It was supposed to be a beginning for everything; but it turned into a beginning for many endings, for departures and leaving things behind, for leaving the country and entrusting the homeland to dreams. As they say, it was supposed to rain and wash away the souls, but instead a flood came and took away our homes. Despite the efforts of the caring ones, they couldn’t resist the blow of this flood.

The purpose is not to investigate the history of Iranian exile. From the Constitutional Revolution until today, exile, living outside the country, and leaving the homeland have become familiar terms; since the day when the exile order of Dehkhoda, Taghizadeh, and a few others was issued and, according to the words of Nazeem al-Islam Kermani, six people were exiled and denied who were in the “British Embassy” and each of them had to pay one hundred and fifty tomans per month and their embassy slave would take them to the border and receive a receipt, and they were allowed to stay abroad for one year. After one year, they were free to go wherever they wanted or return to Iran.

But the February 1979 revolution became a new starting point for Iranian artists, especially those in the seventh art, to express themselves. The revolution came and the cinema community was faced with a new literature. In the previous regime, there was also censorship, but it was only an excuse for the “interests of the government”. But in Iran, a revolutionary strain of religious interests was added to the government’s interests. The founder of the Islamic Republic did not oppose cinema as a whole, but he said a sentence that left room for interpretation for anyone to interpret as they wished. He said, “We are not against cinema, we are against obscenities.” In an interview with Fereydoun Jirani on “35 Program,” Mehdi Fakhimzadeh, a well-known actor and director in Iranian cinema, says that the gentlemen (Seyed Mohammad Beheshti, Anwar, and other cinema officials of that time) did not want to shut down cinema,

But it was from the threshold of the revolution, and even a few years before that, that the exodus of Iranian actors and artists from the country began. From men like Behrouz Vosoqi and Parviz Sayyad, who left Iran in the year of the revolution and the year after, to women like Shohreh Aghdashloo, who left Iran shortly before the revolution. From Mary Apick, who after her departure, also stopped her artistic activities and this time, in opposition to the newly established government in Iran, played a role in two films, “Border” and “The Messenger”, directed by Parviz Sayyad. To Zinat Modabber, who had immigrated to America three years before the revolution in 1354 and, of course, after the revolution, along with her husband Parviz Khatibi, participated in the production and performance of satirical political videos such as “Mullah Khoron”, “Akhond

This is a caption for the image[/caption]

این عنوانی برای تصویر است.

This is a caption for the image.
Shahreh Aghdashloo in a scene from the film Report – 1356.

We must talk more about women; because the new policies that were implemented, targeted women more than men in the film and art industry. Hijab, touching and the female body were considered unforgivable sins and there was an attempt to completely remove women from Iranian cinema. In the first period of cinema during the Iran-Iraq war, the presence of women was very rare. Perhaps we can mention the year 1984 and the film “Davoudi Flowers” by Rasoul Sadr as the reason for the return of women to Iranian cinema after a few years of absence; but their presence was very difficult and even this presence was accompanied by many tragedies. Women were only a name in these films, not their actual existence. Let’s hear the issue from the words of Sousan Taslimi. After facing many difficulties and having her films confiscated, she finally left and went to Sweden and became one of the most successful Iranian artists abroad. In an interview with Radio Farda, she

Destinies are different. Following the exits on the threshold and immediately after the revolution, some were unable to adapt to the silence and unemployment and chose to find a new way to make a living in Iran rather than living on the other side of the waters. Others were unable to make a living on the other side. Pouri Banai was one of them. Kobra Saeedi, also known as Shahrzad, was another of these actors, who should also be recognized as one of the first female filmmakers in Iran. She went to Germany in 1985 and returned to Iran seven years later, living in silence.

But some people left for various reasons and stayed. Farzaneh Tayyebi was one of these actors. She was employed by the Ministry of Culture and Arts and was officially dismissed from her job in 1980 by the Ministry of Guidance. She, herself, says 26 years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in February 1979: “Until today, more than 26 years have passed since the Islamic Revolution, and I know that I was the first and only official employee of the theater programs department to be dismissed from my job in this way. According to the official employment law of the country, I was either supposed to retire or be bought out. All the years that I was an official employee of the ministry, I paid for retirement and insurance, and all these benefits were supposed to be taken into account, but they weren’t! Until today, I don’t know what my crime was.”

