Media in the shadow of politics/ Sina Kiani
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Sina Kiani
State television, cinema, and theater have always been available spaces for women to engage in, participate, and consume cultural productions. However, there has always been inequality in terms of time and location distribution compared to men. The position and power of women in each of these spaces is related to the political, economic, and social factors that dominate society. Regardless of the patriarchal culture and dominant tradition of male-centered thinking that has prevailed in the history of art in Iran, religious approaches have also been a part of the monitoring of culture and art in Iran. Among these, the degree of dependence of state television, cinema, and theater on centers of power and authority has had a significant impact on the position of women. In this article, we will briefly discuss the relationship between the three factors of state dependence, audience analysis, and economic aspects of these spaces and the role and position of women within them.
State television
After the revolution of Bahman 57 and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the national television became a platform for Islamic purification. Many artists and cultural figures were expelled, persecuted, arrested, and even killed, leading to a wave of despair in the cultural atmosphere of Iran. Some of these expulsions were based on gender. This state of uncertainty continued for several years after the revolution, and with the establishment of the Islamic Republic, art became a tool for promoting the ideology of the regime. The presence of women on television was carefully planned and controlled. Mandatory hijab and strict censorship became the norm, and the roles of women on television were limited to portraying the ideal image of an Iranian Muslim woman. Most media productions during this time were based on government propaganda, and as a result, television series reinforced gender discrimination, which was deeply ingrained in society. Even after the war and the end of the crisis, where women were portrayed as supporters of their husbands and soldiers, the role
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TV Series “Padar Salar” – 1374
In any case, state television, as an organization dependent on government budget and supported by the ruling authority responsible for cultural development based on ideological and Islamic principles, is characterized by rent-seeking, monopolistic position, and single voice, which has made it one of the most influential media in shaping the public opinion. Television audiences have a medium to low level of media literacy. Housewives and people in small towns are the main audience for television programs. Despite the widespread use of satellite networks in recent decades, television still holds a special place among its audience. Although this competition has had a significant impact on the quality of television productions, the fact that Persian-language satellite networks have a similar approach to Iranian television towards women has not led to a significant change in the status of women. Given the political and economic dependence of state television on the ruling authority, one cannot expect any significant changes in the status of women in its products, at least until there is a serious competitor.
Cinema
Cinema, however, has another story. Although censorship has always been present in the film industry, a relative independence has created a role of resistance to escape from the control of the ruling power. Since the first public screening of a film in 1904 by Mirza Ibrahim Sahaf, we have witnessed censorship by the film’s scriptwriters for the audience. In those years, few women had the desire or courage to appear in front of the camera. Women even refused to go to the cinema. The dry and critical looks towards this new industry created this atmosphere. As mentioned, censorship has existed from the beginning, as it did in world cinema, but the main criteria for censorship in Iran were political and sexual issues. From the film “Lor Girl” starring the famous Roohangiz Saminejad (perhaps the most famous woman of her time in the film industry) to foreign films such as “The Veteran”, “Falcon of the Desert” and “Invincible”, all have
The injustice that was imposed on women in the Iranian national cinema has no equal anywhere in the world. In a time when women were confined to the shadows of tradition and the silence of daily life, this emerging industry could have given them their rightful voice after years of silence. The magic of the 20th century could have worked wonders. But it did not happen, it did not act. The face of the Iranian woman portrayed in those years in the cinemas was the same dry thinking of the past. She was another woman. Her duty was still to reproduce the human workforce, be a housewife, and live a lowly life at home. These influences and effects were like a plague, not only in those years but even years after the new wave and intellectual cinema of Iran fell victim to this field.
With the emergence of the new wave of cinema in Iran in the late 1940s and the establishment of the Children’s Development Center in the same year, a new form of cinema was born. This cinema moved away from the elements of violence, sex, and ignorance and began to produce films that appealed to the middle class and educated youth. It was during this time that films such as “The Cow”, “Qeysar”, “Hassan Kachal”, “Tranquility in the Presence of Others”, and “The Ring” marked a new movement in Iranian cinema. This movement was in line with the modernization of Iran and took a more serious approach to human and social issues, portraying social contradictions and delving into abstract and profound themes in life. Despite the dominant patriarchal atmosphere in Iranian cinema, women were portrayed in a better social position compared to the past. They had a relative agency in social events and were no longer depicted as passive in romantic relationships.
“این عکس یک پرنده در حال پرواز است.”
“This picture shows a bird in flight.”
Sousan Tasslimi in the film “Bashu, the Little Stranger” – 1364.
