Filmfarsi ( fa, فیلم‌فارسی, literary ''Persian Film''), is a term used in Pre-revolutionary Iranian cinema criticism that was coined by Iranian film critic Hushang Kavusi. The term is used to describe what was perceived as low-quality films mostly copied from the

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

cinema and with poor plots, mostly arranged with dance and singing. ''Filmfarsi'' were suppressed after the

Iranian Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution (1980–1983; fa, انقلاب فرهنگی: Enqelābe Farhangi) was a period following the Iranian Revolution, when the academia of Iran was purged of Western and non-Islamic influences (including traditionalist unpoli ...

by more strict laws on relations between men and women, as well as religious opposition to the content of the films. The suppression of the ''Filmfarsi'' genre encouraged the

Iranian New Wave Iranian New Wave refers to a movement in Iranian cinema. It started in 1964 with Hajir Darioush's second film ''Serpent's Skin'', which was based on D.H. Lawrence's ''Lady Chatterley's Lover'' featuring Fakhri Khorvash and Jamshid Mashayekhi. Dar ...

of modern films in Iranian cinema. Many ''of the Filmfarsi'' that survived the Iranian revolution did so thanks to the existence of illegal VHS copies.

Description

According to BBC's Yousef Latifpour (یوسف لطیف پور), the plots of many ''Filmfarsi'' are based on "incredible accidents" or "exaggerated misunderstandings", where conflicts between tradition and modernism usually end "in favor of tradition". Within ''Filmfarsi'', there existed unique genres of film such as "''Jāheli''" (جاهلی), described by some as "hyper-masculine", in which tough male characters would save women from "a life of disgrace", such working as a prostitute or cabaret singer. Other common genres of Iranian film prior to the

Iranian revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

included

thrillers Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. Suc ...

, melodramas, musicals and action movies. While the films varied in theme, many of them shared common traits such as a "low production value" and "one-dimensional archetypes".

Decline

The 1978

Cinema Rex fire The Cinema Rex, located in Abadan, Iran, was set ablaze on 19 August 1978, killing between 377 and 470 people. The event started when four men doused the building with airplane fuel before setting it alight. The attack was responsible for trig ...

is often seen as the catalyst for the demise of ''Filmfarsi''; over 400 civilians were killed by

SAVAK SAVAK ( fa, ساواک, abbreviation for ''Sâzemân-e Ettelâ'ât va Amniat-e Kešvar'', ) was the secret police, domestic security and intelligence service in Iran during the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty. SAVAK operated from 1957 until prime ...

while attending a screening of the controversial movie "

The Deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindee ...

". After Iran became an

Islamic Republic The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a theoretical form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been u ...

in 1979, many commonly seen features of ''Filmfarsi'', such as women acting as an object of "sexual desire" or not wearing a

hijab In modern usage, hijab ( ar, حجاب, translit=ḥijāb, ) generally refers to headcoverings worn by Muslim women. Many Muslims believe it is obligatory for every female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty to wear a head covering. While ...

, were now frowned upon, and the genre was actively suppressed.

Gallery

File:ShabajiKahoomPoster.jpg, ''

Lady Shabaji The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inform ...

'' (1958) File:Pretty Foe Movie Poster 1962.jpeg, '' Pretty Foe'' (1962) File:King of Hearts (1968 film).jpg, ''

King of Hearts The king of hearts is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck. King of Hearts may also refer to: Games * The King of Hearts Has Five Sons, card game that may have been a precursor to Cluedo Books * King of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in W ...

'' (1968) File:Iran mag film 1970.jpg, '' Shining Star'' (1969) File:Reza Motorcyclist.jpg, ''

Reza Motorcyclist ''Reza Motorcyclist'' ''(Persian title: Reza Motori; fa, رضا موتوری; English title alternative: Reza, the Motorcyclist)'' is a 1970 Iranian drama film directed by Masoud Kimiai and starring Behrouz Vossoughi, Fariba Khatami, Mahmoud Tehr ...

'' (1970) File:Nikah Halala (1971 film).jpg, ''

Nikah Halala ''Nikah halala'' ( ur, نکاح حلالہ), also known as ''tahleel'' marriage, is a practice in which a woman, after being divorced by triple talaq, marries another man, consummates the marriage, and gets divorced again in order to be able to ...

'' (1971) File:Dagger movie poster 1972.jpg, '' The Dagger'' (1972) File:Mehdi in Black and Hot Mini Pants Movie Poster.jpg, ''

Mehdi in Black and Hot Mini Pants ''Mehdi in Black and Hot Mini Pants'' ( fa, مهدی مشکی و شلوارک داغ, translit=Mehdi Meshki Va Shalvarak-e Dagh) is a 1972 Iranian romance film directed by Nezam Fatemi, and starring Naser Malek Motiee, Farrokhlagha Houshmand, F ...

'' (1972) File:Torkaman Poster Movie.jpeg, '' Torkaman'' (1974) File:Mashti Mamdali's Car.jpg, ''

Mashti Mamdali's Car ''Mashti Mamdali's Car'' ( fa, ماشین مشتی ممدلی, italic=yes, ''Māšīn-e Maštī Mamdalī'') is a 1974 Iranian Persian-genre action comedy film directed by Reza Fazeli and starring Reza Fazeli, Parvin Malakouti, Mansour Sepehr ...

'' (1974) File:Beehive (1975 film) poster.jpg, ''

The Beehive The Beehive ( mi, Te Whare Mīere) is the common name for the Executive Wing of New Zealand Parliament Buildings, located at the corner of Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay, Wellington. It is so-called because its shape is reminiscent of that ...

'' (1975) File:The Crookes (1974 film).jpg,

The Crookes The Crookes were a British indie rock band who formed in Sheffield in 2007. They released their first single "A Collier's Wife" in 2009 as part of the Too Pure singles club, followed by single "Bloodshot Days" that was released on Heist or H ...

(1974)

References

Cinema of Iran Persian-language films Film genres Cinema by culture {{film-genre-stub