Reform Cinema in Iran: Film and Political Change in the Islamic Republic by Blake Atwood (2016) is a book that shines a detailed light on Iranian sociopolitical constructs and the media that aided the shift of these ideals. Although the author has published in academic journals, this is Atwood’s first book. He is fluent in Persian and his knowledge of the language and the politics of Iran is supported by his field visits to the country, along with his obvious passion and in-depth research. In his book, Atwood discusses reform movements linked to filmmakers and cinema, and their power to influence and instigate change. He provides a grand overview of a transitional time for Iran and film itself but focuses his ideas of Iranian politics and cinema primarily within the nine-year timeframe of Mohammed Khatami’s presidency, from 1997 to 2005. Atwood discussed his work with me for Film Matters via email in spring 2017.
Chamberlain Staub: To start off, what else should we know about you and your work?
Blake Atwood: My work explores the intersection of cinema, technology, and politics in the Middle East, and I have published extensively on media practices Iran and Lebanon. I believe that we need to globalize our understanding of film history, and in order to do that, we have to study languages, cultures, and histories outside of the economic flows of North America and Europe. Why should we understand the advent of sound technology, for example, through The Jazz Singer [1927] and the Hollywood studio system, rather than thinking about what the transition to sound meant in an Iranian context or an Egyptian one? The Persian language is really crucial to the work I do, because it gives me access to movies that aren’t represented by international distribution companies and also allows me to find and read historical sources that have not been translated. As far as what you need to know about me, I think my Instagram profile says it all: film historian/donut artisan.
CS: How did you first become interested in Iranian cinema?
BA: My foray into Iranian cinema actually began in a Persian-language class. I had always been an enthusiastic language learner, and a general interest in the Middle East inspired me to take a Persian class, where I developed a real passion for the language. At the same time, while an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, my friends and I would spend our weekends watching the most obscure movies we could find at the library. When we watched Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of Cherry [1997] in my first-semester Persian class, I knew immediately that I wanted to learn as much about Iranian cinema as possible. That drive has kept me going ever since.
CS: How many times have you visited Iran? How has this informed your work?
BA: I have been to Iran five times, and nothing has had a bigger impact on my work than those trips. It is one thing to watch movies from Iran but it is quite another to occupy some of the very spaces that you have seen on screen. Beyond that, going to the movie theater in Iran and discussing movies with people I met there were very profound experiences, and they helped me appreciate the importance of movie culture there. Over the years, Tehran has become my favorite city in the whole world, and if I could live anywhere else, I would live there.
CS: What is your target audience for your book?
BA: When I wrote Reform Cinema in Iran, I had a couple of different audiences in mind. First, I wanted to appeal to people who are interested in Iranian cinema and have perhaps even seen a few Iranian movies but don’t know where to start when it comes to learning more about the tradition. In this vein, I wanted to give people context, history, and tools to think about the Iranian films that become popular internationally, but I also wanted to introduce them to movies and traditions that don’t necessarily become popular outside of Iran. It was important to me that my book be readable to a curious but general audience. At the same time, I also wanted to speak to other scholars of Iranian cinema and to propose a new period in Iran’s film history, what I am calling “reform cinema.”
CS: How long was the publishing process for this book? Starting with the research, through the peer reviews, and ending with the initial distribution.
BA: Overall, I have been working on this book for at least five years, although some of the ideas in it have been with me much longer! It took about two years to research and write and another year to revise, edit, and expand. Once I submitted the manuscript, it took about a year and a half for reviews, edits, and finally production. It was a long process but a very rewarding one. My editor sent me an advance copy of the book hot off of the press, and opening that package and holding my book for the first time was one of the most exciting moments of my life.
CS: Since this is a topic you are clearly passionate about, do you find researching it energizing or exhausting?
BA: I am very lucky that I have never gotten tired of this topic. As you know, film studies is such a rich field and there are always new approaches or angles to examine a film tradition. The more I discovered, the more I wanted to learn. It was exhilarating. But it was also very satisfying to finish this project and to make the kind of statement that I wanted to and then to have the opportunity to move on to my next project.
CS: What was the largest roadblock/difficulty you dealt with while researching?
BA: The biggest challenge that I faced when I was doing my research had to do with accessing the information that I wanted or expected. This is always the case for scholars who work on a historical topic. There were many times when I thought “if I could just find this one specific kind of source, then everything will come together.” This challenge was especially true because I didn’t have access to neat, orderly archives specific to Iranian film (which don’t really exist in Iran or anywhere in the world), and sometimes even getting ahold of particular movies was difficult. I spent hundreds of hours in libraries reading microfilm, scouring newspapers for even the smallest pieces of information that would be useful. More and more, I started to think of myself as a detective trying to build a case around the evidence that I had in front of me, rather than hoping for a particular piece of evidence.
CS: Do you truly believe that Cannes Film Festival and others like it were under political influence when choosing which Iranian films should receive awards?
