Filmmakers battle censors in Iran

By Andrew McCathie Feb 17, 2006, 18:42 GMT

A scene from \'Offside.\'

Berlin - Constraints are part of everyday life in Iran with one the country's leading directors, Jafar Panahi, telling of the battle he faced to produce his new film, 'Offside', which was premiered Friday at the Berlin Film Festival.

Coming against the internationally charged atmosphere surrounding Teheran's nuclear ambitions, Panahi's low-budget movie depicts another side to the Iranian story capturing everyday life in the country and the restrictions that people are subjected to.

'There has always been censorship in Iran,' Panahi told a press conference following his film's screening. 'There has always been some sort of pretext for introducing censorship.'

Set against a key build-up match for the World Cup, 'Offside' tells the story of a group of young women who are held in an enclosure by soldiers after they are discovered disguised as men trying to trick their way into the stadium to watch a match in Teheran.

They are told that a stadium is no place for women. When the women ask how the match is going, they are told by one soldier: 'The score is none of your business.'

But 'Offside' is a gentle comedy, poking fun at the ridiculous restrictions that Iranians face in going about their business. 'All the films I have made up to now have been about a range of problems,' he said. 'We are all subject to a number of constraints.'

'My concern is about people who can't exercise fundamental rights and have a normal life,' he said. 'I want to raise awareness about what is going on.'

But he insisted that he was not prepared to consider any changes to his film to have it shown to Iranians.

'I want my fellow countrymen to see it how you see it,' said Panahi who promotes himself as making films about social issues rather than political questions in an attempt to avoid any showdown with the authorities. 'We all try to do our job and to keep working despite censorship,' he said.

'Offside' is one of 19 movies competing at this year's Berlin Film Festival for the Berlinale's coveted Golden Bear award.

Panahi hopes that 'Offside' will be screened in Teheran in the month before the World Cup kicks off in Germany in June. But he hastened to add that he has still not received official permission for the movie's screening.

Two of Panahi's previous films - 'Badkonake Sefid' (The White Balloon) and 'Talaye Sorkh' (Crimson Gold) were not shown in Teheran. It was only following intervention from the Berlin Film Festival that members of the team were able to travel to Germany for the screening.

In a bid to have 'Offside' made, Panahi said the authorities were only told a few days before shooting was due to start that he would be the director.

Indeed, 'Offside' also illustrates how daily life can come down to a constant round of haggling with petty authorities. When one of the women trying to enter the stadium is picked up by a soldier, a small crowd surrounds her pleading with the soldier to allow her to watch the match.

The women in 'Offside' are also somewhat more feisty and self- assured than the women in his previous films, notably the acclaimed 'Dayereh' (The Circle), which won a Golden Lion in Venice in 2000.

They verbally hit back at the soldiers and argue the case as to why they are not permitted into the stadium.