''Siyāhnamā'ī'' ( fa, سیاه‌نمایی), literally "portraying in black", is a derogatory term used by Iranian conservative critics to disparage Iranian films that allegedly convey a negative image of the country.

Definition

Some Iranian critics, most notably

Massoud Farasati Massoud Farassati (also spelled ''Farasati'' or ''Ferasati'', fa, مسعود فراستی) is an Iranian film critic. He used to regularly appear in the Iranian State Television programme ''Haft'', hosted by Fereydoun Jeyrani and later by Behr ...

, believe that films portraying "a gloomy and dark image of social conditions under the

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 ...

, or an

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and primitive image of Iranians in rural settings" only seek to win awards in

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film festivals. Some

Iranian diaspora Iranian diaspora refers to Iranian people or those who are of Iranian ancestry living outside Iran.Houshang Golmakani Houshang Golmakani is an Iranian journalist, film critic and director. He was born in Gorgan on March 23, 1954. Houshang Golmakani started his professional career in 1972 as a journalist and film critic for ''Tehran Economist''. He graduated in ci ...

is among critics who do not maintain this idea. Some notable filmmakers in Iran are accused of having such an agenda, like

Asghar Farhadi Asghar Farhadi ( fa, اصغر فرهادی, ; born 7 May 1972)Soureh Movie Database

and

Jafar Panahi Jafar Panâhi ( fa, جعفر پناهی, ; born 11 July 1960) is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, and film editor, commonly associated with the Iranian New Wave film movement. After several years of making short films and working as an ass ...

. Panahi has answered the accusations in ''

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'' (2015), saying “There are realities they don’t want shown... They don’t want to show it, but they do it themselves”.10 Great Directors Who Were Banned In Their Home Countries - Taste of Cinema
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References

Persian words and phrases Pejorative terms Political terminology of Iran Cinema of Iran 2000s neologisms {{Iran-culture-stub