PARDEH-KHANI A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR IRANIAN NATIONAL CINEMA MAJID FADAEI THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY CULTURAL CENTER UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA KUALA LUMPUR 2014 ABSTRACT This research has proposed Iran’s traditional art of Pardeh-khani as a suitable and applicable model for attaining a national cinema in this country; Pardeh-khani (pictorial storytelling) or Parde-dari is a kind of storytelling and minstrelsy with painted canvases that some scenes of epic, myth, moral and especially religious stories are painted on them. Mixture of speech and image in Pardeh-khani cause this kind of storytelling in the most popular and dramatic kind within Iran ancient arts. Pardeh-khani is very similar to modern art of cinema which served an analogous function in the past. Iran’s cinema, despite producing decorated works and eye-catching successes in global festivals during its 110-years history (1900-2010), has not been able yet to gain its actual position and status. It has failed to become a national cinema having a unique identity. As a matter of fact, despite all cultural and artistic potentials and capabilities of ancient Iran’s civilization and also presence of creative artists, Iran’s cinema has not managed to possess a national style with an identity commensurate with culture and identity of this civilization. By investigating different dimensions of this art that enjoyed remarkable popularity among Iranians along the history until a near past, this study attempts to render a theoretical and practical framework for national cinema in Iran. i ABSTRAKT Kajian ini adalah mengenai kesenian tradisional Iran Pardeh-khani yang boleh dijadikan aplikasi model yang sesuai untuk mendapatkan pawagam bertaraf nasional di Negara ini. Pardeh- khani (bercerita melalui gambar) atau lebih dikenali sebagai Parde-dari, adalah sejenis konsep bercerita yang menggunakan gambar-gambar yang dilukis di atas kanvas yang memaparkan cerita epik, kemoralan dan keagamaan. Disebabkan keunikan dari segi percakapan dan gambar, Pardeh-khani merupakan kaedah bercerita yang paling popular dan dramatic dalam seni Iran. Pardeh- khani sangat mirip kepada seni pawagam moden yang mempunyai fungsi yang sama pada masa yang lalu. Walaupun pawagam Iran menghasilkan karya yang dekoratif dan terkenal di festival-festival global pada 110 tahun bersejarahnya (1900-2010), ia masih belum mendapat statusnya. Ia telah gagal untuk menjadi pawagam nasional yang mempunyai identity yang unik. Dalam pada itu, walaupun terdapat kesenian dan unsure artistic serta potensi peradaban Iran dan artis kreatif, pawagam Iran masih belum mendapat unsure nasional dengan identity yang berteraskan kesenian dan identity peradabannya. Dengan mengkaji dimensi yang berlainan berkenaan kesenian yang mendapat sambutan di kalangan warga Iran berserta dengan sejarahnya, kajian ini bertujuan untuk memberi struktur theory dan praktikal untuk pawagam nasional di Iran. ii ACKNOWLEGDMENT Thank God for every single blessing. While working on this project, I received inspiration and support from some people whom I wish to thank here. First, I would like to dedicate this thesis to the sweet memory of my beloved late mother. Her motherly love and generous grace was always a source of inspiration to me and my family. If it was not for her encouragement, support and inspiration, this thesis could never be possible. May God bless her soul. I should also express my deepest gratitude to my wife and my son who tolerated my absence and always inspired me throughout to complete my PhD project. I thank them for all their unconditional love and support. They created this opportunity for me to pursue and complete my doctoral studies. Last but not the least, I take this opportunity to say that I am grateful to my supervisor Professor Dr. Mohd Anis. I should like to acknowledge the guidance, and the illuminating knowledge and support of Dr. Anis who encouraged me to better pursue this topic and made extra efforts helping me to achieve a critical understanding of my research area and also a clearer structure for my thesis. I wish God blesses him and his family. iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1. A storytelling cloth from Rajasthan in India…………………………...72 Figure 2.2. Khosrow Parviz, huntingin relief in Taq-e Bostan-Kermanshah………75 Figure 2.3. The revenge of Keykavoos from Sivavash……………………………..94 Figure 2.4. Installing the Pardeh on the wall by Pardeh-khan……………….……..96 Figure 2.5. Introductory speech by Pardeh-khan. ………………………….……...97 Figure 2.6. Pardeh-khan in praying position. …………………….……………..…..97 Figure 2.7. The opening of Pardeh by Pardeh-khan………………………….……98 Figure 2.8. Pardeh-khan in last prayer position……………………………….