ABSTRACT
Introduction The apparent contradiction between strict state control of filmmaking in Iran, on the one hand, and a large number of socially/politically critical films, on the other, has created much interest in censorship in Iranian cinema. Some researchers suggest that filmmakers evade censorship by means of symbolism, metaphor and allegory. Devictor calls these the ‘tricks’ that filmmakers play on the censors (2002: 71). Naficy (2001a) and Rahimieh (2002), among others, highlight instances of filmmakers’ use of indirect means to bypass censorship. Conversely, Ghazian (2002) claims that the censorship of Iranian cinema is a united, impenetrable ideological machine. None of the two explanations is entirely satisfactory. If the censors were fooled by the filmmakers’ use of indirect devices, then they would not ban so many films by experienced filmmakers. And if the censorship barrier was impenetrable, the previously banned films would not be released at all. We need to look again at the control framework and the way it has operated.
