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thank you
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foreign
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foreign
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foreign
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thank you
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foreign
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this is a scene from the Iranian film
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tall Shadows of the Wind made only one
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year before the Iranian Revolution the
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scene shows the people of a village
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revolting against the tyrannical
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scarecrows that had been ruling their
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lives and controlling their Destinies
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the scene however is not a typical one
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in a country in which dictatorship is a
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political tradition a provocative scene
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like this would not be tolerated by the
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sensors so it comes as no surprise that
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the next scene appears to serve as a
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disclaimer we realize that what we saw
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was only a dream scene the last dream of
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a dying man who made a one-man attempt
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to fight the despotic scarecrows and
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failed the dream however is still alive
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at his deathbed the dying man a driver
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hands a piece of rock to the Village
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teacher something he has carried with
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him while battling the scarecrows in a
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symbolic way he is leaving the task of
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fighting to the school teacher
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ah
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a
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in spite of it's being a dream the
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uprising scene is a symbolically
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significant one since it accurately
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reflects the long-standing dream of a
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Nation for a liberating Revolution a
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dream that has always been betrayed
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there are more Vivid if less defiant
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variations on the theme of betrayal of
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the dreams and other socially committed
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Iranian films in dead end the
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protagonist is a young woman living in a
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cul-de-sac in the capital city of Tehran
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foreign
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her life begins to change one rainy
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morning when she finds out she is being
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watched and followed by a man
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this is a traditional custom sometimes
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practiced by a man who's seriously
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considering a woman for marriage
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for a typical Iranian girl in her
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situation marriage could open a door out
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of a dead-end alley and out of many
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social dead ends here she is a young
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adolescent young girl
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living alone with her mother
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the brother is is away comes back
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sometime
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um she's of a marrying age
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and she thinks she's found someone who's
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interested in her and that marriage will
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come
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back
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yet
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foreign
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foreign
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why did you choose to have two empty
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seats at the dining table
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where those two seats belongs to
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two absent men
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the father has died and the brother is
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gone
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we don't know where
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but it's uh
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is presented these two uh
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women need support
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um
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foreign
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foreign
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foreign
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foreign
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foreign
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Muhammad
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what I said
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foreign
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it's terribly downbeat in American terms
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he hasn't been
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her admirer yes I spoke in the sense he
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has but
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um nevertheless he's been following her
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to capture her brother
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and the film ends with with her with him
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the pursuer taking the brother away in
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handcuffed
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leaving the girl in in tears in
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Desolation
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it's not until the end I suppose partly
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the the slightly slightly menacing
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appearance of the of the Civic agent
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that you realize that actually although
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she wasn't living in fear because she
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was very naive she should have been and
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her greatest mistake was not to have
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been living in fear and that's what
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ended up with her brother being taken
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away to torture and possibly there
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parvis the director of dead end like
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many other Iranian filmmakers has been
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living in Exile since the 1979
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Revolution a revolution that brought him
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his own bitter share of betrayed hopes
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and Shattered Dreams what do you think
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happens to the girl after the shadowing
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experience she goes through in the film
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uh
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she gets a little bit experienced
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she would receive a kind of
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not a mortal blow but a blow to her
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her self-esteem and and her confidence
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in herself
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which it would take him many years to
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recover from because she had the double
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Hollow of of being partly responsible
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for her brother being taken away and
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also of having somebody that she thought
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might be uh a fascinating husband about
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whom she built up this tremendous sort
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of imaginative investment
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um turned out not to be interested in
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her at all
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and therefore in personality terms
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a terrible wound a terrible double wound
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[Music]
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thinning is a beautiful film
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beautiful in in every sense that I can
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that I can think of
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it's very subtle colors
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um almost
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um into black and white because I'm
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certain that syad wanted that that film
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to to have a a gloomy
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repressive
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overall effect in his use of a of a
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street
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out of which the young girl the heroin
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constantly looks is at a dead end and at
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that dead end there's the message you
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know flat out dead end no place to go
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from here and beautifully done
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these films are making a very heavy
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allusion to the incredibly destructive
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effects of having such a system of
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surveillance
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widespread from the country even
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stretching into tiny villages in the
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middle of nowhere
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the setting for tall Shadows of the wind
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seems to be one of those tiny villages
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in the middle of nowhere in the
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beginning of the film we see the
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inhabitants of the village in a mass
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ritual praying that their gods send them
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a liberator someone to bring them
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prosperity and justice
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this is
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hoping for Liberation the villagers
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start erecting a scarecrow for their
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protection but ironically the Scarecrow
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soon multiplies itself into a tyrannical
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Army of scarecrows and begins to
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terrorize the villagers
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yes we make our own dictators
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because we can tear them apart if you
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like
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and and this is why the title tall
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Shadows of the wind really comes I have
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from
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a sentence that if you know
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the origin of the Wind You are never
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afraid of the tall Shadows of the Wind
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and that's what we really are proposing
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in this particular firm that we make
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these deities ourselves and they start
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ruling our lives and this is why in the
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film that they make a scarecrow for a
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very very simple economical reasons not
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religious reasons because they want
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better crop and so on and that
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scarecrow eventually
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it starts ruling the village
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now the fact that
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it actually happened
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because
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we made Khomeini we made the Shah
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and if we always have been having
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dictators all through our history there
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is something inherently wrong
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with us as people
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and this is why I was proposing that we
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should turn down start a little bit
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the
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early pervasive sense of fear by a
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regime of systematic Terror
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to the point where
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the system of informers under which with
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which every television operates
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Nobody ends up by trusting anybody else
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people become incredibly individualized
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isolated they won't talk to their
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neighbors or their friends or their or
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even their their closest their husbands
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or their mothers
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um about the experiences they've had we
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started the beginning of the film with a
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lot of color in the clothing in the uh
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decorations in the rooms and everything
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you see very vibrant colors everywhere
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and as the fear of this character
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gradually grows we have faded out the
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colors I mean you potentially see the
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same address worn by the same woman but
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we had three shades of it and in the
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last 45 minutes of the film you're
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practically seeing black and white in
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color before the Revolution sequence and
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that's why it shocks I mean the red
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sharks so much and then immediately
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after that we go more or less to Total
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black and white in the funeral
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procession
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and uh one of the objects was as the
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fear grows the color out of our Lives
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goes out and I just wanted to do this so
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gradually that it's not a shocking
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aspect but eventually it's there
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I think like in many
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Nations there are of course two levels
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of Iranian film there's a popular level
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in a more artistic level
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but one of the things that's most
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interesting about both levels is that on
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the popular level and on the artistic
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level there's an extraordinarily moral
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quality to Iranian film foreign
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[Music]
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even when we have films that are rather
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political in nature the basic ideals and
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and morality of Iranian life are being
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pointed up and being emphasized
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[Music]
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thank you
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foreign
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[Music]
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[Music]
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there are a great number of themes which
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deal with the defeat or destruction of
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the main character
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but I think if we examine the Iranian
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moral Universe more carefully we find
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that there are many many examples where
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what seems to be defeat can actually be
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a victory as long as it's a moral
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victory
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the main character achieves this moral
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Victory by refusing to sell out or
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refusing to yield to a superior power
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which is corrupt and illegitimate and
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this is a this is the theme that we find
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again and again in in uh in many Iranian
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films even in a a situation where the
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where the character seems to be utterly
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devastated
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the real
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00:22:10,460 --> 00:22:14,940
Redemption the real hero in the film May
290
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:17,580
in fact in this case be The Spectator
291
00:22:14,940 --> 00:22:21,900
because the spectator becomes made aware
292
00:22:17,579 --> 00:22:24,658
of the disparity between a a corrupt
293
00:22:21,900 --> 00:22:28,559
Superior power and a person who's been
294
00:22:24,659 --> 00:22:31,679
victimized by that power so the the
295
00:22:28,558 --> 00:22:34,980
feeling of moral enhancement or moral
296
00:22:31,679 --> 00:22:36,780
Enlightenment is is achieved in in this
297
00:22:34,980 --> 00:22:39,659
kind of uh of this kind of plot
298
00:22:36,779 --> 00:22:41,579
construction Dr William Beeman a
299
00:22:39,659 --> 00:22:42,740
professor of anthropology at Brown
300
00:22:41,579 --> 00:22:45,000
University
301
00:22:42,740 --> 00:22:47,640
specializes in cross-cultural
302
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:51,000
communication he spent more than 11
303
00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:54,780
years in Iran prior to the 1979
304
00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:57,240
Revolution studying the Iranian arts and
305
00:22:54,779 --> 00:22:59,940
culture one of the
306
00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:02,099
most important aspects of Iranian
307
00:22:59,940 --> 00:23:04,919
political film is that it's cast in an
308
00:23:02,099 --> 00:23:06,918
Iranian symbolic universe that means
309
00:23:04,919 --> 00:23:09,960
that in order to be able to understand
310
00:23:06,919 --> 00:23:12,179
Iranian political film we also have to
311
00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:15,000
understand Iranian literature and poetry
312
00:23:12,179 --> 00:23:18,179
and to a certain extent other artistic
313
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:20,640
Traditions like like music and painting
314
00:23:18,179 --> 00:23:23,240
I think that there's no form of artistic
315
00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:27,200
expression in Iran which is especially
316
00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:29,700
direct and easily accessible
317
00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:32,700
all forms of artistic expressions in
318
00:23:29,700 --> 00:23:35,400
Iran have many many layers to them and
319
00:23:32,700 --> 00:23:39,538
this is no less true about the cinema so
320
00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:43,798
that the political Cinema in Iran has a
321
00:23:39,538 --> 00:23:46,640
a great deal of symbolism and the
322
00:23:43,798 --> 00:23:49,558
symbolic layering in its construction
323
00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:51,480
but this also gives it an artistic
324
00:23:49,558 --> 00:23:53,279
Dimension which can be appreciated over
325
00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,319
and above the political dimensions of
326
00:23:53,279 --> 00:23:57,779
the film and this is one of the reasons
327
00:23:55,319 --> 00:24:00,240
why I feel it's one of the more
328
00:23:57,779 --> 00:24:02,599
interesting cinematic traditions in the
329
00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,599
world today
330
00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:22,678
the cow is the film that started an
331
00:24:20,579 --> 00:24:25,619
Iranian film Renaissance in the early
332
00:24:22,679 --> 00:24:27,720
70s it was smuggled out to the Venice
333
00:24:25,619 --> 00:24:30,599
Film Festival where it won tremendous
334
00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:33,480
critical Acclaim and for the first time
335
00:24:30,599 --> 00:24:34,319
placed Iran on the International Film
336
00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:37,319
map
337
00:24:34,319 --> 00:24:37,319
Central
338
00:24:39,880 --> 00:24:51,720
[Music]
339
00:24:49,140 --> 00:24:54,480
this highly original film depicts the
340
00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:56,940
Hopeless extent of poverty in an Iranian
341
00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:59,640
Village the only cow in the village
342
00:24:56,940 --> 00:25:01,740
suddenly dies and its death deeply
343
00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:02,759
affects the collective life of the
344
00:25:01,740 --> 00:25:04,880
village
345
00:25:02,759 --> 00:25:04,879
yeah
346
00:25:10,940 --> 00:25:18,419
one day we were walking with uh the
347
00:25:15,298 --> 00:25:21,720
famous writer and he suggested that I
348
00:25:18,419 --> 00:25:25,440
should read again the story of the cow
349
00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:28,319
in his book Azad bayal the bayels
350
00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:30,659
mourners anyway
351
00:25:28,319 --> 00:25:33,000
I read that and I found a lot of
352
00:25:30,659 --> 00:25:34,620
possibilities Potentials in the story
353
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:37,259
but of course the story was a short
354
00:25:34,619 --> 00:25:40,558
story so we had to develop it and that's
355
00:25:37,259 --> 00:25:43,940
where I started utilizing the other
356
00:25:40,558 --> 00:25:48,319
stories in that book and somehow uh
357
00:25:43,940 --> 00:25:53,700
coordinating them together and making a
358
00:25:48,319 --> 00:25:56,399
total story as we see it in the film and
359
00:25:53,700 --> 00:26:01,620
then we work together you know on the
360
00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:03,298
screenplay for I remember for 10 or 12.
