Following protests, the Turkish-language film Kömür (The Charcoal) was granted permission to be screened in cinemas, just one day after being banned by the directive of the Ardabil Province Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
The film’s director, Esmail Monsef, announced this development on his Instagram account on October 23.
The religious body that regulates all cultural activities in the Islamic Republic initially justified halting the screening in the province as a measure to “prevent the activities of Pan-Turkists.”
Currently, the film Kömür is being shown in cinemas in Tehran, Ardabil, and Tabriz. Its premieres were held on October 9 at Tabriz's Setare-Baran Cinema and on October 12 at Ardabil's Enghelab Cinema.
Over the past decade, the majority of films produced in the provinces of Iranian Azerbaijan have been in the Turkish language, with their numbers steadily increasing.
In an interview with Voice of America, Reza Siyami, director of the Turkish-language film Eve, emphasized that for Turkish films to become a recognized genre in Iran, investments, public support, the backing of businesspeople, and the assistance of officials in Azerbaijani cities are essential.
Kömür, filmed in the Azerbaijani city of Astara, was written and directed by Esmail Monsef, with French producer Étienne de Ricaud.
The director, reflecting on the Fajr Film Festival, where no awards were given to the film’s cast or crew, stated, “I must say that I will always make films in the Turkish language.” Despite catching the jury’s attention, Kömür did not receive any awards. One of Iran’s most famous actresses, Niki Karimi, praised the film, saying, “I enjoyed this social film’s authenticity, smooth and impactful performances, and the cinematography that served the film’s human themes.”
Recently, Iranian news agencies reported that Kömür is expected to be screened in France in the near future.
“About five years ago, a French producer named Étienne de Ricaud contacted me, saying he had seen my short films and suggested we collaborate to create a feature-length film,” said the director. “I presented the project for Kömür, and eventually, this collaboration took shape, making the film a joint product of Iran and France.”
Before this, Esmail Monsef had directed three short films. He commented, “This film was very important to me because I wanted to portray the process of people being humiliated, as humiliation ultimately forces individuals into seeking revenge.”
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Etirazlardan sonra İran Azərbaycanında türkdilli filmin nümayişinə icazə verildi