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Small Scale Presentation: Part FourBy Charlotte Beaird

+What is your investigation question/statement?

Representations of women in post 1990’s Iranian Cinema.

+What were your thoughts on your investigation before carrying out any research?

I thought that the subject would be far more difficult to get in to, as I assumed it would be particularly hard to find any information on Iranian women in films. As I assumed that Iranian men would not put women in their films or talk about them often. Obviously beforehand I did not realise that it was the rest of the world, that took an interest in Iranian women and had a lot of research on their representation within Iranian films.

I thought that it would be an interesting subject, as I thought their would be a lot of predjuices world-wide about Iranian women. I thought that the films choices would be a lot harder as I assumed their would not be that many to pick from. Overall I thought that it would be an extremely difficult topic to get secondary research on. But this is what interested me in the beginning, the extensive research.

+What film is your focus film and why?

The film Persepolis, is my focus film for my small scale project. This is the first Iranian film I have ever seen. Although it was not made in Iran, it is based around their history. I saw it years ago and it sparked an interest in Iranian cinema and in particular the treatment of women. The film focuses around a lead role, Marjane and her life in Iran, I felt as if I needed to be my focus film as it showed a balance in Iranian cinema. As she shows that she understands multiple views in Iran, also that she see’s all of the bad factors about her countries ethos and that she has left there now. This shows that her film was the best focus film for my project as it offers a leveled ground, that I can choose riskier and more controversial films as my second and third choices.

+What additional films have you chosen and why?

I have chosen the films “The Circle” and “Ten”, I chose the film “The Circle” because it represented the voice of women who by society are seen as refugees. It offers the chance to see all of the rules against women in Iran and how restricted their lives are. I chose the film “Ten” as it zoomed in and focused more on personal lives, of families and friends how their relationships work. It takes you in to the personal lives of Iranian women and how their relationships with their friends and family work. Overall I chose both of these films as they took you in to the lives of particular Iranian women, the ones in which Iranian men couldn’t care less about. Of which these women’s stories would never have been told otherwise. Also all of my films involve real life people and their true stories, this is a factor in which greatly interests me and empowers my passion within my small scale project.

+ Discuss specific scenes from your films that have helped your investigation. The scene that involves Marjane from “Persepolis”

singing “eye of the tiger”. This scene has helped my work, as it has made me intrigued in to researching Iranian clubs for women in Great Britain and what they get away with in Britain that they never could in Iran.

The scene were the mother and her friend are talking and her friend takes of her head-dress in “Ten”. It has made me want to research relationships between men and women in Iran and how it is heavily dominated by the man. Also why women cannot take off their Head-dress.

The scene were the women abandons her child in “The Circle”. Made me want to research why mothers had to do that, to save their children.

+What have you found out from secondary research?

Persepolis: “Buying clandestine Iron Maiden Cassettes or making wine.” –stuff against the law

“By 1982, the Iran-Iraq war was raging.” “The film’s fidelity to the source could deter audiences.” “Incompatibility between Islamic fundementalism and “decadent”

Western values.” The Circle: “Representing different generations, social profiles,

and degrees of victimization”. – I never knew they were representing different generations.

“Male domination of urban space does not augur an exhilarating adventure, or even the illusion of independence, but a virtual prison.”

“Hindered at the outset by government objections to his script”. “non-professional actors”.

+ Ten: “Director was usually absent when the film was

being shot”. “This was the most audacious, innovative and

relevant film at Cannes.”“It’s less a closure than an admission that life goes

on, for the audience as well as for the characters. - relevant as I felt this afterwards, but you forget that the characters are real.

“Fragments from several stories that throw light on each other”.

+What pieces of secondary research are excellent/ why?

For “The Circle”-“The background “noise” of women’s marginalized condition in a world controlled by men”. – article: “No Way Out”, publication: Film Comment, Author: Arthur Paul Volume: V37. No.2 Mar/Apr 2001,Pages: 22-25.- This quote is relevant as it sums up the whole of the film as the women are always outside and something always feels unnerving. This quote finally made me realise what it is and it sums up the film superbly.

For “Ten”- “Acknowledges female sexual desire, gives voice to criticisms of unjust divorce laws, and implies that many men (and the deeply macho boy who serves as their representative) are hypocritical, fickle and antiquated chauvinists.”- article: “Drive he said”, publication: Sight and Sound, Author: Geoff Andrew, Volume: 12, No.10 October 2002, P ages: 30-32.- This quote refers to the woman’s de-veiling scene in the film, it expresses what the director wanted to show Iranian men as. Also shows his siding with women, it’s a reliable and helpful quote in showing diversity in Iranian film opinions.

+ For “Persepolis”- “It is the regime’s bureaucratic

stupidities that have most impact on the young narrator and make for the most enjoyably absurd moments.”- review: on persepolis, publication: Screen International, author: Lee Marshall, No: 1598, 1 Jun 2007, page no: 5. – Picks key factor in the film that it speaks of the war and revolution humorously. Quite a reliable source unlike others it states her undeniable way of making the light out of a very dark situation. This quote makes the film seem less of a heavey burden to viewers, it suggests it will make you laugh instead of depressed.

+What pieces of secondary research are not so good/ why?

An extract from the book “Women, Islam and Cinema”, as there is just not enough detail in the extract as I did not have enough time to get all of the extract photocopied at the BFI. As it told me elements of what I knew that women’s lack of appearance in Islamic cinema was due to social and political issues.

A poem by Nazim Hikmet on Islamic women, I will research it as it may have deeper connotations. But at first glance it is not too helpful I shall also research him and find out his ethos.

An article entitled “Ten moments in Cannes”, as it is good for secondary research finding out about other’s opinion on the film “Ten”, but that’s about it.

Overall I have been very lucky with my findings in my secondary research.

+What primary research have you done so far?

The primary research I have done so far is a questionnaire. I showed the whole class two clips and asked them to fill out the questionnaires, after watching them. I am still looking through all of their answers. I did this on the film “The Circle”.

I think I might do this again for my other two films.