361
00:26:01,619 --> 00:26:06,599
days
362
00:26:03,298 --> 00:26:09,418
and then then when the screen play was
363
00:26:06,599 --> 00:26:10,619
ready it was the problem was to find a
364
00:26:09,419 --> 00:26:13,740
producer
365
00:26:10,619 --> 00:26:17,819
and of course none of the existing
366
00:26:13,740 --> 00:26:20,579
producers would there to invest in in a
367
00:26:17,819 --> 00:26:22,259
film like that so we submitted it to the
368
00:26:20,579 --> 00:26:24,480
mystery of culture as a kind of a
369
00:26:22,259 --> 00:26:25,619
documentary film and they had the
370
00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:27,298
tradition of making you know
371
00:26:25,619 --> 00:26:29,819
documentaries and things like that so
372
00:26:27,298 --> 00:26:32,460
hopefully we we could arrange the budget
373
00:26:29,819 --> 00:26:34,220
and also utilizing all the
374
00:26:32,460 --> 00:26:37,740
um
375
00:26:34,220 --> 00:26:39,839
actors of the ministry of culture who
376
00:26:37,740 --> 00:26:41,038
were already employed in the theater
377
00:26:39,839 --> 00:26:43,678
section
378
00:26:41,038 --> 00:26:47,700
but this doesn't diminish its its power
379
00:26:43,679 --> 00:26:51,120
it has a film about an individual who
380
00:26:47,700 --> 00:26:54,720
has everything that means anything to
381
00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:58,259
him in the world taken away from it in
382
00:26:54,720 --> 00:27:01,798
in some mysterious fashion his his cow
383
00:26:58,259 --> 00:27:05,099
the the thing that provides him with all
384
00:27:01,798 --> 00:27:09,179
sustenance and every aspect of life dies
385
00:27:05,099 --> 00:27:12,658
and then the The Village society in
386
00:27:09,179 --> 00:27:17,220
which he lives conceals this from him
387
00:27:12,659 --> 00:27:19,500
uh and he eventually is driven mad by
388
00:27:17,220 --> 00:27:21,980
his inability to find out what the the
389
00:27:19,500 --> 00:27:21,980
truth is
390
00:27:33,179 --> 00:27:41,159
the cow dies we don't know how or why
391
00:27:36,900 --> 00:27:44,700
and it I mean this this riddle remains
392
00:27:41,159 --> 00:27:47,580
uh all through the film but the impact
393
00:27:44,700 --> 00:27:49,620
of this death upon the villagers and
394
00:27:47,579 --> 00:27:53,038
particularly on majnasan is is
395
00:27:49,619 --> 00:27:56,099
tremendous so much so that masha-san out
396
00:27:53,038 --> 00:27:58,579
of his love or his attachment to this
397
00:27:56,099 --> 00:28:02,240
animal he gradually
398
00:27:58,579 --> 00:28:05,658
undergoes a severe
399
00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:09,058
change in his psychological Outlook
400
00:28:05,659 --> 00:28:10,140
so much so that he somehow considers
401
00:28:09,058 --> 00:28:13,859
himself
402
00:28:10,140 --> 00:28:17,159
as a cow he just identifies himself so
403
00:28:13,859 --> 00:28:19,259
much with this animal that he believes
404
00:28:17,159 --> 00:28:19,470
that he is the cow himself
405
00:28:19,259 --> 00:28:21,359
[Music]
406
00:28:19,470 --> 00:28:24,980
[Applause]
407
00:28:21,359 --> 00:28:29,699
this concept of the lover being
408
00:28:24,980 --> 00:28:32,759
a dissolved or into the object of love
409
00:28:29,700 --> 00:28:36,538
in other words the the synthesis of
410
00:28:32,759 --> 00:28:39,200
lover and the Beloved is one of the main
411
00:28:36,538 --> 00:28:42,119
concepts of uh for instance
412
00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:43,500
Arabi when he talks about the
413
00:28:42,119 --> 00:28:46,678
metaphysical love
414
00:28:43,500 --> 00:28:51,319
that in this Quest
415
00:28:46,679 --> 00:28:54,960
the domestic undergoes he somehow
416
00:28:51,319 --> 00:28:58,019
out of pure love or out of the richness
417
00:28:54,960 --> 00:29:01,159
of his love for for the object he
418
00:28:58,019 --> 00:29:01,158
becomes the other
419
00:29:01,250 --> 00:29:06,359
[Applause]
420
00:29:03,419 --> 00:29:08,400
there's something so insane about this
421
00:29:06,359 --> 00:29:10,558
character and about his obsession
422
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:13,080
there's an Aristotelian problem with it
423
00:29:10,558 --> 00:29:15,119
it becomes so pathological that that you
424
00:29:13,079 --> 00:29:17,339
feel that this is an excessive
425
00:29:15,119 --> 00:29:20,158
example of it and you know it it does
426
00:29:17,339 --> 00:29:21,178
indicate that the narrow margin how
427
00:29:20,159 --> 00:29:22,679
close
428
00:29:21,179 --> 00:29:25,278
you know these people are to the
429
00:29:22,679 --> 00:29:25,278
breaking point
430
00:29:35,829 --> 00:29:48,399
[Music]
431
00:29:54,140 --> 00:29:57,320
so much
432
00:29:57,799 --> 00:30:02,470
[Music]
433
00:30:17,130 --> 00:30:20,199
[Music]
434
00:30:23,690 --> 00:30:31,720
[Applause]
435
00:30:36,058 --> 00:30:39,058
foreign
436
00:30:54,960 --> 00:31:02,979
[Music]
437
00:31:03,298 --> 00:31:05,129
foreign
438
00:31:04,430 --> 00:31:08,679
[Music]
439
00:31:05,130 --> 00:31:08,679
[Applause]
440
00:31:10,569 --> 00:31:13,970
[Music]
441
00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:31,259
here's a man whose greatest possession
442
00:31:28,798 --> 00:31:33,960
in life is a cow
443
00:31:31,259 --> 00:31:38,000
when the car was gone
444
00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:38,000
um so to speak his life is gone
445
00:31:39,839 --> 00:31:47,699
the film is actually is the love of a
446
00:31:43,980 --> 00:31:49,200
man for another being which happens now
447
00:31:47,700 --> 00:31:52,200
to be a cow
448
00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:53,278
and she's also pregnant and giving milk
449
00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:55,500
to the
450
00:31:53,278 --> 00:31:58,079
villagers and the village is also very
451
00:31:55,500 --> 00:32:01,259
poor because they have only one cow if
452
00:31:58,079 --> 00:32:03,000
you are familiar with Iranian Islamic
453
00:32:01,259 --> 00:32:05,460
philosophy philosophy of mysticism
454
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:08,179
especially but some of their ideas are
455
00:32:05,460 --> 00:32:08,179
Incorporated
456
00:32:08,339 --> 00:32:14,879
I showed the cow to my film class along
457
00:32:12,839 --> 00:32:17,038
with another Bolivian film blood of the
458
00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:19,520
Condor because both of them it seemed to
459
00:32:17,038 --> 00:32:22,440
me were Classics of the mid 60s
460
00:32:19,519 --> 00:32:24,898
and therefore Classics of the the
461
00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:27,000
present wave of new filmmaking which is
462
00:32:24,898 --> 00:32:29,879
taking place in the third world both of
463
00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:32,398
them give a very strong sense for
464
00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:35,460
immediate realities in an impoverished
465
00:32:32,398 --> 00:32:37,439
Village in the third world
466
00:32:35,460 --> 00:32:39,899
I should say I also chose the cow
467
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:41,460
because when I was giving that version
468
00:32:39,898 --> 00:32:45,359
of the film course
469
00:32:41,460 --> 00:32:47,700
I began the course by trying to focus on
470
00:32:45,359 --> 00:32:50,038
images of the third world in the United
471
00:32:47,700 --> 00:32:52,980
States and at that stage particularly
472
00:32:50,038 --> 00:32:55,558
the image of Iran was one of the the
473
00:32:52,980 --> 00:32:57,899
clearest in in people's minds the the
474
00:32:55,558 --> 00:33:00,418
whole barrage of hostile propaganda
475
00:32:57,898 --> 00:33:02,219
which circulated within this country and
476
00:33:00,419 --> 00:33:04,140
uh therefore it struck me as being a
477
00:33:02,220 --> 00:33:07,079
good thing to to say well okay let's
478
00:33:04,140 --> 00:33:08,880
look at how Iranians Define Iran rather
479
00:33:07,079 --> 00:33:09,658
than simply how the American networks do
480
00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,600
it
481
00:33:09,659 --> 00:33:16,200
what the film did or would do for any
482
00:33:12,599 --> 00:33:19,019
audience which is alert to issues beyond
483
00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:21,120
the immediate backyard is that it showed
484
00:33:19,019 --> 00:33:24,839
the humanity and sensitivity
485
00:33:21,119 --> 00:33:27,839
of the villagers in trying to deal with
486
00:33:24,839 --> 00:33:30,058
this case of psychiatric breakdown and
487
00:33:27,839 --> 00:33:31,619
that was a very different image which
488
00:33:30,058 --> 00:33:34,079
was important for me to show a very
489
00:33:31,619 --> 00:33:35,459
different image of Iranians uh than the
490
00:33:34,079 --> 00:33:37,558
one presented on the network which
491
00:33:35,460 --> 00:33:39,480
showed them as Perpetual chanting
492
00:33:37,558 --> 00:33:43,079
Fanatics
493
00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:44,278
um and I think it was an illumination to
494
00:33:43,079 --> 00:33:46,558
the students
495
00:33:44,278 --> 00:33:49,859
I also had to point out that this was
496
00:33:46,558 --> 00:33:52,859
oil Niche event that was being portrayed
497
00:33:49,859 --> 00:33:55,199
I think that anybody showing that film
498
00:33:52,859 --> 00:33:56,939
would probably have to emphasize that
499
00:33:55,200 --> 00:34:00,140
point and bring it out
500
00:33:56,940 --> 00:34:02,940
one reason that the film actually was
501
00:34:00,140 --> 00:34:05,340
censored was confiscated for about a
502
00:34:02,940 --> 00:34:08,700
year and a half or two years was
503
00:34:05,339 --> 00:34:11,159
particularly because of that because
504
00:34:08,699 --> 00:34:13,939
at that time if you remember it was the
505
00:34:11,159 --> 00:34:16,679
peak of Shaw's
506
00:34:13,940 --> 00:34:19,740
modern civilization he was talking about
507
00:34:16,679 --> 00:34:22,019
the threshold that that now we are going
508
00:34:19,739 --> 00:34:24,358
now from the third world to the first
509
00:34:22,019 --> 00:34:26,460
world or things like that and right in
510
00:34:24,358 --> 00:34:28,679
the midst of all these talks then comes
511
00:34:26,460 --> 00:34:31,398
this film which shows you know a very
512
00:34:28,679 --> 00:34:35,220
poor Village and the people are
513
00:34:31,398 --> 00:34:39,299
not you know the the desirable types
514
00:34:35,219 --> 00:34:42,118
that the the government wanted to have
515
00:34:39,300 --> 00:34:46,139
so that's how we we came into a lot of
516
00:34:42,119 --> 00:34:47,579
conflict with censorship but I mean the
517
00:34:46,139 --> 00:34:50,159
critics or the historians they
518
00:34:47,579 --> 00:34:52,440
considered that this is the first time
519
00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:56,099
in the Iranian Cinema that the film came
520
00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:59,400
out which could relate to both the
521
00:34:56,099 --> 00:35:01,460
public in general and also to the
522
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:04,440
critics to the art
523
00:35:01,460 --> 00:35:06,420
historians to the sinas ETC
524
00:35:04,440 --> 00:35:09,539
this element of
525
00:35:06,420 --> 00:35:12,838
simple stories documentary fashion you
526
00:35:09,539 --> 00:35:14,579
know human relationship and uh
527
00:35:12,838 --> 00:35:17,159
particularly talking about the you know
528
00:35:14,579 --> 00:35:19,619
the underprivileged the poor people Etc
529
00:35:17,159 --> 00:35:22,379
this is one of the current issue that
530
00:35:19,619 --> 00:35:24,599
you see now in the Iranian Cinema
531
00:35:22,380 --> 00:35:26,460
and also he had a great success abroad
532
00:35:24,599 --> 00:35:28,559
which was distributed in different
533
00:35:26,460 --> 00:35:31,800
countries and so forth that this had not
534
00:35:28,559 --> 00:35:33,358
happened yet in the Iranian Cinema
535
00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,859
the cow
536
00:35:33,358 --> 00:35:38,940
God
537
00:35:34,858 --> 00:35:41,598
was the was a real landmark in Iranian
538
00:35:38,940 --> 00:35:45,019
Cinema it was the first
539
00:35:41,599 --> 00:35:48,000
cinematic representation of Iranian life
540
00:35:45,019 --> 00:35:50,159
which showed in some ways the Dark Side
541
00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:52,380
of Iranian life and yet was a fine
542
00:35:50,159 --> 00:35:53,699
artistic production for Iranian
543
00:35:52,380 --> 00:35:57,300
filmmakers
544
00:35:53,699 --> 00:35:59,939
signal I think to them that that films
545
00:35:57,300 --> 00:36:04,019
of serious content could be made
546
00:35:59,940 --> 00:36:06,480
uh that that didn't necessarily follow
547
00:36:04,019 --> 00:36:09,599
the formulas of the popular Cinema that
548
00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:12,000
had gone on before it occupies a a
549
00:36:09,599 --> 00:36:14,400
position in Iranian Cinema which is
550
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:18,420
similar to you know Pata panchali in in
551
00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:21,599
Indian Cinema which broke the the mold
552
00:36:18,420 --> 00:36:24,358
of the of the Indian cinematic formula
553
00:36:21,599 --> 00:36:26,820
Gob also broke the mold of the Cinematic
554
00:36:24,358 --> 00:36:30,960
formula in in Iran it was telling people
555
00:36:26,820 --> 00:36:34,700
that uh that that a new form of artistic
556
