House of Cinema is one of the oldest post-revolution civil society organizations in Iran, in operation since 1989. This timeline tracks the events leading up to its dissolution. Click on the “+” signs and use your mouse to scroll through the timeline.
House of Cinema is one of the oldest post-revolution civil society organizations in Iran, in operation since 1989. House of Cinema promoted Iran’s fim industry and worked to protect the rights of its members and affiliates.
In recent years, it has come under increasing criticism by the Iranian government, which claimed that changes to its bylaws were kept secret and led to the dissolution of the group. As with many other civil society organizations, the government plans to replace the independent House of Cinema with a government-run program. The managing director of House of Cinema had this to say when the guild was declared illegal: “The idea of establishing a governmental guild is a failed project in advance.”
The acclaimed director of A Separation, Asghar Farhadi, sent a letter protesting the closure. The New York Times quotes this excerpt from the letter:
“If the decision to dissolve the House of Cinema is based on the idea that the majority of the film community and members of the guild are in agreement with your method, then I suggest that you take a vote on this decision among the few thousand members of the House of Cinema.”
You can read more about its overall objectives and more than two dozen affiliated organizations by clicking here.
View Iran’s House of Cinema on Dipity.