The Red Line

Consequently, after the culmination of the revolution, Kimiaee was accepted by the new cultural authorities as a politically committed filmmaker with religious inclinations.  Kimiaee was appointed director of the country's radio and television organization, but in the politically hectic atmosphere of those days he could not endure in that post for more than a few months.  He then created his first film in post-revlution period, The Red Line (1989).  Based on an original screenplay by Bahram Bayzai, another prominent director, The Red Line exposed the crimes of the Shah's secret police, Savak.  The film told the story of Amani, a SAVAK agent (Saeed Rad) who is marrying a young girl, Laleh, with intellectual and political inclinations.  During the wedding night the girl (Farimah Farjami) finds out about the real profession of his would-be husband, and this discovery leads to disaster.

The Red Line was characterized by a brilliant cinematography and set design, but it encountered problems in connection with the proper dress code of the actresses and has been shelved after its screening at the first Fajr Film Festival.  (One of the main problems was the appearance of Ali Mahzoon and Iren (the sexy star of pre revolutionary films) who starred as the parents of the girl.  In the version of the film that was shown later at the festival, their roles had been replaced by two other actors and they had become two of the guests.  Also in the original print, the parents were from an aristocrat family who like the new husband, but in the final version they were changed to a poor family who were strongly against the wedding of their daughter with this man.  Finally, the biggest problem was Saeed Rad himself;  SAVAK agents were supposed to be portrayed as ugly men from rich families.  Saeed Rad was neither.  Last but not least, the brother of Laleh, was originally a leftist guerrilla fighter who was later changed to a religious fighter.)

The Blade and the Silk

The films' screening setback and the resulting financial loss, made it impossible for Kimiaee to begin a new project in the following 5 years.  His next picture, The Blade and the Silk deals with drug smugglers who are presented as part of a global scheme to weaken the Islamic republic by spreading addiction among the younger generation of Iranians.  The film was made at a relatively big budget, and in particular it contained a spectacular explosion at a gas station.  Nevertheless, and contrary to all expectations, it was a fiasco.  This was partly due to lack of a thematic focal point, and partly to the fact that some of the key scenes had to be taken out of the picture.  Next