00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:34,699
expression could be represented on film
557
00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:39,358
the sealed soil is one of the films that
558
00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:42,119
took advantage of the new artistic
559
00:36:39,358 --> 00:36:45,719
possibilities and experimented with a
560
00:36:42,119 --> 00:36:48,119
new visual language in Iranian Cinema
561
00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:50,459
I'm trying to get out of Hollywood style
562
00:36:48,119 --> 00:36:52,338
I think each filmmaker has to bring
563
00:36:50,460 --> 00:36:54,019
their own
564
00:36:52,338 --> 00:36:57,059
country's
565
00:36:54,019 --> 00:36:59,820
cultural background into their
566
00:36:57,059 --> 00:37:01,578
filmmaking and I since I started
567
00:36:59,820 --> 00:37:04,800
painting and
568
00:37:01,579 --> 00:37:05,820
I'm very interested in miniature
569
00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:10,740
painting
570
00:37:05,820 --> 00:37:15,660
I am trying to use that that format as
571
00:37:10,739 --> 00:37:19,858
my uh start and and I've combined that
572
00:37:15,659 --> 00:37:22,259
with uh the with the European Aesthetics
573
00:37:19,858 --> 00:37:25,440
of bread
574
00:37:22,260 --> 00:37:30,599
in Persian miniature you have
575
00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:32,420
um a whole story in a book told in one
576
00:37:30,599 --> 00:37:37,579
one uh
577
00:37:32,420 --> 00:37:41,099
one frame of the miniature and you have
578
00:37:37,579 --> 00:37:43,640
the subject matters are all around the
579
00:37:41,099 --> 00:37:43,640
painting
580
00:37:43,858 --> 00:37:52,400
it's up to the viewer to pick up the the
581
00:37:48,239 --> 00:37:55,739
story and give you the meaning the whole
582
00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:57,838
becomes one and one becomes whole
583
00:37:55,739 --> 00:38:01,979
um I've tried to do that with with my
584
00:37:57,838 --> 00:38:03,799
composition I feel that you don't have
585
00:38:01,980 --> 00:38:05,838
to have
586
00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:08,220
close-ups to
587
00:38:05,838 --> 00:38:10,380
accentuating in what you're trying to
588
00:38:08,219 --> 00:38:14,039
say you could do it in other why other
589
00:38:10,380 --> 00:38:17,519
means like recurrent of motives or in
590
00:38:14,039 --> 00:38:19,338
other words the action recurring again I
591
00:38:17,519 --> 00:38:22,199
think audiences will tend to find that
592
00:38:19,338 --> 00:38:23,460
page to deliberate and the development
593
00:38:22,199 --> 00:38:25,618
of the character
594
00:38:23,460 --> 00:38:28,139
also was brought up by movie conventions
595
00:38:25,619 --> 00:38:30,660
we don't have a quick cut and you get
596
00:38:28,139 --> 00:38:34,019
psychological development every shot you
597
00:38:30,659 --> 00:38:35,219
know and everything that way and uh this
598
00:38:34,019 --> 00:38:37,380
this doesn't operate on the
599
00:38:35,219 --> 00:38:40,919
psychological level at all
600
00:38:37,380 --> 00:38:43,619
I can go with slow and uh when it uh or
601
00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:45,539
apparently slow because slow is
602
00:38:43,619 --> 00:38:47,760
misleading there's no such thing as slow
603
00:38:45,539 --> 00:38:49,858
uh what people mean slow they mean
604
00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:52,500
there's a lot of plot there's a lot of
605
00:38:49,858 --> 00:38:56,098
action or the way you photograph
606
00:38:52,500 --> 00:39:00,239
somebody coming from somewhere
607
00:38:56,099 --> 00:39:01,920
if you understand that that is ritual
608
00:39:00,239 --> 00:39:04,439
and then there's no such thing as slow
609
00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:06,119
uh if you understand the formal
610
00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:08,659
structure of something something is
611
00:39:06,119 --> 00:39:10,980
painfully or ritualistic
612
00:39:08,659 --> 00:39:12,779
and then the slowness you understand
613
00:39:10,980 --> 00:39:13,920
that but if you don't understand what's
614
00:39:12,780 --> 00:39:16,260
going on
615
00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:18,358
you just think this person just wants to
616
00:39:16,260 --> 00:39:20,220
waste time showing somebody walking
617
00:39:18,358 --> 00:39:22,019
having the idea that if you don't get
618
00:39:20,219 --> 00:39:24,239
the meaning that comes out of watching
619
00:39:22,019 --> 00:39:28,980
every step
620
00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:32,699
I'm trying to get into the idea of being
621
00:39:28,980 --> 00:39:35,519
distanced from the character so that
622
00:39:32,699 --> 00:39:38,639
we are looking at them objectively and
623
00:39:35,519 --> 00:39:41,119
we are trying to understand what the
624
00:39:38,639 --> 00:39:41,118
problem is
625
00:39:42,300 --> 00:39:47,280
soil is the story of a young Village
626
00:39:44,519 --> 00:39:51,139
Woman Under Pressure to conform to the
627
00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:51,140
rigid Norms of a communal life
628
00:40:00,719 --> 00:40:05,879
he's just Del solicit
629
00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:05,880
foreign
630
00:40:17,039 --> 00:40:23,579
she's being criticized because she is a
631
00:40:20,039 --> 00:40:26,759
different woman from what her older
632
00:40:23,579 --> 00:40:28,920
generation have been and
633
00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:30,720
that's why she's being questioned and
634
00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:31,800
she's been criticized
635
00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:35,358
um
636
00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:37,980
but she at the same time
637
00:40:35,358 --> 00:40:40,259
she's not that different she's like
638
00:40:37,980 --> 00:40:41,039
she's in a state of
639
00:40:40,260 --> 00:40:45,720
um
640
00:40:41,039 --> 00:40:49,139
uh moving from one uh awareness to
641
00:40:45,719 --> 00:40:51,139
another she cannot follow her older
642
00:40:49,139 --> 00:40:54,779
Generations
643
00:40:51,139 --> 00:40:58,519
way of thinking and behavior she she's
644
00:40:54,780 --> 00:41:02,040
trying to find her grounds and
645
00:40:58,519 --> 00:41:05,820
in that she's lost herself she is lost
646
00:41:02,039 --> 00:41:09,659
but at the same time she is trying to
647
00:41:05,820 --> 00:41:12,000
for in some kind of an awareness and I I
648
00:41:09,659 --> 00:41:14,940
think that's what they're criticizing
649
00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:17,519
and because they don't understand it and
650
00:41:14,940 --> 00:41:19,800
also the fact that she's trying to be an
651
00:41:17,519 --> 00:41:22,980
individual that is I think the most
652
00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:25,260
important thing in the film she The
653
00:41:22,980 --> 00:41:27,838
Village Life is such a communal life I
654
00:41:25,260 --> 00:41:30,540
think what my protagonist is doing is
655
00:41:27,838 --> 00:41:34,400
trying to be an individual and and
656
00:41:30,539 --> 00:41:34,400
that's that's very hard for the villages
657
00:41:36,358 --> 00:41:43,619
her past her
658
00:41:39,838 --> 00:41:46,380
traditional life is is and her what she
659
00:41:43,619 --> 00:41:50,160
has now is not
660
00:41:46,380 --> 00:41:53,338
giving her anything so she hasn't come
661
00:41:50,159 --> 00:41:55,679
to Consciousness yet but she knows that
662
00:41:53,338 --> 00:41:57,719
she's missing something and and I think
663
00:41:55,679 --> 00:42:01,559
what is making her know that she's
664
00:41:57,719 --> 00:42:04,618
missing something what is out there uh
665
00:42:01,559 --> 00:42:07,920
that the the the city life the West the
666
00:42:04,619 --> 00:42:09,599
westernization of Iran that's creeping
667
00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:11,820
into the villages
668
00:42:09,599 --> 00:42:14,338
she's she's been influenced by that
669
00:42:11,820 --> 00:42:16,859
indirectly but she herself is not aware
670
00:42:14,338 --> 00:42:20,239
of it all she knows is that things have
671
00:42:16,858 --> 00:42:20,239
changed and she's changing
672
00:42:20,579 --> 00:42:24,320
and I think that's her dilemma
673
00:42:25,139 --> 00:42:32,338
I don't believe in having the audience
674
00:42:30,199 --> 00:42:37,259
sympathize with the character because
675
00:42:32,338 --> 00:42:41,338
that is going to create a
676
00:42:37,260 --> 00:42:43,210
false sympathy and instead of the
677
00:42:41,338 --> 00:42:44,460
audience really trying to
678
00:42:43,210 --> 00:42:45,838
[Music]
679
00:42:44,460 --> 00:42:49,559
uh
680
00:42:45,838 --> 00:42:52,739
find out what is the what is the problem
681
00:42:49,559 --> 00:42:55,739
and what is what is causing that
682
00:42:52,739 --> 00:42:58,559
um they start identifying with the
683
00:42:55,739 --> 00:43:01,919
character and and as the result they
684
00:42:58,559 --> 00:43:03,659
they emotionally become so involved that
685
00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:06,780
they forget about
686
00:43:03,659 --> 00:43:10,019
um being objective and they become very
687
00:43:06,780 --> 00:43:12,480
subjective and my whole uh
688
00:43:10,019 --> 00:43:13,940
criticism about Hollywood stream is that
689
00:43:12,480 --> 00:43:16,800
it makes
690
00:43:13,940 --> 00:43:19,260
it makes the audience so much involved
691
00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:21,240
emotionally with the character that they
692
00:43:19,260 --> 00:43:23,420
totally forget about the cause and
693
00:43:21,239 --> 00:43:23,419
effect
694
00:43:24,358 --> 00:43:26,480
thank you
695
00:43:37,019 --> 00:43:53,018
[Music]
696
00:43:55,800 --> 00:44:03,830
foreign
697
00:43:56,210 --> 00:44:03,829
[Music]
698
00:44:11,300 --> 00:44:14,369
[Music]
699
00:44:27,489 --> 00:44:30,539
[Music]
700
00:44:30,900 --> 00:44:36,500
this woman just a girl completely
701
00:44:33,780 --> 00:44:38,760
breaking up cracking a
702
00:44:36,500 --> 00:44:41,940
rejecting this world that's the only way
703
00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:43,380
she can do it is through Madness that
704
00:44:41,940 --> 00:44:46,139
she can Rebel
705
00:44:43,380 --> 00:44:49,380
and she does it how
706
00:44:46,139 --> 00:44:53,098
and I think you would you would be drawn
707
00:44:49,380 --> 00:44:55,680
to that you would say look I'm here I
708
00:44:53,099 --> 00:44:57,780
understand what's happening to you I
709
00:44:55,679 --> 00:44:59,219
think this is a natural tendency so I
710
00:44:57,780 --> 00:45:01,619
think there's a kind of logic to this
711
00:44:59,219 --> 00:45:03,959
construction to the people who feel that
712
00:45:01,619 --> 00:45:07,079
they did a tragic Vision because they're
713
00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:09,599
the people who suddenly dimly perceive
714
00:45:07,079 --> 00:45:10,920
betrayal the nature of repression nature
715
00:45:09,599 --> 00:45:14,338
of the
716
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:16,800
of the evil that's being practiced the
717
00:45:14,338 --> 00:45:19,380
inequity the Injustice I was trying to
718
00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:22,859
show you the repression of women
719
00:45:19,380 --> 00:45:25,559
in Iran and
720
00:45:22,858 --> 00:45:28,098
but underneath that was another
721
00:45:25,559 --> 00:45:31,259
repression which was the
722
00:45:28,099 --> 00:45:32,940
The People's depression the trouble is
723
00:45:31,260 --> 00:45:35,220
that what happens is there's a
724
00:45:32,940 --> 00:45:37,740
conservative tendency in communities and
725
00:45:35,219 --> 00:45:39,959
they have a different View
726
00:45:37,739 --> 00:45:42,779
you know that Community let's say that
727
00:45:39,960 --> 00:45:44,579
story is absolutely true the woman who
728
00:45:42,780 --> 00:45:46,740
goes crazy doesn't want to follow the
729
00:45:44,579 --> 00:45:49,079
traditional practice doesn't want to be
730
00:45:46,739 --> 00:45:52,078
turned over like
731
00:45:49,079 --> 00:45:55,019
a piece of farm equipment
732
00:45:52,079 --> 00:45:57,060
um she um they'll say oh she's crazy or
733
00:45:55,019 --> 00:45:58,800
she's you know which is reflective there
734
00:45:57,059 --> 00:46:00,420
and and but most of the audience is
735
00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:02,640
looking at says oh she's crazy doesn't
736
00:46:00,420 --> 00:46:04,920
understand it's going to be taking a
737
00:46:02,639 --> 00:46:08,059
long time to have
738
00:46:04,920 --> 00:46:11,280
um it's our society change
739
00:46:08,059 --> 00:46:13,799
especially women's condition the movie
740
00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:15,900
is honest in this respect uh and this is
741
00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:17,400
why it's not popular I think the reason
742
00:46:15,900 --> 00:46:19,139
audiences would not go for even
743
00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:21,780
audiences even people who feel you know
744
00:46:19,139 --> 00:46:24,118
women are you know not treated well and
745
00:46:21,780 --> 00:46:26,160
they would want her to fight more to
746
00:46:24,119 --> 00:46:28,079
understand to understand what it is
747
00:46:26,159 --> 00:46:31,440
that's happening to her
748
