Suspicious Funds in Iranian Cinema

Last week, the Iranian Directors Guild issued a statement warning about the influx of what it called suspicious investments into cinema, stating that these funds jeopardize the existence of Iranian cinema by altering production relationships. This is the first time one of the most controversial issues in recent years of Iranian cinema has been collectively raised by a group of Iranian filmmakers. The statement noted that those in the Iranian cinema community are observing the entry of large sums of money from unspecified and sometimes dubious sources into the Iranian cinema economy. Although this statement represents the clearest stance of one of the most important professional organizations in Iranian cinema regarding an issue that has changed the production and distribution of films in recent years, it still does not specifically mention the owners of these suspicious funds or their recipients. In media and cultural circles, suspicious funds are referred to as resources derived from unspecified economic activities outside the realm of culture and art, often utilized by individuals typically inexperienced in this field for producing films, theater, and artistic works. Various opinions exist regarding the nature of the sources of these so-called suspicious funds. Some consider these funds to be the product of illegal activities in Iran's shadow economy, while others view them as a directed factor for influencing the content of the overall production of artistic works in Iran. The issue of suspicious funds in cinema was first raised with the activities of Babak Zanjani, an Iranian investor in filmmaking. Mr. Zanjani, whose sources of capital remain ambiguous, initially entered cinema by investing in the production of the film 'Nowhere, Nobody' directed by Ebrahim Sheibani and later expanded his activities by financing the film 'Thirteen' directed by Hooman Sidi. He took initial steps to become a production hub in cinema by establishing the 'Sourint Film' office and acquiring filmmaking equipment such as cameras and editing tools, but was arrested while producing the film 'Negar's Role' directed by Ali Atashani, and his office ceased operations despite some efforts. Following Babak Zanjani, the production of the series 'Shahrzad' with significant costs and unprecedented salary payments brought the issue of suspicious funds to a new level. Mohammad Emami and Mohammad Hadi Razavi, as investors in this series, became frequently mentioned names in Iranian cultural and media circles. Mr. Razavi, who is the son-in-law of Mohammad Shariatmadari, the Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade of Iran, did not participate in the production of subsequent seasons of 'Shahrzad', but Mohammad Emami continued to produce this series despite all the suspicions raised about his sources and became a notable name among filmmakers by purchasing the Pasargad Image Expansion Institute. Mr. Emami's name has been mentioned as one of the accused in the embezzlement case from the Cultural Fund of Teachers, and news of his arrest and travel ban has been reported, yet all these events occurred without clear explanations and did not halt his activities in cinema and related products for the home viewing network. He financed films such as 'A Few Cubic Meters of Love' directed by Saeed Roustayi, 'Good, Bad, Jolf' directed by Peyman Ghasemkhani, and the banned film 'Couch' by Kianoush Aiyari, and in 2017 also produced two controversial films 'Pig' directed by Mani Haghighi and 'Seizure' directed by Mehran Ahmadi, which sparked various discussions about the extent of his activities in cinema. Various speculations have been raised about the reasons for the entry of such funds into cinema. Some speak of attempts to launder these resources by their owners, while others attribute the presence of these fund holders in artistic circles and their mingling with well-known figures or those recognized as celebrities as the main reason for their entry. However, some defend the presence of new investments in cinema, arguing that the total economic turnover of cinema and the home viewing network in Iran does not reach one trillion tomans annually, and this figure is not attractive for potential abuses compared to the financial turnover of other sectors. The Iranian Directors Guild has identified home viewing network products as one of the destinations for attracting suspicious investments. In recent years, various series have been produced, often featuring a considerable number of well-known actors in this field. The success of the series 'Shahrzad' has further fueled this issue. However, the Directors Guild states that the direct and destructive result of the presence of these unlimited financial resources has led to the illogical and uncontrolled increase of budgets for film productions, especially for the budgets of narrative series within home viewing networks. The issue of suspicious funds also involves the names of the children of political figures, referred to as 'Aghazadeh' in media circles. Ehsan Rasoulif, son of Jalal Rasoulif, a manager of private banks, Hamid Reza Aref, son of Mohammad Reza Aref, head of the minority faction in parliament, Ali Hazrati, son of Elyas Hazrati, a prominent member of parliament, and Abbas Naderan, son of Elyas Naderan, a former member of parliament, are among those who have recently provided funding for film productions that have been partially evaluated as suspicious funds. It has been said that part of the capital these individuals have brought to cinema is derived from their connections and income from relational sectors due to the influence of their fathers' names. In some cases, these individuals have also managed to obtain resources in the form of loans and assistance for filmmaking from governmental institutions using their influence. Critics of the entry of suspicious investments into cinema argue that the injection of these resources has led to a significant increase in production costs, primarily in actors' salaries, a point explicitly mentioned in the Directors Guild's statement. Recently, the production of a film titled 'We Are All Together' directed by Kamal Tabrizi and produced by Reza Mirkarimi has generated significant news. This film, featuring a large number of Iranian cinema actors such as Mohammad Reza Golzar, Mehran Modiri, Leila Hatami, Javad Ezati, and Hanieh Tavassoli, has been cited as a recent example of attracting suspicious funds due to record-breaking salary payments. Several Iranian directors, speaking on condition of anonymity, have stated that a young man named Sajjad Alijani, who was previously active in the buying and selling of Bitcoin in Iran, is the investor of this film, and unprecedented amounts have been paid as salaries to the crew during its production. It has been reported that other films with significant budgets are also being produced from this new investor's resources. As the dimensions of the injection of suspicious funds into Iranian cinema expand, some speak of the biased nature of the themes of several films produced with these funds. This issue is particularly reinforced by tracking the themes of several recent films produced by Mohammad Emami, such as 'Pig' and 'Seizure'. Both of these films have specific critical themes, one concerning the intellectual class and the other regarding political opponents of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It has also been mentioned that the new film by Narges Abyar, the creator of films like 'Breath' and 'Shiar 143', titled 'The Night the Moon Was Full', is being produced with the investment of Mohammad Emami, narrating the life and arrest of Abdolmalek Rigi, a killed opponent of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The publication of the Directors Guild's statement has faced various reactions, including support from some well-known directors and producers, and opposition from another group of them. These reactions will likely lead to further discussions on this topic in the future.