Unwrapping exile in film the Iranian case

Much has been written about exile. And most of the scholarship tends to focus purely on its negative aspects, when in fact it is often a way of life much preferred to the unbearable and sometimes impossible enterprise of staying in one's homeland. As an exile and a filmmaker myself, I have found that all the challenges and difficulties stemming from such condition are not without upsides. For once, it allows for the exercise of artistic freedom and creativity. Furthermore, I was able to confirm that this point of contention is held by many exiled artists whom I have interviewed. In this article, I would like to examine the different roads taken by Iranian filmmakers, both in internal and external exile, in order to determine how they overcame the challenges faced and were able to conduct successful careers in their fields. To this effect, I will first describe what I understand for "internal" and "external" exile. Then, I will look at the filmography of Iranian exiles and how exile has influenced their work. Finally, I will present the feedback given by Iranian filmmakers and artists that I have interviewed. The conclusion presented is that the creative responses found to problems related to the condition of exile have often led to a rich and easily recognisable filmography that undoubtably carry common characteristics.