00:46:28,079 --> 00:46:32,818
but the artist here is too honest to let
749
00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:34,980
this person
750
00:46:32,818 --> 00:46:37,199
give you the big dramatic scene the big
751
00:46:34,980 --> 00:46:38,579
Paul Newman scene now I understand and
752
00:46:37,199 --> 00:46:41,399
this is how we're doing and this is what
753
00:46:38,579 --> 00:46:44,039
audiences want they want the big hero or
754
00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:46,200
heroine to rise up and make a big speech
755
00:46:44,039 --> 00:46:48,000
or make a big gesture or something that
756
00:46:46,199 --> 00:46:50,519
the audience can identify with yes I can
757
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:52,559
control my destiny the trouble here's
758
00:46:50,519 --> 00:46:54,358
where the pessimism comes in this woman
759
00:46:52,559 --> 00:46:55,619
cannot do that she doesn't she hasn't
760
00:46:54,358 --> 00:46:57,420
been educated he hasn't been trained
761
00:46:55,619 --> 00:46:59,420
it's impossible for her to find the word
762
00:46:57,420 --> 00:47:03,358
to express she can only do it most
763
00:46:59,420 --> 00:47:06,480
inarticulate Primal whatever deep inside
764
00:47:03,358 --> 00:47:07,440
her that's honest but nobody wants to
765
00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:08,760
see that
766
00:47:07,440 --> 00:47:10,139
in other words it's saying you're
767
00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:11,460
trapped there's nothing you can do is
768
00:47:10,139 --> 00:47:14,039
the only way you can express it through
769
00:47:11,460 --> 00:47:17,780
pathology people don't want to hear that
770
00:47:14,039 --> 00:47:17,779
but that's another pressing
771
00:47:18,960 --> 00:47:25,559
a film that shows the misery of a family
772
00:47:22,380 --> 00:47:31,019
or a village is not necessarily A
773
00:47:25,559 --> 00:47:34,500
pessimistic film but it is to make the
774
00:47:31,019 --> 00:47:36,838
audience to see why they are unhappy and
775
00:47:34,500 --> 00:47:38,900
and try to do something about it
776
00:47:36,838 --> 00:47:41,838
a village life
777
00:47:38,900 --> 00:47:45,300
is extremely uh
778
00:47:41,838 --> 00:47:48,900
vocal it's extremely with with a lot of
779
00:47:45,300 --> 00:47:52,019
Expressions I try to to
780
00:47:48,900 --> 00:47:53,579
oppress all that because I was trying to
781
00:47:52,019 --> 00:47:55,880
uh
782
00:47:53,579 --> 00:47:59,579
bring in
783
00:47:55,880 --> 00:48:01,460
something which I'm trying to say that
784
00:47:59,579 --> 00:48:05,160
oppression always
785
00:48:01,460 --> 00:48:07,199
brings in silence and I was trying to
786
00:48:05,159 --> 00:48:08,639
show that through through their silence
787
00:48:07,199 --> 00:48:10,618
and through their
788
00:48:08,639 --> 00:48:11,358
um
789
00:48:10,619 --> 00:48:13,099
um
790
00:48:11,358 --> 00:48:17,239
motionless
791
00:48:13,099 --> 00:48:20,460
like they were totally immobile and and
792
00:48:17,239 --> 00:48:21,899
for me that was what the operation had
793
00:48:20,460 --> 00:48:26,099
done to them
794
00:48:21,900 --> 00:48:27,660
and that was my my way of political way
795
00:48:26,099 --> 00:48:28,440
of dealing with
796
00:48:27,659 --> 00:48:30,358
um
797
00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:32,639
how
798
00:48:30,358 --> 00:48:35,639
a
799
00:48:32,639 --> 00:48:38,639
an oppressive system can change
800
00:48:35,639 --> 00:48:40,618
someone's life I think the repression
801
00:48:38,639 --> 00:48:42,358
indicates that something has to happen
802
00:48:40,619 --> 00:48:45,420
within the people
803
00:48:42,358 --> 00:48:48,059
change them as in addition to before
804
00:48:45,420 --> 00:48:49,740
anything can happen outside that is if
805
00:48:48,059 --> 00:48:51,779
you want to repress your neighbor or
806
00:48:49,739 --> 00:48:53,639
repress your daughter or press your son
807
00:48:51,780 --> 00:48:55,980
or repress your
808
00:48:53,639 --> 00:48:58,199
people who are weaker than you are
809
00:48:55,980 --> 00:49:00,179
then there's going to be somebody above
810
00:48:58,199 --> 00:49:02,279
you who's going to repress you it's
811
00:49:00,179 --> 00:49:04,078
going to be a chain you have to break
812
00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:05,460
the chain somewhere and I said where you
813
00:49:04,079 --> 00:49:06,839
know I differ with the marches and
814
00:49:05,460 --> 00:49:08,639
different with the left I believe the
815
00:49:06,838 --> 00:49:10,980
change has to come from within I think
816
00:49:08,639 --> 00:49:13,039
the change has to people have to change
817
00:49:10,980 --> 00:49:15,119
right from within the circle if we
818
00:49:13,039 --> 00:49:17,039
become more
819
00:49:15,119 --> 00:49:19,079
loving of our families become more
820
00:49:17,039 --> 00:49:21,019
understanding people around us try to
821
00:49:19,079 --> 00:49:24,660
understand people around us
822
00:49:21,019 --> 00:49:26,039
and work out we may achieve some kind of
823
00:49:24,659 --> 00:49:29,098
change but if we just make the channel
824
00:49:26,039 --> 00:49:30,719
we do is what we've been doing for the
825
00:49:29,099 --> 00:49:32,519
past few thousand years been
826
00:49:30,719 --> 00:49:33,439
substituting generally one tyranny for
827
00:49:32,519 --> 00:49:35,759
another
828
00:49:33,440 --> 00:49:37,019
uh I mean you could say this attorney is
829
00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:39,359
better than that tyranny but it's still
830
00:49:37,019 --> 00:49:41,099
tyranny to break it completely you have
831
00:49:39,358 --> 00:49:42,960
to genuinely believe
832
00:49:41,099 --> 00:49:44,818
in understanding the other person's
833
00:49:42,960 --> 00:49:46,559
existence accepting another person's
834
00:49:44,818 --> 00:49:48,119
existence another person's point of view
835
00:49:46,559 --> 00:49:50,659
the other person's
836
00:49:48,119 --> 00:49:54,960
right to express themselves and so on
837
00:49:50,659 --> 00:49:57,000
and uh I think you know if you follow a
838
00:49:54,960 --> 00:49:58,559
very tight patriarchal
839
00:49:57,000 --> 00:50:02,219
uh
840
00:49:58,559 --> 00:50:04,920
rigid community life that's going to
841
00:50:02,219 --> 00:50:07,019
reflect that ultimately Andrew Saras
842
00:50:04,920 --> 00:50:10,159
could very well be talking about our
843
00:50:07,019 --> 00:50:10,159
Salon sasani's band
844
00:50:12,480 --> 00:50:18,960
film also a film about repression the
845
00:50:16,500 --> 00:50:21,659
central character of this featurette is
846
00:50:18,960 --> 00:50:24,780
a small boy who separates a puppy from
847
00:50:21,659 --> 00:50:28,739
its mother and then against his father's
848
00:50:24,780 --> 00:50:31,740
wish desperately tries to keep the puppy
849
00:50:28,739 --> 00:50:31,739
hit
850
00:50:58,079 --> 00:51:00,140
me
851
00:51:16,360 --> 00:51:19,709
[Music]
852
00:51:22,139 --> 00:51:27,118
I think the message in in
853
00:51:24,838 --> 00:51:28,920
bamboo fence
854
00:51:27,119 --> 00:51:31,680
hidden
855
00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:35,240
under everything is that
856
00:51:31,679 --> 00:51:35,239
we Iranians
857
00:51:35,599 --> 00:51:42,500
are constantly confined
858
00:51:39,539 --> 00:51:45,960
we can find ourselves
859
00:51:42,500 --> 00:51:48,000
the bamboo fences that one sees so
860
00:51:45,960 --> 00:51:50,338
frequently
861
00:51:48,000 --> 00:51:52,559
I don't think the message is is saying
862
00:51:50,338 --> 00:51:55,380
that somebody else is confronting us
863
00:51:52,559 --> 00:51:59,519
I think it's saying that deep within us
864
00:51:55,380 --> 00:52:01,680
we can find ourselves and the father who
865
00:51:59,519 --> 00:52:03,659
is so strong and appears to westernize
866
00:52:01,679 --> 00:52:06,358
to be so brutal
867
00:52:03,659 --> 00:52:09,118
onto the child slapping the child and
868
00:52:06,358 --> 00:52:11,219
taking a child's dog away
869
00:52:09,119 --> 00:52:12,900
I know that a dog means something
870
00:52:11,219 --> 00:52:14,818
different in Iran from what it does in
871
00:52:12,900 --> 00:52:17,639
the United States but you know to my
872
00:52:14,818 --> 00:52:20,639
eyes he's a very brutal father
873
00:52:17,639 --> 00:52:22,078
I think the message there intended or
874
00:52:20,639 --> 00:52:26,879
not
875
00:52:22,079 --> 00:52:29,519
um says Iran wants strong leaders in
876
00:52:26,880 --> 00:52:33,119
this case a father Iran wants strong
877
00:52:29,519 --> 00:52:37,039
father figures and the wrong Iran has
878
00:52:33,119 --> 00:52:45,139
always had strong father figures
879
00:52:37,039 --> 00:52:45,139
[Music]
880
00:52:46,699 --> 00:52:49,818
get away
881
00:52:56,329 --> 00:53:11,699
[Music]
882
00:53:14,539 --> 00:53:17,539
thank you
883
00:53:18,630 --> 00:53:24,358
[Music]
884
00:53:21,358 --> 00:53:24,358
foreign
885
00:53:33,059 --> 00:53:39,300
Dr Louis forsdale visited Iran twice in
886
00:53:36,659 --> 00:53:41,159
the 70s and was fascinated by the
887
00:53:39,300 --> 00:53:43,800
indigenous Cinema he discovered there
888
00:53:41,159 --> 00:53:46,379
the quality of the film was their beauty
889
00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:49,019
the photography was simply superb
890
00:53:46,380 --> 00:53:52,500
everything about them was something that
891
00:53:49,019 --> 00:53:54,539
that was totally unexpected to me a good
892
00:53:52,500 --> 00:53:57,980
example is um
893
00:53:54,539 --> 00:53:57,980
and use the bamboo French
894
00:53:58,199 --> 00:54:05,039
um the short film The Story of young boy
895
00:54:00,719 --> 00:54:07,139
who's forever within a boundary within
896
00:54:05,039 --> 00:54:10,858
fences that he can't seem to to break
897
00:54:07,139 --> 00:54:14,279
their loose from dominated by him
898
00:54:10,858 --> 00:54:16,078
a father who appears to a western eye to
899
00:54:14,280 --> 00:54:19,920
be extremely uh
900
00:54:16,079 --> 00:54:24,000
harsh you know my heart goes out to the
901
00:54:19,920 --> 00:54:29,358
little kid the man is surrounded
902
00:54:24,000 --> 00:54:29,358
by his own problems his problem is
903
00:54:30,059 --> 00:54:37,800
it's much bigger
904
00:54:33,179 --> 00:54:40,500
that for instance the problem why the
905
00:54:37,800 --> 00:54:42,539
sun doesn't go to the school
906
00:54:40,500 --> 00:54:45,000
you see the man
907
00:54:42,539 --> 00:54:49,940
the time that he punishes the boy
908
00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:49,940
you see the man he just he spread
909
00:54:49,980 --> 00:54:53,480
the net
910
00:54:51,480 --> 00:54:57,980
you know on the surface
911
00:54:53,480 --> 00:54:57,980
of the sea but he doesn't get anything
912
00:54:58,139 --> 00:55:02,098
he doesn't get anything and he's so
913
00:55:00,539 --> 00:55:05,159
fascinated
914
00:55:02,099 --> 00:55:08,280
and meanwhile you know he
915
00:55:05,159 --> 00:55:09,659
he's informed that his son didn't attend
916
00:55:08,280 --> 00:55:12,300
school
917
00:55:09,659 --> 00:55:14,279
no he's not mad because white son didn't
918
00:55:12,300 --> 00:55:17,539
live in school he's mad because he
919
00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:17,540
doesn't have anything to do with
920
00:55:18,059 --> 00:55:21,999
it
921
00:55:18,940 --> 00:55:21,999
[Music]
922
00:55:22,559 --> 00:55:27,019
the way of raising a child
923
00:55:27,239 --> 00:55:30,358
in a country
924
00:55:28,679 --> 00:55:32,338
like Iran
925
00:55:30,358 --> 00:55:36,440
or better to say in a third world
926
00:55:32,338 --> 00:55:36,440
country is absolutely different
927
00:55:36,838 --> 00:55:43,699
that's because of poverty
928
00:55:40,019 --> 00:55:43,699
it's because of
929
00:55:43,980 --> 00:55:48,740
the simplest thing that you should have
930
00:55:45,480 --> 00:55:48,740
in your life when you don't have it
931
00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:55,099
I remember my father used to hit me by
932
00:55:53,579 --> 00:56:01,400
Muhammad
933
00:55:55,099 --> 00:56:01,400
Hammer Hammer yeah yeah or just
934
00:56:01,440 --> 00:56:07,280
that was because my father has the same
935
00:56:03,838 --> 00:56:07,279
problem that this man has
936
00:56:16,559 --> 00:56:21,359
the bamboo friends I think is one of the
937
00:56:18,960 --> 00:56:22,440
loveliest short films I've I have ever
938
00:56:21,358 --> 00:56:25,259
seen
939
00:56:22,440 --> 00:56:27,539
with the message was so deeply embedded
940
00:56:25,260 --> 00:56:29,099
in the film that it that it doesn't slap
941
00:56:27,539 --> 00:56:31,980
you in the face
942
00:56:29,099 --> 00:56:36,300
with a story that's so touching and so
943
00:56:31,980 --> 00:56:37,920
moving I compare it with LA Maurice's um
944
00:56:36,300 --> 00:56:40,380
red balloon
945
00:56:37,920 --> 00:56:42,500
and that is very high tribute indeed
946
00:56:40,380 --> 00:56:45,539
because among short films
947
00:56:42,500 --> 00:56:47,940
I think of the red balloon being almost
948
00:56:45,539 --> 00:56:50,219
without flaw
949
00:56:47,940 --> 00:56:54,059
fence represents the best of short
950
00:56:50,219 --> 00:56:56,459
Iranian films religions in Iran by Mano
951
00:56:54,059 --> 00:56:59,839
chair tie up represents the best of
952
00:56:56,460 --> 00:56:59,838
Iranian documentaries
953
00:57:01,500 --> 00:57:10,280
[Music]
954
00:57:20,159 --> 00:57:26,578
religions in Iran Compares and at times
955
00:57:23,338 --> 00:57:28,920
contrasts the religious rituals of four
956
00:57:26,579 --> 00:57:33,480
