Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Burning Straw Men: The 1979 Revolution and Bahman Farmanara's Stubborn Cosmopolitanism

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Bahman Farmanara offers a unique perspective on the effects of the 1979 Revolution in Iran: as a director working before the Revolution (Prince Ehtejab, 1974; Tall Shadows of the Wind, 1978-79), who left as a result of the Revolution, and eventually returned to continue making films in his home country after the Revolution (Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine, 2000). Despite the anti-Western sentiment of the Islamic Republic that Samuel P. Huntington argues contributes to a ‘Clash of Civilizations,’ and the restrictions of the new filmmaking environment in Iran, Matthew Holtmeier illustrates that Farmanara’s post-Revolution filmmaking evokes a stubborn cosmopolitanism counter to Huntington’s vision. Through narrative play, disclosing personal experiences, the use of multiple languages, and reference to global artistic traditions, Farmanara’s films gesture towards intimate global bonds rather than divisions.
Original languageAmerican English
Title of host publicationCinematic Homecomings: Exile and Return in Transnational Cinema
DOIs
StatePublished - 2015

Keywords

  • Bahman Farmanara
  • cosmopolitanism

Disciplines

  • Film and Media Studies

Cite this