New Iranian Cinema

For a country regularly demonised by the west - particularly Uncle Sam - Iran punches above its weight when it comes to internationally renowned directors.  Individually and collectively the artists of the ‘New Iranian Cinema’ have forged a humanistic, deceptively simple style detailing the microdramas of ordinary citizens, a powerfully evocative body of work that’s often compared to that of the Italian Neo Realists of the immediate post-war years.

Auteur House stocks works by three of Iran’s greatest filmmakers: Abbas Kiarostami, Majid Majidi and Jafar Panahi.

While Kiarostami is thought of by many as the best director in the world his oblique dramas and deliberate repetitions can alienate audiences  expecting the type of basic narrative information usual in western cinema.  His 1997 Palm d’ Or winning “Taste of Cherry” is for example the story of a man driving around the streets of Tehran, looking for someone to help him commit suicide.  Why he wants to kill himself is never made clear.  It’s almost as if it’s irrelevant.  The crux of the film is how, through the example of those he interacts with, the man changes his melancholy perspective on life.

Majid Majidi’s output is much more accessible.  His 1998 “Children of Heaven” became the first Iranian movie ever nominated for an Oscar.  His seemingly basic stories about childhood aspirations and disappointment have a universal appeal that transcends cultural specifics.

Jafar Panahi’s early film “The White Balloon”, the tale of a 7 year old who wants a goldfish, shows surface similarity to Majidi’s work.  However, Panahi’s art also has a political edge.  He is particularly interested in the plight of women in Iranian society.  His 2006 comedy “Offside” is about a group of females disguising themselves as men in order to watch a soccer game.

For daring to in anyway criticise the ruling regime Panahi was sentenced to six years imprisonment in December 2010.  Whatever the sophistication of Iranian filmmakers there’s precious little evidence of such in their government.