Iran through Film & Literature

In this course we will examine modern Iran through film and literature. We will investigate the distinct characteristics of pre- and post-revolutionary Iranian society through film, novellas, short stories, and poetry. Discussions for the pre-revolutionary period will revolve around social justice; political and religious corruption; poverty and political dissent - a prologue to the forthcoming Iranian revolution. Post-revolutionary topics include themes such as class, representations of Islam and the clerical establishment; gender politics; women's social, economic, and political roles; and the symbolic language of modern Iranian cinema. We will study films such as Bashu by Bahram Beyza'i, Brick and Mirror by Ebrahim Golestan, and The Lizard by Kamal Tabrizi; and such literary pieces as Dash Akol by Sadeq Hedayat, Trial Offers by Shahrnush Parsipur, and Sour Cherry Pits by Zoya Pirzad.