Some also left Iran for personal reasons and, of course, due to the impossibility of acting in post-revolution Iran. Alaa Alavi, Vida Ghahremani, and Simin Ghafoori are among these individuals. These are just a few names that, if the list of names were to be detailed, it would become a lengthy article that is beyond the scope of this article.

But some of those who remained, found a painful fate. Some stayed and remained silent. Some stayed and returned to the cinema, either with repentance or without, as we have witnessed their presence in Iranian cinema for years. But for example, Katayoun Amir Ebrahimi was able to return to the cinema after 27 years. Some were not as fortunate. Shahin Khalili, known by her stage name Niloufar, and Nasrin Khezak, known by her stage name Sepideh, are among those who still live in silence and only occasionally attend ceremonies to mourn their former colleagues. Zari Khoshkam, the late Ali Hatami’s wife, was able to act in some films under the name Zahra Hatami, either playing her husband’s spouse or in connection with her husband. She also appeared in the film “A Woman’s Image in a Remote Place” directed by Ali Mosaffa, her son-in-law.

“این تصویر یک مرد در حال خواندن کتاب در کتابخانه را نشان می‌دهد.”

“This image shows a man reading a book in the library.”
Kobra Saedi (Shahrzad), actress and one of the first female filmmakers in Iran.

But some also gave their lives in solitude and isolation. Iran Zazians, from this group, passed away at the age of 85 in Tehran. Parvin Kheirbakhsh, known by her stage name Forouzan, is another one of these figures. She passed away in isolation in Bahman 1394. Forouzan, in the midst of her memories, speaks of the difficult days she had in the 1990s in Iran, which she endured, as she puts it; days when she was no longer celebrated and people would throw water in her face at the fruit stand; the distance between that celebration and this water in the face was only a few months.

But the departure of actors, especially female actors, from the country was not limited to the beginning of the revolution. From those years, and especially from the beginning of the 1970s until just a few years ago, there have been cases of actors leaving the country. Zahra Amir Ebrahimi, a young Iranian actress, is one of those who fell victim to our Iranian cultural curiosity and bad habits. A film of a private relationship, attributed to her, was released and this film caused so much trouble for her in the middle of the 1980s that she was forced to leave Iran and settle in France. Even outside the country, Amir Ebrahimi was still active. In the last days of March 2017, in various cities in Sweden, her latest film, “Dowry and Democracy,” was shown.

But it is not only social issues that have caused Iranian actors to leave and cannot be. Shabnam Tolouei is another Iranian actor who, due to her belief in the Baha’i faith, was forced to leave Iran and has been living in Paris since 2004.

Mina Lakani is also another Iranian actress. She, who lives in America, announced in October 2011, with her presence without hijab, on the program “Shabahang” of Voice of America, that she has left the country. She cited the reason for her departure as the oppressive working conditions and support for the protests after the 2009 election (or the Green Movement). Lakani is also active artistically outside of the country. The comedy show “Sharp Strip” which she co-starred in with Seyed Mohammad Hosseini was performed in 2013. Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, a well-known TV host and comedian, is also among the exiled.

Fakhri Khoroosh, a well-known actor of both past and present years, became a resident of America since 1388 and stayed there due to illness.

But perhaps one of the most successful Iranian actors to leave Iran can be found in an artistic family: Golshifteh Farahani. She is the daughter of prominent Iranian cinema and theater actor and screenwriter, Behzad Farahani. Golshifteh Farahani has played leading roles in many powerful and influential Iranian films. Memorable films such as “Santouri”, “About Elly”, and “M for Mother” were made with directors from various spectrums, from Mehrjui to Farhadi and Sadr-Ameli. However, her role in the film “The Lies of the Victors” alongside Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio was painful for Golshifteh. In this film, she tried to abide by all the limitations of the country’s cinema, including the issue of hijab, but could not bear it and in 2008, she faced trouble and was banned from leaving the country. Golshifteh

But in recent years, Iranian cinema has witnessed a new wave of actors leaving the country. This new wave has mostly considered Europe as its destination, rather than America; the departures are towards Turkey and Malaysia, and this time a network called “GEM” has been mentioned. As a result, from 1394 onwards, a very extensive wave of Iranian actors joined the GEM network and began making various Iranian films and series on this network.

