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| flash, flash, flash!!!!! Ghobadi has been banned of shooting films in Iran! Devrim Kilic / Melbourne - February 5 / 2007
been chosen as one of the top living 100 filmmakers in the world last year will no longer be able to shoot a film in Iran according to the decision of Cinema Office of Iranian Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry. Ghobadi’s wrote an open letter at his production company Mij Film’s official web site and stated that the banning is a nonsense decision. Ghobadi said in his statement that he is banned of shooting films just because of his the best film award at the 54th San Sebastian International Film Festival in 2006, was banned in Iran on the basis that it was a separatist film. It is expected that the banning of Ghobadi will attract international reaction from all over the world, especially from the artistic community. “Don’t shoot the film in Kurdish” Although the decision of Iranian Culture Ministry does not articulate the reason of banning it seems the ‘Kurdishness’ in Ghobadi’s films is to blame. Ghobadi said in his letter that he will oppose the decision and asks the ministry to abandon the banning as soon as possible otherwise he will shoot his films in an appropriate country. Ghobadi stated; “A while ago to my utmost disbelief I saw a piece of news on a cinema website stating that the public relations office of the Cinema Department in the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has announced the following statement: "Under current circumstances and according to numerous reasons and based on regulations production of any film by Bahman Ghobadi is not within the professional filmmaking agenda of the General Censors Office". My disbelief was affirmed when I saw the Islamic Republic official seal and title of the Ministry of Guidance at the bottom of the letter.” Ghobadi said that the banning is its first kind which occurs in Iran after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. According to Ghobadi once he made the inquiry about the banning the officers at Cinema Department denied the decision and said it was a misunderstanding but when he asked to make an official announcement about the misunderstanding they did not do anything. Ghobadi stated “That means to say something verbally but act differently, that ultimately it means confirmation of the so called misunderstanding, that I am prohibited from working.” Ghobadi states that the problems have started when first attempted to shoot Half Moon as he was informally advised “not to make the film in Kurdish”. Ghobadi said in his letter “I sensed a rise of problems resulting from sort of a dictating mind frame that ended in refusing to give the negative stock and cameras that were collecting dust in the storage. If I can excuse what went on before, by no means I can forbear what is developing now. It has been several months now that under vague pretexts the Censors Office has evaded the issuance of a screening permit for Half Moon. I have cut the film short several times to these gentlemen’s taste and the short versions are available too. Each time, however, it has taken theses gentlemen weeks to respond after which the vicious circle has just repeated.” Could not start to shoot his new film Moreover it is learnt that Ghobadi could not start to shoot his last project which does not have anything to do with Kurdish and Kurdistan. The film would be taking place in Tehran but Cinema Department officers has not yet issued production permit. Ghobadi stated that the stance of Cinema Department reveals “a wave of hostility towards” him some other directors: “This is why the multiple mention of the pre-revolution actor whose presence in an Iranian film I have officially denied and said that his presence will depend on obtaining official permission from the Censors Office, is only an excuse in the hands of those attempting to suppress differing ideas. I do reserve the right for myself though, that if production conditions are not provided in Iran I will make the film with my intended actor in any country that will render suitable.” Separatist films, separatist director! Additionally Ghobadi said that he was accused of being separatist because of his last feature film Half Moon, by the Censors Office. Ghobadi said he is an Iranian Kurd but against the disintegration of even an inch of Iran. As said by Ghobadi after being labeled as separatist a national Iranian newspaper published a broad article against him. The rest of Ghobadi’s statement as follows: “Interestingly, the newspaper that does not tolerate any other voice but their own opinions publishes a detailed report against me clearly attesting to a wave of anger towards me whose name has appeared among the 100 top directors in the world listed in a book by the reputable Taschen publications. This anger though, deems more of an excuse to instigate the controversy on my behalf that I am a separatist, and a member of the Censor Office, apparently himself a director, is among the interviewees in this report making irrelevant statements to the unaware-of-the subject public to undermine my reputation in their mind. Truly, is this an act of separatism by the member of the Censor Office or is it my predestined situation as an Iranian Kurd? Obviously, a tendency seems to exist attempting to eliminate many successful filmmakers such as myself and others to make room for the so called minions. But these gentlemen ignore the fact that I, as an artist have not stepped into this domain on someone else’s request or desire in the first place to be pressed to back off. As an Iranian Kurdish filmmaker with international reputation I have remained silent although my work has been halted for months. And this silence each time has provoked these gentlemen to become more reckless and feel more powerful. Now, however, I warn you that according to the Constitution, no person, organization or institution can stop me from my professional conduct. The whole entity of the Cinema Department is formed on the basis of our presence as filmmakers and its existence leans on our activities not vice versa. But now our servitors in an organization whose fundamental duty involves serving the art and artists and facilitate our working conditions, requests individuals like me to serve their purposes because my only fault is that I am a Kurd. The statement therefore, by the Censors office is entirely meaningful: "Due to numerous problems and according to regulations, production of any film by Bahman Ghobadi is not within the working agenda of this office." I will not forget and neither will history, nor I caution you not to forget that time is the greatest of all judges. The history of this land and its cinema will someday judge as to what futile efforts you have undertaken to direct the minds of the artists like me towards what you believe is right. The three decade precedence of post- revolution cinema has not become so distant for you to forget that use of force and exercise of power that only lasts a short while will not make you succeed at molding any artists including myself to your own taste. Now as filmmaker, I warn you that if the Censors Office in the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance refuses to issue permit for the making of my new film, I will personally take action and start its shooting in the streets of Tehran, for them to come and collect my equipments so that I can see based on what bogus new law they will brake the hands of my camera and blind the eyes of my film.” The fact is that this is not the first time Ghobadi facing restriction from the Iranian censors. When Bahman Ghobadi completed his second feature film, -“Marooned in Iraq’ originally titled as ‘The Songs of My Motherland’- and applied for screening permission for the film he has been told by Iranian authorities that the original title of the film, “The Songs of My Motherland” was too “nationalist”. The authorities advised him to change the title but Ghobadi resisted keeping the original title. As a result of this dilemma his second feature, which later titled by the distribution company as “Marooned in Iraq”, was only screened in one theater in Iran in the city of Tehran, apart from Kurdistan region of Iran.
second feature film “Blackboards” made in 2000, which tells the plight of Kurdish teachers and victims of Halabja massacre wandering on the mountains of Kurdistan, had faced same kind of trouble because of its Kurdish content and thus the film had to be smuggled out of Iraq and completed in Italy. * KurdishcCinema.com |
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