produced in 2010), 'A Hundred Years to This Year' directed by Saman Moghadam (produced in 2007), and 'Reward' directed by Kamal Tabrizi (produced in 2007). After Jannati's remarks on Thursday, Shamghadari, the former head of the Cinema Organization who has been accused by the current Minister of Culture of granting permits to problematic films, responded in an interview with Fars News Agency and criticized the issuance of screening permits for problematic works. Shamghadari questioned the management that grants screening permits to the two films 'Tales' and 'I Am Not Angry', enthusiastically taking them to the Fajr Film Festival and even placing them in the main competition section. According to Shamghadari, the current managers made a 'mistake' at last year's festival by granting permits to the mentioned films and even nominating them for awards. The former head of the Cinema Organization further stated in his interview with Fars News Agency: 'When the current managers felt they might face objections, unfortunately, we see a dual behavior from them; while they try to screen the two films, when they saw the criticisms, they retreated.' Shamghadari continued his remarks by referring to the two films that received permits during his management, 'Tales' and 'I Am Not Angry', stating: 'Even if we accept that these two films received production permits during our time, it is the screening permit that makes the final decision because many events can occur from the time of making a film to its screening.' According to the head of the Cinema Organization in the tenth government, the screenplay of 'I Am Not Angry' has completely changed, 'because the filmmaker assumed that conditions had changed and could incorporate their political approaches under the guise of their film.' The director of the film 'Sandstorm' concluded his interview by stating: 'It is questionable how the new managers eagerly grant a screening permit to a film like 'I Am Not Angry', which has changed its screenplay, and then conceal the truths.' The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran stated last week in his latest remarks regarding banned films that the film 'Tales' has no issues for screening, and 'I Am Not Angry' may be screened if necessary corrections are made. These two films were screened at last year's Fajr Festival and were nominated for several awards. However, despite having received their screening permits from the Ministry of Culture, they face difficulties for public screening and have not yet been able to be shown on screen.