of the state-sanctioned religions in
957
00:57:28,920 --> 00:57:36,480
Iran under the Shah Islam
958
00:57:33,480 --> 00:57:36,480
Christianity
959
00:57:36,739 --> 00:57:44,089
[Music]
960
00:57:44,099 --> 00:57:47,000
Judaism
961
00:57:54,650 --> 00:57:59,610
[Applause]
962
00:58:00,119 --> 00:58:03,380
and so austrianism
963
00:58:04,318 --> 00:58:08,279
I think regardless to the title of the
964
00:58:07,260 --> 00:58:10,859
film
965
00:58:08,280 --> 00:58:14,220
I had really no intention to make a film
966
00:58:10,858 --> 00:58:18,000
about religions in particular
967
00:58:14,219 --> 00:58:20,659
I tried to make films about human beings
968
00:58:18,000 --> 00:58:20,659
and
969
00:58:21,239 --> 00:58:29,098
vis-a-vis their religions something
970
00:58:26,039 --> 00:58:31,380
important to their lives Maybe
971
00:58:29,099 --> 00:58:34,460
True Religions they try to get some
972
00:58:31,380 --> 00:58:34,460
answer to their questions
973
00:58:53,480 --> 00:58:58,798
I really didn't want to make a
974
00:58:55,920 --> 00:59:00,000
documentary about different religious
975
00:58:58,798 --> 00:59:03,659
groups
976
00:59:00,000 --> 00:59:05,338
or sects there were many other sex and
977
00:59:03,659 --> 00:59:09,118
religious groups that I never referred
978
00:59:05,338 --> 00:59:11,219
to them because it as I told the main
979
00:59:09,119 --> 00:59:14,160
goal was human being
980
00:59:11,219 --> 00:59:16,259
and not the religion
981
00:59:14,159 --> 00:59:19,098
that's why I never mentioned which
982
00:59:16,260 --> 00:59:19,099
religion is which
983
00:59:23,300 --> 00:59:26,579
[Music]
984
00:59:36,119 --> 00:59:40,039
laughs
985
00:59:37,858 --> 00:59:40,039
foreign
986
00:59:43,369 --> 00:59:46,569
[Music]
987
00:59:49,099 --> 00:59:57,539
[Music]
988
01:00:02,130 --> 01:00:07,389
[Music]
989
01:00:08,338 --> 01:00:14,728
foreign
990
01:00:10,530 --> 01:00:14,729
[Music]
991
01:00:20,159 --> 01:00:27,559
[Music]
992
01:00:27,838 --> 01:00:31,259
rituals
993
01:00:29,300 --> 01:00:34,619
[Music]
994
01:00:31,260 --> 01:00:36,599
exist in all religions
995
01:00:34,619 --> 01:00:38,220
sure at this moment it seems a little
996
01:00:36,599 --> 01:00:40,260
bit violent but
997
01:00:38,219 --> 01:00:43,858
it has nothing to do with a bunch of
998
01:00:40,260 --> 01:00:46,859
violent people that are praying
999
01:00:43,858 --> 01:00:48,480
I never divided the religions
1000
01:00:46,858 --> 01:00:49,920
that's why I
1001
01:00:48,480 --> 01:00:52,920
make
1002
01:00:49,920 --> 01:00:55,740
cuts from one religion to other and I
1003
01:00:52,920 --> 01:00:58,740
wanted to make a unity in this film
1004
01:00:55,739 --> 01:01:01,558
because I believe if there is a God is
1005
01:00:58,739 --> 01:01:02,639
there one and only God and there is no
1006
01:01:01,559 --> 01:01:05,160
difference
1007
01:01:02,639 --> 01:01:08,480
and
1008
01:01:05,159 --> 01:01:08,480
that's why I
1009
01:01:09,239 --> 01:01:13,219
simply show people
1010
01:01:13,260 --> 01:01:20,660
looking for something trying to get
1011
01:01:16,679 --> 01:01:20,659
closer to what they want
1012
01:01:26,289 --> 01:01:46,150
[Music]
1013
01:01:28,349 --> 01:01:49,219
[Applause]
1014
01:01:46,150 --> 01:01:49,219
[Music]
1015
01:01:51,320 --> 01:01:56,309
[Applause]
1016
01:01:54,298 --> 01:01:59,429
foreign
1017
01:01:56,309 --> 01:01:59,429
[Applause]
1018
01:02:00,000 --> 01:02:03,679
to show the violence
1019
01:02:02,159 --> 01:02:06,838
but not
1020
01:02:03,679 --> 01:02:09,298
violence in a particular religion
1021
01:02:06,838 --> 01:02:11,519
it's the expression of human being we
1022
01:02:09,298 --> 01:02:14,159
can't control them
1023
01:02:11,519 --> 01:02:16,699
I mean we can see the guideline how they
1024
01:02:14,159 --> 01:02:16,699
have to pray
1025
01:02:23,519 --> 01:02:29,039
that always seems to be trying to reach
1026
01:02:26,039 --> 01:02:33,798
out for something in effect the camera
1027
01:02:29,039 --> 01:02:33,798
itself turns into a pilgrim in a shrine
1028
01:02:34,739 --> 01:02:40,078
my camera
1029
01:02:37,559 --> 01:02:43,559
is a part of me
1030
01:02:40,079 --> 01:02:47,539
and if I see the scenes I have to
1031
01:02:43,559 --> 01:02:47,540
reflect my ideas through my camera
1032
01:02:49,440 --> 01:02:54,659
tie up also carefully uses distancing
1033
01:02:52,559 --> 01:02:57,240
techniques to keep his audience from
1034
01:02:54,659 --> 01:03:00,058
being emotionally involved he
1035
01:02:57,239 --> 01:03:03,539
effectively intercuts long moving shots
1036
01:03:00,059 --> 01:03:06,000
of empty sacred places with the same
1037
01:03:03,539 --> 01:03:08,460
places packed with people in order to
1038
01:03:06,000 --> 01:03:12,380
maintain an objective sense of
1039
01:03:08,460 --> 01:03:12,380
separation of figure from ground
1040
01:03:19,019 --> 01:03:23,460
I didn't want to
1041
01:03:21,119 --> 01:03:25,920
get involved with the emotionally
1042
01:03:23,460 --> 01:03:29,220
involved with the whole action I kept my
1043
01:03:25,920 --> 01:03:32,338
camera sometimes in a distance sometimes
1044
01:03:29,219 --> 01:03:35,759
I got closer and sometimes I use the
1045
01:03:32,338 --> 01:03:37,980
subjective camera which means
1046
01:03:35,760 --> 01:03:40,339
me and my camera was a part of this
1047
01:03:37,980 --> 01:03:40,338
crowd
1048
01:03:40,980 --> 01:03:48,539
I used all these empty places to give my
1049
01:03:45,539 --> 01:03:50,279
audience an opportunity to think and not
1050
01:03:48,539 --> 01:03:52,199
getting emotionally involved all the
1051
01:03:50,280 --> 01:03:55,920
time because he had to make his own
1052
01:03:52,199 --> 01:03:59,279
decisions you know that's why I used
1053
01:03:55,920 --> 01:04:01,260
these various slow camera movements in
1054
01:03:59,280 --> 01:04:04,079
empty places
1055
01:04:01,260 --> 01:04:05,940
like churches and
1056
01:04:04,079 --> 01:04:08,760
mosques
1057
01:04:05,940 --> 01:04:09,780
that's the point I really wanted to give
1058
01:04:08,760 --> 01:04:13,160
in
1059
01:04:09,780 --> 01:04:13,160
an opportunity to think
1060
01:04:19,469 --> 01:04:26,738
[Music]
1061
01:04:30,079 --> 01:04:42,719
[Music]
1062
01:04:39,719 --> 01:04:42,719
mama
1063
01:04:45,650 --> 01:04:49,179
[Music]
1064
01:04:50,219 --> 01:04:55,739
the artistic flowering of Iranian Cinema
1065
01:04:52,920 --> 01:04:58,019
in the 70s was partly the result of a
1066
01:04:55,739 --> 01:05:00,058
symbiotic type of relationship between
1067
01:04:58,019 --> 01:05:01,380
the government and the quality
1068
01:05:00,059 --> 01:05:04,798
filmmakers
1069
01:05:01,380 --> 01:05:07,200
films in their symbolic ways were highly
1070
01:05:04,798 --> 01:05:09,000
critical of the establishment yet the
1071
01:05:07,199 --> 01:05:10,919
filmmakers had to turn to the same
1072
01:05:09,000 --> 01:05:13,440
establishment for financial support
1073
01:05:10,920 --> 01:05:15,900
because their projects had little
1074
01:05:13,440 --> 01:05:18,780
Commercial Appeal to attract any private
1075
01:05:15,900 --> 01:05:21,298
investors on the other hand the
1076
01:05:18,780 --> 01:05:23,240
government while basically suspicious of
1077
01:05:21,298 --> 01:05:26,039
the filmmakers and their intentions
1078
01:05:23,239 --> 01:05:28,798
found itself benefiting from being
1079
01:05:26,039 --> 01:05:30,900
associated with them the films were
1080
01:05:28,798 --> 01:05:34,619
receiving tremendously favorable
1081
01:05:30,900 --> 01:05:36,780
responses in international festivals and
1082
01:05:34,619 --> 01:05:39,480
the Shaw's government was actively
1083
01:05:36,780 --> 01:05:42,420
campaigning to counterbalance its
1084
01:05:39,480 --> 01:05:44,699
debased political image abroad with as
1085
01:05:42,420 --> 01:05:48,240
much cultural Prestige as they could
1086
01:05:44,699 --> 01:05:49,739
gain the relationship however did not
1087
01:05:48,239 --> 01:05:52,739
always work
1088
01:05:49,739 --> 01:05:55,259
manager tie up made his film for the
1089
01:05:52,739 --> 01:05:56,899
ministry of art and culture one of the
1090
01:05:55,260 --> 01:06:00,599
filmmaking branches of the government
1091
01:05:56,900 --> 01:06:03,358
but ironically the ministry refused to
1092
01:06:00,599 --> 01:06:05,940
issue a screening permit for the film
1093
01:06:03,358 --> 01:06:08,759
as far as I know this film has never
1094
01:06:05,940 --> 01:06:11,159
been released for a public screening in
1095
01:06:08,760 --> 01:06:14,700
Iran because of the controversy between
1096
01:06:11,159 --> 01:06:17,940
the religious leaders at that time
1097
01:06:14,699 --> 01:06:21,239
they they didn't actually didn't like
1098
01:06:17,940 --> 01:06:23,338
the way I made this film government
1099
01:06:21,239 --> 01:06:25,558
people and I think they they didn't have
1100
01:06:23,338 --> 01:06:27,960
any specific idea
1101
01:06:25,559 --> 01:06:29,880
but they referred all the time when they
1102
01:06:27,960 --> 01:06:32,220
did when they got such a film on the
1103
01:06:29,880 --> 01:06:34,380
subject they refer to the people that
1104
01:06:32,219 --> 01:06:36,838
were in charge or were interested you
1105
01:06:34,380 --> 01:06:40,640
know and then they made their decision
1106
01:06:36,838 --> 01:06:40,639
but uh I think
1107
01:06:41,639 --> 01:06:47,098
I mean if they didn't release this film
1108
01:06:44,358 --> 01:06:49,619
which means to me that they really
1109
01:06:47,099 --> 01:06:51,780
didn't want to to show the film in here
1110
01:06:49,619 --> 01:06:55,559
for public
1111
01:06:51,780 --> 01:06:58,500
and I asked them why they don't screen
1112
01:06:55,559 --> 01:07:03,079
this film I mean publicly they told me
1113
01:06:58,500 --> 01:07:05,940
it's it's actually impossible to do it
1114
01:07:03,079 --> 01:07:09,180
religions in Iran was not an isolated
1115
01:07:05,940 --> 01:07:11,760
case a number of other government-funded
1116
01:07:09,179 --> 01:07:14,219
or Independent films were either banned
1117
01:07:11,760 --> 01:07:16,020
or had problems receiving a screening
1118
01:07:14,219 --> 01:07:18,439
permit
1119
01:07:16,019 --> 01:07:21,659
one film in particular
1120
01:07:18,440 --> 01:07:23,639
which was kept out of circulation for a
1121
01:07:21,659 --> 01:07:25,858
long time and in fact never really
1122
01:07:23,639 --> 01:07:28,940
achieved much circulation during the
1123
01:07:25,858 --> 01:07:33,000
regime of the Shah was the uh the film
1124
01:07:28,940 --> 01:07:34,818
now the story was of that the uh the
1125
01:07:33,000 --> 01:07:37,260
Iranian Association of Physicians
1126
01:07:34,818 --> 01:07:39,480
objected to this film because it was
1127
01:07:37,260 --> 01:07:40,859
directly critical of the medical
1128
01:07:39,480 --> 01:07:43,318
profession
1129
01:07:40,858 --> 01:07:45,538
well yes the reason I was banned was
1130
01:07:43,318 --> 01:07:47,038
because uh but I mean it showed you know
1131
01:07:45,539 --> 01:07:49,859
this kind of a poverty and everything it
1132
01:07:47,039 --> 01:07:51,960
was like uh the thing that uh for
1133
01:07:49,858 --> 01:07:54,358
instance Dr ball told me he said that uh
1134
01:07:51,960 --> 01:07:57,179
the way you showed this thing was that
1135
01:07:54,358 --> 01:08:00,719
uh you have a very beautiful restaurant
1136
01:07:57,179 --> 01:08:02,879
for instance uh on um in appearance very
1137
01:08:00,719 --> 01:08:05,038
good but you just don't show the
1138
01:08:02,880 --> 01:08:07,440
restaurant you go into the kitchen and
1139
01:08:05,039 --> 01:08:10,260
you show the dirty kitchen and all these
1140
01:08:07,440 --> 01:08:13,318
you know Cooks who are doing Dirty Works
1141
01:08:10,260 --> 01:08:16,679
and so on so your film is like that it
1142
01:08:13,318 --> 01:08:17,759
does not show you know this uh this
1143
01:08:16,679 --> 01:08:21,920
modern
1144
01:08:17,759 --> 01:08:25,738
uh glamorous you know uh industrial
1145
01:08:21,920 --> 01:08:27,060
country which they wished to show so
1146
01:08:25,738 --> 01:08:29,159
that's why they banned it and it was
1147
01:08:27,060 --> 01:08:31,500
banned again the longest band was on
1148
01:08:29,159 --> 01:08:34,318
that plane for three and a half years
1149
01:08:31,500 --> 01:08:36,659
they paralyzed me because they really
1150
01:08:34,319 --> 01:08:38,219
also allow me to to make other films all
1151
01:08:36,659 --> 01:08:39,719
my projects would be
1152
01:08:38,219 --> 01:08:43,020
uh
1153
01:08:39,719 --> 01:08:43,020
uh refused
1154
01:08:48,779 --> 01:08:52,160
oh
1155
01:08:50,039 --> 01:08:52,159
yeah
1156
01:09:05,238 --> 01:09:11,338
very uh strong film
1157
01:09:08,238 --> 01:09:15,379
it hit me in the gut because I wasn't
1158
01:09:11,338 --> 01:09:19,198
expecting it at all I wasn't expecting
1159
01:09:15,380 --> 01:09:22,798
the theme of the trafficking in blood
1160
01:09:19,198 --> 01:09:25,139
getting blood from diseased people and
1161
01:09:22,798 --> 01:09:28,140
and selling it to to hospitals
1162
01:09:25,140 --> 01:09:28,140
foreign
1163
01:09:30,069 --> 01:09:48,930
[Music]
1164
01:09:51,319 --> 01:09:56,060
don't give it to me
1165
01:10:17,260 --> 01:10:25,909
[Music]
1166
01:10:26,060 --> 01:10:33,719
all these Laboratories in which these uh
1167
01:10:30,179 --> 01:10:35,359
poor people these addicted people would
1168
01:10:33,719 --> 01:10:39,060
donate blood
1169
01:10:35,359 --> 01:10:41,579
they were all very secret and hidden
1170
01:10:39,060 --> 01:10:43,860
from the public and they they would make
1171
01:10:41,579 --> 01:10:47,640
a lot of money out of that
1172
01:10:43,859 --> 01:10:50,219
