Iran is My Land

“Iran is My Land: Subliminal Dialogue and Modernity in Iranian Cinema”
About the Talk
Parviz Kimiavi’s 1999 film Iran is My Land explores cultural heritage and censorship through Sohrab, a writer seeking permission to publish an anthology of Persian poetry. His journey from southern Iran to Tehran highlights the struggle between artistic freedom and state control.

Denied approval due to poetic references to wine, Sohrab enters a surreal space where he debates classical poets about interpretation. His journey contrasts Iran’s literary past with its modern urban reality, questioning whether true dialogue is possible in a system that restricts artistic expression. This talk analyzes the film through the theories of modernity and communication by Marshall Berman and Jürgen Habermas.

About the Speaker
Yaser Farashahinejad is a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Toronto and a scholar of Persian literature. He has authored four books and translated works on Persian literature and philosophy. His research focuses on modernity, dialogue, and literary philosophy.