A Gaze through the Veil:

the Shah and it was also seen as a Western import which was attempting to corruptyoung Iranians minds. In the years prior to the revolution, an assault was taken oncinema. One hundred and eighty cinemas were set alight, 400 spectators were killedby fire in a cinema where the doors had been locked from the outside. After theseattacks many film directors thought that film in Iran had reached its end. But as thegovernment saw the potential for its use in propaganda, many films began to beproduced by government controlled institutes. Although the censorship policy was atits strictest just after the revolution and many film directors had been put underscrutiny or banned, the film industry still continued.The film director Abhas Kiarostami who has been critically acclaimed in the Westand has been described by critics as representing the highest level of artistry in cinemais not as highly acclaimed in Iran. His films have not been shown in the country forover ten years, as they address taboo issues such as prostitution, suicide and divorce.To have films banned for addressing such themes is difficult to comprehend from aWesterners point of view, as these issues arise not only in cinema but in dailytelevision in most countries. By applying such strict censorship, one has to feel thatthe Iranian government are shielding there people from issues that arise in everydaylife, although they do not comply to Islamic values they are still very much present inthe modern world and I feel to taboo these issues is to ignore issues that are prominentin everyday society.Another director Mohsen Makhmalbaf films have endured a similar fate. One of hisfilms was banned as it portrayed adultery without condemnation. A leader from theCouncil of Guardians declared “In the name of art, a creeping movement has beenstarted which is a serious threat to the Islamic Republic, to the committed artists, andto the revolution.”(Callamard, 2006, p.19) The government released a guideline ofrules which states what can be shown in film, these guidelines are continuouslychanging and many directors have chosen not to comply with these rules. Most of theartists that reject these rules are internationally renown and do not rely on the Iraniangovernment for financial support, they also do not want to have to censor therecreativity. Jajar Panahi is one of these artists and has every one of his films banned inIran, but he justifies this by stating that,