Iran's Underground and Unofficial Cinema in Conversation with Maryam Palizban

The discussion about Iran's unofficial and underground cinema has reignited due to the screening of the film 'Fig Seed of Temples' by Mohammad Rasoulof at the Cannes Film Festival. This film is not the only one produced without permission in Iran over the past year and a half, as many works from this movement have been showcased at almost all major global festivals during this time. A recent report by the newspaper Etemad indicated that 71 films made without permission in various formats, including feature and short documentaries, were submitted from Iran for the recent Cannes Festival, highlighting the extensive and widespread production of such works in the country. Despite explicit opposition from officials of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance against the production of such works, the trend of creating and distributing unauthorized documentaries and short films has significantly intensified in Iran. Recently, a program called 'Alternative Short Film Repertory,' which showcased several short films from this movement in a limited space in Tehran, was shut down just one day after its launch. Maryam Palizban, a well-known actress from films like 'Deep Breath,' 'Fat Shaker,' and 'Lantouri,' was one of the judges of this program and has seen its selected films. In an interview with 'Sahneh' on Radio Farda, she states that many of these films contained themes and images of Iran that had not previously been depicted in Iranian cinema. Palizban describes these films as 'more concise and successful in conveying what is happening in Iranian society at various levels' and analyzes the underground and unofficial cinema movement, saying: 'Every step Iranian cinema takes, especially regarding hijab, if it is not in the direction of the popular movement, it is turning its back on those who are primarily the audience of this cinema. For me, the continuity and empowerment of underground and unofficial cinema is a sign of the ongoing revolution that has begun.' Maryam Palizban, who published images of herself without hijab during the protests known as 'Women, Life, Freedom,' considers the current trend of unofficial cinema as more than just disobedience and reflects historically on the conditions governing cinema after the Iranian Revolution, stating: 'Initial steps have been taken elsewhere by other people, which we may not be aware of in the current conditions we have. After the revolution, both the part of Iranian cinema that had to leave Iran and those who stayed and could not continue have played a significant role in this process. The current point is connected to the Jina uprising. Before the Jina uprising, some rifts had become evident. Since November 2019, we can say that these rifts have increased, continuing with issues like the boycott of the Fajr Festival, and the Jina uprising became that golden point that, in my opinion, made a return to the past impossible. The result is the events that are happening and continuing. The culmination of these events will transform the history of Iranian cinema.' In the interview, Palizban emphasizes that another part of Iranian cinema in the last two years 'has paid no attention to what has happened in society and has been more at the service of the system than ever before.' She considers the analysis of audience behavior towards the products of the official movement as one of the complexities of current Iranian cinema and raises the question of 'who the audiences of various movements in Iranian cinema are at present and for whom these films are produced,' noting that 'addressing these issues currently is very complex and will take on a different meaning over time.' Maryam Palizban expresses happiness over Mohammad Rasoulof's safe exit from Iran and hopes that independent Iranian cinema can continue its movement both inside and outside the country, and that recent events can generate hope and energy for the underground cinema movement again. At the same time, she describes the conditions as difficult for young people who intend to produce films without permission and lack the means to leave the country.