Collective Identity and Despotism: Lessons in Two Plays by Bahram Beyzaie

With an overview of identity as a dominant theme in Bahram Beyzaie's artistic creations, this article examines two of his, arguably, most political plays: Chahar Sanduq (Four Boxes, 1967) and Khaterat-e Honarpisheh-ye Naqsh-e Dovvom (Memoirs of the Actor in a Supporting Role, 1981) to examine his reflections on the nature, function, and vulnerability of collective social, political, and cultural identity in authoritarian societies. Both plays illustrate that the tyrannical rulers of such societies perpetuate their dominance over their subjects through exploiting the individual's self-interests, thereby isolating him and stripping him of collective and, inevitably, individual identity. Beyzaie's allegorical and rather abstract approach in these plays contributes to conveying a less topical, culture-specific, and more universal message.</jats:p

Postrevolutionary Trends in Persian Fiction and Film

With a brief survey of Iranian fiction and film since the early twentieth century, this article reflects on the changes and developments in these two art forms in recent decades. It argues that although serious writers and filmmakers in the past century displayed a commitment to social and political issues in their country, and while the nature of the endeavors of the postrevolutionary literary authors and serious filmmakers have generally remained the same, the 1978-79 Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war ,as well as the new restrictions imposed by the Islamic regime, have had considerable impact on and brought changes to the art of storytelling in Iran.</jats:p