Iranian Cinema and Philosophy Shooting Truth

by Erfani, Farhang

• ISBN13: 9780230339118
• ISBN10: 0230339115
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-12-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Iranian films are kept at a distance, as 'other,' different and exotic. While interest in this cinema is growing, it is rarely engaged theoretically. This book takes such films as Kiarostami'sTaste of Cherry, Meshkini'sThe Day I Became a Woman, and Ghobadi'sTurtles Can Fly, as philosophically innovative. Each chapter is devoted to analyzing a single film, philosopher, and aesthetic question to challenge traditional assumptions of film theory.

Author Biography

Farhang Erfani is an assistant professor of Philosophy at the American University and a research associate at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. He is the author of Aesthetics of Autonomy and his research specializes in continental philosophy, political theory, and aesthetics.

Table of Contents

'A fascinating piece of work which brings the insights of Continental philosophy to bear on Iranian cinema and—perhaps more importantly—brings Iranian cinema to bear on those insights.' - Simon Critchley, Hans Jonas Professor of Philosophy, New School for Social Research

'Erfani's important and informative book makes a stunning contribution to the relatively new field of film and philosophy. In it, Iranian cinema and western philosophy peer into each other like facing mirrors, finding there both confirmation and disorientation. Lucid and sophisticated, this work will have wide appeal to those interested in cinema and contemporary theory.' - Joan Copjec, professor of English, Comparative Literature, and Media Study, University at Buffalo