Iranian Cinema in 1395: Success in a Year of Death and Controversy

The year 1395 was overall a successful year for Iranian cinema. The trend of increasing film sales and audience attendance in theaters, which began in 94, continued in 95, and the film "The Salesman" received prestigious awards, bringing cinema as a controversial and influential phenomenon to the forefront of society. However, this year was not without controversy, as the change in cinematic management from Hojjatollah Ayubi to Mohammad Mehdi Heydarian was an unexpected event that occurred in the final days of the year. Simultaneously, a significant number of well-known filmmakers unexpectedly passed away, leading some to label 1395 as the year of death. The unexpected change in cinema management, less than two weeks before the end of the year, was surprising for many. The dismissal of Hojjatollah Ayubi shortly after the Fajr Film Festival and with only a few months remaining in Hassan Rouhani's first government indicated serious disagreements between Reza Salehi Amiri and his deputy responsible for cinematic affairs. The change in Ayubi, following a controversial festival and his heated discussion on the television program "Haft" with Behrouz Afkhami, effectively confirmed the criticisms against him. The trend of audience appreciation for Iranian films continued, with sales exceeding 150 billion tomans, marking the highest revenue for Iranian cinema. This year also saw a record in Iranian cinema history with significant audience turnout for "The Salesman," which grossed nearly 16 billion tomans. Five other films (I Am Not Salvador, 50 Kilos of Cherry, Hello Bombay, Abad and One Day, and Barcode) also surpassed 10 billion tomans in sales in 95. Abolhassan Davoodi, a writer and director who previously held the presidency of the Display Guild Council, commented on the reasons for audience interest in films in 95, stating, "I think this was a continuation of an event that occurred in the past couple of years. It seems that people have reconciled with cinema again, and the cinema that was about to be erased from the entertainment options due to wrong political policies has regained attention, especially collectively. Naturally, this event coincided with conditions that created a more hopeful atmosphere. This year continued to reflect a change in the display environment, partly due to the new complexes that were opening further apart and partly due to a change in people's outlook and interest in films. The culture of going to the cinema has fundamentally changed. Beyond the increasing audience reception for films, winning an Oscar with "The Salesman" was another significant event for Iranian cinema in 95. Alongside winning two awards for Best Actor and Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival, the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film placed Iran among the countries that have won two Oscars. Despite the many discussions and opinions about this award and the reasons for its granting, the re-entry of cinema into the main political and social topics of Iran and even other countries, as noted by Abolhassan Davoodi, demonstrated the potential of Iranian cinema: "The image created by the second Oscar was not just the image of Iranian cinema. It was the image of an Iranian identity that resonated with many and created a situation where the country's diplomatic officials spent tens and hundreds of billions of dollars without being able to create this image among the general public worldwide, especially Americans. Iranian cinema has always had this potential. However, in years with different political confrontations and the type of image created by various factions in power, it has either managed to stabilize its position based on those limitations or has sunk into isolation. I am sure that many aspects of Iranian cinema remain hidden like icebergs in the water. Perhaps under the shadow of proper cultural diplomacy, this vast section can be revealed and, like what happened with the Oscar, come to represent the main element of what we have long referred to as Iran's cultural ambassador, showcasing the cultural image of Iranian identity based on the face of a millennia-old nation to the world. The year 95 was not free from controversy for Iranian cinema. One of the most important issues was the issuance of multiple judicial orders to halt the screening of several films. Films that had their advertisements broadcasted by the Persian-language satellite network Gem were ordered to stop their screenings by the judiciary. "We Don't Get Used to It" and "Giti's Problem" were among the films whose screenings were halted for several days. The judiciary also issued orders to stop the activities of several distribution and production offices. Although all these orders were suspended following negotiations with the Ministry of Culture, they led to increased involvement of the judiciary in internal cinema matters. Abolhassan Davoodi commented on this controversial event in 95, stating, "This feeling of doubt or lack of confidence that many officials have towards cinema prevents it from reaching its full potential. The ability to create a more open space within the legal limits is crucial. Given that we have films produced entirely within the constitutional framework and various laws in Iran, if they could establish communication with the public without adding a single frame, the Islamic Republic should logically support this type of engagement. What happens is not actually a confrontation with cinema. The real problem for officials dealing with this issue is a confrontation with the media itself. However, when media exists and it has been shown over the years that there is no possibility of confrontation with it, common sense dictates that if they come and support these films and establish closer communication with the audience, they should be welcomed or at least not obstructed. The suspension of the screening of "50 Kilos of Cherry" followed increasing criticisms regarding its content and treatment of moral concepts, marking another controversy of 95. This film, which was one of the successful releases in the early weeks of the year, gradually faced criticism from conservative circles and media, which labeled it as a sign of what they called cultural promiscuity. The intensification of these criticisms led to the suspension of the film's screening by Ali Jannati, the then Minister of Culture. In 95, the policy of the Art Bureau of the Islamic Propaganda Organization in boycotting the screening of certain films in its theaters continued. The uncertain fate of "Couch" and several other films was also notable. In 95, none of the films that had been granted screening permits from previous years, such as "Daughter's House," "I Am Not Angry," and "Resurrection," were screened, and the last film by Abdolreza Kahani titled "Devoted, Nazanin, Bahareh, Tina" was also not granted a screening permit and was banned for oversight reasons. Several other films also joined this list by not being screened at the Fajr Film Festival, including "Couch" by Kianoush Ayari, which has an uncertain fate due to the use of wigs for female actors. The status of films like "Invasion" and "Lord" is also unclear. In terms of quality, several films were more prominently mentioned in 95. Besides "The Salesman," which was the standout film of the year, "Ebad and One Day" by Saeed Roustayi, "Standing in the Dust" by Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian, and "The Dragon Enters" by Mani Haqiqi received more acclaim from critics. Discussions surrounding the themes and treatment of films in 95 primarily revolved around the wave of films influenced by Asghar Farhadi's works. Critics identified various films as works influenced by Farhadi's cinematic movement, with some even warning about the increasing prevalence of this trend. Houman Davoodi, a writer and film critic, provided this analysis of the trend: "This movement peaked several years ago and has now moved beyond imitation; the impact that occurs in the long term has taken place. In fact, it has shifted from the conscious to the unconscious of our filmmakers. As we saw last year, the film 'Ebad and One Day' was a good example of Farhadi's influence on the subconscious of filmmakers. Those who have been influenced by Farhadi's filmmaking style and approach are being directed towards a certain path without even realizing it. Even Farhadi himself, in his latest film 'The Salesman,' has distanced himself from his filmmaking model, seemingly moving beyond it into new realms both in terms of content and visual structure, mise-en-scène, and everything. The year 95 was a sorrowful year in terms of the number of well-known filmmakers who passed away. Abbas Kiarostami, the renowned filmmaker, died in July of this year in Paris. A medical file was opened regarding the reasons for his death, which in some cases found the attending physician at fault. Kiarostami's family continues to pursue this case. Other deceased filmmakers included the well-known actor Davood Rashidi, Ali Maal, Jafar Vali, Hassan Jouharchi, Farajollah Selahshour, Donya Fannizadeh, and Mohammad Zarin Dasht.