No. 10 The House Of Cinema Newsletter Iranian Alliance of Motion Picture Guilds April 2010 Our Activities in 1389 .Report on Box Office Receipt of .Conclusion of Letter of Understanding . Between the House of Cinema and the Inside will Focus on Welfare Films Iranian Society of International Affairs Mohammad Mehdi Asgarpour, The House of Cinema’s Managing Director: Our Activities in 1389 will Focus on Welfare The first news session of the board of direc- of the House of Cinema in 1388, was related “I suppose you all agree that we are not con- tors of the House of Cinema in 13 89 (March to the social welfare. fronted with a single and well-formulated 21, 2010 – March 20, 2011) was held on Mon- attitude, and this is not restricted to recent day, April 12 In the presence of Mohammad “Unfortunately sometimes our criterion for years and has prevailed for many years.” Mahdi Asgarpour (chairman of the board and the evaluation of the activities of a guild so- managing director), Amin Tarokh (speaker ciety is restricted to the arrangement of a fes- Government’s outlook on the guild system of the board of directors of the House of Cin- tival. It is true of course that the organizing is not well defined. Asgarpour emphasized ema) and Farhad Towhidi (vice-chairman of of the festival is part of our job, but that does that the government’s outlook on the guild the board of directors). not mean the festival should be the sole basis system is not well defined, especially in the for the evaluation of our activities. As you are sphere of arts and culture, and said: “We are Asgarpour began by wishing a happy New aware the 13th festival’s most eye-catching not sure whether the government considers Year for all Iranians, especially the film com- programs were the tributes paid to several trade guilds as the means of its contact with munity, and said: “In going over the report prominent filmmakers.” the people or believes that such societies only of activities of the House of Cinema in 1388, perform ornamental roles. If we were to sur- published a few days ago, we have to remem- Most of the activities in 1389 will also be vey the past 20 years we would discover that ber that we had a very tumultuous year. Many focused on social welfare there have been many ups and downs in this areas of activities came almost to a standstill; connection and that as a result we have suf- nevertheless we had very fruitful activities.” The managing director of the House of Cin- fered many losses.” ema continued by enumerating the activities Citing the trip of a group from the Academy of of the House in 1389, and said: “For the cur- Referring to the damages caused by this at- Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to Iran, and rent year a major portion of our activities will titude and the ups and downs, he discussed the visit of an Iranian delegation to the Acad- revolve around the welfare issue. As you are the issue of the welfare emy, as well as the presence of representa- well aware there are different view points on and said: “Government Continue Reading tives of the exhibition guild council in France, the issue and most of them are related to the officials mostly disclaim in page 2 he said: “In spite of such programs it seems government’s attitude toward the guild soci- any responsibility and that the predominant aspect of the activities eties. consider it as one of the responsibilities of the Our Activities in 1389 will Focus on Welfare guild system. They certainly can claim this is any government method or policy requires has to take action. And as regards the banned one of the responsibilities legislative approaches, and that for the execu- films I suppose this falls within the responsi- of the House of Cinema, tion of any method the legal aspects have to bility of the producers or directors guilds. If from page 1 while the House of Cine- be considered too. They could have at least al- we were to take any action in this connection, ma can in turn claim this tered the charter which had been approved by then we might create problems for the other is beyond its means and the board of ministers appointed by the Presi- guilds as well, and I suppose this would be to that it is not among its duties. dent who has been elected by people’s votes. the liking of those who wish to see us fight “As it is the parcel of activities that were among ourselves.” formed in the previous year, it has to be fol- “They can alter the charter at any time, but lowed up in earnest. For the current year also that would not be an acceptable approach and In response to a question by ISNA news agen- we will follow up the insurance for jobless- would create a wrong historical precedent.” cy concerning the outcome of the agreements ness, and the social welfare for the members. He continued by saying: “There are other is- concluded with the Academy of Motion Pic- And as we believed we would need consulta- sues about which you may not be quite in- ture Arts and Sciences, Asgarpour said: “The tive assistance, we have even broached the is- formed. But it is true that at times the issues workshops that have been planned are the sue at international gatherings, and interest- are partly corrected by people of good taste, outcome of the agreement. But you know very ingly at the international level, it seems like while at other times, well that arranging a joke that 30 years after the triumph of the the issues take a more workshops, especially Revolution, which we claim is a cultural revo- undesirable turn by in the sphere of cine- lution, we have not yet settled issues like in- people of not very ma in which everybody surance and welfare.” good tastes.” would like to discover Asgarpour expressed regret and continued by problems could create talking about the living conditions of some In response to ques- difficulties. artists: “When we find out about their lives, tions about arrested we can only deplore that they are totally ne- filmmakers, Asgar- “To arrange the work- glected, while we know that the government pour said: “Maybe shops we have to bring cabinet accompany the President in his trips they have committed undesirable foreigners to the provinces, as if they were only intended crimes. But I wish we among ourselves or we to provide decorative companionship.” were told about what have to go to the for- Emphasizing the issue of job security, he they have done so that eigners. There is also talked of several projected workshops in cin- filmmakers, including a third alternative. In ematography, screenwriting and production myself know how to other words we could planning, and said that probably one of the answer questions on travel together with the workshops will be on cinematography and the topic when we are undesirable foreigners will be held abroad. asked about them in to a third country. And our trips abroad.” that is probably what Farhad Tohidi Selected as Secretary of He also referred to we will have to do for the Fourteenth Festival of Cinema a number of releas- the workshop for cin- es and said that the ematographers.” In another part of the session, Asgarpour in- House of Cinema had As regards the restora- troduced Farhad Tohidi as secretary of the made efforts for the tion of the films, which 14th Festival of Cinema. realization of the re- had been arranged to In another part he referred to the Interna- leases. Farhad Tohidi be done by the delega- tional Standard Audiovisual Number (ISAN) I know nothing about tion from the Academy, and said: “It is important to note that ISAN the high council of cinema other than what I the Managing director of the House of Cinema has accepted the House of Cinema as its rep- have read in the press. said: “The House of Cinema is not authorized resentative in Iran, and thus we can hope that to take any action in this regard, because the part of the vacuum regarding the registration Concerning the high council of cinema he films are not in our hands. The films are in of copyrights of art works will be filled. As I said: “About this I know as much as you do the custody of the National Film Archive, and pointed out earlier the institute registers copy- and perhaps less. I have read about it in the besides we do not have the necessary means rights for all types of audio-visual works and press, and I know that the deputy minister for for dispatching the films or returning them. thus even those who work outside the field of cinema has announced it, but I have no idea But we are prepared to act as a mediator be- cinema can have their works registered.” about the composition of the council, and we tween the two parties. When the Academy Asgarpour also said that efforts were being have had no contact in this connection. For delegation proposed the task we felt it would made to obtain ISAN representation in the the moment we can only wait to find out about be rather complicated to explain the situation entire Middle East. the composition of the council and then per- to them so we said that we accept the proposi- haps we can talk about it.” tion.