“In Sync with the People”, “Anti-Dictatorship”, “Independent”, and “Strong” are titles used to describe the “Free Art” movement in Iran. The Free Art movement, which became more radical and widespread after the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, showed that the artistic community in Iran is aligned and in harmony with the ideals of the “Women’s Freedom Movement”. The reality is that in the Mahsa movement, everyone, in their own way, injected new blood into the Free Art movement: artists, actors, singers, sculptors, directors, etc. Although there are still artists who are not in line with the desires of the general public, there are countless independent and free-thinking artists who see not following existing laws as their choice. A choice that has turned into a political and social action.

After the Mahsa movement, a free-thinking approach towards the art scene emerged in most artistic fields. For example, in the film industry, the head of 

From breaking taboos to boldness in storytelling.We asked this young director about the possibilities that an underground theater provides for an artist to create a work, and his answer is noteworthy: “In underground performances, certain topics that were censored, such as not adhering to mandatory veiling and avoiding discussing current political issues, were eliminated in a radical way. Aside from these issues, another event was happening that may have been sterile, but it brought about significant results: now artists could be more outspoken about political and social issues and existing limitations. This openness was not limited to just the issue of veiling, but it was a more radical form of revealing oneself.”

He goes on to mention an interview with Kiarostami about his film “Like Someone in Love” and quotes him saying, “In a scene where the actress has to take off her clothes and get ready, no matter how much I try to avoid it, even if there is no censorship involved, it feels difficult for me to film a female actress while she is taking off 

Hijab, the most important visual subject of underground theater.This artist believes that the issue of hijab is currently the most important visual feature of underground theater. Referring to a recent unauthorized theater performance, he says: “In many scenes, the actress wore a hijab, meaning that in an unauthorized work, there is still the possibility for an artist to address a subject that is important to them.” This artist, by stating that underground theater does not fight censorship but rather completely bypasses it, says: “In underground performances, I think there is a different kind of censorship. For example, some people were not brave enough to perform because they had this question in their minds, why should we perform? I think there was another kind of censorship that was more terrifying, as if people were isolated islands and there was distance between them. I think this is what made the continuation of this process not what was expected.”

This artist brings criticism to the underground theater scene, which in itself is thought-provoking: “Some audience members would come, watch 

Theater in Iran has become a movement.

Independent theater director, stating that most of the people he has worked with have chosen to work independently – despite the threats and problems that come with it – emphasizes that individuals must act in line with their own ideology: “I go to those whose actions and ideology are in harmony. There are many who choose the official art scene and do not accept underground activities, and vice versa. Of course, no one can force others to do something by force. Working in an unofficial space has many challenges and risks, from the authorities of the venue to the people you want to collaborate with, they may hinder or be afraid of certain issues or factors.”

Referring to the fact that the process of obtaining a license in Iran will never be easy, he says: “If someone is currently active, it can be said that they are actually doing a political-social act. Even in my opinion, it is no longer a political act and has become a choice; the choice that some individuals no longer want to collaborate 

Underground theater and the biggest problem.

The director of the play “Process” addressed the issues in the underground theater at the end of the performance. He believes that the main problems are related to the supply sector and says about this: “In my opinion, the underground theater is a package of problems. Some of the problems are related to construction, which almost all artists in this field face. It used to be that we would advertise based on the number of performances, but now everything is uncertain and the situation is terrible. For example, I had designed my own performance for another venue, but that venue stopped hosting underground performances. I was left with two options, and eventually I decided to change my design based on other venues and go to other theaters.”

He also mentions other problems in the underground theater and adds: “There is no specific place for advertising and we had created our own flow, like a gallery where performers would share their work. We were trying to create a flow for the underground theater and inject our own blood into