Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Al-Monitor – Iranians have long been fond of cinema, and the country’s politicians are no exception. But in recent decades, politicians have been increasingly influencing the film industry to achieve political objectives.
Iranian cinema and politics have always had a relationship with each other, but the role of cinema in politics surged in the late 1990s. Indeed, Iranian presidential candidates took the film industry more seriously by asking skilled directors and producers to make documentaries about them to be broadcast on state TV as part of their campaigns.
This strategy was initiated ahead of the 1997 presidential election, which saw Reformist Mohammad Khatami defeat conservative Ali Akbar Nategh-Nuri. Reform-minded Seifollah Dad and Manouchehr Mohammadi were the men behind Khatami’s electoral documentary.
After Khatami appointed Dad as the top official in charge of cinematic affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, directors were more tempted to enter politics and establish a relationship with politicians.
In subsequent presidential elections, more directors and producers joined campaigns. In 2005, Kamal Tabrizi, known for his taboo-breaking comedy “The Lizard” — which portrayed a man pretending to be a cleric — made an acclaimed documentary about then-candidate Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Meanwhile, hard-line Javad Shamaghdari directed a documentary about then-candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which subtly focused on his “simple life” — a narrative that ushered the Tehran mayor to the presidency.
Following his victory, Ahmadinejad named Shamaghdari as the culture minister’s deputy for cinematic affairs. Ahead of the 2009 presidential election, Ahmadinejad reportedly used director Ahmad Reza Motamedi as his adviser for the televised debates. After the election, which led to Ahmadinejad’s victory, Motamedi was one of the names on the president’s desk for leading cinematic affairs in the government. In the 2013 election, moderate Hassan Rouhani broke apparent tradition by declining to give a senior position related to cinema to Hossein Dehbashi, the director of his campaign documentary. While the reasons for Dehbashi’s transformation are manifold, he is now Rouhani’s staunch opponent.
While the cinema industry’s role in politics might be limited to the abovementioned issues, Iranian politicians seem to have decided to create proxy forces in Iranian cinema. Indeed, this seems to stem from a realization of the great effect and influence of cinema on ordinary Iranians, the power of having producers and production companies on their side, and making films and documentaries in their line of thought. There are at least three examples of this.
First, Seyed Mahmoud Razavi is one of the closest figures to three-time presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and he served as a senior member of Ghalibaf’s campaign team. In an interview with Mehr News Agency last April, ahead of the May 2017 presidential election, Razavi said that he was previously managing his father’s company in Mashhad. He went bankrupt in 2003, and in 2005, he joined the circle of Ghalibaf’s young advisers.
“I went to Dr. Ghalibaf and he suggested to me that I enter cinema, as I have a cultural background … and [he said] that he would back me wherever it is necessary,” said Razavi.
One of the first films he produced was “About Elly,” directed by Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi in 2009.
Second, the conservative Owj production company was formed in 2011. Owj describes itself as a follower of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, pointing out on its website “strategic policymaking in the arena of artistic productions of Islamic Revolution discourse.”
Owj has been very active since its inception and has made hundreds of documentaries, and it produces several films a year. Its newest production, the controversial “Damascus Time,” was directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia. The film depicts the role of Iran in fighting the Islamic State in Syria.
Speaking about financial backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Owj chief Ehsan Mohammad-Hassani stated Feb. 17, “We are proud of not having to ask foreign embassies for money to make our films.” Mohammad-Hassani is believed to have been alluding to “The Salesman,” a film by Asghar Farhadi, which received part of its funding from the Doha Film Festival, an institute in Qatar. Implicit in Mohammad-Hassani’s comments is that Qatar has provided support to hard-line Sunni Islamist groups that predominantly Shiite Iran has faced in Syria.
Third, Safir Film company, which was established in 2010, states that it seeks to depict “the discourse and important subjects of the Islamic Revolution” and turn them into art works.
According to Safir Film’s website, it has made more than 30 documentaries so far. While its founders remain obscure, it is clear that it has hard-line views, as a significant number of its documentaries targeted the moderate and Reformist political currents in Iran. The Safir production “I am Rouhani” revolves around a narrative that negatively depicts the president.
While conservatives have been very active in creating a network of allied producers and directors, Reformists have lagged behind in this respect. However, the sons of a number of prominent Reformist figures have produced films, including the offspring of Mohammad Reza Aref, the head of the parliamentary Hope faction, and that of Elias Hazrati, a senior Reformist lawmaker and manager of Etemaad daily. Moreover, Seyyed Mohammad-Hadi Razavi, who is the son-in-law of Reformist Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari, has entered cinema and produced the popular series “Shahrzad.”
What is noteworthy here is that the entrance of these sons to cinema isn’t based on a strategy and was not pre-planned. In fact, unlike the conservatives, who have entered cinema thoughtfully and created a network inside this industry, the Reformists seemingly have no equivalent coherent strategy. Meanwhile, even though a large number of artists and directors are Reformists, the entrance into the industry of relatives of Reformist politicians has stirred criticism from people with Reformist tendencies in the industry.
As such, given the current trajectory, it seems that Iranian cinema will become more politicized in the years ahead. In this game, it is the conservatives who are the likely winners, as they have stepped into this arena based on a road map. However, the Reformists are still lucky that a large number of prominent directors and producers are in favor of Reformism, even though this is a reality that may not last forever and may not overcome the conservatives’ long-term plans.
Found in:ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, ELECTION CAMPAIGNS
Rohollah Faghihi is a journalist who has worked for various Iranian media outlets. On Twitter: @FaghihiRohollah
