Festival Censors Controversial Films

The Fajr Film Festival has refused to screen at least six controversial films.

The festival, which is overseen by the Ministry of Islamic Guidance and Culture, is marred by controversy most years, with filmmakers and film lovers alike accusing the board of directors of censorship and bowing to pressure from authorities.

Actors, producers, and directors spoke out against the board’s decision to exclude certain films, which runs from February 1 to February 10.

Many hardliner politicians and activists have been outspoken over the Rouhani administration's cultural policies over the last year, and, by agreeing to eliminate “problematic” films, festival organizers clearly hoped to avoid confrontation and further interference.

One filmmaker, Abdolreza Kahani, said, despite his willingness to make agreed cuts, the board rejected his film Uninterrupted Rest.

Kahani told a news conference that the board had originally considered including his film. “Surprisingly enough, they showed me the list of accepted films, and I had a meeting with the ministry’s people,” Kahani said. “I fixed the date for screening the film in Milad Hall.” He said he and festival authorities had discussed the best time of day to screen the film, which might not be appropriate for all audiences. 

Kahani said it was agreed that his film, which was produced in France, would be shown as part of the international section of the festival, which takes place in May. “I even agreed to censorship for the first time in my life and promised to make changes. But then things changed.”

Kahani said this, and complaints by other filmmakers, undermine the credibility of the board.

The criteria for determining which films are showcased in the festival is not made public, but it is widely accepted among the art and film community that films are excluded on non-artistic grounds, and usually because they address political or social issues or explore taboo subjects.

Representatives of the censorship department of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance often sit on the festival’s board of directors, as do members of other vetting institutions. Board members have the power to veto films.

The festival is widely covered in Iranian and international media, and can have a real impact on a filmmaker’s career. “I am always aware of the outcome and am really concerned about the consequences,” Kahani says.

"We do not censor"

But board member Ahmad Amini denies government involvement. “Our only criteria in evaluating the films is the quality,” he said.

“In our meetings with government representatives we do not talk about censorship,” Amini told Café Cinema. “Censorship falls within the duties of the permission committee.”

Mohammad Ali Bashe Ahangar, who also sits on the board, said it is “not their mission” to censor.

One festival authority implied that some of the films had not been submitted according to guidelines, and that certain parts of them had been altered. “We used to watch the full version of the films,” he said, commenting on Kahani’s film.“This film had obtained screening permission but what the festival board saw was a 74-minute version. Many parts of the film, such as the football match, had been omitted.” He said that the film had been assessed in line with standard festival procedure. “Kahani’s film received three votes out of seven in the first round, and this was true of the second round as well.”

Iran’s film industry had hoped the board of directors would demonstrate a greater degree of openness this year. On January 5, the Iranian Association of Filmmakers wrote to President Rouhani, expressing their concern about the government’s cultural policies and the general health of arts and culture in Iran.

During Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency, the Fajr Film Festival was accused of widespread censorship. When Hassan Rouhani was elected in June 2013, artists and filmmakers expressed optimism. But, 18 months on, many have been disappointed with the administration's failure to ensure greater artistic freedom. 

Are festival authorities just like the government?

Kahani said it was not surprising that his film had been excluded from the festival, because none of his films had been accepted before due to government interference.

“The surprising part is the behavior of the festival authorities, which exactly resembles that of the previous government,” Kahani said, referring to Ahmadinejad’s presidency. “Mr Sajadpour told me that my film did not get enough votes, and that Fajr Festival is not for me. My films are neither shown in the inauguration ceremony nor in the final ceremony.”

Taboo by Khosro Ma’soumi did not receive enough votes to make it to the festival, according to Ahmad Amini. Ma’soumi accused the board of censorship and said it had chosen to “stay on the safe side” when making its decisions. The film is a rural love story that explores social issues. Another film by Ma’soumi, Bear, will not be screened at the festival either.

One of the most controversial entries was I Want To, by prominent Iranian filmmaker Bahman Farmanara. Amini said Farmanara withdrew the film from the festival, but the film’s producer, Ali Taghipour, said the film had been excluded.

“Due to there being a limit of 22 films in the competition section of the festival, and also considering the fact that the director withdrew the film, we removed it from the list,” the ministry stated. Amini insisted that the film was not removed because of censorship.

Mohsen Amiryousefi’s 2013 Lovely Garbage, which was rejected for the 2013 festival, did not make it through for this year's festival either. Amiryousefi, whose film Bitter Dream was shown at international film festivals, hoped Lovely Garbage might be reconsidered this year.

The board rejected Amber Whale, a film by Saman Moghaddam, which chronicles the bitter love stories of a character called Arzhang. “Mr Moghaddam did not fill out the festival forms and we were not able to watch his film,” said Amini. The film’s director and producer did not comment on Amini’s statement, but there were rumors that the film had been rejected because of controversial elements.

Film directors and producers were not the only ones who protested against the elimination of films from the festival; actors such as Taraneh Alidoosti and Pegah Ahangarani also complained about their films not being screened.

Actress Taraneh Alidoosti expressed frustration that two of the films he performed in — Ali Alizadeh’s Atomic Heart Mother and Kahani’s Uninterrupted Rest — were not being featured.  

“People will see these films sooner or later,” said Alidoosti, who said he was proud to have been involved in both productions. “These two films finally satisfied me after playing in average films before. After many years, I feel that I have done something worth exploring,” he said. “More than that, I have regained my ambition.”

Actor Pegah Ahangarani said it was a pity that a film she starred in, Nearer, directed by Mostafa Ahmadi, had been excluded from this year’s event.

Other filmmakers affected by the board’s decisions include Khosro Sinaii and Cyrus Alvand.

All of the rejected films had been put forth for the festival’s Simorgh Awards, which recognize outstanding films in a number of categories each year.