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Exile and Attempts at International Filmmaking (1980-1984)
During his years in exile, Mehrjui sought opportunities to continue his filmmaking abroad. While in Paris, he collaborated with Gholamhossein Saedi, who was also living in exile, on a screenplay titled “The House Must Be Clean“, which they planned to shoot in Kurdistan. However, the project was ultimately abandoned.
In 1984, Mehrjui attempted to make a film for French television about the French poet Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891). The resulting documentary, Journey to the Land of Arthur Rimbaud, was an insightful exploration of the poet’s life and work. Though visually engaging and intellectually stimulating, the film did not showcase Mehrjui’s full artistic capabilities, as it was primarily an academic-style documentary rather than a cinematic feature.
Return to Iran (1985-1986) and the Making of The Tenants (Ejareh-Neshinha)
The Tenants (Ejareh-Neshinha)
After spending several years abroad, Mehrjui decided to return to Iran in 1985. His decision was influenced by both personal and professional factors, including family matters and a longing to engage once more with Iranian society. In line with the latter, he was determined to create a new film that would resonate with Iranian audiences.
Mehrjui wrote an original screenplay without relying on external literary sources, resulting in The Tenants (Ejareh-Neshinha, 1986). Unlike his previous films, which often had darker or philosophical undertones, The Tenants was a social-political satire that cleverly reflected the societal changes in post-revolutionary Iranian society, as well as adopting a comedic tone to critique the social issues of the time.
The film follows the lives of tenants living in an old, dilapidated building who are constantly in conflict with the corrupt landlord. As the story unfolds, their struggles symbolize the broader tensions in Iranian society.
The film was a huge success, resonating with audiences and critics alike. It remains one of Mehrjui’s most popular works and is widely regarded as a landmark in Iranian cinema.
Mehrjui, with The Tenants, demonstrated his ability to adapt to changing times while maintaining his sharp social critique and humanistic storytelling.
Shirak
After The Tenants, Mehrjui made the film Shirak (1988) with a screenplay by Kambuzia Partovi. However, the film was weak, and his usual visual and directorial style was barely evident.
Hamoun
It seems that Mehrjui was conserving his energy to make another lasting film, Hamoun (1989).
In Hamoun (1989), influenced by two of his favorite writers, Saul Bellow and J.D. Salinger, Mehrjui tells the story of Hamid Hamoun and his wife Mahshid, whose marriage is collapsing after seven years. Hamid is, in fact, the alter ego of the director, reflecting his anxieties and returning to a period in life where he questioned everything.
Mehrjui says:
“That prayer-learning scene in Hamoun comes from my own childhood. When I was 7 or 8, under the strong influence of my deeply religious grandmother—who frequently took us to Hosseiniyeh (Shia congregation halls) and various religious ceremonies—I became devoted to praying.” (Interview with Mani Haghighi, p. 247)
He continues:
“Hamoun is a deeply personal film—a search for answers to the ever-tempting questions about art, the nature of art, whether art should be nihilistic or not, what the affirmative aspects of art are, and to what extent art should connect with the public versus being reserved for a certain social class…”
(From Hamoun in the Words of Dariush Mehrjui, a collection of essays on Mehrjui’s films, compiled by Nasser Zerrati, Nahid Publishing, Tehran, 1996, p. 540)
As a thoughtful filmmaker, who manages to be simultaneously intellectual and anti-intellectual, Mehrjui critiques Iranian intellectuals, including himself, in Hamoun, blaming them for their failure to reconcile tradition and modernity.
Hamoun is a film influenced by the cinema of Michelangelo Antonioni, Luis Buñuel, Federico Fellini, and Ingmar Bergman—filmmakers who, according to Mehrjui, profoundly shaped his artistic vision.
At the same time, it must be acknowledged that, while Hamoun demonstrates Mehrjui’s strong character development skills, making Hamid Hamoun an iconic character in Iranian cinema, the film itself is not entirely successful.
Four Women-Centered Films
Following Hamoun, in the early 1990s, Mehrjui created four women-centered films: Banu (1991), Sara (1992), Pari (1994) and Leila (1996). These films cemented his illustrious legacy in Iranian cinema history.
