ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the government is an active player in cultural production rather than just an arbiter of what is allowed and not allowed for public consumption. In Iran, the boundary between the private and public spheres is blurred in terms of the production, circulation, and consumption of films. This is partly due to technological changes that have resulted in cheaper production, home editing, transnational editing, and watching films on DVD in private spaces. It is also partly due to the struggle that exists over public spaces such as movie theaters and art production houses such as the House of Cinema. Non-government-sanctioned filmmaking, for instance, has been called "underground production". In 2011 three films were screened that were made during the election year. These films were screened in various cinemas in Tehran as well as other cities. These are A Separation, Ekharajiha III by Dehnamki, and Payannameh by Kolahdari.
