Iran’s Soft War: Cinema, Power, and Propaganda
Explore how the Islamic Republic uses thrillers and music videos to bridge a massive generational divide and maintain its revolutionary grip through media.
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The veterans are the ones saying, 'maybe we shouldn't arrest kids for their hair style because we’re just pushing them into the arms of the opposition.' They look at the civil war in Syria and think, 'if we don't adapt, if we don't find a way to make these kids feel like they belong to our system, we’re going to end up in a bloody collapse.'
Generated by yufi
Based off Bajoghli’s books on iran
Perguntas frequentes
The 1979 Revolution is viewed as a messy period involving various competing factions, including Marxists and liberals. In contrast, the Iran-Iraq War (the "Sacred Defense") served as a "crucible" that forged the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij into their current form through eight years of existential struggle. While the state promotes a glorious version of "holy defense" to recruit youth, veterans often maintain a more grounded, horrific memory of the conflict, using it as a master narrative for their heroism and the defense of the nation against the world.
Recognizing that traditional religious propaganda is often ignored by the youth, pro-regime media producers are shifting toward "cinematic persuasion" and nationalism. They are moving away from official state-run television (IRIB) to create smaller, "independent-looking" studios that hide the state's fingerprints. This strategy includes using "underground" marketing tactics, producing high-budget music videos featuring rappers, and creating thrillers that focus on national security and "defending the motherland" rather than pure religious ideology.
These terms represent the "pedigree of power" in Iran, where Khodi refers to "insiders" and Gheyr-e Khodi refers to "outsiders." Being an insider is determined by one's history, family, and service to the revolution or war, providing individuals with legal, material, and social protections. However, this boundary is shifting and narrowing; even war heroes can be cast out and treated as outsiders if they challenge the current political line, leading to significant internal resentment among veterans who feel the system has been hijacked by ideological opportunists.
The "politics of fear" is a tactic used by the regime to maintain compliance by highlighting the chaos in neighboring countries like Syria and Iraq. Media producers frame the Revolutionary Guard and figures like General Qassem Soleimani as the only shield preventing "Islamic zombies" (ISIS/Daesh) from destroying Iran. By turning "security" into a supreme value that transcends politics, the state attempts to convince even anti-regime youth that the current system is a necessary evil to avoid a bloody national collapse.
While pivoting to nationalism helps the regime "borrow" the support of the youth during times of external threat, it creates a "thin veneer" of unity that can evaporate quickly. This strategy is risky because it downplays the original religious foundation of the Islamic Republic. When the state makes catastrophic errors—such as the shooting down of the Ukrainian airliner in 2020—the nationalist facade cracks, and the population's underlying grievances regarding the economy and lack of freedom resurface, turning "compliance" back into "defiance."
Criado por ex-alunos da Universidade de Columbia em San Francisco
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"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
