Tehran Flashcards
1
Q
Production
A
- Transnational co production between Cineflix, Kan 11, Paper Entertainment, Paper Plane Productions
- Produces in Athens, Greece due to the similar architecture and because they weren’t allowed to film in Tehran due to political tensions
2
Q
Who wrote and created Tehran
A
Moshe Zander
3
Q
Distribution of Tehran
A
- Cineflix acquired international distribution rights
- Cineflix then struck a co production with Apple TV+ to launch Tehran
- This made Tahran the first non English series to be released on Apple TV+
4
Q
How much did Apple pay for it
A
$1 million per episode
5
Q
S1 Trailer music
A
- Composer: Mark Eliyahu
- Enigmatic score with fast paced, tension building music
- Iranian instruments (eg. kamancheh) anchor cultural context of the show
6
Q
Tehran and genre
A
- Tehran conforms to the typical codes and conventions
The narrative is based around the real context of the Iran- Israel proxy conflict
- Makes the show culturally and socially relevant for global audiences
7
Q
Casting
A
- Careful and high value casting used (Navid Nagahban and Shaun Toub)
- Female protagonist widens audience appeal, by offering a more diverse representation
- Opportunity to reflect on the dynamic and evolving nature of the genre
- Personal identity
8
Q
OPENING SEQUENCE - audio and technical codes
A
- music amplifies fear of events
- hum, tone of unease and high tension - creates enigma
- dialogue - mixture of three languages helps audiences understand character context and creates a sense of verisimilitude
- Handheld camera positions audience within the action
- FOcuses on the back of Tamar and Ashraf
- Shallow depth of field signifies Tamar as undercover
9
Q
OPENING SEQUENCE - gesture codes
A
- Extreme close up of shaking hand and body language - hermeneutic codes - sense of unease created
- “It’ll be okay don’t be afraid” - Enhances enigma and further builds anticipation
- Israeli student’s fear portrayed through body language, facial expressions and panicked dialogue
10
Q
OPENING SEQUENCE - dress codes
A
Israeli students
- wearing colourful and informal attire, adidas- Western brand
- Signifies their identity and ideological stance
Iranian students
- Niqab and formal attire - traditional, reflects the value of their nation
Creates a binary opposition between these two pairs of students
11
Q
Steve Neale genre application
A
- Tehran strikes a balance between containing enough of the traditional spy thriller genre conventions to have global appeal
- DIFFERENCE, plays on traditional tropes establishing itself as a contemporary version of this genre with its own unique spin of the genre conventions
12
Q
Differences in genre (Steve Neale)
A
- based within verisimilitude and the real life Israel - Iran proxy conflict
- Female lead protagonist - allows for more dynamic and original characters
- Middle Eastern setting
- Convention of muslim terrorists are being subverted (pessimistic view in the post 9/11 zeitgeist)
13
Q
Todorov application
A
- Todorov’s narrative structure has clear limitations when considering the long form nature of TV
- Tehran utilises a flexi-narrative, a more complex narrative structure that combines aspects of the series and the serial
14
Q
Iranian representation
A
- Violent interrogation of Israeli students portrays Iranian regime as brutal and unforgiving
- Further reinforced when the Iranian woman states that she would “rather die” than stay in Iran - reinforces stereotypes
- binary opposition between modern tech of airport and medieval execution (hanging)
- binary opposition between good and evil
15
Q
representation of gender
(historical context)
A
- hijab history
- iran’s history of protest
- iran’s cameras
16
Q
Interrogation scene
mise en scene
A
- Extreme long shot showing the paintings of Iran’s two supreme leaders
- Glass/blinds separating the students, binary opposition between values of Iran vs Israel
17
Q
Interrogation scene
Technical codes
A
- High angle over the shoulder, represents Shira’s vulnerability
- Loose framing, connotes the students isolation
- Low angle shots frame Faraz as towering over Shira - connotes his power and authority
- Cutaway after Faraz hits Shira to outside the room, emphasises how Shira is trapped - implies that violence against women in Iran is normalised
18
Q
Battling stereotypes
A
- Media producers want to ‘de other’ Iran as a nation
- “These are not good guys and bad guys”
- Counters dominant misconceptions about Iran in Israel and the West
19
Q
hooks application
A
- Her ideas are both challenged and conformed
- Tamar empowes women and subverts stereotypical norms of the genre as she is placed in the primary position and is a strong dynamic character
- However, Tehran does conform to stereotypical ideas surrounding women as victims - reflected in the interrogation and closing scene, violence towards women
20
Q
Van Zoonen application
A
- Alternative representations of women are portrayed through Tamar
- However, the series does fall into stereotypically feminine characteristics to disguise her identity (eg. nose bandage)
- Tamar uses societal expectations of what women should do/be/look to further herself
