Meeting with the Head of the Organization and a Group of Artists from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Welcome, dear friends, brothers, sisters, distinguished artists, and truly valuable individuals. I believe I have not encountered such a well-composed gathering before, where I could hear a collection of opinions and see the beloved faces whose names or images I have only seen on television.

Today, thanks be to God, this opportunity has arisen; I have seen many of you up close and listened to your statements. As the saying goes, "I saw what I had heard of the story with my own eyes." It is interesting for me to see you, dear friends. Rest assured, if there were more time, I would have the patience to sit for several more hours and listen to the words of more of you, perhaps all those who wished to speak. I benefit from hearing these words. A person has things in mind, imagines them; they can correct them or convey points that they think are overlooked.

Time is short; I do not have the opportunity to present all the things I have noted here - which are quite numerous - because our time will naturally end at the time of the noon call to prayer, and when the call to prayer is announced, I must part from you. There is approximately twenty-five minutes or half an hour left, during which I will present some points.

The reason I say I am ready and have the patience to hear from you is that, in my opinion, television, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, and especially the performing arts section - the series and film section - is more important for us today than ever before. I do not have a casual or fleeting view of television. The performing arts are very important; the dimensions of the impact and cultural formation of the performing arts are vast, and today we, as a nation that is alive, that has something to say, that feels identity and existence, also face great enemies. We are confronted with adversaries through various means, including artistic uses, and above all, the art of performance. This indicates that we, as a living nation, as a collective that has something to say in the world and has a goal, must pay great attention to the issue of the performing arts and invest materially and spiritually. Therefore, I truly give importance to this matter.

Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting has a very important role and also a great responsibility. You dear friends, who are in one of the most sensitive sections of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, have a very important role in the present and future of your country. We consider the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting to be the main center of intellectual guidance. When Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) said it is the great university of the country, he did not mean to flatter; it is truly so; it is a great university. We want the pure teachings of divine, human, and political knowledge, as well as various life lessons, to flow from this peak, from this source, towards the people; this is our expectation from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. Now, you see what you want to do in this field.

Of course, the opinions that have been expressed, I had guessed that friends would say these things - it was not unexpected for me - I knew some or many of the points you mentioned, and I acknowledge your right regarding the lack of spiritual security when creating an artistic work, or having concerns about insecurity, or facing criticism, or, as one of the friends put it, even facing the judiciary and the police; however, there is one thing here, and that is that you are artists, and artists are delicate. People like me, who are thick-skinned, if these delicacies that worry you and make you tremble and lead you to complaint and lamentation were to drive us out of the field, the situation would be different now. While I have interacted with artists from various fields - mostly, artists in poetry, literature, storytelling, and such - from my youth until now, I know the delicacy and sensitivity of their spirits, how can I ask you and say, "Do not pay attention to these criticisms; do your work?" Well, they say, let them say. After all, the door to criticism is open. Now you see; for example, this series "Joseph the Prophet." A series has been made that observes all the religious aspects and various considerations. It is the biography of a prophet. The basis of the work is based on chastity, not on the basis prevalent in the films of the world; love and lust and such things. Then it has been welcomed throughout the Islamic world - perhaps in some places outside the Islamic world as well. Well, in the newspaper, they wrote criticisms, spoke badly, explicitly raised objections, created other problems; after all, these things exist. I want to tell you; do not worry too much about the fact that they are criticizing and speaking and saying. If you are to consider these concerns; concerns that some of them may not even be real - that is, the delicate spirit of the artist imagines - in reality, the possibility of work is taken away; I confirm this. Therefore, you should not dwell too much on these concerns and worries. This is one side of the issue.

The other side of the issue is that there are indeed red lines that must be observed. In some places, crossing certain ethical red lines - I do not mean political red lines much; mainly, I am concerned about ethics and religion and such things - is not necessary in some films and series. One looks and sees that this well-made and well-themed series, if it does not have this excess, does not harm this series at all; we have such cases. Some of the romantic relationships between girls and boys that are reflected in films are bad, they are bad lessons. This is different from what you might find in the series "Coma"; someone first has an illusion or thought in their mind, and at the end of the series, they realize no, this was not a problem. Yes, you are right. But to bring a wrong love - these triangular and quadrangular loves - into the film is harmful; this cannot be helped. We should work to ensure that these do not appear in films. Now, this is one issue.

