Prior to the revolution, the Iranian cinema was deeply clouted by western cinema. This had all lead to dissemination of unethical values and vice in the Iranian society that had nothing to do with the Iranian and Islamic identity of the Iranian people.
Iranian cinema with the historical word of the founder of Islamic republic was reborn and along with its local popularity achieved an international popularity too in contemporary decades.
On the morning of the day 24 of month Bahman 1357 [of Iranian calendar, which coincided to 13 Feb 1979] the passer – by people who were passing by the Enqelab square faced a strange scene; the ticket office of Cinema Central despite closure of all other cinemas ever since months before triumph of the revolution. All those cinema earlier burned by revolutionaries had restarted working and sold tickets.
On the side wall of the ticket office the well-known word of Imam in which he’d said “We’re not against cinema we’re against immorality” appeared.
The manager of the central cinema by relying on this word of Imam, then two days after victory of revolution had reopened the cinema and screened the movie called “The 25th Hour” directed by Henry Verneuil.
On those feverish days of 1357 AHS’s winter, in some revolutionaries’ viewpoint, cinemas would not be seen much different from cabarets, bars or pubs, and for the very same reason a number of auditoriums in Tehran and provinces were burnt in peoples flames of anger.
That’s why some people thought by victory of revolution cinemas would’ve been cleared away from scenes completely.
But all these anticipations collapsed by a sentence that Imam expressed in his arrival speech in Behesht Zahra [Tehran cemetery]: “We’re not against cinema we’re against immorality”.
The post revolution cinema of Iran got born out of this very same quote’s womb; the cinema which put aside the unruliness and to some extent aggression as the two fixed and important attractions of the main stream of film making in the world and replaced them with humanistic relations and moral measures.
By the mid 1980’s the new cinema of Iran through the efforts of young film makers who thanking to revolution got the chance to burgeon and some experienced directors who cherished justified workbooks, officially was born, the cinema which some strangers who had no proper insight about cultural ambiance of post revolution Iran called it “Ayatollahs’ cinema”, the naming idea that by staging movies such as “The Cold Roads” (by Masoud JafariJozani), and “The Runner”(by Amir Naderi) completely changed and fully fascinated authorities of reputable international festivals with the ethical and humanist cinema of Iran.
By the decade of 1980 while Iran was encumbered in Iraqi’s militaristic border violation, cinema was carrying on its activities with full power, in the years that by the direct order of high rank political authorities the film negatives were also imported. Iranian cinema managed to achieve local popularity as well as international acceptance.
In international arena by early 90’s the advent of Abbas Kiarostami was an important event; the progressive itinerary that had begun in 1980’s in 90’s reached the culmination. “Taste of Cherry” directed by Kiarostami won the golden palm of Cannes festival and “Children of Heaven” by Majid Majidi entered into the list of best non English films nominees of Oscar.
Iranian cinema gradually managed to become the most important cultural ambassador of Islamic republic; the cinema that although amidst political storms did get hurt, but finally managed to proceed crises and through the expansion of the sky of culture and creativity of young film makers, became an appropriate model for giving example for other countries in frankness and artistry of expressing humanistic, social and political subjects; shining of Asghar Farhadi with his two lasting tracks:
“A Separation” and “The Salesman” in the greatest film festival of the world and seizing two Oscar rewards from the Hollywood film masters and the most outstanding representatives of non-English language movies are count as the highest point of success of Iranian ethical cinema after revolution.
The cinema which was born by the historical word of the founder of Islamic Republic today thinks of conquering the world.