20 Mehr is the day of honoring Hafez; A poet whose poems remain at the peak of charm. Despite the great fame of this well-known poet, there is still a need to introduce different aspects of his life and poems to the young generation. In the meantime, it seems that art can be a good help as a powerful arm to introduce the different dimensions of these poets, especially the production of artworks in the national media.
This is while, by reviewing the films, serials and animations of recent years, it can be pointed out that the production of this group of works dealing with the biographies of literary figures such as Hafez in the national media has almost reached zero.
In this context with Mahagan culture An artist, filmmaker and photographer, and a member of the World Institute of Film for Children and Adolescents (cifej), we have conducted a conversation to investigate the reasons for not producing films and series on the subject of addressing the biographies of literary greats such as Hafez in the national media, which you will read in detail below.
Introducing the nobles in the society is a social and national duty
Mehgan Farhang, pointing out that the introduction of honorable people in the society is not only a cultural activity, but also a social and national duty, says: “Honorable persons are individuals or groups who are distinguished by outstanding activities in fields such as literature, art, science, politics, or philosophy.” have had a deep impact on their society and culture.
He mentions that the introduction and commemoration of these personalities is important for any society for various reasons: strengthening national and cultural identity, creating role models for new generations, preserving and transferring cultural heritage, and increasing social solidarity are among these reasons.
The artist continues by saying that commemorating cultural heroes can act as a strengthening factor of social solidarity: these elders are a symbol of the joint efforts of a society to achieve cultural and historical successes, respecting them and recognizing their efforts can strengthen Social bonds and creating a sense of unity among the members of the society should be effective. How successful we have been is a separate issue. If someone is not interested in literature, and due to his interest or studies and studies about literary figures, and now we go a little further, he does not search for the whole glory of Iran, we will not reach this knowledge through cultural productions such as movies, animation, comic books, theater, etc. Which good series have we seen about the character of Hafez? Which animation series is good?
The position of the media in culture and the introduction of Mahakher and Hafiz
Farhang emphasizes that the role of the media should not be underestimated or ignored for any kind of introduction, informing and even setting the stage in all matters, and adds: knowing the place and methods of the media’s influence in such a situation is very necessary and above all It is more important to produce works that have a good impact on the audience and to introduce topics that are necessary for the support of a country, and it is also very important to influence the knowledge and knowledge of future generations.
He believes that Hafez, as one of the greatest poets of the Persian language in Iran, has a place in the production of artistic works and our media, except that his poems are read by singing teachers, the discussion of research and writing articles is a separate discussion, here about cultural and artistic works. In particular, I am talking about an image that is very important.
According to this artist, Hafez and his works form a part of the cultural and literary identity of Iran, his poems are full of deep mystical, philosophical and human concepts and his effects can be seen even beyond the borders of Iran, because he was able to use a symbolic and artistic language, In addition to expressing love, humanity, freedom, and freedom, it should also deal with social criticism.
There are few poets among poets, because he has entered into social issues and criticism, even Saadi gives advice as a moral teacher and does not speak harshly and clearly. The complexity and symbolism of saying it is the secret of his heart.
The complexity of Hafez’s personality and the lack of accurate historical sources about him; Reasons for not producing dramatic works
The culture of the complexity of Hafez’s personality and the lack of accurate historical sources about him are the important reasons for not producing dramatic works in the national media and adds: Hafez, as a great poet who can be considered the owner of thoughts and ideas, is someone who has a very complex personality. His poems have different layers of meaning, and a complete understanding of his personality requires deep study in various fields, including philosophy, mysticism, and literature. This complexity makes the directors face serious challenges in portraying Hafez’s character, because it is difficult to accurately and completely transfer the different dimensions of his character and thoughts to the image.
Emphasizing that Hafez lived in a period of history where detailed information about his daily life is not available and most of what we know about Hafez is obtained through his poems, this artist reminds: even in those poems, a complete picture of life We do not have his personal or historical details, the lack of authentic historical sources makes it difficult to make accurate historical films, even by reviewing the history of painting and calligraphy in Iran, we can see that Divan Hafez has the least number of illustrations and book layouts.
Symbolic concepts and the sacred and national status of Hafez are among the other reasons that the culture states as the reasons for not producing dramatic works in the national media on the topic of dealing with different aspects of Hafez’s life and poems, and it explains about these reasons as follows: Hafez’s poems have a mystical meaning. , love, religion and even people, and some of his poems are accompanied by a kind of social and even religious criticism that may be interpreted differently, for this reason, making an artwork about Hafez can arouse sensitivities.
He continues: Most importantly, Hafez is one of the great symbols of Persian culture and literature and is known as sacred and national, therefore, making a film or series about him can put a lot of cultural and social pressure on the director or writer.
This artist adds: How can we talk about a poet like Hafez in an atmosphere of society and cultural background where there is no correct understanding and complete nobility on a subject or some issues may be reduced by the blade of censorship.
According to Farhang, the lack of investment and attention to historical issues is the next reason, because on the one hand, the cinema and television industry in Iran and many other countries often tends to topics that are more commercial and audience-friendly, on the other hand, making a movie Or a historical and literary series like this needs a large budget, extensive research and high artistic precision, which may have drawn the attention of investors and directors less to these issues.
He raises a question about whether the atmosphere of approval and granting permission to make a series or a film about Hafez’s life can deal with health in the historical confrontation with the film or series?, he notes: Considering the lack of success and weakness of many historical works Broadcasted by Iranian media, making a film or series for Hafez definitely requires a high budget and a very powerful team.
Stating that the preference for Hafez’s poems instead of his life is one of the reasons why cinema and television do not cover the dimensions of this poet’s life, this artist clarifies: Hafez is more famous for his poems than his personal or historical life. Many people who are interested in his poetry relate to him because of the depth and beauty of his poems, and perhaps this has caused more focus on interpreting and reading his poems than making a film about his life.
Media productions about Iran’s pride are strengthening the culture and national identity
Farhang emphasizes that media productions about Iran’s greats such as Hafez are an effective way to preserve, promote and strengthen national culture and identity, and adds: these productions can help create communication between different generations, increase public awareness, and provide new interpretations of the works of this elders and also help promote Iranian culture at the global level, for this reason, investing in media productions around Iran’s cultural pride is not only a cultural duty, but also an investment for the future of society and national identity.
By saying that you should see the production of a good work, he emphasizes: A good work is necessary to familiarize the young generations with Iranian nobles.
Stating that today, the young generations get to know their history and culture more through media content due to the expansion of digital media, this artist reminds: making attractive media productions about characters like Hafez allows the new generation to learn the language and styles of today. Communicate with these elders.
Farhang emphasizes: these productions can facilitate the transition from traditional literature to today’s language and in this way create a bridge between past and future generations, while the discussion of modeling and inspiration, cultural and literary greats such as Hafez, with their works and ideas is very important. has