Cinema Said artist in the newspaper Etemad wrote: “The action of Iranian cinema from the country’s economic developments has always affected the products in this area.” In recent decades, with the ongoing economic crises, this art-industry has faced numerous challenges in the production, distribution and attraction of audiences. The recession, inflation, the devaluation of the national currency, the instability of support policies, the unfair advertising coverage, the distribution of rent and the taste of cinema managers in the injecting of budgets into cinema projects have been among the factors that affect the production of works, technical and artistic quality of film, content changes, broadcasting and audience status.
Despite tens of thousands of graduates in various fields of cinema and high potential for production, one of the first consequences of economic crisis on Iranian cinema is the significant low number of annual production. Equipment costs, factors’ wages, location rental and even post -production services such as editing, music and special effects have reached unpredictable levels.
As a result, many filmmakers inevitably have been distanced from ambitious ideas and turned to less expensive works that are often produced by lower technical and artistic standards. Many producers have had to reduce technical costs as investing in cinema is at high risk. Using old equipment, reducing film days, replacing professional actors with cheaper faces, and reducing stage design budgets and special effects have led to the decline of qualitative standards. In addition, the cinema’s dependence on specific sponsors and unstable capital has led much of the product to distance the quality of the desired quality, and the weaknesses in the screenplay, directing and executing the silver screen. One of the important aspects of the impact of the economic crisis on cinema is the change in the themes and content of the works. As the films have become more difficult to finance, many filmmakers have been forced to produce works that can return their initial capital through the box office. This has increased the production of popular films, superficial comedy, and commercial effects that are more concerned with economic interests rather than artistic concerns. On the other hand, part of Iranian cinema reflects the direct reflection of economic crises within the social narrative.
Increasing films with poverty, class divisions, immigration, unemployment and family collapse indicate that independent filmmakers, despite financial problems, have tried to reflect the pain of society.
This process can be considered a kind of social reaction to the critical situation that has been considered in recent years, especially at international festivals. The recession has not only made the process of production, but also the film’s broadcasting system. Increasing advertising costs and reducing people’s purchasing power has made many films not sell well. In addition, the economic situation has made the opportunity to be released for many films. Cinema halls prefer to screen guaranteed films with the general audience, and independent and artistic works do not have much opportunity to show. This has led the mainstream of Iranian cinema to lead to commercial films, while serious and thought -centered films have been marginalized. Increasing living costs and reducing per capita income has led to the elimination of going to the cinema from many households. This decline in demand, especially for non -commercial films, has caused a serious blow to the cinema economy and has made many filmmakers difficult to afford. Also, in this situation, the expansion of home theater networks and the increasing popularity of the streaming platforms has somewhat weakened the role of cinema as a mass media. Many audiences prefer to watch movies at home instead of spending on cinema tickets. This change of behavior has made the economic structure of the cinema more fragile and has made investors less likely to enter the field.
Iranian cinema is in a fragile state that requires the adoption of supportive and structural reform policies. Although Iranian cinema has shown that it is resilient to economic problems and continues to produce, it will be difficult to ensure the future of the industry without creating a sustainable economic system.
To overcome this crisis, the government’s support for independent production, facilitating investment in cinema, and revising the screening policies seems necessary. Otherwise, Iranian cinema may move to an economic monopoly where only commercial and high -profile films have the opportunity to survive and artistic and social films are increasingly marginalized. Iranian cinema, despite all the problems, is still one of the most important cultural and social contexts in the country. What can save this art-industry from the crisis is not only economic reforms, but the return to authentic artistic and content approaches and attention to independent and thought-centered cinema in global dimensions.