…….99 Figure 2.9. The page painting in the Book of Theriac……………….……….……101 Figure 2.10. A painting of the book of Khawaran-nameh……...…………….……102 Figure 2.11. Timeline of mourning narration in Iran……………………….……...106 Figure 2.12. Tazieh of Karbala………………………………………………….…107 Figure 2.13. The pictorial tile of Tekiya Moaven Almolk in Kermanshah…….….108 Figure 2.14. The wall painting of Emam zadeh Zeyd in Isfahan………….………109 Figure 2.15. A coffeehouse painting of Joseph thrown in the well by his brothers.110 Figure 3.1. First animation of the world on an earthen goblet…………………….120 Figure 3.2. On this goblet, with a diameter of 8 cm and height of 10 cm, five pictures show movement……………………………………………………..…...120 Figure 3.3. Drawing of the relief of Shah Anubanini……………………….……..123 Figure 3.4. Subject peoples on the East side of the Apadana in Persepolis…….....127 Figure 3.5. Mithras hunting; a wall painting at Dura-Europos………………….....132 Figure 3.6. The Baghdadi goldsmith by Kamal-ol Molk…………………….….....151 Figure 3.7. The Hunting by Mahmoud Farshchian…………………….…………..152 Figure 3.8. The Composition withy Alphabet by Hossein Zenderoudi….………...153 Figure 3.9. The painting of Leily and Majnun……………………………………..155 iv Figure 3.10. A sample of Pardeh-khani painting…………………………………..162 Figure 3.11. A Pardeh of The day of the last judgment…………………………....164 Figure 3.12. Icons of the good forces...………………………………………….…165 Figure 3.13. Icons of the evils………………………………………………….......166 Figure 3. 14. The combat between Hussein's army and Saad's army……..………..167 Figure 3.15. Wall painting of the tauroctony at the Mithraeum in Marino………...169 Figure 3.16. Pardeh painting of war between Mard Ibn Sodeyf and Abbas……….170 Figure 3.17. Pardeh painting of battle between Rostam and Sohrab…….…….......170 Figure 4.1. A sample of Metragh. ………………………….…………………....…197 Figure 4.2. A sample of Tomar……………………………………………………..197 Figure 4.3. The Pardeh-khan is representing actions realistically.……………...…202 Figure 4.4. The Pardeh-khan is representing the abstract movements…………......203 Figure 4.5. The Pardeh-khan is performing a narrative at home…...………………204 Figure 4.6. The Pardeh-khan is training a student (Zarreh-parvari)……….…...…206 Figure 6.1. A design of Fanos-e khial by Yahaya Zka……………..………...…….258 Figure 6.2. Shehr-e Farang [peep-show] in Iran's Cinema Museum…….……..….262 Figure 6.3. Timeline of cinema in Iran prior invention………………………....…264 Figure 6.4. The day of the last Judgment ………….……...…….………..…..…...315 Figure 6.5. The last Judgement by Michelangelo………….………………………315 Figure 6.6. Narration of Moslem's trip to Kufa……………..…………………..…317 Figure 6.7. The combat between Rostam and Sohrab………..………………….…319 Figure 6.8. Ashora event, from Hadi saif Sote-h delan-e Naghash.………..….…….…320 Figure 6.9. Anushirvan ascends to the throne………..……………...……..………321 Figure 6.10. Killing of gaint sefid (White devil) by Rostam……......………….…322 v TABLES OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: RESEARCH INTRODUCTION 1.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1. The Concept of National Cinema ........................................................................... 6 1.2. National Cinema of Other Countries ..................................................................... 8 1.3. Problem Statement ............................................................................................... 20 1.4. Theory .................................................................................................................. 22 1.5. Significance of Research ...................................................................................... 24 1.6. Objectives of Research ......................................................................................... 25 1.7. Research Questions .............................................................................................. 26 1.8. Hypothesis ............................................................................................................ 26 1.9. Scope of Research ................................................................................................ 27 1.10. Research Methodology....................................................................................... 28 1.11. Literature Review ............................................................................................... 32 CHAPTER 2: PARDEH-KHANI 2.0. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 68 2.1. Roots and Changes ............................................................................................... 70 2.2. Pardeh-khani and National Identity ..................................................................... 85 2.2.1. Territory ......................................................................................................