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The thought provoking films of Mehran Tamadon

Iranian (Mehran Tamadon, 2014, 105 min)

Persian with English Subtitles

From Mehran Tamadon comes one of the most courageous and profound reflexive documentaries in ages. In this film, Tamadon convinces four passionate believers in the Islamic Republic of Iran to come and stay with him for two days in a confined space outside of Tehran in order to experience a pluralistic society. In this new environment, they all engage in extremely heated debates and rhetorical challenges, discussing topics such as women and the veil, secular society, Islamic laws, music, and so on. The overall mood of this captivating documentary is contentious, but there are also moments of laughter, meal sharing, and even prayer. At some point, the mullahs’ families join them, although the women disappear into the guest rooms while the men discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a secular society. The notion of “co-existence” is jeopardized when each side’s understanding of the world, truth, and values is shown to be very contrary. In the end, this attempt to create a social utopia fails, as there are many non-negotiable issues for both sides. However, Tamadon’s work is inspiring and rich with the hope and belief that democracy can unite us all.

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Bassidji (Mehran Tamadon, 2009, 114 mins)

Persian with English Subtitles

In setting his first documentary in the city of Najaf, Iraq and following the cinéma vérité style, the fearless Mehran Tamadon brings attention to the increasingly intense battle between two dominant ideologies in Iran. On one side stands Tamadon himself, being from an intellectual, leftist family, and on the other are the most extremist supporters of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Bassidjis, whom he interviews. Through peaceful dialogues and discussions, Tamadon cleverly designs a seductive and rhetorical game that hints at moments of truth and the reality of the political and religious system in Iran.

There is something almost touching and powerful about Tamadon’s approach to this dichotomy. The climax of the film is when he presents the head of the religious militia with the contentious question of whether the chants “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” will actually bring about a better future in Iran or whether they are primarily the products of hostile complexes. This documentary asks us all to think about how many of our own respective convictions we are willing to reconsider in order to recognize and better understand one another. Bassidji invites us to explore our preconceived understandings of truth.