War Cinema in Iran; The Most Popular Genre After the Revolution

Despite several decades having passed since World War II, the production of films on this topic continues to thrive in countries that have been involved in some way. Hollywood still produces blockbuster films related to World War II, and in some European countries that were drawn into the war, films are produced that even win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film every few years. In Iranian cinema, it was a year or two after the start of the Iran-Iraq War that this genre found its place among other cinematic forms. The mid-1980s to the mid-1990s marked the peak of war film production in Iran. These works (except for those purely commercial action films) received comprehensive support from the government both during production and release. As a result, over more than a decade, numerous filmmakers began their careers by making war films, but after entering professional cinema, they shifted their focus to other forms of filmmaking. This shift also applies to prominent filmmakers of the Sacred Defense cinema. Almost none of the established directors in the war cinema are interested in making films in this domain anymore and prefer to continue their professional activities with other subjects. Consequently, the war films produced in recent years, regardless of quantity, are qualitatively at a lower level compared to earlier years. Signs of a foreign enemy were first seen in the controversial work of Iraj Ghaderi, 'Barzakhis.' In this film, completed just before the war began, a foreign enemy referred to as 'the alien' attacks Iran's borders, and the film's heroes stand against them. 'Marz' is the first film related to the Iran-Iraq War, showing the Iraqi aggressor, directed by Jamshid Heydari and written by Siros Alvand. Jamshid Heydari's film bore no resemblance to the films later referred to as Sacred Defense works; it was an action film about the resistance of villagers against the enemy. For the first few years of the war, most Iranian war films were action-oriented and lacked the spiritual symbols of the fronts (which would later be abundant in films known as Sacred Defense). In these works, which continued to be produced even until the mid-1990s, instead of soldiers and Basijis, groups of commandos faced the Iraqi enemy and emerged victorious after numerous action sequences. Such works attracted many audiences to cinemas in the 1980s, and still, the most popular films in the history of Iranian cinema belong to this trend. 'Aghab-ha' by Samuel Khachikian and 'Kani Manga' directed by Seyfollah Dad, with ticket prices considered, have had 8.5 and 6 million viewers respectively, making them the most popular films in Iranian cinema history, far surpassing recent blockbusters like 'Shahr-e Mooshha' or 'Ekhraghi-ha.' However, with the decline of action film production in the mid-1990s, other directors did not pursue making action war films. Perhaps 'Duel' (by Ahmadreza Darvish) is the last example of such works, which was a blend of action and heroism. It took several years for a more spiritual model of the fronts, showcasing the presence of fighters and Basijis, to enter Iranian cinema. This type of imagery was introduced into professional filmmaking by individuals like Ebrahim Hatamikia and Rasoul Mollaqolipour, who began their careers with documentaries at the fronts. Mollaqolipour directed his first film, 'Ninava,' in 1983 on the subject of war and the front, and after making films like 'Balemi Be Suyi Sahel' and 'Parvaz Dar Shab' in 1985 and 1986, he established himself as one of the successful filmmakers of the new genre of Iranian cinema, which was also endorsed by the government. Alongside Mollaqolipour, another talent in Iranian cinema was also emerging. Ebrahim Hatamikia entered the professional scene a bit later than Mollaqolipour. He made the 16mm film 'Hoviyat' in 1985, and in 1988 and 1989, with two films 'Didban' and 'Mohajer,' which showcased pure and pristine images from the fronts, he made a name for himself as a talented and skilled director. Alongside these two, several other filmmakers like Jamal Shourjeh, Shahryar Bahrani, and later Ahmadreza Darvish also became prominent figures in Sacred Defense cinema, leaving behind some enduring works. However, apart from works that directly referenced the war and the fronts, films have also been made in Iranian cinema that addressed the impact of war on people and society (mostly after its conclusion and in contemporary times). 'Boo-ye Pirahan-e Youssef' and 'Borj-e Minoo' by Ebrahim Hatamikia dealt with the effects of war on people and society after its conclusion. One of the first films related to the war in Iranian cinema that focused on the social consequences of war was 'Rahayi,' directed by Rasoul Sadr Ameli, made in 1982. In later years, films were made that told stories parallel to the war in cities, depicting the atmosphere of the city and its people during the war. 'Harim-e Mehrvarzi' (1986) by Nasser Gholamrezaei, 'Aroosi-ye Khobaan' (1988) directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and 'Vasl-e Nikaan' (1991) by Ebrahim Hatamikia are among these films. 'Aroosi-ye Khobaan' was one of the most famous and controversial films of the 1980s, focusing on the life of a young soldier who was hospitalized in a mental health facility due to the effects of an explosion. In the final years of the war and afterward, some directors, the most famous of whom is Ebrahim Hatamikia, turned to the people of the war after its conclusion and depicted their confrontation with the surroundings and the society for which they had fought. 'Ajans-e Sheesheh,' 'Az Karkheh Ta Rhine,' 'Borj-e Minoo,' and several other films by Hatamikia are among the most prominent works of this genre in Iranian cinema. The production of such works continues in Iranian cinema, albeit sporadically each year. 'Farzand-e Khak' and 'Bidari-ye Royaha' by Mohammad Ali Ahangar, 'Bousidan Roy-e Mah' by Homayoun Asadian, or the noisy film 'Shiar 143' by Narges Abyar are among the recent works of this trend. Until 1995 and the making of 'Lili Ba Man Ast,' the subject of war in Iran was considered a sacred and completely serious domain; however, Kamal Tabrizi, who was himself considered a filmmaker of the 'Sacred Defense' and had made several war films, broke a significant taboo and made a comedy film about war and the fronts. Tabrizi, who was not expected to be humorous, brought one of the memorable films of Iranian cinema to the screen and opened the door to joking about soldiers and the atmosphere of the fronts with 'Lili Ba Man Ast.' This path was later continued by Masoud Dehnamaki with films like 'Ekhraghi-ha,' which unfortunately led to a decline in quality. 'Duel' is the most expensive war film in Iranian cinema. Over the past decades, cinema officials have always been very interested in having prominent Iranian filmmakers, especially the greats of the pre-revolution generation like Bahram Beyzai, Dariush Mehrjui, Masoud Kimiai, and Nasser Taghvaee, enter the realm of war cinema and make war films. Bahram Beyzai was the first director from the old generation of Iranian cinema to enter the realm of war and used the effects of war on people's lives as the basis for his film; 'Bashou, Gharibe Kuchak' was released two years after its production in 1989 due to its anti-war perspective. However, Masoud Kimiai, while indirectly referencing the war in his film 'Dandan-e Mar' (1989) by portraying a war-affected character from the south, addressed the war directly in 1998 with the film 'Faryad.' 'Faryad' is one of the weakest and most forgettable films in Masoud Kimiai's career, narrating a personal revenge story set against the backdrop of war. On the other hand, Nasser Taghvaee, as one of the first-generation directors of Iranian cinema, decided to enter the realm of war in the early 2000s and attempted to shoot the film 'Chai Talkh.' This film remained unfinished due to various reasons, including financial problems and criticisms of its screenplay. Over the years, other filmmakers from various cinematic movements, such as Kiumars Pourahmad and Khosrow Sinaei, have also experienced making war films, while some, like Jafar Panahi, have never been allowed to do so.