Islamic Fundamentalism and Gender: The Portrayal of Women in Iranian Movies

Abstract

Various political groups were involved in the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran, which led to the downfall of the Pahlavi regime. However, Islamic Fundamentalists gradually seized power and eliminated rival ideologies in the 1980s. In the late 1990s, Iranian Reformers won the elections and oversaw the management of the film industry for two four-year administrations until 2005. As liberals and religious democrats, the Reformers supported a modern portrayal of Iranian women in movies. The findings of this research challenge the previous studies that voiced optimism about the new individualistic portrayal of women in Iranian movies. The research methodology is based on Theresa de Lauretis's technologies of gender involving a narrative analysis of sixty-eight Iranian movies produced from 2001 to 2005. Given the political defeat of the Reformers in 2005, the main research question is to what extent has the portrayal of Iranian women gone beyond (or remained under) the ideological domination of Islamic Fundamentalism.

The Iranian New Wave: Poetic Neorealist Cinema

“…Iranian women endure humiliation under the yoke of religion and patriarchy, and live extremely difficult lives [9] . Contemporary Iranian cinemas also switch to these vulnerable groups in the shadows of society, exploring the special norms of women in Iranian culture [5] . Such works include "Became a Woman", "Dayereh", "Leila", "Buddha Collapsed out of Shame" and so on.…”

“…Such works include "Became a Woman", "Dayereh", "Leila", "Buddha Collapsed out of Shame" and so on. Became a Woman tells the story of three women, in fact the story of a woman's life [5] . If on Hoora's ninth birthday, her mother and grandmother said solemnly to her, from today onwards, you are a woman.…”

“…Eight years of war and devastating earthquakes in the second half of the 20th century devastated the Iranian people, who have every reason to express this suffering and sorrow in their art [5] . However, the tenacious will to survive the Iranian people honed through hard training, and Islam's tolerant spirit to the suffering of the world, have created the Iranian nation's national spirit of bearing humiliation, optimism and open-mindedness.…”

“…The ultimate answer of any religion is life and death, especially the interpretation and interpretation of death constitutes the entrance and core of all religions [6] . As an Iranian director who grew up in a strong Islamic religious atmosphere, metaphysical contemplation and torture of life is logical [5] . Such cinemas include Scream of the Ants, Smell Of Camphor Fragrance Of Jasmine, Derakhte Golabi, A Taste of Cherry, Gone With the Wind, etc.…”

“…Most Iranian cinemas end with an open ending, leaving the audience room for thinking and imagination, which is also the most representative expression of the poetic documentary style of Iranian cinemas [12] . This open ending is very close to life, as life never tells people the results directly, but requires people to explore [5] . For example, "A Separation" and "Blackboards" left open endings.…”