#58. Isu : Iran to familiarize academics with political aims of Western movie productions

01hb Februari, 2009
Tehran Times Art Desk

TEHRAN -- Political aims behind films being produced in Western countries will be examined during a series of seminars to be held in Iranian universities in forthcoming months.The seminars will be arranged by each university’s Office of the Supreme Leader’s Representative in order “to enlighten students about the political aims of these productions,” an official of the Supreme Leader Office Hossein Shafiei told the Persian service of IRNA on Saturday.

“Persepolis” and “One Night with the King”, both involving Iranian stories, and “The Pianist” and “Chicken Run”, both depicting allusions to the Holocaust, are slated to be reviewed during the first series of seminars to be held by the end of the Iranian calendar year that begins on March 21.

Outstanding film critics have been invited to the seminars, in which leaflets bearing information and film reviews will be distributed.

“Over the past few years, the political agencies in the United States and Europe that are opponents of the Islamic Revolution, have been producing films challenging Iranian and Islamic culture and they support this policy with their media facilities,” Shafiei said.

“Thus, the Political Studies Section of the office has decided to arrange the seminars to expose the political aims of these productions for people and academics,” he added.

“Persepolis”, on an Iranian girl growing up during the final days of the last shah and the early days of the Islamic Republic, and “300,” by Warner Bros., a historic film about the Persian king Xerxes, were found to be insulting to Iranian culture by the government.