(Re)Thinking Islamic Imagery

UID/FIL/00183/2013publishersversionpublishe

Politics of Iranian Cinema: Films and Society in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Iran has undergone considerable social upheaval since the revolution and this has been reflected in its cinema. Drawing on first-hand interviews and detailed ethnographic research, this book explores how cinema is engaged in the dynamics of social change in contemporary Iran. The author not only discusses the practices of regulation and reception of films from major award winning directors but also important mainstream filmmakers such as Hatamikia and Tabizi. Contributing to ethnographic accounts of Iranian governance in the field of culture, the book reveals the complex behind-the-scenes negotiations between filmmakers and the authorities which constitute a major part of the workings of film censorship. The author traces the relationship of Iranian cinema to recent social/political movements in Iran, namely reformism and women’s movement, and shows how international acclaim has been instrumental in filmmakers’ engagement with matters of political importance in Iran. This book will be a valuable tool for courses on film and media studies, and will provide a significant insight into Iranian cultural politics for students of cultural studies and anthropology, Middle Eastern and Iranian studies

Watching the Forbidden: Reception of Banned Films in Iran

This chapter traces the reception of banned films in Iran from the 1979 revolution to the latest developments in digital technology. It examines censorship in film exhibition before discussing the reception of banned foreign films and its impact on mainstream filmmaking practice. The findings are mainly based on interviews carried out in person and over the telephone with people who either currently live in Iran or did so previously. The essay argues that the viewing of banned films, whether Iranian or foreign, constitutes resistance to the Iranian regime, pushing back its strict sociocultural confines