uh the things that I I showed in the
1173
01:10:47,640 --> 01:10:52,440
film was it actually came from the
1174
01:10:50,219 --> 01:10:55,739
reality and even the locations that I
1175
01:10:52,439 --> 01:10:56,879
used where the original locations the
1176
01:10:55,738 --> 01:11:00,959
cycle
1177
01:10:56,880 --> 01:11:04,440
is very overt um in its protest
1178
01:11:00,960 --> 01:11:06,539
it happens to protest
1179
01:11:04,439 --> 01:11:08,939
blood exchanges which become
1180
01:11:06,539 --> 01:11:10,920
contaminated and patients die and there
1181
01:11:08,939 --> 01:11:12,899
are payoffs involved and
1182
01:11:10,920 --> 01:11:15,359
and and that sort of thing it's a very
1183
01:11:12,899 --> 01:11:19,819
bitter very direct film
1184
01:11:15,359 --> 01:11:19,819
it's directed at an entire system
1185
01:11:24,920 --> 01:11:28,060
[Music]
1186
01:11:33,000 --> 01:11:35,000
s
1187
01:11:49,100 --> 01:11:52,219
that's it
1188
01:12:06,658 --> 01:12:09,439
that's right now
1189
01:12:23,880 --> 01:12:27,079
in Amazon
1190
01:12:35,100 --> 01:12:38,179
Los Angeles
1191
01:12:40,260 --> 01:12:49,199
the point that is is perhaps most
1192
01:12:46,039 --> 01:12:51,840
politically important is the that the
1193
01:12:49,198 --> 01:12:55,198
film deals with the selling of blood
1194
01:12:51,840 --> 01:12:59,940
and the this becomes a an extremely
1195
01:12:55,198 --> 01:13:01,678
important uh device uh for the film in
1196
01:12:59,939 --> 01:13:04,979
order to make a political protest
1197
01:13:01,679 --> 01:13:07,859
without making a political protest
1198
01:13:04,979 --> 01:13:09,899
uh we have individuals downtrodden
1199
01:13:07,859 --> 01:13:12,359
individuals people from Villages these
1200
01:13:09,899 --> 01:13:15,119
drug addicts and other individuals who
1201
01:13:12,359 --> 01:13:17,579
are who are selling their blood in order
1202
01:13:15,119 --> 01:13:20,238
to just simply survive
1203
01:13:17,579 --> 01:13:22,819
and we find a young and very innocent
1204
01:13:20,238 --> 01:13:26,039
young man who is
1205
01:13:22,819 --> 01:13:29,639
come to the city in order to to try to
1206
01:13:26,039 --> 01:13:33,600
get medical care for his father and ends
1207
01:13:29,640 --> 01:13:37,079
up being part of the of the the ring
1208
01:13:33,600 --> 01:13:39,600
which rounds up individuals and uh and
1209
01:13:37,079 --> 01:13:42,000
brings them in in order to to sell their
1210
01:13:39,600 --> 01:13:44,960
blood in order to feed a very lucrative
1211
01:13:42,000 --> 01:13:44,960
Medical Practice
1212
01:13:47,939 --> 01:13:52,919
foreign
1213
01:13:49,750 --> 01:13:52,920
[Applause]
1214
01:13:59,420 --> 01:14:02,699
[Applause]
1215
01:14:03,060 --> 01:14:07,860
even people who have the best intentions
1216
01:14:05,460 --> 01:14:11,399
like this young man eventually get
1217
01:14:07,859 --> 01:14:16,500
caught up in the in the entire process
1218
01:14:11,399 --> 01:14:18,960
of of corruption and of the bleeding the
1219
01:14:16,500 --> 01:14:22,520
public Drive literally in order to be
1220
01:14:18,960 --> 01:14:22,520
able to survive themselves
1221
01:14:24,800 --> 01:14:30,179
you work twice with Olam Hussein Society
1222
01:14:28,020 --> 01:14:32,280
they were respected the Iranian
1223
01:14:30,179 --> 01:14:33,179
playwright What attracted you to his
1224
01:14:32,279 --> 01:14:34,738
work
1225
01:14:33,179 --> 01:14:36,480
uh
1226
01:14:34,738 --> 01:14:38,939
first of all I thought that he was the
1227
01:14:36,479 --> 01:14:42,658
best dramatic writer the best story
1228
01:14:38,939 --> 01:14:45,960
short story writer the best and I his
1229
01:14:42,658 --> 01:14:48,779
story is attracted me they had somehow
1230
01:14:45,960 --> 01:14:51,119
those Elements which I always cherished
1231
01:14:48,779 --> 01:14:53,219
in you know in in works of good
1232
01:14:51,119 --> 01:14:55,500
literature that is to say different
1233
01:14:53,219 --> 01:15:00,060
layers different dimensions of meaning
1234
01:14:55,500 --> 01:15:03,600
of attitude of human relationship and
1235
01:15:00,060 --> 01:15:05,900
particularly this this mysterious up
1236
01:15:03,600 --> 01:15:09,179
this mysterious
1237
01:15:05,899 --> 01:15:12,359
symbolic or or one could say a mystical
1238
01:15:09,179 --> 01:15:15,300
element which exists in in some of his
1239
01:15:12,359 --> 01:15:18,658
works that he somehow transcends you
1240
01:15:15,300 --> 01:15:20,699
know the the given reality and someone
1241
01:15:18,658 --> 01:15:23,029
talks about certain Elements which are
1242
01:15:20,698 --> 01:15:25,158
so real
1243
01:15:23,029 --> 01:15:28,519
[Applause]
1244
01:15:25,158 --> 01:15:33,839
and also the fact that he had a very
1245
01:15:28,520 --> 01:15:36,140
critical uh Vivid critical Vision in
1246
01:15:33,840 --> 01:15:40,079
regard to the reality which existed
1247
01:15:36,140 --> 01:15:42,000
around him and he was tremendously
1248
01:15:40,079 --> 01:15:44,640
involved you know with the poor people
1249
01:15:42,000 --> 01:15:47,939
with all these conflicts
1250
01:15:44,640 --> 01:15:50,760
these issues the political issues
1251
01:15:47,939 --> 01:15:52,500
if there was one thing which perhaps
1252
01:15:50,760 --> 01:15:54,960
stands out about those Iranian films
1253
01:15:52,500 --> 01:15:57,238
that I've seen in terms of a a common
1254
01:15:54,960 --> 01:15:58,698
kind of subject matter and theme
1255
01:15:57,238 --> 01:16:01,619
it is
1256
01:15:58,698 --> 01:16:04,979
curiously the apparent absence of the
1257
01:16:01,619 --> 01:16:06,899
government in a way it's probably a wish
1258
01:16:04,979 --> 01:16:08,819
knowing of great man in life that the
1259
01:16:06,899 --> 01:16:10,198
government would disappear and that the
1260
01:16:08,819 --> 01:16:12,299
people would uh
1261
01:16:10,198 --> 01:16:16,099
murder would would somehow follow their
1262
01:16:12,300 --> 01:16:18,420
own instincts it's a kind of low-key
1263
01:16:16,100 --> 01:16:20,100
anarchic spirit
1264
01:16:18,420 --> 01:16:22,500
I think there and I think they've moved
1265
01:16:20,100 --> 01:16:23,880
into areas where they don't have to deal
1266
01:16:22,500 --> 01:16:25,319
with the president I think the absence
1267
01:16:23,880 --> 01:16:27,840
of the government
1268
01:16:25,319 --> 01:16:30,960
and I filmed from a very repressive
1269
01:16:27,840 --> 01:16:32,100
Society indicate a desire possibly to
1270
01:16:30,960 --> 01:16:34,560
escape
1271
01:16:32,100 --> 01:16:36,360
from that and instead what you have are
1272
01:16:34,560 --> 01:16:38,699
people who apparently are sort of living
1273
01:16:36,359 --> 01:16:39,960
without any external Authority in their
1274
01:16:38,698 --> 01:16:41,519
lives
1275
01:16:39,960 --> 01:16:42,840
um which I imagine is kind of omitted
1276
01:16:41,520 --> 01:16:43,739
because it'd be almost impossible to
1277
01:16:42,840 --> 01:16:47,219
treat
1278
01:16:43,738 --> 01:16:49,259
but who on an individual basis
1279
01:16:47,219 --> 01:16:51,779
seem to be
1280
01:16:49,260 --> 01:16:53,219
um cutting each other up
1281
01:16:51,779 --> 01:16:55,979
um where there's a number of other
1282
01:16:53,219 --> 01:16:58,140
Cinemas that I've seen kind of focus on
1283
01:16:55,979 --> 01:17:00,539
the the struggles of women or the the
1284
01:16:58,140 --> 01:17:03,000
clashes between the government and and
1285
01:17:00,539 --> 01:17:06,600
peasants or or whatever it is
1286
01:17:03,000 --> 01:17:09,119
somehow does an individualization of
1287
01:17:06,600 --> 01:17:12,960
conflict which is in the foreground
1288
01:17:09,119 --> 01:17:17,698
of of the Iranian films I've seen and
1289
01:17:12,960 --> 01:17:20,399
which I presume is left to the uh
1290
01:17:17,698 --> 01:17:22,500
positive context by the Iranian Jews who
1291
01:17:20,399 --> 01:17:25,859
were obviously live the context
1292
01:17:22,500 --> 01:17:28,979
films which try to give attention to
1293
01:17:25,859 --> 01:17:31,859
General Social realities could only do
1294
01:17:28,979 --> 01:17:33,839
so without specifying what their causes
1295
01:17:31,859 --> 01:17:35,880
were so the causes have to be left to be
1296
01:17:33,840 --> 01:17:36,909
filled in by the viewers
1297
01:17:35,880 --> 01:17:40,000
foreign
1298
01:17:36,909 --> 01:17:40,000
[Music]
1299
01:17:43,199 --> 01:17:46,250
[Music]
1300
01:18:02,520 --> 01:18:05,520
laughs
1301
01:18:10,679 --> 01:18:13,460
laughs
1302
01:18:14,039 --> 01:18:17,039
oh
1303
01:18:17,238 --> 01:18:22,619
I'm reminded in a funny kind of way of
1304
01:18:20,640 --> 01:18:24,600
some Eastern European films some of the
1305
01:18:22,619 --> 01:18:27,179
Czech films in the early 60s and so on
1306
01:18:24,600 --> 01:18:29,579
which again paid attention to a velocity
1307
01:18:27,179 --> 01:18:32,279
of things which were going on and even
1308
01:18:29,579 --> 01:18:35,279
to do that it was highly unpopular with
1309
01:18:32,279 --> 01:18:37,259
the Czech authorities because they had a
1310
01:18:35,279 --> 01:18:39,899
vision of Czechoslovakia as being you
1311
01:18:37,260 --> 01:18:41,340
know one of the the the the the the best
1312
01:18:39,899 --> 01:18:43,079
places in the world to live in where
1313
01:18:41,340 --> 01:18:45,779
problems were basically solved as they
1314
01:18:43,079 --> 01:18:47,279
weren't solved would be solved next year
1315
01:18:45,779 --> 01:18:49,198
um and
1316
01:18:47,279 --> 01:18:52,559
there's a certain kind of reminiscence
1317
01:18:49,198 --> 01:18:56,399
there for me my impression is that as
1318
01:18:52,560 --> 01:18:59,219
long as the as long as criticism of the
1319
01:18:56,399 --> 01:19:01,679
government remain on a symbolic level
1320
01:18:59,219 --> 01:19:05,340
and not on a direct level
1321
01:19:01,679 --> 01:19:08,279
then the uh then a film would probably
1322
01:19:05,340 --> 01:19:10,560
be allowed to be shown
1323
01:19:08,279 --> 01:19:13,319
not necessarily necessarily
1324
01:19:10,560 --> 01:19:15,900
films resorted to symbolic communication
1325
01:19:13,319 --> 01:19:18,779
they could still run into problems with
1326
01:19:15,899 --> 01:19:21,979
the government witness farmanara's tall
1327
01:19:18,779 --> 01:19:21,979
Shadows of the Wind
1328
01:19:22,319 --> 01:19:28,920
the objection of the chance regime was
1329
01:19:24,539 --> 01:19:32,340
that by scarecrow we meant Shah and his
1330
01:19:28,920 --> 01:19:35,100
secret service another group of sensor
1331
01:19:32,340 --> 01:19:37,199
in the Romania regime they said by
1332
01:19:35,100 --> 01:19:39,480
the Scarecrow you mean how many and his
1333
01:19:37,198 --> 01:19:42,899
regime I told him that this film was
1334
01:19:39,479 --> 01:19:44,579
made prior to your regime so we couldn't
1335
01:19:42,899 --> 01:19:47,339
mean that
1336
01:19:44,579 --> 01:19:49,920
in Iran political relationships for
1337
01:19:47,340 --> 01:19:51,659
centuries have had a an extraordinarily
1338
01:19:49,920 --> 01:19:54,359
unique quality
1339
01:19:51,658 --> 01:19:56,759
the ruling authorities have always tried
1340
01:19:54,359 --> 01:19:59,339
to legitimize themselves by reference to
1341
01:19:56,760 --> 01:20:02,159
some cultural or historical or moral
1342
01:19:59,340 --> 01:20:03,239
system which is over and above everyday
1343
01:20:02,158 --> 01:20:05,939
life
1344
01:20:03,238 --> 01:20:07,799
during the Sean's regime the Shah tried
1345
01:20:05,939 --> 01:20:09,719
to associate his regime with the
1346
01:20:07,800 --> 01:20:12,779
pre-islamic empires and with the
1347
01:20:09,719 --> 01:20:15,539
institution of the monarchy down through
1348
01:20:12,779 --> 01:20:17,698
history and staged a number of symbolic
1349
01:20:15,539 --> 01:20:20,698
celebrations in order to in order to
1350
01:20:17,698 --> 01:20:22,799
emphasize this under the regime of the
1351
01:20:20,698 --> 01:20:26,339
Ayatollah Khomeini we have reference to
1352
01:20:22,800 --> 01:20:28,100
the legitimacy of Islam as a system the
1353
01:20:26,340 --> 01:20:30,119
interesting thing about
1354
01:20:28,100 --> 01:20:32,760
pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary
1355
01:20:30,119 --> 01:20:35,340
Iran is that the hierarchical structure
1356
01:20:32,760 --> 01:20:37,980
of the society has remained unchanged
1357
01:20:35,340 --> 01:20:40,920
it's difficult to criticize that
1358
01:20:37,979 --> 01:20:43,919
Authority without negating your
1359
01:20:40,920 --> 01:20:47,158
acceptance of that basic relationship
1360
01:20:43,920 --> 01:20:49,739
and therefore if you have grievances or
1361
01:20:47,158 --> 01:20:52,500
are you're unhappy about something or
1362
01:20:49,738 --> 01:20:55,379
you want to express a protest you have
1363
01:20:52,500 --> 01:20:58,198
only two choices one is to break the
1364
01:20:55,380 --> 01:21:00,199
relationship and and end up with
1365
01:20:58,198 --> 01:21:02,879
something like a Revolt or a revolution
1366
01:21:00,198 --> 01:21:06,238
or you can express your dissatisfaction
1367
01:21:02,880 --> 01:21:09,179
in indirect ways and the the cinema
1368
01:21:06,238 --> 01:21:11,539
turns out to be an important indirect
1369
01:21:09,179 --> 01:21:14,579
way of expressing
1370
01:21:11,539 --> 01:21:17,219
dissatisfaction with the current state
1371
01:21:14,579 --> 01:21:19,920
of the of the the moral Universe in
1372
01:21:17,219 --> 01:21:22,020
which individuals are involved they
1373
01:21:19,920 --> 01:21:24,000
start with what they don't want you to
1374
01:21:22,020 --> 01:21:26,820
have in your films in at the time of the
1375
01:21:24,000 --> 01:21:28,760
