THANKS

Shifteh, Golden Comment Award to you!

To reiterate your suggestion: 

"As diasporic Iranians, we would do well to start following the social news and developments inside Iran very carefully and to watch the Iranian people. We need to do this if we are to have a part in the future of Iran. We need to follow Iranians inside Iran, not the other way around."

Not about cinema at all

Though Farhadi is a good filmmaker and Dehnamaki is absolutely not, as you astutely figured out this is not about the quality of these two films at all. This tug of war was about the Islamic Republic's tireless efforts to whitewash, undermine, and hopefully erase what took place on the streets of Tehran and the huge uprising of 2009 which has not relented in close to two years. It is also about Iranians inside Iran, using non-violent mechanisms and ways to express their protest and to convey their message to the rulers.

Their message was heard loud and clear this time. The unexpected and unprecedented financial success of the dramatic film "Nader and Simin, A Separation" is so much more than meets the eyes. Iranians are flexing their muscles in new ways, learning to successfully boycott products and peacefully rally around ideas which would make them seen and heard without jeopardizing their lives.

To some this may seem like a very long and arduous road, one for which they may not have the patience or time. But Iranians inside Iran know what it is they do not want, to be sure, and in order to get rid of it, they will take their time, they will think, they will pick, and they will choose, and when the time is right they will do whatever it is that they want to do.

As diasporic Iranians, we would do well to start following the social news and developments inside Iran very carefully and to watch the Iranian people. We need to do this if we are to have a part in the future of Iran. We need to follow Iranians inside Iran, not the other way around.

Thank you Mr. Siletz for your clever-as-usual observations. I feel privileged to be around your thoughtful contributions to this site.

...

هنوز دو فیلم را ندیدم اما با توجه به شناختی‌ که از هر دو کارگردان دارم مطمئن هستم که این فیلمها تا اندازه یی نخ نما هستند به خصوص فیلم ده ‌نمکی !

اغلب شاهد تکراری بودن سوژه‌ها در سینمای فعلی‌ ایران هستیم،قصدم انتقاد نیست و تنها طرف صحبتم با اشخاصی‌ است که مثل من لااقل بیش از ده فیلم مستند و یا سینمایی مشاهده میکنند و میتوانند نکات عرایض بنده را با مشاهده این فیلمها جستجو بفرمایند.

با اینحال صحبت تروفو فرانسوی همیشه در گوشم است،سینما خوراک روز جامعه است و این به این معناست که کارگردان مجبور به ساخت فیلمی است که مردم از آن پشتیبانی می‌کند ،کارگردان مجبور است داستان سناریو را به روز کند،و اغلب میبینیم که سانسور آنقدر بالاست که این فیلم‌ها را عمیقا بی‌ ارزش می‌کند (این یک دژا وو [Deja Vu]برای من است!) .

باز جای شکرش باقی‌ است که اندک فیلمی ساخته میشود جنبه هنری آن بیش از قوه سیاسی آن باشد !

بسیار سپاسگزار هستیم از آقای آری خان برای این مطلب.

مسعود نه نادر!

Anahid: Yes, with some creatitivity from the movement, this non-violent resistance is is starting to shape up into real force.

Rush or not, I still enjoyed it.

Thanks Ari jan for writing about these two movies. It is great that movies from film makers who have not sold out are doing well in Iran.

Did you rush to write this?

Dear Ari, I am one of your big fans and can not say if you wrote something and I did not like it. This one, while the content and logic agrees with me but it looks you wanted to produce something quick ...

Also Dehnamaki's correct first name is Masoud.

Shad bashi. 

Shaayad Keh