Refashioning the Debate on Abortion in Postrevolutionary Iranian Cinema

Abstract The study is dedicated to the representation of unwanted pregnancy and abortion in Iranian cinema. The article’s principal objective is to discuss a certain narrative shift in the discourse surrounding this issue that has been observed in recent years. By analyzing a selection of Iranian films and contextualizing them within the sociopolitical reality of Iran, the article proposes that the cinematic discourse on abortion and unwanted pregnancy has undergone a transformation over the past twenty years. It seeks to illustrate how cinematic narratives have evolved from a social perspective that emphasized the financial, legal, and cultural challenges surrounding abortion to a portrayal of pregnancy termination as a worldview issue related to the readiness and willingness to become a mother. The article provides an overview of film productions, categorizes them in terms of the perspective adopted, and discusses the nature of the two main narratives and their constituent elements, claiming that cinema in Iran reflects a change in social attitudes toward unwanted pregnancy and abortion.