2026/05/24 by Javaneh (Joanna) Azami, Nukhet Sandal · 1 voice
Social Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Islamic Studies and History #Middle East Politics and Society #Cinema and Media Studies
paper · doi:10.1080/01436597.2026.2669651
openalex publication_date 2026/05/24 · openalex created_date 2026/05/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
This article examines state-supported Iranian cinema as a form of statecraft that mediates the Islamic Republic’s pursuit of ontological security. Drawing on international relations theory, it argues that post-revolutionary Iran’s state-supported film industry operates as a regulated epistemic field where film production, ideology and threat perceptions converge in pursuit of ontological security. The institutionalisation of state-supported filmmaking through bodies such as the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting University, the Farabi Foundation, and the Owj Arts and Media Organization contribute to a media environment in which cinema functions as ideological advocacy. Within this context, Amnyati films articulate a dual narrative: Iran as both a nation under siege by hostile foreign powers and a guardian of regional order. These narratives conform with state discourses that externalise insecurity and sanctify resistance, reinforcing the regime’s moral authority and continuity. Accordingly, this study illuminates how state-supported film production serves to stabilise national identity and justify foreign policy amid external pressure and internal dissent in an effort to sustain ontological security.