BA: The history of international film festivals tells us that they are entrenched in geopolitics. The Venice International Film Festival grew out of Fascist politics, and later Venice and Cannes would replicate Cold War politics. The Berlin Film Festival was actually founded by the United States as a way of broadcasting liberal Western democracy adjacent to the Iron Wall. The interplay between politics and festivals has become much more subtle these days, but politics continue to play an important role in determining how these festivals curate and award selections. I do think that all of the Iranian movies that have won awards at major festivals are very deserving, but there are many deserving films out there, and more than just aesthetic determinations factor into these awards.
CS: Narrowing this idea down even further, Jafar Panahi had to smuggle This Is Not a Film [2011] out of the country in a cake. Is there a film or book that you find powerful enough to risk arrest, in order to share it with a wider audience?
BA: I cannot imagine a film (or a book for that matter) not worthy of sharing with a wider audience. But my favorite film of all time is Qeysar (1969) by Massoud Kimiai. I would probably go to extra lengths to protect it.
CS: Hypothetically, if the world was ending and you could only save five of the very best Iranian films, what would they be?
BA: Great question! In no particular order: A Separation [Asghar Farhadi, 2011], What Time Is It in Your World? [Safi Yazdanian, 2014], Qeysar [Massoud Kimiai, 1969], Qarun’s Treasure [Siamak Yasami, 1965], and The Sperm Whale [Saman Moghadam, 2015].
CS: You talk in depth about the controversy surrounding Time for Love [1991], and how it instigated conversations and critiques about the ministry; but did you find that it also opened the door to films adopting a similar multiple-ending structure?
BA: Absolutely. Time for Love was a huge turning point in Iran’s cinematic history. It marked the beginning of morally ambiguous movies, even among directors like Mohsin Makhmalbaf, whose previous films had been straightforward didactic tales. As you note, this kind of ambiguity created controversy but it was also symptomatic of the things to come. This was an important transformation, especially if we are to understand the cinema coming out of Iran today.
CS: Have you explored the influence of international events on the film community in Iran? Although you point out that a key aesthetic is mysticism, do modern films happen to touch on the problems caused by an increasingly global community? For example, how policies enacted by leading powers, such as the US, are a factor in placing further restraints on or in opening up opportunities for wider political commentary?
BA: One of the biggest effects of globalization on Iranian cinema has been the increased attention to immigration. Many films now feature characters, either in leading or supporting roles, who aspire to live outside of Iran or have just returned from living abroad. This same question of immigration has also allowed cinema to serve in an important diplomatic role. For example, President Trump’s recent ban on visitors and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries meant that Asghar Farhadi did not attend the most recent Academy Awards, at which his film The Salesman [2016] won. These moments open up important discussions and remind us of the continuing importance of filmmaking.
CS: Switching gears, which writers, scholars, or mentors have been your biggest influences? As a teacher how do you try and inspire your students? Is there a story you always tell, for instance?
BA: Hamid Naficy established Iranian film studies as a serious, rigorous field, and his four-volume book A Social History of Iranian Cinema is essential reading for anyone serious about Iranian cinema. As a teacher, I have always viewed it as my job to translate my enthusiasm for a particular subject to my students. I want my students to think beyond what they see on screen and to imagine the stories behind movies. There are so many exciting things happening in Middle Eastern cinema, and I have the great fortune to talk about them with my students on a daily basis. There isn’t a single story that I always tell my students, because there are so many stories that I want to tell.
CS: I read that you’re currently working on a new book. Can you tell us more about it?
BA: I am currently working on a new book that focuses on the history of analog video technology in Iran. So I am looking at how video equipment, like VHS cassettes and VCRs, changed movie culture in the country. I am interested in learning about how people’s relationship to moving images changed once they became material objects and could be rented, purchased, copied, and viewed at home rather than just in theaters. In Reform Cinema in Iran I begin exploring this history, but in this new book I am starting at the beginning, with the global rise of home video technology in the late 1970s. I have already written the first chapter, and it is shaping up to be an exciting project! I also have a third book that I am working on at the same time, a biography of the Iranian superstar Googoosh, who was a famous singer and actor before the Revolution and now continues to sing and perform around the world.
CS: Do you want each of your books to stand on their own? Or are you trying to build a body of research that is interconnected?
BA: I want my books to stand alone, but I also hope that they are united by some larger intellectual project. Only time will tell exactly what that larger project is. For now, I am following my interests and keeping myself entertained with the topics that interest me most.
CS: Thank you again, Blake, for taking this time out of your busy schedule to speak with us. We are all very appreciative. And I’m looking forward to your next book!
BA: Thank you, Chamberlain! I really enjoyed answering your very thoughtful questions, and I hope to stay in touch.
Author Biography
Chamberlain Staub is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, working toward her Bachelor’s in film studies. She is on the editorial board of the international film journal Film Matters. Chamberlain is currently working on her Honors thesis, a documentary about end-of-life care.
