The Slaughterhouse of Iran's Intellectual Class at the Screening of 'Pig'

With the screening of the film 'Pig' in the competition section of the Berlin Film Festival, Iran's cinema presence at the 68th edition of this prestigious event has seriously begun. Before the screening of 'Pig', among the four films representing Iran at this festival, only 'The Attack' by Shahram Mokri had been shown several times in the Panorama section, but the screening of other films began on Wednesday. Mani Haqiqi is participating in the Berlin competition for the second time with 'Pig'. Two years ago, he also presented 'The Dragon Arrives' in the same section, which, despite some positive reactions from critics, did not attract the attention of the jury. His new film has a similar structure to 'The Dragon Arrives', presenting an unconventional narrative of a specific and unbelievable event, this time expressed with elements of humor and jest. Some have even described it as a black comedy. 'Pig' tells the story of a famous Iranian filmmaker, played by Hassan Majooni, who has been banned from working and spends his time making commercials. His life, entangled in chaotic and unconventional relationships with his family, colleagues, and audience, takes a mad turn with the occurrence of mass murders of some of the most famous filmmakers in Iranian cinema. In narrating this story, the film adopts a comic tone and a dizzying pace, clearly transforming into a symbolic display of the disarray in today's Iranian society, especially within the influential intellectual and cultural classes. Like 'The Dragon Arrives', 'Pig' also leaves room for numerous interpretations regarding many contemporary political and social events and figures, which its creators prefer to deny, but the film is built on these events, and one cannot engage with it without considering them. The film's references to today's political and social limitations in Iran and the murders of dissidents remain hidden behind its humorous yet frightening tone concerning the current relationships in today's intellectual and cultural class in Iran, but its most explicit criticism is directed at the sick atmosphere prevailing on social media. Here, the film's main character is willing to sacrifice himself under the pressures arising from social media. What makes 'Pig' more acceptable than 'The Dragon Arrives' is Haqiqi's avoidance of manipulating a historical reality that could allow the audience to engage with the film's absurd/reality-show tone without getting caught up in a mental dispute over aligning a real event with the ongoing events in the film. For 'Pig', there is also a path for problematic interpretations that could potentially lead to serious real and virtual reactions to it. It remains to be seen how government oversight bodies will respond to it. From a technical perspective, the level of direction and execution of the film is highly acceptable in all areas, especially in set design and cinematography, but the surprise lies in Hassan Majooni's performance and encountering a different Leila Hatami. Additionally, there are several highly watchable sequences, including a bold opening credits and the performance of an imaginary concert. If one can consider the trend of serious cinema in recent years in Iran as a ruthless and comprehensive critique of today's middle class in Iran, 'Pig' should be regarded as the latest representative in this path; a representative that even states that the current conditions of this class and the type of governance's response to it are significantly the product of the behavior of this class itself. Among other Iranian films present in Berlin, the film 'Darsaj' will also begin its screening on Wednesday. This film, which is the first feature by its creator Pouya Badkoubeh, is shown in the 'Generation' section, which displays films related to teenagers and young adults, and it has been said that 'Darsaj' also offers a fresh perspective on the issues facing teenagers in urban Iranian societies. The winners of the 68th Berlin Film Festival will be announced on Saturday night by a jury headed by Tom Tykwer, a well-known German filmmaker and creator of the acclaimed film 'Run Lola Run'. Babak Ghafouri Azar is a producer at Radio Farda and follows developments in the cinema and theater sector. He has been with Radio Farda since 2010 and has published various investigative reports on events in the first decade of the establishment of the Islamic Republic. Babak Ghafouri Azar began journalism in Iran in 2001.