Iranian New Wave
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| Iranian New Wave | |
|---|---|
| Name | Iranian New Wave |
| Country | Iran |
| Years | 1969–present |
| Notable figures | Abbas Kiarostami, Forough Farrokhzad, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Jafar Panahi, Masoud Kimiai, Sohrab Shahid-Saless, Bahram Bayzai, Dariush Mehrjui, Samira Makhmalbaf, Asghar Farhadi |
| Notable films | The Cow (film), Where Is the Friend's Home?, Close-Up (film), Taste of Cherry, The Cyclist (film) |
Iranian New Wave is a film movement originating in Iran in the late 1960s and evolving through the 1979 Iranian Revolution into the 21st century. It is associated with a set of directors, films, festivals, and institutions that redefined cinematic language in Tehran, challenged classical narrative conventions, and engaged with social realities across urban and rural settings. The movement interacted with international film circuits such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Venice Film Festival, resulting in global recognition and political controversies involving bodies like UNESCO and the European Film Academy.
Origins and Historical Context
The movement emerged amid cultural shifts in Pahlavi Iran, overlapping with figures from the Persian literary modernism and cinematic precursors in Iranian cinema such as Dariush Mehrjui and Sohrab Shahid-Saless, who responded to social change in Tehran, Isfahan, and Rasht. Influences included neorealist aesthetics from Italian Neorealism, auteurs from the French New Wave, and festival circuits like Cannes Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival, which screened works by Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica, Jean-Luc Godard, and François Truffaut. Institutional contexts involved the National Iranian Radio and Television and private studios connected to producers such as Naser Malak Motiei and distributors linked to Pars Film. Political moments—cultural policies under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, censorship practices connected to the Ministry of Culture and Arts (Iran), and the transformative impact of the Iranian Revolution—shaped the movement’s trajectory, intersecting with intellectuals like Forough Farrokhzad and critics writing in outlets such as Film (magazine).
Key Directors and Films
Core practitioners include Dariush Mehrjui (e.g., The Cow (film), Qeysar), Abbas Kiarostami (Where Is the Friend's Home?, Close-Up (film), Taste of Cherry), Sohrab Shahid-Saless (e.g., Still Life (1974 film)), Masoud Kimiai (Qeysar), Mohsen Makhmalbaf (The Cyclist (film), A Moment of Innocence), Jafar Panahi (The White Balloon, The Circle (film), Taxi (film)), Samira Makhmalbaf (The Apple (1998 film), Blackboards), Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, The Salesman (film)), and poets-turned-filmmakers like Forough Farrokhzad (The House Is Black). Films circulated at Cannes Film Festival where Taste of Cherry won the Palme d'Or, at Venice Film Festival where A Separation and The Salesman (film) gained awards, and at Locarno Festival and Rotterdam Film Festival, amplifying reputations internationally.
Aesthetic and Thematic Characteristics
Stylistically, practitioners favored long takes, non-professional actors, sparse music, and open-ended narratives akin to Italian Neorealism and the French New Wave. Themes included childhood and family life in Tehran, moral dilemmas in provincial settings like Isfahan and Kerman, and allegories addressing authority exemplified by films referencing local institutions such as Carpet weaving collectives and bazaar communities. Recurring motifs involved rural-urban migration depicted in works about Kurdistan and Azeri districts, moral inquiry influenced by Sufism and Persian literature (e.g., adaptations of Hafez and Ferdowsi motifs), and documentary-fiction blends exemplified by Close-Up (film). Aesthetic affinities linked to auteurs like Andrei Tarkovsky and Satyajit Ray informed cinematic pacing and humanist focus, while festivals such as Sundance Film Festival and organizations like the International Federation of Film Producers Associations aided circulation.
Production, Censorship, and Industry Context
Production often involved independent financing, small production companies, co-productions with European firms such as those in France and Germany, and distribution networks tied to arthouse houses in Paris, London, and New York City. Censorship shaped content through the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and pre-revolutionary offices affecting scripts and screenings in venues like Cinema Rex (Abadan). Legal and political pressures led some filmmakers—Jafar Panahi and Mohsen Makhmalbaf—to face bans, detentions, or trials involving institutions like the Iranian judiciary and human rights groups such as Amnesty International. Training and institutions included the University of Tehran, the Soore University, and workshops linked to filmmakers like Abbas Kiarostami who mentored students including Samira Makhmalbaf and Jafar Panahi.
Reception and Influence
Responses varied: domestic critics writing for Film (magazine) and cultural journals debated realism versus popular cinema associated with stars like Behrouz Vossoughi, while international critics at publications and juries from Cahiers du Cinéma, Sight & Sound, and the New York Film Festival praised the humanist aesthetics. Awards from Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and the Academy Awards (foreign language nominations for A Separation) elevated profiles, enabling retrospectives at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art and British Film Institute. The movement influenced filmmakers across Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, India, and France, and shaped film education at schools like National Film and Television School (UK) through screenings and seminars.
Legacy and Contemporary Revival
Legacy manifests in the international careers of directors like Asghar Farhadi and in younger filmmakers such as Panah Panahi, Shahram Mokri, Ali Abbasi, and Rakhshan Bani-Etemad who engage with digital technologies and festival economies at Locarno Film Festival and Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Contemporary revivals negotiate streaming platforms like Netflix and MUBI (platforms as institutions), transnational co-productions with companies in Germany and France, and new debates about censorship involving organizations such as Human Rights Watch. Archival projects in libraries like the Iranian National Film Archive and exhibitions at the Getty Research Institute have spurred restoration of canonical works including The Cow (film), Close-Up (film), and The House Is Black, ensuring continued scholarly attention from universities like Harvard University, SOAS University of London, and Université Paris Nanterre.