Iranian Filmmaker's 'Divine Comedy' Tackles Censorship Through Satire

Iranian director Ali Asgari's "Divine Comedy" uses satire to confront the realities of censorship in his home country. The film centers on a filmmaker whose body of work, spoken in Turkish-Azeri, is consistently rejected by Iranian cultural authorities. To circumvent this, he orchestrates an underground screening of his newest film in Tehran, turning a simple act of defiance into a darkly humorous journey through bureaucratic obstacles and artistic gatekeeping.

Asgari, who has personally experienced passport confiscation and the prohibition of directing films, views satire as a vital tool for resistance. He argues that by exposing the absurdity of restrictive rules, satire diminishes the power of oppressive systems and makes complex issues more accessible to international audiences. He intentionally avoids seeking official permits, believing that the process inherently compromises artistic freedom.

The filmmaking process in Iran, especially without permits, carries inherent risks, a fact Asgari readily accepts. He contrasts this with a past negative experience of seeking official permission, which led to demands for significant cuts and additions. For Asgari, maintaining artistic integrity and freedom is paramount, even when it means facing potential consequences like passport confiscation, which he views as part of the profession.