Shah you couldn't talk about the royal
1376
01:21:26,819 --> 01:21:31,319
family you couldn't talk about
1377
01:21:28,760 --> 01:21:32,940
Islam you couldn't talk about armed
1378
01:21:31,319 --> 01:21:35,039
forces and you couldn't talk about the
1379
01:21:32,939 --> 01:21:37,859
Constitution these were the four things
1380
01:21:35,039 --> 01:21:40,140
that you you know they said that you
1381
01:21:37,859 --> 01:21:41,880
should not have in your films there are
1382
01:21:40,140 --> 01:21:44,760
certain things which were taboo that you
1383
01:21:41,880 --> 01:21:47,159
shouldn't touch like for instance the
1384
01:21:44,760 --> 01:21:48,840
critique of regime or critique of shao
1385
01:21:47,158 --> 01:21:51,238
critique of the ministers or the
1386
01:21:48,840 --> 01:21:54,960
critique of whatever critic is it was uh
1387
01:21:51,238 --> 01:21:56,218
completely taboo but once they were
1388
01:21:54,960 --> 01:21:58,619
settled
1389
01:21:56,219 --> 01:21:59,880
and became more powerful they started
1390
01:21:58,619 --> 01:22:02,158
telling you in the last couple of years
1391
01:21:59,880 --> 01:22:04,319
what should be in your film
1392
01:22:02,158 --> 01:22:05,759
they said we don't have a bad doctor all
1393
01:22:04,319 --> 01:22:07,380
doctors are good so you should have a
1394
01:22:05,760 --> 01:22:11,460
good doctor and that's the end of
1395
01:22:07,380 --> 01:22:14,819
creativity for anyone the ideal or the
1396
01:22:11,460 --> 01:22:17,880
desire or the Outlook of a one or two or
1397
01:22:14,819 --> 01:22:20,880
three particular person determines you
1398
01:22:17,880 --> 01:22:23,340
know the the the Destiny or the the
1399
01:22:20,880 --> 01:22:25,800
destiny of the film you know I remember
1400
01:22:23,340 --> 01:22:28,560
once with a friend of mine we went to
1401
01:22:25,800 --> 01:22:32,159
see a prime minister because we set up
1402
01:22:28,560 --> 01:22:34,800
that new film group an organization for
1403
01:22:32,158 --> 01:22:36,719
young filmmakers
1404
01:22:34,800 --> 01:22:39,260
we wanted to get some loan from
1405
01:22:36,719 --> 01:22:42,020
government to make it when we decided to
1406
01:22:39,260 --> 01:22:46,500
to make films
1407
01:22:42,020 --> 01:22:48,960
independently without helping of
1408
01:22:46,500 --> 01:22:53,640
the conventional market and commercial
1409
01:22:48,960 --> 01:22:56,579
producers and he he directly told us
1410
01:22:53,640 --> 01:22:58,320
that if you want money from us you must
1411
01:22:56,579 --> 01:23:01,019
make feel for us
1412
01:22:58,319 --> 01:23:04,319
and the way we we say
1413
01:23:01,020 --> 01:23:08,040
but if you want make things for your
1414
01:23:04,319 --> 01:23:09,960
ideas you have to invest yourself spend
1415
01:23:08,039 --> 01:23:13,920
your father's money or your
1416
01:23:09,960 --> 01:23:16,140
property they controlled everything
1417
01:23:13,920 --> 01:23:18,179
even sometimes by
1418
01:23:16,140 --> 01:23:21,659
investing money they controlled
1419
01:23:18,179 --> 01:23:24,480
filmmaking in Iran to an extent they had
1420
01:23:21,658 --> 01:23:27,238
become clever enough to use us as sort
1421
01:23:24,479 --> 01:23:29,759
of safety valve let us do a political
1422
01:23:27,238 --> 01:23:32,579
film and show it in Tehran and some
1423
01:23:29,760 --> 01:23:36,179
festivals and that was it and the moment
1424
01:23:32,579 --> 01:23:38,519
I realized that we were being used as a
1425
01:23:36,179 --> 01:23:41,579
weapon to keep something safe for
1426
01:23:38,520 --> 01:23:43,380
themselves I stopped doing it that way
1427
01:23:41,579 --> 01:23:45,479
and I just started doing it becoming
1428
01:23:43,380 --> 01:23:48,179
more and more independent but it was
1429
01:23:45,479 --> 01:23:50,299
always antagonistic kind of relationship
1430
01:23:48,179 --> 01:23:53,158
because there were sensors they were
1431
01:23:50,300 --> 01:23:55,140
they were controlling all the valves and
1432
01:23:53,158 --> 01:23:57,299
I just as an artist I did not think that
1433
01:23:55,140 --> 01:23:59,520
they should be doing that the
1434
01:23:57,300 --> 01:24:02,100
relationship between Iranian filmmakers
1435
01:23:59,520 --> 01:24:05,460
and the Iranian government was a highly
1436
01:24:02,100 --> 01:24:08,039
ambiguous relationship and I think what
1437
01:24:05,460 --> 01:24:10,140
it really shows more than anything is
1438
01:24:08,039 --> 01:24:11,640
that the Iranian government itself was
1439
01:24:10,140 --> 01:24:14,760
not monolithic
1440
01:24:11,640 --> 01:24:17,579
on the one hand we had certain areas of
1441
01:24:14,760 --> 01:24:19,980
government that were not interested in
1442
01:24:17,579 --> 01:24:22,319
having political expression be
1443
01:24:19,979 --> 01:24:24,779
especially free or direct
1444
01:24:22,319 --> 01:24:27,359
certainly were not interested in in
1445
01:24:24,779 --> 01:24:29,219
supporting anything which would turn
1446
01:24:27,359 --> 01:24:31,859
back on government and promote criticism
1447
01:24:29,219 --> 01:24:33,480
and yet on the other hand we had other
1448
01:24:31,859 --> 01:24:35,399
areas of government which were
1449
01:24:33,479 --> 01:24:40,218
interested in fostering artistic
1450
01:24:35,399 --> 01:24:40,219
expression should they helped I mean um
1451
01:24:41,760 --> 01:24:47,100
if you are talking about restrictions if
1452
01:24:45,179 --> 01:24:49,859
you are talking about control it doesn't
1453
01:24:47,100 --> 01:24:54,179
mean that they um they they had the
1454
01:24:49,859 --> 01:24:56,339
whole nation in their hands they had to
1455
01:24:54,179 --> 01:24:58,380
they had to do something for for for for
1456
01:24:56,340 --> 01:25:01,140
the country and for the culture of the
1457
01:24:58,380 --> 01:25:04,380
country and sometimes they use all these
1458
01:25:01,140 --> 01:25:06,000
things as a propagandistic well to show
1459
01:25:04,380 --> 01:25:09,239
themselves
1460
01:25:06,000 --> 01:25:12,179
it is a matter of Pride oftentimes for
1461
01:25:09,238 --> 01:25:14,339
uh for governments to support some kind
1462
01:25:12,179 --> 01:25:17,039
of indigenous Cinema Iran I think did
1463
01:25:14,340 --> 01:25:19,800
that um beautifully um
1464
01:25:17,039 --> 01:25:22,859
at least the the period that I know
1465
01:25:19,800 --> 01:25:26,940
about where where much of the funding
1466
01:25:22,859 --> 01:25:28,319
for films came from government sources
1467
01:25:26,939 --> 01:25:31,678
um interestingly
1468
01:25:28,319 --> 01:25:33,658
um many of the films that were made are
1469
01:25:31,679 --> 01:25:35,940
under Government funding
1470
01:25:33,658 --> 01:25:40,339
had within them
1471
01:25:35,939 --> 01:25:44,039
um buried covert what I would read as
1472
01:25:40,340 --> 01:25:45,600
subversive messages
1473
01:25:44,039 --> 01:25:47,698
um but I guess the government sensors
1474
01:25:45,600 --> 01:25:49,320
weren't reading um in the same way that
1475
01:25:47,698 --> 01:25:51,719
I was reading because they were being
1476
01:25:49,319 --> 01:25:54,559
financed by the government and shown by
1477
01:25:51,719 --> 01:25:56,819
the government very often you have films
1478
01:25:54,560 --> 01:26:00,600
that seem
1479
01:25:56,819 --> 01:26:02,279
that seemed to be politically daring
1480
01:26:00,600 --> 01:26:04,199
courageous and then you analyze
1481
01:26:02,279 --> 01:26:06,658
situation you find either they are what
1482
01:26:04,198 --> 01:26:09,178
Carlos Fuentes said is a margin of
1483
01:26:06,658 --> 01:26:12,238
descent you know like 10 like government
1484
01:26:09,179 --> 01:26:13,920
will tolerate this kind of uh every
1485
01:26:12,238 --> 01:26:15,439
regime in the most repressive regime
1486
01:26:13,920 --> 01:26:18,300
will tolerate a certain amount of
1487
01:26:15,439 --> 01:26:22,979
dissent a certain amount of it in film
1488
01:26:18,300 --> 01:26:25,800
anyway certain amount of uh criticism uh
1489
01:26:22,979 --> 01:26:27,779
or else their films made an exiled so to
1490
01:26:25,800 --> 01:26:29,460
speak or underground uh underground
1491
01:26:27,779 --> 01:26:31,920
films are very hard to make it's very
1492
01:26:29,460 --> 01:26:35,579
hard to have the Cinematic equivalent of
1493
01:26:31,920 --> 01:26:37,739
summit thoughts so so I think political
1494
01:26:35,579 --> 01:26:39,899
film nego the filmmaker who wish to say
1495
01:26:37,738 --> 01:26:41,459
something although you you can say I I
1496
01:26:39,899 --> 01:26:43,920
would say that every film is political
1497
01:26:41,460 --> 01:26:45,420
no matter how vacuous or anything if it
1498
01:26:43,920 --> 01:26:47,100
says nothing that is a political
1499
01:26:45,420 --> 01:26:48,960
statement that means that we're not
1500
01:26:47,100 --> 01:26:51,239
going to say anything so everything is
1501
01:26:48,960 --> 01:26:53,359
critical I would say that uh political
1502
01:26:51,238 --> 01:26:55,979
filmmaker has to work with the tightrope
1503
01:26:53,359 --> 01:26:58,259
uh and I think we have to analyze the
1504
01:26:55,979 --> 01:26:59,759
nature of that type here we come back to
1505
01:26:58,260 --> 01:27:02,219
the question of censorship and the the
1506
01:26:59,760 --> 01:27:05,039
political regime that only indirect
1507
01:27:02,219 --> 01:27:10,020
statements can be made
1508
01:27:05,039 --> 01:27:12,779
um anyway and therefore that I suspect
1509
01:27:10,020 --> 01:27:14,880
tended to force an additional recourse
1510
01:27:12,779 --> 01:27:19,079
to symbolic communication
1511
01:27:14,880 --> 01:27:21,179
under a totalitarian regime usually
1512
01:27:19,079 --> 01:27:23,779
it happens
1513
01:27:21,179 --> 01:27:23,779
because
1514
01:27:24,119 --> 01:27:27,420
you haven't the opportunity to talk
1515
01:27:25,920 --> 01:27:29,399
directly
1516
01:27:27,420 --> 01:27:31,020
and you try to find some way to express
1517
01:27:29,399 --> 01:27:34,379
yourself
1518
01:27:31,020 --> 01:27:35,940
and this symbolism is the actually the
1519
01:27:34,380 --> 01:27:39,600
best way
1520
01:27:35,939 --> 01:27:42,299
somehow in Iranian artistic tradition
1521
01:27:39,600 --> 01:27:44,639
things don't have much value
1522
01:27:42,300 --> 01:27:46,679
aesthetically unless they're said in a
1523
01:27:44,639 --> 01:27:49,440
in a highly indirect way
1524
01:27:46,679 --> 01:27:53,119
there's something about the artistic
1525
01:27:49,439 --> 01:27:55,500
tradition in Iran which which makes it
1526
01:27:53,119 --> 01:27:58,920
necessary for the person who is
1527
01:27:55,500 --> 01:28:02,399
approaching some artistic form to do
1528
01:27:58,920 --> 01:28:04,739
some work himself in order to be able to
1529
01:28:02,399 --> 01:28:07,799
discern the meaning what's interesting
1530
01:28:04,738 --> 01:28:10,319
is the level of irony which a filmmaker
1531
01:28:07,800 --> 01:28:12,420
can operate in the level of allegory one
1532
01:28:10,319 --> 01:28:14,158
interesting thing is in Spain the
1533
01:28:12,420 --> 01:28:16,800
Spanish filmmakers during the Franco
1534
01:28:14,158 --> 01:28:20,000
regime developed including Goodwill of
1535
01:28:16,800 --> 01:28:23,159
viridiana developed a very elaborate
1536
01:28:20,000 --> 01:28:25,198
allegorical symbolic subtext I guess
1537
01:28:23,158 --> 01:28:28,379
like the science fiction writers did in
1538
01:28:25,198 --> 01:28:30,419
America during McCarthy era that you
1539
01:28:28,380 --> 01:28:32,279
know one thing represented another and
1540
01:28:30,420 --> 01:28:34,039
so you you had this very elaborate
1541
01:28:32,279 --> 01:28:36,479
subterfuge
1542
01:28:34,039 --> 01:28:39,479
and now some of the day that generation
1543
01:28:36,479 --> 01:28:41,819
filmmakers cannot
1544
01:28:39,479 --> 01:28:43,619
compose it on the other one the worst
1545
01:28:41,819 --> 01:28:46,619
thing that could happen under
1546
01:28:43,619 --> 01:28:48,599
such circumstances is the auto
1547
01:28:46,619 --> 01:28:51,840
censorship
1548
01:28:48,600 --> 01:28:55,079
which happens usually in countries and
1549
01:28:51,840 --> 01:28:57,300
societies ruled by
1550
01:28:55,079 --> 01:28:59,100
totalitarian
1551
01:28:57,300 --> 01:29:03,800
governments
1552
01:28:59,100 --> 01:29:03,800
it's must I mean
1553
01:29:06,840 --> 01:29:12,000
the effect is much greater than to
1554
01:29:09,479 --> 01:29:14,399
control I mean to have a system who
1555
01:29:12,000 --> 01:29:17,819
controls
1556
01:29:14,399 --> 01:29:20,099
in many cases I don't think that
1557
01:29:17,819 --> 01:29:22,619
was necessary to make
1558
01:29:20,100 --> 01:29:24,120
such a heavy fins
1559
01:29:22,619 --> 01:29:27,420
I mean by
1560
01:29:24,119 --> 01:29:30,658
having such a heavy language
1561
01:29:27,420 --> 01:29:33,060
and the nature of making film ideas it's
1562
01:29:30,658 --> 01:29:34,619
making fun for people
1563
01:29:33,060 --> 01:29:38,340
if you make a distance between yourself
1564
01:29:34,619 --> 01:29:40,920
and people why should you make any fear
1565
01:29:38,340 --> 01:29:43,380
most of the films I have seen from Iran
1566
01:29:40,920 --> 01:29:45,600
and I'm sure I haven't seen all of them
1567
01:29:43,380 --> 01:29:47,279
in foreign countries we tend to see the
1568
01:29:45,600 --> 01:29:49,079
the film more of the intelligence here
1569
01:29:47,279 --> 01:29:50,099
we tend to see rather than the films
1570
01:29:49,079 --> 01:29:52,500
that are more on the commercial
1571
01:29:50,100 --> 01:29:55,079
mainstream so we we tend to get some
1572
01:29:52,500 --> 01:29:57,960
distorted view of what a cinema is but
1573
01:29:55,079 --> 01:30:00,658
