Iranian films projecting country's political struggle hit box office success

Tehran, June 25 (ANI): Two Iranian films projecting politically sensitive topics have been big successes at the box office, after being screened in different theatres across Tehran.

The films have led to a popularity contest between supporters of the government and the grass-roots opposition movement.

While one movie, directed by a controversial backer of the regime, ridicules opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the other shows how complicated life has become for Tehran's vast middle class, many of whom support the opposition movement.

"Ekhrajijha 3," or "Outcasts 3," which has sold tickets of about six million dollars so far, is a political comedy that focuses on a group of war veterans, some of whom are trying to convert their fame into political capital by running for president.

The film projects two of the most power-hungry candidates, who lie, cheat and organise illegal late-night parties to win the hearts of the nation's young people, who are demanding change.

Although it does not mention any of the real candidates in Iran's 2009 elections, opposition activists believe that the two most opportunistic characters resemble the official image the government is trying to portray of presidential challengers Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi.

Both of them became prominent figures of the grass-roots movement that took to the streets to oppose Ahmadinejad's victory, and they have not been heard for over four months now, since the time they were placed under house arrest.

The other movie, "Jodaeye Nader Az Simin," or "Nader and Simin: A Separation," directed by Asgar Farhadi, won the Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival in February and the top prize at the Sydney Film Festival on Sunday.

The family drama focuses on the growing problems of a typical middle-class couple in their early 40s going through a divorce. It is apparently a projection of the couple who took to the streets in 2009 after Ahmadinejad's victory.

The movie reportedly has sold tickets worth about three million dollars till date. (ANI)