Beyond Propaganda and Politics: Resistance in Iranian Post-Revolutionary Cinema

In 2019, BBC Persian released a documentary about the 40 best films made and screened legally in Iran after the 1979 Revolution. These films were chosen based on the votes of experts and individuals involved with Iranian cinema. The present study analyzes the three best movies on the list and argues that post-revolutionary Iranian cinema demonstrates some resistance and opposition to the ideology of the Islamic Republic and the government’s official narrative. The three movies investigated in this paper – Bashu, the Little Stranger; The Tenants; and The Runner – each show a unique account of resistance through alternative meaning-making, symbolism, and escapism. Bashu, the Little Stranger presents an alternative account of the Iran-Iraq war, a message of love and unity in an era of conflict and violence. The Tenants criticizes the status quo through symbolism and allusion. The Runner shows a different perspective on war, focusing on the plight of civilians while the government was engrossed in war and mobilization. These forms of resistance in Iranian cinema show the persistence of negotiation and opposition to the dominant culture in a restrictive political system. Despite pessimistic predictions, Iranian cinema under the Islamic Republic has been far from a simple ideological tool of the government.