After the revolution, we were faced with the phenomenon of compulsory hijab and the valorization of women’s identity. The relationship between filmmakers and the government in this new scene was very complicated. On one hand, the government’s efforts in the confiscation and seizure of cinemas and film companies, as well as the arrest and prohibition of work for many filmmakers and actors, made the scene completely discouraging. Perhaps if Mr. Khomeini’s speech in Paradise of Zahra had not been: “We are not against cinema, we are against obscenity,” there would be no hope of having cinema in Iran. From this point on, filmmakers used strategies of protest, defiance, bypassing censorship, and challenging Iranian cinema. Of course, before and after the Islamic Revolution, we have also had a few notable works. Films such as “A Simple Event,” “Stranger and the Fog,” “Downpour,” “Spring,” and a few others were made during those years but were not allowed to
During the war, the emergence of women as an active element in society was very important. After the period of development and the end of the war crisis, we witnessed the presence of more women in cinema during the era of political development. Women’s rights and restrictions were brought up. Although love of the romantic kind and passionate nights were still portrayed, this time it was in a more subtle way in films such as “Lady of Ordibehesht”, “Sweet Sorrows”, “Pear Tree”, “A Girl with Canvas Shoes”, “Lady”, “Leila”, “Sara”, and others. Women’s independence, their rights, and their demands were addressed in cinema. In the 1970s, women found a new face in cinema. Hatami Kia made “The Scent of Joseph’s Shirt” and “From Karkeh to Rayen”, Beizai directed “The Travelers”, and Rasoul Mollagholipour released “The Survivors”. Kian
The presence of female filmmakers and their concerns in representing the status of women in Iranian cinema is a turning point in advocating women’s rights and addressing multiple genders in Iran. Although many directors have tried to increase the success of their films in the market by emphasizing erotic aspects of women, films that go beyond these market perspectives and attempt to portray a more accurate representation of women and gender in Iran are often suppressed and confiscated. The confiscation of films by Jafar Panahi, Kianoush Ayyari, Alireza Amini, Fereydoun Jeyrani, Abolqasem Talebi, and Niki Karimi in recent years without any declared reason can be seen as a reflection of some filmmakers’ focus on the issue of women, which challenges many traditional concepts related to gender. However, the relative independence of intellectual filmmakers, the presence of the House of Cinema institution, the dependence of cinema on box office, and the separation of the progressive section of Iranian cinema
Theater
Theater in Iran is accompanied by the presence of women with a different mindset. The condition and attention to the rights and position of women as a social element and with the potential to participate in the male-dominated social world, was the starting point for the presence of women and breaking their taboos.
This is a picture of a beautiful garden.
Ludlow Exhibition Theater – 1393
The first theater in Iran was opened in 1263. However, women not only did not have the right to play roles in performances, but they also did not have the right to attend any shows. Performances were exclusively for men. In the second half of 1302, the Cultural and Artistic Assembly of Saadat-e-Nesvan was founded by Sari Amani in Rasht, and its first play, “The Wedding of the Salesgirl,” was performed on February 25, 1302 in five acts at the Oloosh Beyk Theater. This play criticized the unfavorable situation of women and girls in northern Iran. Most of the roles in this play were played by women. Most of the plays performed by this assembly emphasized the deprivation and violation of women’s rights. However, the important thing is that these women’s plays – written by women – only had the right to be performed in women-only gatherings and were only performed in a private manner for women;
In the year 1310, Amir Saadat launched the Saadat Theater with the first Iranian women. Shahrmani Gol, Pari Golubandaki, and Malook Molavi were the first female actors to step onto this stage and fight against the ignorance and blind and illogical prejudices of the time. They would go on stage every night and shine, but instead of receiving encouragement and bouquets of flowers, they would receive stones and insults. Fathers would disown their daughters and every night, a group of fanatics would storm the theaters to stop this “shamelessness.”
But the most important event of that time – which can be considered as a golden age in Iranian theater – was the establishment of the National Art Group under the leadership of Abbas Javanmard, which attracted many talented women to join the group. Additionally, the Anahita Theater was founded by Mostafa and Mahin Eskooyi, who focused on training actors and performing plays. In 1339, the performance was included in television programs and continued for 7 years until the nationalization of television. In the 1940s, the cultural landscape of Iran changed completely and this period can perhaps be called the flourishing era of theater and literature in Iran, especially for women in Iranian theater.
After the revolution, in the early 1990s, with the formation of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, theater officials in the country were busy organizing a festival to keep the theater scene alive. This festival, called the Fajr Theater Festival, was held from February 2nd to 11th, 1983, on the occasion of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. However, personal biases and misunderstandings of that time caused the festival to be neglected and poorly received for years. In the 1970s, with changes in the cultural management of the country, this festival gained popularity among many students, professors, and young artists. Following these changes, many female artists stepped onto the theater stage and even went on to perform internationally. From February 1999, the Fajr Theater Festival became an international festival, which not only showcased the works of Iranian artists but also featured several international works, including those of female artists, leading to significant advancements in the art of
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این عنوان تصویر است
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Hedda Gabler Theater – 1389 (The General Office of Performing Arts issued an order to stop the performance of this play after a few days, which had been staged at the city theater complex.)
In this period, suddenly, attention was drawn towards theater and female theater artists, and many students and enthusiasts turned towards the festival. Young talents who wanted to bring the future of theater in the country with them and keep its flame burning from generation to generation. But unfortunately, the lack of theater hardware facilities such as the lack of rehearsal and performance halls, insufficient theater budget (which did not change in proportion to the increase in the number of artists), and other shortcomings, caused these enthusiasts to either never find the opportunity to enter the field of theater, or enter it in a fleeting and neglected manner and leave it from another door; because even for previous generations, there were not enough facilities and months and years of waiting for a performance slot were the result of these shortages, which caused great concern for artists, including female theater artists in Iran.
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A brief explanation of the history of theater in Iran contains prominent points. One of the most important issues is the way theater identifies women. As it can be seen, theater has become intertwined with the women’s rights movement. Apart from its artistic aspect and the presence of women in theater, it holds a meaning of struggle and a form of armed art for women. In Iran, theater has attracted a higher number of media-literate audiences compared to cinema and television. This has resulted in less censorship and limited restrictions on theater. Additionally, the complexity of theater and its foundation in high literature has made it difficult for the government to interfere and create alternatives for government-controlled theaters. Therefore, it seems that based on the intersection of dependence on the government, audience demographics, and economic issues, it can be considered that the position of women in theater is much higher and has more freedom compared to cinema and television.
Explanation:
Some parts of the section related to theater are taken from: Radman, Saba, the history of women’s presence in Iranian theater, Iran Theater website.
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