Movies have such a wonderful power.They can instill a lot of emotion in the viewer and make them feel less alone in the world.Their power can also be used in destructive ways and challenge the status quo. Few people understand this truth Jafar PanahiAfter a 2010 ruling by Iran’s court system, the Islamic Revolutionary Court, banning him from directing films for 20 years (as a response to Panahi’s making a documentary that focused on issues in Iranian society). ), Panahi secretly took command. this is not a movieThis was a ruminative documentary about the process of making a film, capturing a filmmaker under house arrest. this is not a movie It was more than just a movie, it was a rebuke to the suppression of his creative voice.There was something inherently dangerous about his work.
In July 2022, Panahi was arrested and given a new six-year prison sentence. Before his imprisonment, he completed his new film, no bears, is currently unspooling in North American cinemas. In this feature article, Panahi once again ponders the tremendous power of video, photography and filmmaking as art forms.
An Early Presence in Filmmaking in ‘No Bears’
very similar this is not a moviePanahi is the central subject of no bearsthis time within the confines of a fictional narrative drama rather than a documentary. no bears Drawn directly from Panahi’s experience as an artist. As the film begins, we see Panahi directing the film on a busy street in an Iranian city via Zoom. Much like real life, this version of Panahi is limited in what he can and can’t go, but that doesn’t deter him from exciting new artistic pursuits.
Panahi lives in a small village that is nervous about being photographed. At one point, Panahi takes a walk outside with her camera and she speaks to an elderly woman in the neighborhood who insists Panahi not take her picture. The two in this scene recognize the power of photography and video. They can be used for nefarious purposes, but they can also be used to reaffirm the very existence of those powerful institutions and governments wish to silence or wipe out. I am standing firm though. This elderly woman, on the other hand, embodies the indifference many of these villagers have towards the art of photography. They see it as just a way to stir up problems rather than fight corruption.
The power that a single photograph can exert is enhanced when the initial dramatic impetus of the photograph is enhanced. no bears This is about this village where Panahi believes he took a picture of his betrothed Gozal (dahlia array) and another man who is not her husband, Solduz (Amir Dhabar) and embrace. Although Panahi claims he didn’t, the director has become an outcast as he is perceived for taking photographs that disrupt long-established marriage arrangements. and how quickly lies spread about themselves and others like Solduz (although Solduz is characterized by many as lazy). , in a conversation with Panahi, a socially conscious person).
This whole story reflects Panahi’s real life in a tragically fascinating way by reminding the viewer of who society and its citizens tend to demonize. It tends to demonize people who focus attention on social issues rather than confronting feelings of dissatisfaction and dissatisfaction.Panahiin no bears The mere idea that he has evidence of an event that breaks tradition is purported to be a scheming villain. The thought process behind these villages is that by suppressing Panahi and deleting the photos, the problem disappears once and for all. It’s all epitome of how Panahi’s works, which focus on systemic issues in Iran, tend to draw far more controversy as works of art than the systemic issues they highlight.
This leads to another important part of the method no bears Explore the power of the media of film and photography: the truth. Even when we watch a movie or look at a picture that someone has taken a snapshot of, we assume that what we are seeing is 100% unvarnished truth. If there is a movie where someone eats a lot of her BLT and listens a lot, tribe called quest Those elements become part of the assumed truth of the frame. This is what makes features that contain unreliable narrators and photos intentionally distorted with filters so exciting. Playing around. This property of photography and video art can be twisted by those who create propaganda that seeks to demonize marginalized groups in a myriad of terrifying purposes.
Panahi’s work and personal life, on the other hand, have persisted in using cinematic art to emphasize the truth of silence.
How Filmmaking Can Affect Truth
Panahi’s place in Iranian society stems from his unwavering attempt to capture the real truth of Iranian society on film. his former characteristics, The Circle When offsidewas about putting his country’s cruel treatment of women front and center in the frame. It was banned in Iran because it was in harmony with the.His secret documentary, this is not a movie or even his segment Eternal Storm Yearrelies entirely on capturing the intimate side of his everyday life.