Suppose there is a film that has the appearance and form of criticism - because criticism is a good thing - but in reality, it is not criticism; it is whining. There is a fundamental difference between criticizing and whining. Criticism means that you find a negative point, relying on a positive point that exists in this performance, in this story of yours, you show and overcome that negative point. The essence of a performance is naturally the story, the tale, the biography. In this biography, you have a hero, you have a goal. This hero is pursuing a goal, fighting against obstacles. You depict a serious, real, and tangible challenge. The aim of this hero is to reach that goal and to fight against these obstacles. These obstacles are the ugliness. Ultimately, in this story, what does the artist who writes this screenplay or the director who directs it want to achieve? What should the outcome and product of this struggle be? This is very important. If the product of this struggle is that in the challenge of good and evil, good should prevail over evil, then you must show the movement of good, the current of good in this performance. Yes, you can also show the movement of evil - that is fine - but it should be clear that there is a movement of good that the hero character is pursuing, for which they are struggling, for which they are sacrificing their life; even sometimes they put their life on the line to reach that goal. That is, it is true that you have shown the defect and ugliness, but you have shown something greater, and that is the jihad to fight against this ugliness; this becomes criticism. As a cleric and as a responsible person in the Islamic Republic system, I tell you: this kind of criticism is not only acceptable but desirable; because this criticism moves society towards correcting deficiencies and propels it forward; this is good.

But there is a time when this is not the case; it is whining. A person takes a negative point and keeps repeating it. Do negative points and weaknesses of a society disappear? Do they completely get eradicated? You have taken this away; there is something else. That there was no direction for an artist, that there was no goal, that there was no merit, that there was no honor; just to whine, to paint a dark picture, to spread despair. When you show ugliness, but do not show that there is a good motive that is supposed to overcome that ugliness or fight against it, despair spreads in society, and hopelessness arises; when someone watches your film, they say: well, what is the benefit? With the immense impact that a film has, the performance has.

I say you should criticize, but criticism in the true sense of the word; that is, show the struggle and challenge of good and evil so that it becomes clear that if this ugly and rejected point exists in society, there is a motive for its removal, there is a current for its destruction. If you show poverty, it should not mean that there is poverty in society, but there is no motive for fighting against poverty. If this happens, naturally, the film becomes despair-inducing; it shows a dark atmosphere and is contrary to reality.

In political contexts - as some friends have pointed out - we are going through an exceptional period, brothers and sisters! We are passing through a difficult passage. Of course, our nation will pass through this passage and will reach a safe and secure point; but right now, we are in the midst of a great movement; do you not see? The greatest economic, military, political, and scientific power in the world is openly and explicitly hostile to us; this is very important, this is very meaningful. What has a nation shown of itself that powers that claim such things for themselves - countries that are not even willing to consider countries other than their own - come out so openly and fight against this nation? Of course, they speak beautifully - they talk about democracy, they talk about human rights, they talk about cooperation among nations - but which intelligence in the world does not know that they are lying, and that too in a disgraceful manner?

The same people who fought against this nation for thirty years, opposed it, harbored animosity, the same systems and apparatuses that provided chemical materials and chemical weapons to Saddam to use against the fronts and on the roads and even in the cities, the same people who create networks in the cultural sphere - which you have seen more than I have and are aware of, aimed at destroying the foundation of family and breaking the sanctity of chastity and hijab, which is a heritage of thousands of years of Iranian culture, and our country and nation have been chaste and noble in terms of sexual and sensual matters since before Islam - these same people in the political sphere make films like "Not Without My Daughter" and "300" that are against Iranian dignity and are full of lies and malice; these same people claim that they have no enmity with Iran, no enmity with the Iranian nation, but they are hostile day and night. This issue is very important; it indicates that our nation is engaged in a great movement and is standing against the colonial, arrogant, and imperialist demands of these powers - which are goals that are widespread and palpable all over the world. We are in a general struggle. The nation is in a general struggle. Well, in such conditions, it is our duty to know what we are doing in the political field, the political direction, the political flavor of the film.

