The Competition Between Iran's 'Intellectual' Cinema and 'Value-Based' Cinema

With the opening of the 33rd Fajr Film Festival on Saturday, February 11, 2015, fans of Iranian cinema are eager to watch and judge the films, as well as to see how this year's festival directors' tastes influenced the selection of films, especially in the competition section. At the fourth festival of Iranian films in Prague, held last month, there was an opportunity to briefly discuss the state of Iranian cinema during the 11th government with two filmmakers present at the festival, as well as the role of the Fajr Film Festival in the past 32 years. Majid Barzegar, who has two feature films, "The Season of Monsoon Rains" (2009) and "Parviz" (2012), which won the San Sebastián International Film Festival award and was recently screened in Iranian cinemas, and Mostafa Al Ahmad, director of the feature film "Shell" (2008), which was screened publicly this year after six years, as well as the documentary "Being a Writer" about the life of Jalal Al Ahmad (2011). The current state of Iranian cinema from the perspective of Majid Barzegar and Mostafa Al Ahmad. The year 2015 is coming to an end with the arrival of winter and the approach of the 33rd Fajr Film Festival. Did 2015 bring good news for those involved in Iranian cinema compared to previous years? Mr. Majid Barzegar? "We had a better year than in recent years; the general conditions in Iran were better, and cinema and filmmakers were not excluded from this. It seemed that with the beginning of the new government, there was a hope and energy that flowed into society, and filmmakers also found a new enthusiasm. Especially since in the cinema organization and among the cinema managers, people came who could be guessed to have come for cultural work. Now, what the results will be in this year, we must wait to see what has happened in cinema. What I saw among filmmakers was hopeful. This hope was reinforced by the reopening of the House of Cinema and, in my opinion, more importantly, the establishment of the "Art and Experience Cinema Group," which was a historic event and a historic opportunity that had been denied to important films throughout the history of Iranian cinema, especially after the revolution. But this government was able to design it, and we hope it continues. The marginalized films, sometimes banned, or films with specific audiences were able to be organized and screened, and the reception is so good that it seems it will continue. Mr. Mostafa Al Ahmad, do you have anything to add? "The concern is that this Art and Experience Cinema Group may also become like 'Open Sky,' like experiences that have happened in the past, but with the entry of a new manager or new groups that replace them in the government, this space will be closed again, and this atmosphere will disappear again. I hope something will happen, a solution will be created so that this space remains. It should not be just a formality, a series of films collected, not screened, and then after a while, these are screened again, creating a brief respite, and then the day starts anew. It closes again with the arrival of a new taste, a new manager. This concern still exists. We hope this does not happen. Majid Barzegar, considering what you said and your experience and others, what is the situation of directors and filmmakers? For example, your experience in the various stages of the two films "The Season of Monsoon Rains" and especially "Parviz," which won the jury prize at the 60th San Sebastián International Film Festival, indicates what? "The main responsibility for cinema and film lies with the cinema organization and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, but filmmakers are never sure that they are only dealing with them. For example, the film "Shell" gets a production license and then a screening license, but it is blocked from being screened through another route, or my first film, "The Season of Monsoon Rains," still does not have a screening permit. In fact, in the field we work in, independent cinema, or cinema that one of my filmmaker friends described as 'alternative,' has not changed much. I made my previous two films in the last six years and my new film under almost the same and very difficult conditions. I mean, I still think that the concern that Mr. Al Ahmad mentions for the continuation of this perspective is that our manager has not been culturally trained. I mean, the habit and etiquette of being concerned about doing cultural work, regardless of how many years they have been in management, has not been there. The thought that they should support a type of cinema, especially in our discussion of cinema (now there are other discussions of art in Iran), that all the reputation and credibility of Iranian cinema over all these years has been these films, but no manager has made any effort to preserve them. They have not shown them to the people or created a place for the audience of these types of films to know that there is a place that shows these films. A manager comes and plans a subject according to their taste and type of view and decision. The next manager may come and say that they do not care about such a thing at all. This training, this habit has not existed. This concern exists. At the beginning of the discussions, I said that conditions improved a bit. But now, with pressures coming from the other side to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, this problem has always been in Iran. I mean, the main responsibility for cinema and film lies with the cinema organization and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, but filmmakers are never sure that they are only dealing with them. For example, the film "Shell" gets a production license and then a screening license, but it is blocked from being screened through another route, or my first film, "The Season of Monsoon Rains," still does not have a screening permit. Or "Parviz" gets a screening permit after three years. A film that was deemed absolutely unshowable is now being shown without any changes. You see that there are managers who make this decision. The film has been the same. At one time it did not have a screening permit, and now it does. And when it is shown, nothing has happened except that a group of audiences who are interested in this type of film have seen those films. I think the overall spirit of filmmakers has not changed much. Those