Iranian film writer Solmaz Etemad: Censorship helps paint a rosy picture

Lonavala (IANS) – The Iranian film writer Solmaz Etemad who, along with her husband and renowned filmmaker Behzad Khodaveisi, visited India to showcase their film “Daughters Of Winter” at the LIFFT India Filmostsav 2019, says that though the film has been well received by the global audience, it did not pass the censor board back in Iran. As a storyteller, she feels that cinema should have access to people without censorship.

The film, according to Etemad, is based on a true story. One of her friends went through the same situation in real life as the film shows, and one day quit everything and disappeared.

Asked what objections the censors had raised against her film in Iran, Etemad told IANS: “We were told that quitting under social and cultural pressure was the problem of the girl, and poverty couldn’t be blamed. We were also told that showing women smoking and making wine in the house are not reality. But that is not true.”

“It is sad that the girls in my country, who I am trying to represent through the characters I have written in my story, cannot watch the film but the global audience is appreciating our cinema. As a storyteller, I will not remove any scene to fit into the rule of our censorship. Censoring cinema and literature that is otherwise based on a real incident is a way to paint a rosy picture of my country that is away from reality. Why should I compromise?” Etemad said.

When she tried to find her friend and realised that she had disappeared, the filmmaker was heartbroken.

“She was a lovely girl and had her dream. But before she could achieve what she wanted from life she had to earn a lot of money to support her family. Her father was an old man without income and she had so many siblings to feed. In a country like Iran, where one section of society is dealing with poverty, after-effects of war and almost zero job opportunity, social and cultural pressures stop girls from dreaming. I wanted to put my emotions and the story of my friend in my cinema. My film is a tribute to those women,” shared Etemad, who is in India the second time.

Born and brought up in Tehran, she said she had a lot of freedom as opposed to many girls in her society.

“My mother is a socialist. My brother and I were given equal education, and I was given the choice to live an independent life. But I am privileged, and not every girl in my country is. My way to showcase reality is through my writing, through cinema. If they censor my film, they are manipulating the truth,” said the screenplay writer who has penned stories of six short films and two feature films.

Does she watch Indian film? “I watched two lovely films — ‘The Lunchbox’ and ‘Photograph’. I watched them online but I am sorry I cannot recall the names of the actors. I love those artistic, realistic films,” she shared.

The LIFFT (Literature, Illusion, Film Frame TV & Theatre) India Filmostsav 2019 presented over 250 films across categories from 40 countries, and took place between December 12 to December 16 in Lonavala, Maharashtra. There were conversation sessions with many international filmmakers and actors at the festival, is founded by Riju Bajaj and hosted at Fariyas Resort.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)

–IANS
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