Transgressing the Limits of Political Critique in Iranian Cinema

Abstract This article analyses three recent works of cinema and television, produced by Owj Arts and Media Organisation, an Iranian pro-regime cultural institution. The works under examination are the film Khorūj , the series Āqāzādeh and the three-episode miniseries Rūz-e balvā . The article identifies a new trend in Iranian media production that explicitly addresses the pathologies and weaknesses of Iranian political reality. This represents a breach of the long-standing limitations on the critique of those in power in cinematography. However, given the regulatory context of censorship, the shifts in the Islamic Republic's cultural policy and the challenges posed by an image crisis facing the Iranian authorities, it can be proposed that, despite their transgressive nature and innovative narratives, all three analysed productions could in fact be considered to help reinforce and consolidate the stability of the regime and regain the confidence and legitimacy lost following the events of 2009.