This film can serve as a primer to Iranian cinema in general. One can draw a shortlist of Persian classics from here. I have always loved Iranian films for its poignant, almost poetic expressions. It reflects the beauty of Iranian identity. This has been a form of good education for me. And, most importantly, I wasn't bored.

[font=Century Gothic]"Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution" is a fascinating documentary about the history of Iranian filmmaking, starting with "The Cinema Actor" in 1933. Of special interest are the movies made during the reign of the Shah and the current Islamic Republic and how the directors have dealt with censorship under the two regimes. Strangely enough, the movie treats the current repression kinder(which is ironic considering movie houses were burned when they first came to power), as former government ministers are interviewed along with directors whose films are discussed and clips are shown from. There is also archival footage of the times and momentous events which acts as a background to the main narrative. The Shah wanted an image of Iran as prosperous whereas the Islamic Republic is much more interested in a religious view and especially wants children, nature, Persian poetry and traditional values on display which certainly explains "The Willow Tree." But women need not apply. At the same time, directors possibly influenced by neo-realist films have been interested in showing the Iran they know, especially Bahman Ghobadi who has taken a special interest in Kurdistan.[/font]

They interviewed a female director and no one even mentioned she was a woman - and we're the ones that don't oppress women!

Not perfect, but a good introduction. I learned a lot about the PRE-new wave films I didn't know of prior.

It is an excellent documentary! It begins its story by reviewing the beginning of cinema and film industry in Iran, then it covers some of pre-revolution controversial movies and then it moves to tell the story of a cinema in the turmoil of revolution. The movie producers have interviewed a diverse number of Iran's directors; their cast includes great and celebrated names such as Makhmalbaf, Qobadi, Panahi and Hatamikia. This movie is their story, the story of how they made films in 7 minutes intervals between missiles attacks on Tehran and how they created an Iranian genre under the eyes of a censor. If you want to learn something about Iran and its film industry you have to see this movie. It is a must see for everyone.

Even if you are only moderately interested in Iranian cinema, this documentary is worthwhile. I was entirely unaware of the vapid pre-revolutionary films that were produced in bulk during the 60s and 70s. I'd only seen The House is Black and The Cow from this period. Knowing a bit about the current shape of the industry, it's not surprising that these early works were among the few films that were used as models during the early 80s. Say what you will about the rampant censorship and terrible social conditions, but it's fascinating to see a nation's cinematic language derived almost exclusively from the likes of Tarkovsky and Bresson. On a side note, this is as much about the nation's history during the last 80 years as it is about the development of the now thriving national cinema. So, if you're looking for a fairly objective overview of their history-- with a good deal of real footage-- this is worth a look.