Background

The Iranian New Wave was characterised by a self-aware, poetic, documentary-style of storytelling that focused on lower and middle-class subjects. It also took inspiration from other new-wave film movements from other parts of the world, such as Italian Neorealism. “Filmfarsi” was the most common style of film in Iran before the new wave. These were commercial films that replicated the style of Bollywood movies of the time. Filmfarsi is often criticised for its low-quality and over-the-top plotlines and storytelling. The loss of popularity of Filmfarsi coincided with the growth of the Iranian New Wave. The Iranian New Wave is often subdivided into three waves;

First Wave

The first wave came in the sixties as Filmfarsi lost popularity amongst the general public. Filmfarsi did not accurately reflect the reality of Iranian life and locals began to seek out better artistic representation. An early precursor to the first wave was Serpent’s Skin (1964) by the director Hajir Darioush. Films like Shohare Ahoo Khanoom (1968) and The Cow (1969) opened the doors to fresh, new, politically-driven narratives that captioned the attention of movie-goers. These had philosophical yet realistic depictions of Iranian life, unlike the melodramatic musicals of Filmfarsi. This wave lasted until the Iranian revolution in 1979 which introduced Islamic restrictions on the film industry.

Second Wave

The second wave lasted till 1999 and introduced some of the most internationally recognised films to come from Iran. Despite political turmoil, the craftsmanship of Iranian films steadily improved. The critically acclaimed Children of Heaven (1997), directed by Majid Majidi, was one of the most recognised films of this era. Like some other films of the Iranian new wave, it followed the trend of focusing on children as its main subjects, which lent it an air of innocence and relatability. It depicts the struggle of a brother and sister surviving in a typical poor Iranian family. It later became the first Iranian film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Third Wave

The third wave, from 2000 to 2011, includes the most recent films of the movement. A great example would be A Separation (2011), directed by Asghar Farhadi. The drama explores the multifaceted lives of a couple with a struggling marriage in modern-day Iran. It won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It was also the first Iranian film to win the Golden Bear.

Impact

The distinct socially aware down-to-earth approach of the Iranian New Wave, fiction with the air of a documentary, has had a global impact on cinema as a whole. Filmmakers from Persia to Europe have paid homage to this unique artistry. A noted example is the English director Michael Winterbottom with his film In This World (2002).

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A Brief History of Cinema Novo

Although the term ‘Cinema Novo’ has been used since the 60s, it is more of a retrospective term. The filmmakers of the time did not actively create films to fit into the description of Cinema Novo. It was an open practice which evolved naturally alongside the political and cultural changes of the time.

In the 1950s, Brazil mostly produced comedic musicals called chanchadas in the style of Old Hollywood. However, at the end of the decade, Brazilian films began to focus more on topics of social justice. This was as the country faced political upheaval as it entered the eras of Brazilian Presidents Juscelino Kubitschek and João Goulart. Cinema Novo did not have a defined style, but it picked inspiration from European film movements like French New Wave and Italian Neorealism.

The French New Wave saw the popularisation of the ‘auteur’ theory, which views the director as the creative lead of a film and therefore its author. Italian Neorealism was a style of politically-driven filmmaking in Italy following the 1943 Italian Spring. It explored topics like poverty and injustice, and Cinema Novo followed in this regard. The onset of Cinema Novo was also the first time Brazilian film began to receive international critical acclaim.

Cinema Novo is often divided into three phases:

Phase One (1960-1964)

The beginning of the movement focused on political themes like poverty, racism and social inequality. Violence was a common denominator which reflected the frustration of the society of the time. Films were often shot in black and white as a stylistic choice that deviated from the more polished Hollywood-esque style. The economic instability of Brazil was reflected in the lowered technical precision since filmmakers lacked the funds for higher-quality equipment. Glauber Rocha, who released the cinematic classic Black God, White Devil in 1964, was one of the notable directors of this phase.

Phase Two (1964-1968)

This phase was a reaction to the overthrow of the popular President João Goulart. The population faced disillusionment as many of his progressive changes were rolled back after the military coup. The pro-democracy ideals of the first phase began to seem unrealistic, and filmmakers began to move towards commercialization. The ‘aesthetic of hunger’ which was popular in the first phase gave way to a concentration on middle-class protagonists. This was a bid to create films more relatable to a larger audience. There was also a move from black and white to colour. This was first seen in Leon Hirzshman’s Garota de Ipanema (The Girl from Ipanema) (1967), one of the quintessential films of this time.

Phase Three (1968-1972)

The last phase of the movement is sometimes referred to as the cannibal-tropicalist phase. Its tropical nature refers to the return to colourful aesthetics reflecting the Brazilian jungle. These had been popular before Cinema Novo. Cannibalism, in this case, was both literal and metaphorical. The best example of this is Rocha’s black comedy Como Era Gostoso o Meu Francês (How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman) (1971). The film involved the literal cannibalism of a Frenchman, to represent how necessary violence is in enacting social change.

Impact

Cinema Novo had a definite end in the 70s with Brazilian film moving towards more commercial projects and government-backed film under the Embrafilme company. In spite of this, it has had a lasting impact. Cinema Novo is considered the beginning of the Third Cinema, a wave of socio-political cinema that popped up all across the globe. From Hong Kong to Australia and everywhere in between, the movement of socially conscious films changed how we view cinema. Eryk Rocha, the son of Glauber Rocha, paid homage to the movement through the documentary Cinema Nova (2014) at the Cannes Film Festival.

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