The differences between two filmmakers: Stanley Kubrick and Ridley Scott

Hazhir Darioush, one of Iran’s filmmakers of Shah’s era, who was the executive director
of “Tehran Film Festival”, says in his memoirs, “We wanted to show Stanley Kubrick
movies in Tehran Film Festival, and invited him to attend the festival. After many
months of calls to so many people, finally I was successful to arrange a meeting with him
at his office. After he heard our invitation, he almost angrily threw me out of his office!
He said “You are inviting me to a country that has political prisoners! People are put in
jail for their political believes in Iran”!

Of course, the amount of human atrocities, which was perpetuated by Shah’s regime, is
so minuscule in compare to what has been done by the Islamic Republic of Iran, since
Shah was toppled. In the past 29 years, the IR has executed thousands and thousands of
its opposition. It has plundered oil and other mineral riches of the country. It has
suppressed students and intellectuals, women, workers and toiling masses. It has
imposed Islamic dress code on girls and women. And to intimidate the whole society,
public flogging and execution by hanging are very common on every street corner.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has imposed its political objectives on official art and
culture of society. Creativity and artistic energy of many filmmakers, who did not want
to make movies in the framework set by the government, have gone to waste behind the
doors of the office of censorship. In spite of all that, those who are behind making of the
movie “Body of Lies”, have made changes to their scenario so it would not be in conflict
with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s laws. They emphasize that the Iranian actress had her
Islamic “hijab” – scarf on, all during filming.

Up to now, Hollywood has made many movies about Middle Eastern countries and other
places of the world, using local actors or actors with similar background, but never before
had they changed a scenario for an actress to be able to play in a film so it would not
clash with laws of one country. By the way, the odd thing is that the movie was not even
filmed in Iran, but in another country.

Well, it is not because the people behind making of “Body of Lies” could not find
another actress to fulfill the role. Why then they had to change the scenario and align
themselves with the anti-human laws of government of Iran so an Iranian actress can play
in their movie? Regardless of what the real reason is, the producers of “Body of Lies”
have ignored censorship, oppression, and mass killing of people by Islamic Republic of
Iran, and by doing so, they have damaged their movie’s message.

In today’s world, with no place remaining for humanistic values, principals, and ethics,
influential filmmakers such as Stanley Kubrick are missed a lot.

Moslem Mansouri

Iranian Film Maker in Exile

www.moslemmansouri.com