it it films that are exported usually
1574
01:29:57,960 --> 01:30:02,760
particularly to festivals to Elite
1575
01:30:00,658 --> 01:30:06,719
groups to Art House groups universities
1576
01:30:02,760 --> 01:30:10,619
academic centers tend to uh
1577
01:30:06,719 --> 01:30:13,739
present a problem of the the
1578
01:30:10,619 --> 01:30:16,139
intellectual filmmaker trying to
1579
01:30:13,738 --> 01:30:18,238
communicate with a larger audience from
1580
01:30:16,139 --> 01:30:20,579
which he is somewhat alienated uh
1581
01:30:18,238 --> 01:30:22,919
somewhat separated the the number of
1582
01:30:20,579 --> 01:30:24,658
people who actually view these films was
1583
01:30:22,920 --> 01:30:26,100
was rather small
1584
01:30:24,658 --> 01:30:30,619
however
1585
01:30:26,100 --> 01:30:33,060
for these individuals the fact that that
1586
01:30:30,619 --> 01:30:35,579
political messages and messages of
1587
01:30:33,060 --> 01:30:39,000
protests could be expressed even in a
1588
01:30:35,579 --> 01:30:42,420
veiled way even in an indirect way was
1589
01:30:39,000 --> 01:30:44,639
uh had a very powerful effect on those
1590
01:30:42,420 --> 01:30:47,039
individuals what's interesting to me is
1591
01:30:44,639 --> 01:30:48,719
obviously the the gap between people who
1592
01:30:47,039 --> 01:30:50,279
are making the films and the society
1593
01:30:48,719 --> 01:30:53,819
they're describing
1594
01:30:50,279 --> 01:30:56,880
it's an enormous Gap it's like centuries
1595
01:30:53,819 --> 01:31:00,198
and it's a strange situation if you're
1596
01:30:56,880 --> 01:31:02,639
making a movie in a society in a country
1597
01:31:00,198 --> 01:31:04,500
first you have to know your people what
1598
01:31:02,639 --> 01:31:05,579
kind of people you know in living in
1599
01:31:04,500 --> 01:31:07,560
your country
1600
01:31:05,579 --> 01:31:10,079
there you have people who are you know
1601
01:31:07,560 --> 01:31:13,920
flying in Jets making films with people
1602
01:31:10,079 --> 01:31:15,899
who are going in Ox cards uh it's uh
1603
01:31:13,920 --> 01:31:18,239
it's a centuries difference almost like
1604
01:31:15,899 --> 01:31:20,399
archeology history it's like going so
1605
01:31:18,238 --> 01:31:23,579
far back so far down
1606
01:31:20,399 --> 01:31:25,319
that the distance is just staggering
1607
01:31:23,579 --> 01:31:27,658
that's what I find interesting about
1608
01:31:25,319 --> 01:31:29,460
them how do you cope with that and yet
1609
01:31:27,658 --> 01:31:32,279
you ready they're your people they're
1610
01:31:29,460 --> 01:31:34,500
your roots your your your country your
1611
01:31:32,279 --> 01:31:35,819
blood
1612
01:31:34,500 --> 01:31:37,619
um
1613
01:31:35,819 --> 01:31:41,899
it's such a hard question
1614
01:31:37,619 --> 01:31:45,000
the Iranian Revolution in 1978 and 79
1615
01:31:41,899 --> 01:31:46,198
was largely engineered by people in the
1616
01:31:45,000 --> 01:31:50,100
middle classes
1617
01:31:46,198 --> 01:31:53,960
and I I have no doubt in my mind that
1618
01:31:50,100 --> 01:31:57,539
the the Iranian Cinema in the 10 years
1619
01:31:53,960 --> 01:32:00,539
previous to this contributed to the
1620
01:31:57,539 --> 01:32:02,399
political awareness of uh area of people
1621
01:32:00,539 --> 01:32:05,039
in the middle classes and educated
1622
01:32:02,399 --> 01:32:07,500
classes uh and uh particularly
1623
01:32:05,039 --> 01:32:10,679
University students who formed an
1624
01:32:07,500 --> 01:32:14,219
important aspect of political life in
1625
01:32:10,679 --> 01:32:16,380
Iran in the uh in the late 70s the
1626
01:32:14,219 --> 01:32:18,719
Iranian Revolution that replaced the
1627
01:32:16,380 --> 01:32:21,719
monarchy of the Shah with the milocracy
1628
01:32:18,719 --> 01:32:24,600
of Ayatollah Khomeini brought an end to
1629
01:32:21,719 --> 01:32:27,300
a budding National Cinema that had taken
1630
01:32:24,600 --> 01:32:29,060
firm route despite the censorship and
1631
01:32:27,300 --> 01:32:31,739
repression of the Shah's government
1632
01:32:29,060 --> 01:32:34,560
although the revolution had initially
1633
01:32:31,738 --> 01:32:37,979
brought them a promise of Freedom most
1634
01:32:34,560 --> 01:32:39,900
Iranian filmmakers soon realized that
1635
01:32:37,979 --> 01:32:43,079
they were clearly at odds with leaders
1636
01:32:39,899 --> 01:32:45,420
of the new regime facing the Dilemma of
1637
01:32:43,079 --> 01:32:48,300
either submitting to the regime or
1638
01:32:45,420 --> 01:32:51,420
maintaining their Integrity several
1639
01:32:48,300 --> 01:32:53,699
talented Iranian filmmakers were forced
1640
01:32:51,420 --> 01:32:56,158
to leave the country when the revolution
1641
01:32:53,698 --> 01:32:57,839
happened for a very short period of time
1642
01:32:56,158 --> 01:33:00,179
which is about four and five months
1643
01:32:57,840 --> 01:33:05,159
immediately after the revolution
1644
01:33:00,179 --> 01:33:07,440
Iran was Heaven on this Earth because it
1645
01:33:05,158 --> 01:33:09,179
was absolute freedom for an artist I
1646
01:33:07,439 --> 01:33:11,158
could do anything that I wanted in fact
1647
01:33:09,179 --> 01:33:14,039
I had the script which was called the
1648
01:33:11,158 --> 01:33:15,198
day that the Shah left and all the
1649
01:33:14,039 --> 01:33:18,179
preparation
1650
01:33:15,198 --> 01:33:19,678
was there to start the shooting of the
1651
01:33:18,179 --> 01:33:23,279
of the film
1652
01:33:19,679 --> 01:33:25,500
but all of a sudden I saw that the signs
1653
01:33:23,279 --> 01:33:26,939
of another dictation is starting they
1654
01:33:25,500 --> 01:33:29,158
started
1655
01:33:26,939 --> 01:33:31,319
closing down the newspapers they started
1656
01:33:29,158 --> 01:33:33,479
having another group that going over
1657
01:33:31,319 --> 01:33:37,799
this uh film the scripts are now much
1658
01:33:33,479 --> 01:33:41,519
more hard than it was before and by some
1659
01:33:37,800 --> 01:33:43,679
very strange uh I mean it was this very
1660
01:33:41,520 --> 01:33:47,639
strange feeling that now that I had
1661
01:33:43,679 --> 01:33:51,060
experienced that beautiful five months
1662
01:33:47,639 --> 01:33:52,980
the repression again is so stifling as
1663
01:33:51,060 --> 01:33:54,539
an artist that I just couldn't could not
1664
01:33:52,979 --> 01:33:55,799
understand it why did he leave your
1665
01:33:54,539 --> 01:33:59,238
country
1666
01:33:55,800 --> 01:34:02,219
well because because I lost my
1667
01:33:59,238 --> 01:34:05,599
job I couldn't make any film I couldn't
1668
01:34:02,219 --> 01:34:05,600
open my theater
1669
01:34:05,880 --> 01:34:09,900
so uh
1670
01:34:07,439 --> 01:34:12,359
why should I be there
1671
01:34:09,899 --> 01:34:13,979
but anyway if I would be there I had to
1672
01:34:12,359 --> 01:34:16,439
do something because
1673
01:34:13,979 --> 01:34:19,319
people I was working with them for a
1674
01:34:16,439 --> 01:34:22,738
long time they expected me to work
1675
01:34:19,319 --> 01:34:25,799
even my silence would have some meaning
1676
01:34:22,738 --> 01:34:27,899
that the government wouldn't like it
1677
01:34:25,800 --> 01:34:31,079
and me I have never been directly in
1678
01:34:27,899 --> 01:34:33,000
Iran I have spent my time of most of my
1679
01:34:31,079 --> 01:34:34,859
time in Europe I went to Iran made my
1680
01:34:33,000 --> 01:34:37,679
film and went to Europe
1681
01:34:34,859 --> 01:34:40,158
I'm still in Exile I haven't seen any
1682
01:34:37,679 --> 01:34:40,158
changes
1683
01:34:40,198 --> 01:34:45,359
for an Asian artist is the very very
1684
01:34:42,479 --> 01:34:48,059
difficult thing to immigrate because
1685
01:34:45,359 --> 01:34:51,059
you're transplanting yourself to a
1686
01:34:48,060 --> 01:34:53,520
totally new society and the chances of a
1687
01:34:51,060 --> 01:34:57,239
38 year old tree to be transplanted to a
1688
01:34:53,520 --> 01:34:59,820
new soil and not dying with our
1689
01:34:57,238 --> 01:35:01,079
background and culture is very very
1690
01:34:59,819 --> 01:35:04,380
remote
1691
01:35:01,079 --> 01:35:06,479
so it's not an easy decision
1692
01:35:04,380 --> 01:35:09,000
but a decision that I had to make
1693
01:35:06,479 --> 01:35:11,218
because I also have three children
1694
01:35:09,000 --> 01:35:13,500
and I didn't want them to be brought up
1695
01:35:11,219 --> 01:35:15,899
under the same kind of repressive regime
1696
01:35:13,500 --> 01:35:18,779
and they didn't want to come to this
1697
01:35:15,899 --> 01:35:19,979
world and I owe them at least a better
1698
01:35:18,779 --> 01:35:23,819
life
1699
01:35:19,979 --> 01:35:26,819
and this is why I left I wanted to go
1700
01:35:23,819 --> 01:35:29,880
back I had the intention to go back
1701
01:35:26,819 --> 01:35:30,960
but I then I couldn't you know make
1702
01:35:29,880 --> 01:35:33,779
myself
1703
01:35:30,960 --> 01:35:36,739
to go back to a country
1704
01:35:33,779 --> 01:35:36,738
that
1705
01:35:38,399 --> 01:35:43,339
it's hard to live for people like us
1706
01:35:43,800 --> 01:35:49,920
Our Salon sasani's life in Exile has not
1707
01:35:47,279 --> 01:35:53,460
been easy either he has been earning a
1708
01:35:49,920 --> 01:35:55,560
living by driving a cab in New York City
1709
01:35:53,460 --> 01:35:58,380
what I am doing here maybe it's not only
1710
01:35:55,560 --> 01:36:00,900
because of myself you know because I
1711
01:35:58,380 --> 01:36:01,739
feel I have kind of responsibility to my
1712
01:36:00,899 --> 01:36:04,259
child
1713
01:36:01,738 --> 01:36:06,599
that I still believe that he can have a
1714
01:36:04,260 --> 01:36:09,320
better life here than if you go back in
1715
01:36:06,600 --> 01:36:09,320
Iran
1716
01:36:10,139 --> 01:36:15,239
Harvey syed's life in Exile was not very
1717
01:36:12,960 --> 01:36:17,639
different from arcelon's sasanis in the
1718
01:36:15,238 --> 01:36:19,579
beginning for three years he worked as a
1719
01:36:17,639 --> 01:36:22,560
receptionist at a Columbia
1720
01:36:19,579 --> 01:36:25,260
university-owned building in Manhattan
1721
01:36:22,560 --> 01:36:28,560
then he managed to obtain funds to make
1722
01:36:25,260 --> 01:36:30,659
the mission the first Iranian film to be
1723
01:36:28,560 --> 01:36:33,020
made outside of Iran After the
1724
01:36:30,658 --> 01:36:33,019
revolution
1725
01:36:33,899 --> 01:36:38,460
the film turned out to be a critical
1726
01:36:35,698 --> 01:36:40,738
success and subsequently Sai had moved
1727
01:36:38,460 --> 01:36:44,600
to Los Angeles where he now directs
1728
01:36:40,738 --> 01:36:44,599
stage plays for the Iranian community
1729
01:36:44,760 --> 01:36:47,000
foreign
1730
01:37:19,560 --> 01:37:22,560
foreign
1731
01:37:47,060 --> 01:37:50,179
so much
1732
01:37:52,319 --> 01:37:54,679
foreign
1733
01:38:01,260 --> 01:38:04,260
exile
1734
01:38:05,819 --> 01:38:08,539
miserable
1735
01:38:12,719 --> 01:38:17,539
yeah sometimes it's painful but
1736
01:38:18,060 --> 01:38:24,480
but when you realize the reality
1737
01:38:21,539 --> 01:38:27,238
and the way that it is
1738
01:38:24,479 --> 01:38:30,079
so you just
1739
01:38:27,238 --> 01:38:30,079
you give up
1740
01:38:30,579 --> 01:38:44,399
[Music]
1741
01:38:41,060 --> 01:38:47,940
Marvin the Billy whose film the sealed
1742
01:38:44,399 --> 01:38:50,638
soil was never shown in Iran made the
1743
01:38:47,939 --> 01:38:53,059
night songs her first feature film in
1744
01:38:50,639 --> 01:38:53,060
this country
1745
01:38:53,658 --> 01:38:57,719
too late
1746
01:38:55,380 --> 01:39:00,060
just too late you seeing someone dying
1747
01:38:57,719 --> 01:39:04,939
your community reaction is to get people
1748
01:39:00,060 --> 01:39:04,940
away from away from okay action action
1749
01:39:06,600 --> 01:39:11,460
the film that was financed by PBS's
1750
01:39:09,000 --> 01:39:13,619
American Playhouse is the story of a
1751
01:39:11,460 --> 01:39:15,840
Vietnamese girl who experiences an
1752
01:39:13,619 --> 01:39:19,019
identity crisis in New York's Chinatown
1753
01:39:15,840 --> 01:39:21,500
maybe eventually the Exile thing
1754
01:39:19,020 --> 01:39:23,100
disappears
1755
01:39:21,500 --> 01:39:25,439
[Music]
1756
01:39:23,100 --> 01:39:29,340
the the artist ceases to be an exile
1757
01:39:25,439 --> 01:39:31,198
becomes hyphenated that becomes part of
1758
01:39:29,340 --> 01:39:33,000
have begins to operate away from a
1759
01:39:31,198 --> 01:39:34,738
subculture moves into the mainstream
1760
01:39:33,000 --> 01:39:36,719
culture I don't know
1761
01:39:34,738 --> 01:39:38,579
I don't know what I would say I think he
1762
01:39:36,719 --> 01:39:40,500
has to use his own instincts
1763
01:39:38,579 --> 01:39:41,819
it's very difficult to survive he has my
1764
01:39:40,500 --> 01:39:43,738
sympathy
1765
01:39:41,819 --> 01:39:45,359
I think you know for me if I were to
1766
01:39:43,738 --> 01:39:47,399
finally find myself in another country
1767
01:39:45,359 --> 01:39:49,439
forced to be in another country with a
1768
01:39:47,399 --> 01:39:51,658
different language with people who don't
1769
01:39:49,439 --> 01:39:53,879
have mine I don't know how I'd function
1770
01:39:51,658 --> 01:39:56,158
I don't know what I would do
1771
01:39:53,880 --> 01:39:57,159
I mean I think it's uh it's a nightmare
1772
01:39:56,158 --> 01:40:01,619
situation
1773
01:39:57,159 --> 01:40:01,619
[Music]
1774
01:40:04,979 --> 01:40:11,759
la
1775
01:40:06,560 --> 01:40:14,090
[Music]
1776
01:40:11,760 --> 01:40:41,960
foreign
1777
01:40:14,090 --> 01:40:41,960
[Music]
124947
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