Gender and Iranian Cinema: The Hidden Half (2001)

1. How does Tamineh Milani deploy melodrama to explore the social and political history of Iran? How does the film try to appeal to the audience’s emotions through narrative and form/style?

2. How does The Hidden Half present the connections between the private/personal sphere and the public/political sphere?

3. What is the political significance of positioning women at the centre of an exploration of Iranian history?

4. Given the social and cultural context of contemporary Iran, to what extent is making a film about women lives and love a political act?

5. How does the social and cultural context of Iran, in particular ideas surrounding female modesty and gender relations, influence the way the film is shot and edited?

6. What are the benefits and drawbacks of using a populist approach instead of an ‘alternative cinema’ (art cinema) mode? Think about both narrative and form.

7. Does the appropriation of European filmmaking practices undermine Iranian art cinema’s value as indigenous culture? To what extent are these filmmakers playing up to Western audiences’ expectations?

8. In you opinion, is the political intent of Milani’s work more important than its artistic value? Is her film particularly artistic?