A Festival That Did Not Reach Dawn
A Festival That Did Not Reach Dawn: According to Iran Gate, the 41st annual celebration of Iranian cinema, held every year around the anniversary of the revolution’s victory and thus named ‘Fajr’, was this year devoid of meaning and less vibrant than ever, failing to live up to its name of ‘Fajr’ (Dawn).
The boycott by notable artists, from actors to directors and other cinema affiliates, due to the painful events of the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ movement, unprecedentedly diminished the festival’s vibrancy. There was neither notable work nor the usual crowds of cinema enthusiasts filling the theaters and giving cities a cinematic atmosphere. These controversies overshadowed the festival from start to finish, including the closing ceremony.
A Different Interpretation from the Deputy of Cinema
On the fourth day of the Fajr Film Festival, Mohammad Khazaei visited the Media House at Mellat Pardis and, upon arrival, spoke with journalists about the efforts of opposing media and the creation of distractions to sideline the festival. He noted that this year’s festival was difficult, but thankfully it is being held with great splendor. He added that the excellent planning by Mojtaba Amini as the festival’s secretary and his colleagues, along with the support of the cinema family, media members, and the public, all contributed to breaking the predictions made by some.
The head of the Cinema Organization emphasized that this splendid festival is not only taking place at Mellat Pardis but also in cinemas across the country, especially in Tehran, with grandeur. Perhaps the number of our audience has increased compared to previous years, and it is getting warmer day by day. These events are among the achievements of this festival period, and many good things are also on the way.
The Impact of Unprecedented Arrests of Cinema Artists
A large number of prominent cinema actors, especially women protesting and supporting the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ movement, were influential in the formation of the festival boycott. However, among them, the arrest of Taraneh Alidoosti not only prompted reactions from most festivals and famous cinema figures worldwide but also dispelled doubts about the necessity of boycotting the Fajr Film Festival. Mani Haghighi and Rasoul Sadr Ameli are two renowned filmmakers who have suggested this possibility in different ways.
On the other hand, it seems that the handling of Alidoosti’s case created a sense of unity among filmmakers. Several of the most famous gathered for four consecutive days in front of Evin Prison to inquire about her detention status. Meanwhile, attempts by some government supporters to associate a seemingly overthrow-oriented Twitter account with Taraneh Alidoosti have reinforced previous suspicions about the security origins of these dubious accounts, and it appears that the case against this actress is different from those of other detained filmmakers.
Somayeh Mirshamsi, an assistant director who played a significant role in the formation of the ‘800 Women’ movement against sexual harassment in cinema by exposing violence and sexual harassment behind the scenes of Iranian cinema a few months ago, announced in a series of tweets that Taraneh Alidoosti was in solitary confinement and under pressure.
Security Culture
Recent remarks by Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili, the Minister of Culture, who stated that the Supreme National Security Council and the National Security Council are following up to return cultural and artistic activities to normal, revealed that the country’s cultural domain has more than ever become a security issue for the Islamic Republic, and the involvement of intelligence agencies is no longer limited to commissioning favorable productions.
Indeed, the shadow of security and security forces has long weighed heavily on cinema, perhaps originating from Saeed Emami’s time in the Ministry of Intelligence, and later witnessed through significant social and political transformations. Security agencies have been a constant in producing commissioned and often uninspired works, from ‘Golden Collars’ to ‘Day Zero’, which were commissioned by the Ministry of Intelligence. The seemingly cultural Sepah organization also strived to maintain competitive presence with the Ministry by controlling the security atmosphere, presenting works like ‘Damascus Time’ and collaborating with directors like Hatamikia to portray themselves as active influencers in cinema and culture.
A Memorial Service That Became the Festival’s Closing
From the sobs and tears of Mohammad Khazaei, the head of the Cinema Organization, to the cold reaction and uninspired response of the winner of the Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress, to the absence of nominees and famous winners like Ali Nassirian, completed the festival’s memorial service. Moreover, the host’s jokes and tasteless quips could not diminish the overwhelming darkness of the atmosphere at this event.
However, the main and important message was that cultural and artistic elements like cinema, minus the people and free artists, in its governmental form, resemble everything but an artistic event. The governmental cinema project suffered a heavy defeat, signaling to policymakers and observers that this field has no capacity for further directives and prohibitions. If the intention is to impose the same old security-oriented view, as in other fields and the managerial delusions of the past 44 years, in cinema and art as well, future festivals and cinema will lack light, hope, and life, perhaps named ‘Fajr’ but marked by darkness.