who are more serious are focused on their work and try to make their films despite all the difficulties. Another part of the official current of Iranian cinema and the mainstream and dominant current of Iranian cinema always does its own thing. A kind of conservatism with predetermined stories has been repeated many times with serious or old actors; they bring them and make stories, and their films are shown without hassle. Now whether they sell or not, they do not have much impact on society or on the art of cinema. The path that Iranian cinema should take. That other path, the minority, has always had this problem and still does. In my opinion, it is not solvable. I mean, we and our friends do not have hope; we have to work stubbornly and continue. It seems we have accepted the conditions. Mr. Al Ahmad, Mr. Barzegar mentioned your first feature film, "Shell," which was recently screened at the Iranian film festival in Prague. However, this film was made six years ago. Surely the film censorship authorities in Iran gave you a reason for this. I wanted to ask why this censorship decision changed, and permission was granted for the film to be screened? "We are not only dealing with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and specifically with the Screening or Production License Council. There are other forces that sometimes prevent the screening of a film. For example, this happened with the film "Shell." As he pointed out, the film had a screening license from a certain date, but still, groups did not want the film to be shown. Now that it has been screened, the screenings are limited. It is limited to just a few cinemas in Tehran and one or two cinemas in the provinces. In continuation of Mr. Barzegar's remarks, as he also pointed out, we are not only dealing with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and specifically with the Screening or Production License Council. For example, even now that the film has received permission to be screened, it means it has a license for screening in the Art and Experience Cinema Group, which has a few cinemas in Tehran, four cinemas in Tehran, and two or three cinemas in the provinces. Currently, for example, in Mashhad, there are still groups that oppose the screening of the film. Although that cinema is under the "Art and Experience Cinema Group," it has a contract, the film "Shell" has been scheduled in that cinema, the audience is looking for that film, but they cannot see it. Another film is being screened instead. This is an occurrence that Mr. Barzegar also pointed out. I mean, we are not only dealing with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and specifically with the Screening or Production License Council. There are other forces that sometimes prevent the screening of a film. For example, this happened with the film "Shell." As he pointed out, the film had a screening license from a certain date, but still, groups did not want the film to be shown. Now that it has been screened, the screenings are limited. It is limited to just a few cinemas in Tehran and one or two cinemas in the provinces. This space needs to be somewhat legalized. Groups acting independently, other individuals, if the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is in a position that has the right and has commissions that can allow a film to be screened or vice versa... As in the last six years, when the film was not screened, we complied with the law. We did not take the film to force it to be shown. Now that this has happened, the expectation is that the law will be supported. I think we have a fundamental flaw here. In the cultural management of the country, it is not clear who is managing it. There are institutions of power that sometimes exert influence and pressure. Part of it is also economic. There are groups that, under the pretext that values are being lost, sometimes attack a film. While that film, like my own, has an abstract subject. It has a subject outside of time and place. But in order to reduce these films from the screening cycle so that only their films are seen and sold (in reality, they are only pursuing economic interests), they exploit values. While we know that they themselves do not have many constraints regarding values in their films. In recent years, this kind of instrumental use of film and cinema has reached its peak. If this instrumental use is not stopped, it will cause a fundamental blow to the culture and art of Iran. Mr. Mostafa Al Ahmad, it is evident that you are related to Jalal Al Ahmad, a prominent figure in the Iranian Writers' Association in the 1960s, known to many Iranians for writing the lengthy article "Westoxification" and somewhat for his political, social, and cultural stories and critiques. I myself asked you this question when I first saw you, and your answer was positive. How was your experience from making to screening the documentary you made about Jalal Al Ahmad? "My hope is that this Art and Experience group that has now formed, and as Mr. Barzegar also emphasized and I, in our opinion, is one of the most important cultural events, does not become a pretext for something that will shut it down again. This is a cultural flow. It has not received any significant budget from the government. It is a positive event that is seen for short films, documentaries, and feature films. This film was also a long film. It took several years of research. And it was filmed bit by bit. With Al Ahmad's friends, one of his brothers was alive at that time; we were filming with them both in terms of research and visually. I can say that it is even confirmed by experts as the most comprehensive film that exists about Jalal Al Ahmad. I hope that films will be made about the intellectuals of the country that reflect their true character. My effort was to remove the ambiguities that were not clear about Al Ahmad's character, there were rumors, there were ambiguities; I wanted to show the real face of the writer. I hope this happens, and films will be made in this form, even about Al Ahmad's character, that reflect the true face of our elites, not what we imagine about them, and be more research-oriented and scientific. In any case, that film was also not screened. Unfortunately, our documentaries have been screened less. One of the benefits of the Art and Experience is that it is showing documentaries. My only hope is that this Art and Experience group that has now formed...