Mehrjui states:
“I thought it was enough to focus on workers and villagers. Now, I needed to address women’s issues.” (Interview with Mani Haghighi, p. 174)
In the same interview, he elaborates:
“I grew up surrounded by women—my grandmother, my mother, my three sisters, and our female neighbors. Most of my childhood playmates were girls.” (p. 241)
These experiences enabled Mehrjui to deeply understand the psychological and social struggles of women, which he portrayed in these films with great maturity and depth—both in terms of female characterization and the emotional and societal challenges they face.
Mehrjui’s mastery of literary adaptation is evident in Banu (1991), starring Bita Farahi. The story follows a kind-hearted woman who helps the underprivileged.
The film’s theme and structure evoke Beauty and the Beast and also bear similarities to Luis Buñuel’s Viridiana (1961). However, Mehrjui’s distinct approach ensures that his film is unique.
Through Banu, Mehrjui once again presents a metaphorical critique of Iranian society, showcasing both the virtues and vices of different social classes.
However, the film’s bitter and allegorical perspective did not sit well with Iranian authorities. As a result, Banu was banned for nearly seven years, only receiving clearance for public screening on October 14, 1998.
Sara
For his next film, Mehrjui turned to Henrik Ibsen’s famous play A Doll’s House and adapted it into the brilliant film Sara (1992).
In the original play, Nora Helmer leaves her home. However, after pressure from his actress and literary agent, Ibsen wrote an alternative ending in which Nora returns to her children.
Mehrjui stayed true to Ibsen’s original ending, wisely choosing not to alter it.
Niki Karimi, in the role of Sara, won Best Actress Awards at the San Sebastián International Film Festival and the Three Continents Festival in Nantes.
Pari
With his deep knowledge of modern world literature, Mehrjui turned to J.D. Salinger for his next film, Pari (1994), which was inspired by two of Salinger’s short stories. Salinger’s themes often revolve around the struggles of youth, the loss of innocence and alienation in modern society.
His short story Franny, published in 1961, along with the novella Zooey, follows Franny Glass, a college student who spends a weekend with her boyfriend, Lain, only to become disillusioned by his selfishness. Franny, after reading books on Christian mysticism, experiences anxiety and emotional distress before fainting. Lain takes her home, leaves her in bed, and departs.
Pari turned out to be a strong film, with Niki Karimi delivering another remarkable performance in the title role.
However, when Pari was set to screen at the Lincoln Center Film Society in New York in 1998, Salinger’s lawyer intervened, citing copyright violations. Following a review by New York Film Festival Director Richard Peña, the film was removed from the program. (Source: Richard Peña’s letter to the author)
Leila
Mehrjui’s fourth women-centered film, Leila (1996), starred Leila Hatami. The screenplay, written by Mehrjui, was based on a story by Mahnaz Ansarian.
Leila follows a young woman who, unable to conceive and after failed treatments, succumbs to family pressure and allows her husband, Reza (Ali Mosaffa), to take a second wife.
The film is emotionally powerful, tackling a major social issue with objectivity. Mehrjui’s neutral camera work allows audiences to view all perspectives of the dilemma.
Leila was highly praised by critics and audiences alike and was featured at numerous international festivals.
The Cow and its Influence on Iranian Cinema
Over the years, The Cow has continued to be recognized as a groundbreaking and revolutionary film in Iranian cinema. It pioneered the Iranian New Wave movement and inspired an entire generation of filmmakers, including Bahrām Beyzaie, Parviz Kumiai, Sohrab Shahid-Saless. Amir Naderi, Nasser Taghvai and Abbas Kiarostami.
Throughout the 1970s, these directors produced bold and innovative films, addressing humanistic and social themes that challenged the conventions of commercial Iranian cinema.
Mehrjui’s thoughtful, philosophical, and poetic approach to filmmaking influenced the intellectual and artistic direction of Iranian cinema, both before and after the revolution.
The Philosophical and Artistic Vision of Mehrjui
Looking at the 100-year history of Iranian cinema and Mehrjui’s five-decade career, one can consider Esmaeil Kushan as the father of commercial cinema, Abbas Kiarostami as the creator of art cinema, and Dariush Mehrjui as the pioneer of philosophical cinema.
Mehrjui was not just a filmmaker, he was a philosopher, a thinker, and a literary artist. His films often explored existential, psychological, and social themes, reflecting his deep understanding of philosophy, literature, and art. Mehrjui’s films have always been a reaction to social, historical, or political conditions, including the censorship that has long plagued the Iranian arts. As a modernist left-wing intellectual, he frequently addressed themes of women’s rights, the clash between modernity and tradition, democracy and freedom of expression and social inequalities.