So it’s no wonder that the notion of truth and how filmmaking can save it is so entwined. no bearsWith his back to the wall, Panahi sees filmmaking as a tool to harness when the rest of the world falls into deception.
This is exemplified by a later scene in which Panahi is pressured into telling in the sacred vows room that he has never photographed Gozal and Solduz. Doing so may ease the minds of the villagers who continue to accuse him of being untrustworthy. rice field. Even within these spheres built on telling the truth, lies can get worse.Panahi ends up in the vows room, but with a camera and a tripod to record his testimony. bring the In a place that epitomizes socially accepted lies, Panahi uses the tools at his disposal to capture his truth, his words, his presence.
The exploration of veracity and other aspects of filmmaking isn’t limited to just the Panahi-centric sequences. no bears Also, Panahi’s film Bakhtiar (Bakhtiar Panjay) and Zara (Mina Cavani). Halfway through the film, Bakhtia goes to a meeting with smugglers for his passport. Panahi insists on recording the exchange. At this rendezvous, the smuggler, like an elderly woman in the neighborhood, insists not to be recorded while he and Bakhtia have their backs to the camera as they talk. If the camera doesn’t see their lips saying certain dangerous words, it’s as if their conversation doesn’t exist. has affected Panahi’s life, he recognizes how his entire existence can be turned around.
Is there truth in filmmaking?
The filmmaking presence in the storyline involving Bakhtiar and Zara reaches its most compelling point when the duo say goodbye, have new passports and seem ready to start a new life. … when Zara breaks the fourth wall. She removes her wig and picks up Bakhtia’s passport, revealing it to be fake. She begins to criticize Panahi for creating a cinematic domain to appease his mind rather than create something truly authentic. Even Panahi’s best intentions cannot avoid the distrust that creeps into much of our world. Concludes with a captivating monologue. She could also be talking about Iranian society, the Western world, or many other parts of planet Earth, not just the Panahi movie set.
throughout no bears, Panahi shows the hope that filmmaking can be used to stick to the truth in a sea of lies. But in this sequence, the director looks inward and wonders whether filmmaking as an art form can achieve these lofty goals. Even the medium of documentary film is a form of cinematic storytelling intended to capture truth, built on the back of projects such as: Nanuk of the North, is nothing but a harmful lie. Perhaps this path of artistic expression is always prone to false and contradictory elements that are inherent in those who express their subjective worldviews.
In this sequence, Panahi gives the filmmaking some nuance. He is not here to make a hagiographic ode to the art form, but always puts the human experience at the forefront of his work.The latter element is revealed in the final scene of no bears, which chronicles two separate instances of people being overwhelmed with grief at discovering the dead body of a loved one. It’s just In one scene, a man sobbing over the loss of his wife is also a prominent part of the frame, while another features a horde of people expressing similar distress over the death of a child.
These are meaningless, meaningless deaths. Cameras are now being used to capture the most important truths. That is the effect death has on others. There is a harrowing quality to these sequences because in order to absorb the emotion of these events, we forget the very act of filmmaking itself. . no bears Characteristically, we recognize the ingrained flaws in this convention that Zara highlights. Two fictional characters are dead by the end of the year. no bears, but the camera captures how their lives affect people while allowing previous footage of these characters to live and to some extent remain forever. All of that is contained only in the image captured by the camera.
The sheriff of the village where Panahi is staying has a reason. no bears I decided to take the picture.
There’s a reason Panahi had to get creative to make movies like this is not a movie from iran.
There is a reason why Panahi has been arrested so many times.
Movies have power, and all that power comes from the people who stand before fame and wield it. Films, if properly managed, can highlight injustices in which governments prefer to act like they never happened, and can serve as a reminder that certain people persevere in the face of adversity. increase. A person can be “fake” within the framework of a film and Panahi is very aware of that aspect of the film, photography and process of filmmaking. However, these tools still have a lot of utility in our world. This theme would have been very important under any circumstances. However, in the wake of Panahi being put in prison again, no bears And the best way people can access filmmaking is more urgent than ever.
