The Film 'For the Tribe's Daughters' at the Busan Festival; Arsalan Amiri: Censorship is the Silent Killer of Talents in Iranian Cinema

Arsalan Amiri, an Iranian filmmaker, who is presenting the film 'For the Tribe's Daughters' at the Asian Project Market of the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, states: 'Censorship is the silent killer of new talents in Iranian cinema.' Mr. Amiri, who previously won two awards at the Venice Film Festival for his film 'Zalava', is considered one of the emerging filmmakers in Iran. According to 'Variety', 'For the Tribe's Daughters' is one of the selected projects aimed at attracting production investment at the Busan festival market. In the proposed project, Aida Panahandeh and Ruth Yoshi Linton are the producers, who also collaborated with Arsalan Amiri on 'Zalava'. This film is in the screenplay writing stage and is expected to begin production in 2024. 'For the Tribe's Daughters' is inspired by a real historical event that occurred in Iran in 1905. The story is about a group of peasants who rescue two young girls from among dozens of individuals kidnapped by rebels. These girls have information about betrayal and are taken to the ruler to testify, but he does not accept them because, according to tradition, the value of a woman's testimony is half that of a man's. Arsalan Amiri tells Variety: 'Hundreds of years before this event and even decades after it, this situation has been repeated in various parts of the world, where a group of women are oppressed, and most of society, the government, and even some other women remain silent or passive due to fear, interest, or comfort.' He adds: 'Today, as someone who grew up in Middle Eastern culture, I find myself trapped in such a situation. History repeats itself, and every change has a cost. Localizing cinematic genres, while having a tragicomic view of social issues, has always been my preferred approach to filmmaking.' Mr. Amiri states: 'I prefer stories that take place in a historical context because they give a sense of fantasy. They resemble the stories of our grandmothers that evoke a sense of nostalgia but never become outdated. All these thematic and stylistic features have drawn me to this story and this form of dramatic storytelling.' He adds: 'Perhaps I make this film to soothe my conscience about the issues in my society. Maybe by telling a seemingly entertaining story, I can awaken the dormant conscience of others and their sense of social responsibility.' Regarding the state of Iranian cinema, Arsalan Amiri says: 'Today, Iranian cinema is fragmented due to the critical conditions of Iranian society. Iranian society has become polarized due to recent political developments, and Iranian cinema is also facing these political and ideological conflicts.' He adds: 'From a slightly optimistic perspective, this also provides a historical opportunity for Iranian cinema,' and continues: 'Currently, the conditions for filmmakers who want to make films inside the country are very difficult.' This Iranian director points out: 'Censorship laws have become stricter than before, and making quality underground films has also become more challenging. Therefore, independent filmmakers in Iranian cinema must find ways to write stories that face less censorship while maintaining their independent vision and style.' Mr. Amiri states: 'For some genres or topics, there are fewer restrictions, and sometimes it is possible to make good films (with many difficulties). Sometimes, domestic filmmakers manage to create good films despite the harsh economic conditions and censorship, which is truly commendable.' He emphasizes: 'However, censorship is the silent killer of new talents in Iranian cinema,' and adds: 'Many of my filmmaker friends have emigrated from the country in the past two years and are trying to make films beyond Iran's political borders. I hope they succeed.' According to this young filmmaker, 'The cultural borders of Iranian cinema are limitless and provide the opportunity to make more diverse films.' The budget required for the film 'For the Tribe's Daughters' is $1.4 million, of which $100,000 has been raised. This article is based on a report from Variety.