His ability to adapt literary masterpieces into uniquely Iranian stories was unparalleled, taking influence from such diverse sources as Saedi, Buñuel, Büchner, Ibsen, Salinger, Taraghi and Böll. Whether drawing from Persian literature (The Cow), European theater (The Postman), or modern Western fiction (Sara, Perri), Mehrjui masterfully transformed these works into deeply personal and culturally relevant films in which, regardless of the genre, be it comedy, action, tragedy, melodrama, or social/romantic films, his social and philosophical perspective is evident.
His cinema was always concerned with the struggles of individuals, whether they were villagers, intellectuals, or women seeking independence. His greatest strength was his ability to merge realism with symbolism, creating films that were both accessible and intellectually profound.
Pre-revolution cinema was one of allegory, symbolism, and metaphor. After the revolution, although social realism in cinema initially flourished, it was not long before the era of symbolism returned. Before the revolution, Mehrjui—with his socially/politically oriented perspective and artistic commitment—focused his films on society’s underprivileged; but, after the revolution, he targeted the middle class and even, at times, the upper class, while his films never made room for the ignorant, the debauched, the “velvet-hatted,” or the riffraff. On this matter, he states:
“I was always repelled by and afraid of these kinds of types—the ignorant, the riffraff, and the scoundrels.”
(Mani Haghighi, p. 241)
Mehrjui’s cinema is multifaceted and modern. Because of his complete familiarity with the language of cinema, he pays meticulous attention to details, first visualizing them in his inner consciousness and then executing them on screen.
His cinema is realistic and sometimes even surrealistic and symbolic. He loved Iran, and this love is expressed in an allegorical manner. In most of his works, the “home” is the fundamental element representing the country of Iran. For example: the village in The Cow, the landlord’s house in The Postman, the rented house in The Tenants, Hamid Hamoun’s house in Hamoun, and the lavish house of Ali’s father in Santouri—which serves as the center for mourning rituals.
In Leila, when a guest peeks into Leila’s room, she realizes that the home is no longer her place. In Banu—which was based on Viridiana (Luis Buñuel, 1961)—the garden/house is symbolic and conveys its intended meaning. Some people throw things at it and do all they can to damage it.
The underlying theme of Mehrjui’s works can be summed up as the confrontation between the individual and society (or group), in which understanding—or the lack thereof—plays an important role.
In The Cow, Mash Hassan finds a tragic life in front of the villagers—a fate not found in the original tale of The Mourners of Bayal—and Mehrjui himself created the film’s ending in which Mash Hassan is beaten and taken away.
In Mr. Naïve, Halo stands in opposition to the city, and Taghi ،he Postman confronts all those around him; whereas in The Cycle, Ali chooses understanding and reconciliation instead of confrontation.
Censorship
Throughout his nearly half-century-long career, Mehrjui suffered most from censorship: before the revolution, The Cow was delayed for nearly two years, The Cycle for four years; after the revolution, films such as the school film We Went were held for ten years, Banu for nine years, and Santouri led to the stroke and death of Faramarz Farahmand—Mehrjui’s partner—in 1389 [Iranian calendar].
Regarding censorship, Dariush Mehrjui states:
“Whether before or after the revolution, it is very similar. Essentially, the supervisory committee—who acted as the judge of these films—had, unfortunately, a very limited, narrow, and ideological vision. In fact, when a film exceeded their level of awareness and went beyond their limits, they could not simply remove those elements; they immediately banned it and said, ‘Let it remain; let’s see what happens.’ This is exactly what they did after the revolution as well. All the films I made faced this struggle.”
(Video interview with the author)
Lifetime Achievement
Throughout his fifty-year career, Dariush Mehrjui made 24 feature films and 6 documentaries, translated 5 books, and wrote 6 novels, receiving nearly 50 awards—both minor and major—and commendations from film festivals around the world. He was a thoughtful filmmaker who played a highly influential role in Iranian cinema, and his name will endure in the history of cinema in Iran and worldwide.
Conclusion
Dariush Mehrjui is, without a doubt, one of the most influential, visionary, and intellectual filmmakers in the history of Iranian cinema.
From The Cow to The Tenants and beyond, he remained a pioneer—a director who continuously pushed boundaries, challenged societal norms, and crafted stories that remain timeless.
His artistic legacy continues to inspire filmmakers, scholars, and cinephiles around the world.
