Iranian Cinema
Known as Persia until the 1930s, Iran is one of the world's most ancient cultures, with a history of art and literature dating back thousands of years. It is officially known as the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Today, Iran is one of the world's most repressive societies. Despite working under strict social and creative conditions, Iranian filmmakers are among the most-respected in global cinema. Iran thus provides a model for how films can inform the world of their home cultures through using allegory and metaphor rather than directly confront the difficult circumstances they were made in. Films tend to be in the social-realist style and present moral dilemmas for their characters.

“After the revolution, I went to the cinema and I realised that cinema is a better tool for changing society. After prison and the revolution, I was amazed [to find] that we had a problem in our culture.
“It’s not only in politics—we changed our king, we changed the system, but we were not able to change our culture. So I thought it would be better if I changed my position from politics to art, and towards changing people’s minds through art and the camera.”

director Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Farout magazine

Iran's geography, culture and economics
Iran's population is 85 million people. Capital city Tehran (top right) is home to more than 8 million, with Masshad the second largest city, with 3 million people. 76% of the population live in urban areas.

Iran's language is Farsi and the country is multicultural - the majority (61%) are Persians but a third of the population is made up of almost 12 other ethnic groups, including Azeris, Kurds and Arabs.

Iran is the 18th biggest country in the world for both population and land mass - more than three times bigger than Spain and more than four times larger than Germany. The land is mountainous, with populations settling in the lower regions / basins. Iran has an average elevation of over 1km above sea level - it is therefore one of the highest countries in the world. Iran borders Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and four other countries.

10% of the world's oil (4th out of all countries) and 15% of its natural gas (2nd most) is located within Iran's borders. Ranks 12th to 18th in size of its economy. Average income is only around $3,300, however. USA has blocked Iran's applications to join the World Trade Organisation and America's sanctions have caused damage to Iran's economy.

Contexts: Socio-Political
Iran's oil reserves were controlled by the British for a long time - oil company BP was founded on this. When Iran tried to restore control of its supplies, the US and UK helped a coup d'tat take place in 1953, installing a Western-friendly Shah. Despite this, Iran kept control of its oil from then on.

The 1979 Revolution is one of the key events in Iran's history. It brought in strict rules based on Islamic Law, including laws demanding women cover their heads and bodies when in public. Prior to the revolution, Iranians enjoyed a much more Western way of life - this all soon changed.

The Iran-Iraq War from 1980-88 saw Iraq invade its neighbour, ending in a stalemate with an estimated 1-2 million killed.

The 2009 Presidential election was widely believed to be rigged. The Green Movement, led by Mousavi and fellow candidate Karroubi, took to the streets to reject the election results. The regime responded by putting both under house arrest and killing dozens.
Protests were led by the urban middle classes and failed to engage those lower on the social ladder.
​
In 2022, widespread protests began after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year old woman who had been stopped by the Guidance Patrol for not dressing correctly. A background of economic uncertainty also played a part in public dissent. Iranians risked death through protesting - but protests were widespread and saw a public wave of unity against the country's leadership. Internet was shut off and authorities are said to have killed 70+ as they clamped down on the protests.

Below: 1979 Revolution

Below: 2009 Green Movement

Travel Shows - An Outsider's View
Travel and food TV shows give an interesting foreigner's view of key parts of Iranian culture.

Anthony Bordain's Parts Unknown visits Iran:

Iranian Films and Filmmakers

KEY FILMMAKERS
Forugh Farrokhzad​
Abbas Kiarostami
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Majid Majidi
Bahman Ghobadi
Samira Makhmalbaf
Jafar Panahi
Asghar Farhadi

1) Pre-Revolution Cinema: The Iranian New Wave (1969-70s)
The 1950s and 60s saw a boom in literature that in turn inspired a film revolution from the late 1960s, which saw intellectual and poetic films being made. The Cow, Qeysar and Calm in Front of Others were key films, while Still Life won Berlin's Silver Bear award. Around 40-50 New Wave films were made.
The documentary Filmfarsi focuses on filmmakers pre-Iranian Revolution.
​
KEY FILMS
The Runner
The Cow
Qeysar
Still Life

2) Iranian Second Wave - The 1980s-90s
After a decade or so of the new restrictive regime, filmmakers started to find ways to examine their 'new' country through film. Abbas Kiarostami (right) was one of the key directors to gain international recognition, though his films contain little overt politics. His reflexive style often questions even the nature of filmmaking itself.
​
KEY FILMS
The Runner
Close-Up
Taste of Cherry
​Children of Heaven

“I feel the cinema that will last longer is the poetic cinema, not the cinema that is just storytelling. In my library at home, the books of novels and stories look brand-new because I just read them once and put them aside; but my poetry books are falling apart at every corner, because I have read them over and over and over! Poetry always runs away from you—it’s very difficult to grasp it, and every time you read it, depending on your conditions, you will have a different grasp of it.” 
Abbas Kiarostami, Farout magazine

The Globe and Mail.com

3) Third Iranian New Wave - The 2000s
These films more closely examine social-political issues. Films continued to gain global recognition, with Asghar Farhadi twice winning the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film (A Separation (2011), The Salesman (2016)).
​
KEY FILMS
A Time for Drunken Horses
Blackboards
Crimson Gold
A Separation

Iranian Diaspora Filmmakers
Filmmakers of Iranian heritage can offer interesting viewpoints through films made outside of Iran.
Below are trailers for several which focus on Iranian issues. These are free from the restrictive censorship rules as they were made outside the country

Censorship in Iran

Study Film 1 - A SEPARATION
​(2011, d: Asghar Farhadi)

"Its decent characters are trying to do the right thing. To untangle right and wrong in this fascinating story is a moral challenge."   - Roger Ebert

"Simin and Nadar represent the maternal feeling of flight and the paternal need to stay and fight for the cause: the Yin and Yang of the movement for reform. It's the same dilemma that has besieged and disabled generations of Iranians since the constitutional revolution almost 100 years ago: stay and suffocate or leave and be irrelevant."
- Masoud Golsourki, The Guardian

Asghar Farhadi, Interview with The Guardian

Useful Links
Film Comment - Godfrey Cheshire's review
​Roger Ebert's 4-star review
The Guardian -Interview with Asghar Farhadi (2011)
IndieWire review of the film 'A microcosm of life itself'
The Guardian - Analysis linking the film to its context
Film Education's Resource pack for studying the film

Study Film 2 - A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT
(2014, d: Ana Lily Amirpour)

"Walking home alone and wearing the veil are here not markers of vulnerability and lack of agency, but of occult power."
​
- So Mayer's ​Sight & Sound review

Useful Articles
Film Comment interview with the director
​Foreign Policy.com - Analysis of the film's view on Patriarchy
Sight & Sound's review of the film
New Yorker - Short review by Richard Brody
Analysis - "The feminist horror of our dreams. Literally"
Michigan Daily - Analysis of the film's music

Useful Links
Al-Jazeera - Iranians and their films: A love affair
The Guardian - Panah Panahi on censorship in Iran
​A good list of resources on Iranian film

Further Listening
No longer being made, but the Hello Cinema podcast is very insightful.
Two sample episodes are below: