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Project Summary:

This project examines Iranian films produced since 1990 in order to explore the way cinematic productions created a democratic and pluralistic aura in the representation of gender. It employs a comparative study of Iranian movies made in the 20th century, before and after the Islamic revolution in 1978-9, with the films produced in the past twenty years. It will shed light on the aesthetic redefinition of gender identity that has deconstructed the conventional gender roles in Iranian cinema. The history of Iranian cinema depicts that modernity, democracy and gender equality are increasingly becoming more visible and a thorough study of these concepts would be of great cultural value.

Project Description:

"Gender Equality and Democracy in Iranian Cinema" studies Iranian films produced in the last decade of the 20th century and since the beginning of the 21st century to examine the way cinematic productions created a democratic and pluralistic aura in the representation of gender. This project will study the main factors that led to the shift of emphasis in gender representation in Iranian films and the way it became conspicuous within the wider cultural and social discourses in the national and global contexts.A critical study of the political economy of Iranian cinema will help this project to find out whether there is a confluence between social and cinematic discourses. The national and international reception of Iranian films about women or gender equality and their presence in the film festival circuits in the 1990s and the 2000s depict the significance of this issue. This project will also investigate the way gender representation in Iranian films has found its way into the digital space, including blogs, Face Book fan pages, and professional websites created for studying Iranian cinema.

Project Type:
Funded

Project Role:
Primary Researcher

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United States

Funder:
York University

Year Project Started:
2013

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