Modern Iran: Through Film & Literature in Translation

Undergraduate / Graduate

In this course we will examine modern Iran through film and literature. We will investigate the distinct characteristics of pre- and post-revolutionary Iranian society through Persian films, novels, short stories, and poetry in English translation. Discussions for the pre-revolutionary period will revolve around social justice; political and religious corruption; poverty and political dissent, and other contribution factors to the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran. Post-revolutionary topics include themes such as class, representations of Islam and the clerical establishment; social problems; gender politics; women's social, economic, and political roles; the struggle between modernity and traditionalism in contemporary Iran; and the symbolic language of modern Iranian cinema as well as censorship and its role in creating the Iranian contemporary literature. There is no prerequisite for the course and no knowledge of Persian is required. All readings are in English translation and the films are with English subtitles. The course includes lectures deconstructing political, religious, and social evolution of modern Iran as well as regular class discussions where we will address the issues in question from a variety of perspectives using a diverse range of sources to give us a bird's eye view of the issues at stake.