How and Why 'The Salesman' Became the Highest-Grossing Film in the History of Iranian Cinema?

The controversial film 'The Salesman' by Asghar Farhadi broke the record for the highest-grossing film in the history of Iranian cinema in its last week of screening. According to statistics from the Cinematicket website, affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which publishes official film sales figures, the sales of 'The Salesman' reached 14 billion and 760 million tomans by Thursday. This amount is nearly 200 million tomans more than the sales of 'Muhammad: The Messenger of God' by Majid Majidi, which had held the title of the highest-grossing film in Iranian cinema after a long screening period with extensive advertising last year. However, achieving the title of the highest-grossing film does not mean it is the most-watched film, as the title of the most-watched films in Iranian cinema history still belongs to works like 'Ganj-e Qarun', 'Gheisar', 'Dar Emtehad-e Shab', and 'Oqab-ha', considering ticket prices and the significant increase in population. Nevertheless, 'The Salesman', due to its lack of television advertising and shorter screening time compared to 'Muhammad', is considered one of the most successful films in recent years in attracting viewers. Ahmad Talebi-Nejad, a writer, director, and film critic, attributes the film's success to the impact of Asghar Farhadi's name: 'Now, Asghar Farhadi's name has become a brand, and everyone feels a moral obligation and even an inner need to see his films when they are released. Naturally, the awards that 'The Salesman' received abroad, especially the two awards at Cannes, also contributed to its sales.' Talebi-Nejad also believes that the film's theme played a significant role in its success: 'The Salesman emerges from today's conditions and depicts a society that has become very greedy, including sexual greed and events like crime and betrayal that we have somewhat seen around us in this film. Moreover, Farhadi has a technique in his works where he designs the story so strongly and provides information step by step to the audience that the viewer becomes somewhat enchanted while watching the film. He drips information to the audience and gradually prepares their spirit for complex events. This particularly happened well in the second half of 'The Salesman.' The film became the highest-grossing film in Iran without any television advertising, neither on official Iranian television nor on satellite channels. Simultaneously, some media outlets and television programs, including the television program 'Haft,' launched severe attacks against its theme and structure. Talebi-Nejad states about the impact of these actions on the film's success: 'A collection of these events, neglects, insults, and humiliations naturally encouraged people to go see the film. This is a kind of indirect advertising. I believe that many producers of good films do not need to promote their films on networks like Gem. It is enough for one of the official media, which has a clear stance, to criticize the film. Naturally, people will be encouraged to go see it.' Iranian film producers still consider word-of-mouth recommendations from viewers as one of the best promotional tools for their films. This is what happened with 'The Salesman,' according to Ahmad Talebi-Nejad: 'One of the best promotional methods is for someone who goes to see the film to recommend it to others. This is what happened with 'The Salesman.' Not because of political issues, as the film is not very political in that sense, but because when you watch the film as an audience member, you become immersed in the story. This, in my opinion, is the storytelling power of Asghar Farhadi that makes people want to see the film. Especially this film, which, despite its complexity, is also simple and has references to our social conditions, particularly the connection it has with Arthur Miller's play 'Death of a Salesman,' where Willy Loman, the main character of the play, finds himself in a life crisis due to economic hardship and wants to free himself. These similarities are now evident.' In recent years, the highest-grossing films in Iranian cinema have mostly been comedies and historical works, but 'The Salesman' is a serious social film. From this perspective, can we say there has been a change in the tastes and preferences of viewers? Ahmad Talebi-Nejad answers this question: 'The reality is that Iranian viewers, like viewers anywhere in the world, have diverse tastes. Sometimes they go to see a comedy to laugh and be happy, and sometimes they go to see a bitter social film to feel sad. Sometimes they go to see a historical film to understand history. Therefore, it cannot be definitively said that comedies are the only films that become box office hits. However, the reality is that 'The Salesman' has no happy or cheerful moments. Sometimes people want to immerse themselves in stories and things they have touched with their flesh and bones around them. Therefore, I think no definitive judgment can be made in this regard. A series of events or a combination of incidents leads a film to reach this level of sales.' The success of 'The Salesman' in Iran comes at a time when its global screenings have recently begun with its showing in France. The film is set to gradually be screened in various European and Asian countries, with its release planned for the early weeks of next year in North America.