If you, as a director, as an actor, as a screenwriter, as an influential factor in the creation of this performance and this attractive and interesting dramatic work, as someone who is active in this field - whether you are a screenwriter, a director, a cinematographer, or whatever - fulfill the role of resistance and the role of enemy recognition, you have recognized your role and acted upon it, you yourself are the hero of a true story; you yourself become a hero; just as in a performance, in a story, we have a hero, we have an anti-hero; this hero is striving towards a goal, struggling, working; if you place yourself in your position, fulfill your role, you yourself are that hero; then the work you create, the performance you give, will be more spirited, warmer, more engaging, and more attractive. This is what we expect from the artistic community of our country, from you, especially those of you who are collaborating with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

I appreciate the performing arts. I recognize the value of this work. I know how much thought, innovation, creativity, art, effort, labor, and sometimes long sleepless nights lie behind every minute, indeed every second, of this film or series that you have created. Of course, many of the audiences of these films do not know; they watch a film - for an hour or several hours - or a series is shown to them, but behind this hour or several hours, a vast world of work is done; from finding the subject, to writing the screenplay, to finding the director and assigning it to the director, to production factors, to makeup, decor, costumes, to cinematography, to editing - the final stage - and showing. How many artistic factors are involved here, how much the hands and minds of artists work here, how much creative minds are active; these are known. Truly, it is our duty to express gratitude and appreciation. The complaints and grievances that some friends have are, in my opinion, justified and rightful; but the points I mentioned should also be taken into account.

Of course, I had many notes here - perhaps as much as a booklet - to tell you friends; at the end, I have noted fourteen recommendations in various sections, but now the call to prayer time has come, and unfortunately, I cannot continue more than this. Now, we must convey these recommendations to Mr. Zargami. We must truly thank him and the other managers of various sections of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, especially this performing arts section. If it were not for the role and activity of the managers, the work of the artists would certainly be difficult or more difficult. We thank and appreciate all of you; however, we express that we have a lot of work to do, and we have a lot of capacity for work. Thirty-three thousand hours of performing arts in a year, as he reported, while in the series section, for example, sixty-some percent is produced domestically, in the film section, about forty percent is said to be produced domestically, this is a very high figure; this indicates the existence of extraordinary capacities in the country. Many countries in the world do not have these capacities, except for a few well-known countries. In fact, the antennas of various countries are managed by a few countries; mainly the United States and Hollywood. We have all these facilities, all this good human power, all this hardware capability, and then an immense software possibility; this eventful history. Therefore, we have a lot of possibilities for working.

You have worked hard; truly, the good outputs of your efforts are evident; but between what has been done and what can be done with this immense capacity, there is still a significant gap. My expectations are very high. In these areas - not only in addressing you - I have high expectations with many other various officials as well. In my opinion, these expectations are logical; they are by no means unreasonable. The fact that you are working so much indicates that what we expect is not a fantasy, it is not an illusion; it is practical. We did not have these facilities; all this work, all this artistic output, all these outstanding and excellent performances, this number of truly valuable actors. Some of our actors are indeed in the first rank; versatile, useful everywhere. Some of the directorial works are outstanding and excellent. Now, I am not an expert in these areas and cannot express opinions as an expert, but as a listener, one can understand the impact of art and the work of outstanding art. Therefore, much work can be done, and you, God willing, should strive.

In the field of historical films, one thing that always occupies my mind and I have sometimes pointed out is that you should use a more resonant language for these films; this is not very desirable. These historical films, which are from the past, one sees that the language of the film - the dialogues - is an ancient bookish language, but incorrect; that someone who is familiar with these things looks and sees, for example, the screenwriter wanted to use a language like that of Saadi or the language of Bayhaqi or that kind, but could not; it has turned out to be something incorrect, which is neither understandable nor pleasant for the listener, nor is it good for the expert and informed. One looks and sees that the language is incorrect; what necessity is there for this? They say we want to reflect the ancient atmosphere with this language. No, there is no necessity; the ancient atmosphere can be reflected in another way. There is no problem in using our ordinary contemporary language, the language that exists in all films - today’s language - for example, bringing the dialogue of Khwaja Nezam al-Mulk or some historical character or Shah Abbas; this will not harm the film at all; rather, it is the opposite that it harms.

Now, there are such reminders. Of course, our main discussion in these areas is with Mr. Zargami. Our hands do not reach you, but our hands reach Mr. Zargami! He must strive a lot. Just as I mentioned in his decree, in the field of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the elevation of work must be observed, and especially in the field of dramatic works and performing arts, a lot of effort must be made, a lot of work must be done so that, God willing, you can cope with these unfair competitors who are against you.

Our words and recommendations remain; God willing, we will set another time. God willing, may God grant you all success.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.