In a quick glance, the names of actors who have left Iran and joined the Jam community can be mentioned as follows, according to various news sources:

“این عکس یک پاییز زیباست”

This picture is a beautiful autumn.
“Chakameh Chamaneh is a new generation of actors who have left Iran.”

The following individuals are members of the Chamaneh group: Mani Kasraeian, Rabieh Eskooyi, Benjamin Ahmadi, Ramzin Kabriti, Baharak Salehnia, Hormoz Seirti, Behnaz Solimani, Pardis Afkari, Sepideh Zakeri, Meysam Lahak, Pouria Irani, Sanaz Zarinmehr, Melissa Mehraban, Kasra Raoufi, Mohsen Shadibakhsh, Betsabe Kazemi, Bahman Mofid, Morteza Aghili, Sara Bahonar, Nader Kimaram, Zanyar Ghasemi, Majid Ahmadi, Mahsa Mojarrad, and Mehran Mouzani.

But joining the group is not limited to actors; among them are individuals such as Abolfazl Atar, Mehdi Mazloumi, Saeed Ebrahimi Far, Abbas Moradian, and Ahmad Gharshasbi, who are also among the filmmakers and directors who have joined the group.

The blacklist is a recent phenomenon and has only occurred in recent years. Actors who have joined the list are generally young. During this period of exclusion and activities, many statements have been made by film officials. Some actors who have not migrated have also addressed the mistakes of their former colleagues, while others have taken a sympathetic stance. One such sympathetic and respectful stance towards the esteemed Dariush can be mentioned in relation to Ramsin Kabriti; a position that was brought up in an interview with Parsineh after discussions about Mr. Kabriti’s financial situation in Iran.

In recent departures and floods, various reasons have been mentioned for actors and artists turning towards Jam TV network. From investigations and pressures on Iranian female actors to the inability to act in films and series due to the existence of acting bans in Iranian cinema and television. Some people play a large number of films and series in a year, while others who make a living from this path are unable to act. Perhaps we can consider Rabe’e Eskooyi as one of these individuals who has taken the path of Jam TV for this reason.

One of the most important limitations in Iran, especially for young actresses, is the issue of mandatory hijab for women. This also applies to the younger generation of Iranian actors, who are not like the previous generation. The problem is the mandatory hijab for women, which prevents physical contact between men and women and, as a result, the portrayal of dramatic scenes in films. Brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, lovers and beloveds who can only look at each other from a distance, must abide by religious distance in films. Despite all of this, they are still subject to censorship, confiscation, and countless other tragedies. In this field, there is also a strong tendency towards personal preferences. In the series “Yousef, the Messenger of God” directed by Farajollah Salahshour, the issue of women’s hijab was not ignored and did not lead to censorship or scrutiny. However, when it comes to the recent film “Kanapeh” by Kian

After about four decades since the February 1979 revolution, which was supposed to bring spring and freedom, forced emigrations and departures are still ongoing. When in December 2016, Morteza Mirbaqeri, the deputy of the national broadcasting company, announced the closure of the TV schedule until 2018 (meaning that everything has been planned in advance) and later reported the return of some of the exiled artists, without mentioning their names. When the government, instead of questioning itself about what it has done to cause these capital outflows, continues to use words like “deceived” and “seduced” to describe the actors who have left the country. When female actors who have traveled abroad are worried that because they have acted without hijab outside the country, they will be accused when they return to Iran. When male actors who have traveled abroad (like Hooman Seyyedi) must first go to the Revolutionary Court upon their return and explain themselves, and

“این عکس یک منظره زیبا از کوهستان است که در آن آسمان آبی و ابرهای سفید درخشان است.”

This photo is a beautiful landscape of mountains with a bright blue sky and shining white clouds.
Behrouz Vosoughi and Golshifteh Farahani in the private theater of dreams.

From the day of the revolution until today, the focus has been on interests – from government interests to religious interests and security interests – ruling over the culture and art of the country; but the prerequisite for creativity and birth in art is complete freedom. The wings of creativity and the activity of the artist are either bound or looking for a place to be liberated, or remain trapped in their entirety. From the day of the revolution, they bound the wings; some birds flew away and some remained and were filled with sorrow. I wish one day the chains will be removed from the hands and feet of Iranian artists; that day will be a good day indeed.