ABSTRACT
Faye Ginsburg suggests that we study film and video production as part of a social process engaged in the mediation of culture. The tensions led to a conflict that continued from 2010 to 2013 between the House of Cinema, the organization that represents the filmmakers, and the leadership in the cinema division of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance (MCIG), which oversees their work. This chapter probes the documentary filmmakers' independent stance, which put them at the center of the House of Cinema disputes. The conflict led to the shutdown of the House of Cinema in December 2011, when it failed to comply with what its members believed were unreasonable demands from MCIG. For two years, The Iranian Documentary Film Association (IRDFA) was recognized by the House of Cinema as their most active guild, and in 2010 the European Documentary Network (EDN) recognized it for its outstanding contribution to documentary culture.
